At some point in the last month, this blog had its 1 millionth visitor.
Cool.
Trans in the News
Another trans teacher gets fired.
Monica Roberts has a nice piece up about being a trans student.
A high school student quits school over crossdressing.
Jillian Weiss continues to cover interesting aspects of the ENDA debate.
Same Sex Abby
Congrats to Dear Abby for this clever answer:
DEAR ABBY: I am a young woman in my 20s who, while very friendly, is funny about being touched. I am extremely uncomfortable when people outside my immediate family hug me, rub my shoulders or place a hand on my back or arm. Yet somehow, people tend to do this with me.
How can I express my discomfort without sounding antisocial or mean? I’d appreciate your advice. — TOUCHY SUBJECT
DEAR TOUCHY SUBJECT: Do it with humor. Say, “If you do that again, you’ll have to marry me!” It should work with members of both sexes, depending upon the state you live in.
Subtly cool. Go (daughter of) Abby!
Kalamazoo: Get Involved
Kalamazoo, Michigan is trying to add LGBT people to the existing non-discrimination law in Kalamazoo. It seems like a no-brainer, considering 20 other Michigan cities already have a similar law. But – this won’t be a big surprise to my trans readers – the big scary bathroom threat is being used to quash the legislation.
In addition, this campaign used photos of actual trans women – and ones that you have probably heard of because they’ve been in the news for other reasons – to scare the public on transgender issues. Nasty tactics, but we’ve seen them before.
- You can get all your questions answered here,
- follow the campaign on Twitter,
- and there’s a list of things you can do,
- including how and where to make a donation,
Two Tune Tuesday: Sly
How can you not love Sly & the Family Stone? I was a fan from the first track I heard (which was “Stand!” covered live by World Party with Sinead O’Connor on guest vocals, at the New Ritz, or the old Studio 54). I don’t think any other act has had quite so much lifted direct, except maybe James Brown. Get up & dance to the music, & note the woman playing trumpet.
Internalized Oppression
In response to my Tri Ess post, on FB, Bayne sent a link to this article on internalized oppression – it seems like a conversation the trans community should be ready to have. This section seemed especially relevant vis a vis passing privilege:
While the stereotypes that people internalize are imposed by society, we all, whether we are members of the favored majority or the oppressed or unfairly treated minority, have a personal responsibility to confront those stereotypes. As members of the majority, we need to help and support those in the minority to see that their personal worth has nothing to do with society’s current or past prejudice. And as members of the minority, we have a responsibility to listen to those among us who challenge the majority view, and to analyze and challenge it ourselves. We may need support and guidance in doing so – that’s what Paulo Freire provided to those he worked with, and what he wrote about.
Thoughts?
Tri Ess: Still Rude
A while back, I found an email inviting me to be the keynote speaker for Tri Ess’s Holiday En Femme conference which was to take place in November, in Chicago. I immediately asked the organizers if the National leadership were okay with me being asked, since Tri Ess hasn’t been happy with me since I wrote My Husband Betty and criticized Tri Ess’s policies in its pages. They had reason to be unhappy with me, that is, which is why I was surprised when I received the invite.
The organizers were confident they were in the clear, having been told that HEF is an inclusive conference. That said, over time, National got wind of what they were planning & had some problems with it – not just with me as the keynote choice, but with workshops on hormones & some other things.
The organizers who invited me eventually quit because they felt the national Tri Ess leadership were trying to control everything to a degree that made it impossible for them, the local organizers, to plan the event.
That said, I had given my professional word that I would speak, and so repeated my agreed-upon conditions with national. They were agreeable to the same conditions. Jane Ellen Fairfax and I exchanged a few pleasantly agreeable emails, even.
A local friend in Chicago emailed me a few days ago just to say hi and happened to mention, in passing, that he hoped Tri Ess had at least let me know before putting that message up on the HEF website. Not having any idea what he was talking about, I went & checked it, only to find this message:
The Board of Tri-Ess held a Conference Call last evening in order to determine the status of the various elements which are necessary to a provide an enjoyable, enlightening and productive Holiday En Femme for all of our Chapters.
After thoroughly reviewing this project for viability in meeting these goals, we determined that, with the short time remaining, Holiday En Femme should be canceled for 2009.
The Board of Tri-Ess wishes to recognize and thank those chapters as well as the many individual sisters and supporters who participated in our endeavour and offers a deep respect for all who made every effort to try to provide you a quality Holiday En Femme.
Omaha Beach
(h/t to queerunity)
Viggo
What does it say about me as a feminist if I watch GI Jane solely to check out Viggo Mortensen’s legs?
Congrats to FORGE
Today, FORGE snagged the second largest grant given to a transgender organization. From their press release:
Less than a month after starting a 3-year, nearly $300,000 federally-funded project to improve the nation’s sexual violence and criminal justice professionals’ ability to respectfully and appropriately serve transgender survivors of sexual violence, FORGE has been awarded a second federal grant to provide direct services to transgender survivors and SOFFA (Significant Others, Friends, Family and Allies).