en|Gender » trans

Breaking: CA Court Declares Same Sex Marriage Ban Unconstitutional

helenboyd — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:42:01 +0000

More Hateful Violence

helenboyd — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:24:06 +0000

The NYPD has a bad record with its treatment of trans people, so one woman – who was arrested for an illegal subway swipe - is suing them.

A trans woman named was killed in DC this week, and the DC Trans Coalition reports other violence as well.

I am never going to understand this kind of violence.

HUD: Equal Access to Housing Rule Trans-Inclusive

helenboyd — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:00:10 +0000

Wow. Housing non-discrimination for trans people? Really? What amazing news. Via NCTE:

“I am proud to announce a new Equal Access to Housing Rule that says clearly and unequivocally that LGBT individuals and couples have the right to live where they choose [...] If you are denying HUD housing to people on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, actual or perceived, you’re discriminating, you’re breaking the law, and you will be held accountable. That’s what equal access means, and that’s what this rule is going to do.”

The new rule makes several urgently needed changes to current federal housing and housing-related programs including: prohibiting owners and operators of federally-funded or federally-insured housing, as well as lenders offering federally-insured mortgages from discriminating based on gender identity or sexual orientation;and clarifying the definition of “family” to ensure that LGBT families are not excluded from HUD programs.

Read the whole article. Honestly, when i first started doing advocacy around trans issues, I didn’t expect to see these kinds of rules put in place by 2012.

100 Trans Blogs

helenboyd — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:40:31 +0000

Sugar and Slugs put together a list of 100 trans-related blogs; not all of them are primarily dedicated to trans issues, but still, this is pretty amazing.

I think there were three when I started, & I’m not sure any of those are still online/active.

Buy Girl Scout Cookies

helenboyd — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:18:08 +0000

If you haven’t yet heard, a Girl Scout troop allowed a young trans girl to join and in response, people are boycotting the sale of Girl Scout cookies.

Which, to my mind, means: more for us! These will be the most guilt-free cookies ever.

The Girl Scouts, by the way, have continued to support an inclusive membership policy despite the boycott.

Shit Trans Guys Say

helenboyd — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:25:47 +0000

I know everyone is sick of these already, but I find this one charming:

More interesting is the same guy’s musings on being “trans enough”.

Shit Cis People Say to Trans People

helenboyd — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:05:26 +0000

You knew it was coming:

“You transgenders are so inspiring” is probably my fave.

That said: we have had plenty, PLENTY of trans women ask us if my partner has had “the surgery”, how we have sex exactly, and whether she is gay, was gay, and whether or not I was/am/have become a lesbian.

Transition-Related Care is Tax Deductible

helenboyd — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 03:30:22 +0000

How’s that for good news for an upcoming tax season?

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has affirmed that transgender people can deduct their hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery expenses. This announcement indicates that the IRS will follow the U.S. Tax Court’s 2010 ruling in O’Donnabhain v. Commissioner, which held that gender identity disorder (GID) is a medical condition, and transgender people receiving hormone therapy or sex reassignment surgery as treatment for GID may deduct these costs as medical expenses.

NCTE has links to the .pdf of the IRS announcement as well as the tax trial that set the precedent.

Be Who You Are

helenboyd — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:23:12 +0000

Alas, another children’s book about a trans child, this one called Be Who You Are, about a young girl who is born male-bodied.

The only thing that bugs me about this is the idea of using the term “gender non-conforming” for a child like this. On the surface of it, sure. But it’s exactly the gender typical femininity of such kids that often convinces people they are trans in the first place; if she were more of a tomboy, her trans status wouldn’t be as obvious to people, right?

Keisling on Trans Successes

helenboyd — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:23:05 +0000

Mara Keisling has a good – and lengthy – op-ed in The Advocate on why it’s been such a good year for trans people.

more non-discrimination state and local laws
white house prioritizes trans issues
trans health policy improves
the US & UN speak up for LGBT rights worldwide
massive study on trans discrimination released
improved Standards of Care
all of the federal legislation introduced this congress was trans-inclusive

and that’s only a few. Go read the whole of it. As an activist/advocate of 10+ years, this is really mind-blowing progress (even if we’re all well aware there is plenty more to do).