6/20/13

Ben Levin Group's Live Studio Performance of "Goddess" a tribute to a transgender person



Published on Jun 19, 2013
www.BenLevinGroup.com

The members of Ben Levin Group are all allies and supporters of LGBT rights. This song is a portrait of a courageous transgender person's experience and is inspired by Neil Gaiman's Sandman story "A Game of You."
Lyrics:

No pretending no secrets
No more wondering if I am sick
No more hiding no more masks
No more lying when people ask
I'm a goddess in the sky
You can't see me, sun's to bright
Thunder clouds blow 'round my soul
Through this fog I'll come out whole
Singing.
I wear mascara and my stockings high
Look so beautiful in this dim light
And they cackle and they yell and they follow me
And they say that I'm freak when they call to me
A hormone tablet in a glass of wine
Funhouse mirror flash of what's inside
And I fight with my dreams and I barely breathe
And the razor tip's slowly lowering
Oh my lover tells me that he's gonna leave
Father tries to beat it out of me
But I am who I am and I need to be
More than contradictions fictions and atrocities
Singing.


Transgender Canadian Requesting Sex-Designation Change Original Birth Certificate Shredded By Registrar

One Canadians request for her birth certificate sex designation change wasn't just rejected, it was shredded!
Source: chrismilloy.ca
Trans* people who were born in Ontario can apply to the Registrar General’s Office (part of the Ontario Ministry of Government Services) to have the Sex designation on their Birth Certificate changed to reflect their Gender Identity. At least, they can try.

Information from within the Registrar General’s office, which I have obtained from a reliable source, reveals that of the first 213 applications received since the surgical requirement was officially dropped (between October 5th 2012 and May 24th 3013), only 96 have been approved. 117, more than half, have been rejected.

Most were returned due to “outstanding requirements.” So what are the requirements, really, and why are so many applicants having trouble meeting them?

For one thing, a Doctor’s note is still a requirement, it says so on the cover page of the form. But, ambiguously, after stating this requirement, the forms then follow with a section called ”alternate evidence” which suggests that it might not be an absolute requirement… Although unhelpfully, they are not at all specific with examples for what will suffice (and have even been known to reject applications for no good reason at all).

Read the rest of the story at chrismilloy.ca

Transgender Kenyan Awarded $2,332 For Police Publicly Stripping and Humiliating Her


 "I AM not ashamed to be a woman!"

Identity Kenya reports that those were Alexander Ngungu Nthungi’s words after Lady Justice Mumbi Ngugi declared that police violated her rights and dignity by stripping her naked to ascertain her sexual identity.

“The judgment has given me renewed hope; I will no longer have the fear of being a woman. Now I am free and I feel those like me having transgender problems should come out and fight for their rights,” said Ms. Nthungi during an interview with the Nation on Wednesday.

By her side was Andrew Mbugua, who has been engaged in a running legal battle to be officially recognised as a woman and be known as Audrey Mbugua.

In January 2011, Nthungi was at work in her grocery shop in Thika town, dressed like a woman when she was arrested and taken to Makongeni Police Station for questioning over claims of assaulting another woman.

While at the station and in the full glare of the media, an officer stripped her naked claiming they wished to identify her gender.

The Nation reports that although transgender Kenyans have won a victory immense work lays ahead.

On the outcome of Nthungi’s case, Audrey Mbugua founder of Transgender Kenya said: “Although we are happy about the judgment, the judge should have compelled the police to offer a public apology. Sometimes it’s not about being compensated with money but being recognised as human.”

Their lawyer, Mr Daniel Wokabi, said transgender persons should be classified as “a special need group” so that their rights to dignity are respected.

“Issues of transgender ought to be dealt with a lot of caution and restraint. They are human and people should appreciate the pain they undergo in trying to identify with another gender,” Mr Wokabi said.

The Constitution, he said, recognises the rights and dignity of such people.

He urged individuals having the same problem to come out in the open to have the issues resolved in line with the Constitution without fear of public perception.


6/19/13

Delaware Governor Jack Markell Signs Transgender Protections Into Law!

Congratulations Equality Delaware and THANK YOU Gov. Jack Markell!

Signed into law June 19th 2013 legis.delaware.gov "This Act (SB97) adds the term “gender identity” to the already-existing list of prohibited practices of discrimination and hate crimes. As such, this Act would forbid discrimination against a person on the basis of gender identity in housing, employment, public works contracting, public accommodations, and insurance, and it would provide for increased punishment of a person who intentionally selects the victim of a crime because of the victim’s gender identity."

The bill took a quick trip back to the house on the 18th were its was amended to clarify transsexualism to satisfy fence sitters:

“Gender identity may be demonstrated by consistent and uniform assertion of the gender identity or any other evidence that the gender identity is sincerely held as part of a person’s core identity; provided, however, that gender identity shall not be asserted for any improper purpose.”

The amendment also includes a clause that would allow sex-segregated public venues like locker rooms to “provide reasonable accommodations” including “a separate or private place” for transgender people. Rep. Short and Equality Delaware President Mark Purpura clarified that no organizations would be required to provide such accommodations, but merely that they may do so if they wish. None of the provisions in the amendment are binding, or change the main purpose of the Senate bill in a significant way.

Sixteen states and D.C. now have trans-inclusive anti-discrimination laws. Thirteen of those states and the nation’s capital have also added gender identity and expression to their hate crimes statutes.


Police Release Video of Hollywood Transgender Beating Offer $25,000 Reward

ABC 13 reports: HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES -- Police have released dramatic surveillance video showing a vicious attack on a transgender woman on a Hollywood sidewalk. They are hoping the video will help them track down the suspects.

The vicious attack occurred on May 31 around 2:30 a.m.

Surveillance footage shows the victim, a transgender woman known as Vivian, walking along Hollywood Boulevard near Ivar Avenue. Four men are seen approaching her.

"She became involved in a verbal confrontation," said Lt. Marc Reina with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Vivian walks away from the men, heading toward Vine Street.

"At that point, one of the males ran up behind Vivian, striking her from behind, knocking her unconscious, it appears on the video, to the ground. And then the rest of the group joined in and brutally assaulted Vivian by kicking and punching her," said Reina.

The victim had to spend a week in the hospital. Authorities are still trying to determine if this was a hate crime.

The suspect who knocked Vivian down was described as a white male between 20 to 25 years old with blond hair. He was wearing a white T-shirt with a "YSL" logo.

The other three suspects are around the same age. They were wearing black shirts and black pants. Authorities are hoping witnesses will help them track down the attackers.

"As you can see in the video, there's people around, there's cars driving by, so we're asking anybody that happened to see this incident to contact us," said Reina.

A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects. Anyone with information was asked to call Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS or online at http://www.lapdonline.org/report_a_crime




6/18/13

Watch: Cathy Brennan Geting Kicked OUT of the most LGBTQI Friendly Bar in London on Trans night

This is too funny in a sadly pathetic way.  Cathy Brennan got herself thrown out of arguably the most LGBTQI accepting bar in London, filmed it and posted it in a failed attempt at martyrdom on her facebook page! This is Brennan's most worst attempt at becoming a victim yet.

Brennan, but you just made a royal fool of yourself.


Seems Brennan's bullshit was bad enough that the Wotever Bar felt compelled to post a new Door Policy the next day in the event they have to deal with another troll like Brennan.

Posted on June 12,

Wotever does have an open door policy, and we respect and will engage with a variety of views.

However we also have a zero tolerance policy towards hate speech and harassment.

Anyone who stalks or harasses members of the Wotever audience is not welcome, and will not be allowed to enter Bar Wotever.

Any harassment should be reported to the RVT security and/or the police.

Bar Wotever aims to provide an open, engaging and safer space for the LGBTQQIAFF community and their allies.

Brennan is a TERF (trans exclusive Radical Feminist) has made her life long mission to bait trans people, as she was doing in that bar, into reacting to her emotionally. Then she attempts to portray herself as the victim as she did when she maliciously outed a teenage trans student to his school.

Lesbilicious has all the low down on this.