You call it basic but its so honnest. and sweet !!!!!

26 de fevereiro
~ learned something new ~
today, i had the most interesting class in my college career a presentation that was given by four transgender guest speakers... they are all MTF, male to female transexual/transgender~~~ it was fasnating, because i dont know any bisexual, gay, lesbian, or transgender personally,
that's why i'm always curious about what is it like to be one and being so up and close with all of them today, i felt i've learned a lot! from a sudden look, i cant even tell they were transgenders until they started to speak! those "ladies" were very lovely, despite the fact that they seem a bit out of proportion as each of them shared their stories about "coming out" the struggles they went through with themselves, with their families, etc but as each and everyone of them concluded in the end of the presentation, they are much happier now than they were before, because they can finally be who they are it was such a powerful presentation, at least in my opinion to know how those people went against all odds to make their dreams come to to be the "women" that they wanted to be, and be accepted for their truest selves.
and i cant help wondering, what is my truest self?

http://mjin0531.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!9734F0EBCA57A8F8!1436.entry

Transsexual can get married in Malta, court rules.

Transsexual can get married, court rules

Fri, February 16, 2007

Claudia Calleja

A court has ordered the director of Public Registry to issue the marriage banns for a transsexual, who was born a man but was legally declared a woman following gender reassignment surgery.
Mr Justice Gino Camilleri gave the order after noting that the union between the transsexual, now a woman, and her male partner did not go against any provision of the Marriage Act.
Lawyers contacted by The Times said they believed this ruling was the first of its kind and may lead to the first civil marriage of a transsexual.
This case contrasts with a judgment delivered by the Civil Court three years ago.
In that judgment the court had upheld the request of another woman (who had had the same type of surgery) and ordered the director to make an annotation to the applicant's birth certificate to show that she was female and bore a woman's name.
But the court had refused to declare her a woman for the purposes of the Marriage Act, remarking it would take much more to convince it to go against the dictates of natural law and allow marriage between two people who were, at the end of the day, of the same sex.
Yesterday, the judge heard how the woman was born a man and, consequently, was registered as male in the birth certificate.
The woman underwent irreversible gender reassignment surgery and last June obtained a court judgment ordering that her sex be altered to female on the birth certificate and that her name be changed to a woman's name of her choice.
The court also ordered the director of Public Registry to make all the necessary corrections in public documents.
All this meant that, legally, the person was declared a female.
But when the woman filed an application at the Public Registry for the publication of marriage banns, the director refused to issue the banns.
The woman filed an application in the Civil Court requesting the court to order the director of Public Registry to issue the marriage banns because she wanted to marry her male partner.
Mr Justice Camilleri upheld the woman's request after noting that the union with her partner did not go against any provisions of the Marriage Act because it was a marriage between two people of the opposite sex.
The name of the woman and her partner are not being published due to the private nature of the case.
Lawyers José Herrera and David Camilleri represented the woman.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=252271

Por Gisberta

the movie was produced by joão paulo, member of www.portugalgay.pt and we thank him very much for it.

gisberta remember

the movie was produced by transftmgay and we thank him very much for it.

COLLECTIV TRANS EUROPÉEN (FRANÇÊS)

http://www.collectif-trans.info/

STS - Support Transgenre Strasbourg

STS - Support Transgenre Strasbourg

site de apoio a transgéneros em Strasbourg - França

http://www.sts67.org/

Transsexual and Transgender Transition, Medical, and Hair Removal Help and Consumer Guide

www.transgendercare.com

Specialists in the Medical & Psychological Aspects of Transgender Health Care

Four years later, 'Nikki' murder still a mystery

Four years later, 'Nikki' murder still a mystery

By Lisa Roose-Church

DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

.
Those who knew a Detroit transgender person found murdered in an abandoned Green Oak Township farmhouse in February 2003 still believe someone has information that could help find the killer.
Meanwhile, Green Oak Township Police Chief Robert Brookins said last week that his office continues to investigate the shooting death of Anthony Lionell "Nikki" Nicholas, who was found murdered Feb. 21, 2003.
"We believe the people responsible are local," the chief said, as the fourth anniversary of the crime passed. "We look at the case with frequency. We're not giving up on it."
Jeffrey Montgomery, executive director of Triangle Foundation in Detroit, said Thursday that he is convinced someone has information that could lead to solving Nicholas' murder.
"I remain convinced to this day that many people who may have, and had, information about this case did not feel safe coming forth," Montgomery said. "It's a double tragedy.
"First for Nikki's family and also it's a tragedy this happened in a community that doesn't feel safe," he said, referring to transgender people.
Born a man, Nicholas had lived as a woman for two years prior to the killing. She went by the name Nikki and made a living as a female impersonator in several Detroit-area bars. "Transgender" is an umbrella term used to describe individuals whose gender expression or gender identity differs from conventional expectations based on the physical sex they were born into.
Family members told authorities that Nicholas had not lived at home since early 2001. Nicholas was last seen Feb. 15, 2003, going to a party somewhere between Detroit and Ann Arbor. She was found six days later in the farmhouse.
A representative of Canton Township-based Webber Devel-opment Co. discovered 19-year-old Nicholas' body on Feb. 21, 2003, in an abandoned farmhouse on property adjacent to the Hershey Creamery between M-36 and Spicer Road in Green Oak Township while conducting a property check. The body was discovered on the second floor of the farmhouse.
Police used fingerprints to identify the victim. They would not say when they believed Nicholas died or how long her body had been in the abandoned farmhouse.
Nicholas died from a gunshot wound, according to an autopsy conducted at Saint Joseph Hospital in Ann Arbor.
Montgomery said he still believes Nicholas was targeted because of her lifestyle and the way she represented herself.
"We absolutely have no doubt that is the case," Montgomery said. "It's a very difficult case to contemplate. It brings all those memories back."
In 2005, Brookins said police interviewed "individuals" in July 2004 in the murder, but he declined to provide specific details. At that time, the chief also noted that there are "several" people police are still considering and "looking at," including an unidentified person initially named as a "person of interest" in the case.
Brookins has also declined to provide specific information on that individual.
As the four-year mark passed, Montgomery said he believes police are doing what they can to solve Nicholas' murder.
"Anniversaries of this kind are always devastating, especially those that remain unsolved," he said.
Nicholas' brother, James, told the Daily Press & Argus in February 2003 that he believed Nicholas' murder was the result of a hate crime. Attempts to reach the family this week were unsuccessful.
In April of that year, police returned to the abandoned house when someone started a fire there. Brookins said police believe "curiosity seekers" started the fire.
Contact Daily Press & Argus reporter Lisa Roose-Church at (517) 552-2846 or at lrchurch@gannett.com.

.http://www.dailypressandargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070225/NEWS01/702250324/1002

SEMINÁRIO - PROCURANDO UMA CIDADANIA SEXUAL E DE GÉNERO - FPCE-UP

Procurando uma Cidadania Sexual e de Género:

Acção Política e Reflexões em torno das Discriminações Sociais
Seminário

No dia 1 de Março, a FPCE-UP acolhe o seminário "Procurando uma Cidadania Sexual e de Género: Acção Política e Reflexões em torno das Discriminações Sociais", organizado no âmbito da Pós-Graduação em Psicologia Política. O evento terá lugar no auditório da entrada, entre as 18 e as 20 horas. A entrada é livre.

Programa - Percursos e estratégias do Movimento Transgénero: o colectivo e o sujeito no espaço da cidadania; - A Discriminação Social como enfoque de reflexões teóricas e de estudos em Portugal: factos, modos de violência, projecto do Observatório da Homofobia. - Movimento Associativo, Acção Directa e Empoderamento Pessoal: questionar as identidades e agir para a redução da violência e da discriminação social; - O Género como base da Acção Colectiva: que entendimentos e que caminhos de Acção?

.

.Orador: Sérgio Vitorino - Jornalista e activista gay

.Moderador: Nuno Santos Carneiro - Psicólogo

http://sigarra.up.pt/fpceup/noticias_geral.ver_noticia?P_NR=759

Associações 'gay' querem memorial a Gisberta no Porto

Vestido de mulher, Fernando Mariano reproduz gestos da vaidade feminina. Finge que pinta os lábios, afaga o cabelo e calça uns sapatos de tacão alto que lhe acentuam a silhueta já coberta por um vestido em tons laranja. Encena uma saída para o exterior, onde é agredida por uns e ignorada por outros, incapazes de lhe prestar auxílio.O cenário é a rua de Santa Catarina, no Porto, onde o movimento Panteras Rosa - Frente de Combate à LesBiGay Transfobia, organizou, ontem ao final do dia, a intervenção "Gisberta: Morrer Invisível". Uma forma de assinalar um ano desde que foi encontrado o corpo da transexual brasileira, "Gis", três dias depois de continuadas agressões por um grupo de jovens da Oficina de São José - que acabaram por lançá-la a um poço onde morreu afogada. A transexual não foi esquecida e ontem voltou para dizer: "Meu nome era Gisberta. Fui torturada, violada, assassinada. Para a Justiça eu morri afogada e a culpa foi da água." Fernando Mariano explicou ao DN que a intenção foi relembrar a Gisberta mais mediática, mas também "todas as Gisbertas do País. A discriminação parte de uns que praticam a violência, mas também daqueles que a ignoram. Que pensam: 'isto está a acontecer e não nos faz diferença'".As Panteras Rosa relembram ainda a "sentença judicial ignóbil" que responsabilizou os jovens em causa por agressão "mas que os iliba de assassinato e tortura, sustentando que a vítima morreu por causa da água que a afogou". Um ano depois, a protecção legal de "pessoas como Gisberta continua inexistente e as condições de marginalização de grande parte da população transexual continuam intocadas, porque os decisores políticos e o Estado continuam a fugir às suas responsabilidades", diz ainda o movimento.Memorial para GisbertaEsta intervenção marcou o arranque de uma série de iniciativas que pretendem não deixar esquecer o caso de "Gis". Entre elas, o lançamento de uma petição dirigida à Câmara do Porto, para a criação de um memorial num local da cidade.

.
Joana de Belém . DN Online

.http://dn.sapo.pt/2007/02/23/sociedade/associacoes_gay_querem_memorial_a_gi.html

UM ANO PASSOU......

Um ano passou...

Enviado por: "Eduarda Santos" fofacd@yahoo.com.br fofacd
Sáb, 24 de Fev de 2007 7:29 am

.
Um ano passou desde que o maltratado corpo de Gisberta Salce Júnior foi descoberto numa espécie de poço ao pé (dentro) do prédio em construção (ruínas) onde habitava.Um ano. Desde esse malfadado dia seria legítimo esperar que alguém (governo) tivesse feito algo para evitar futuros casos como este.Um ano em que se viu um julgamento (mais uma farsa digna de Aristófanes) que responsabilizou os autores deste assassinato por agressão, tendo sido condenados a penas fictícias.Um ano em que se descobriu que quem assassinou Gisberta foi água que estava no buraco (poço), não quem a martirizou por tanto tempo, exaurindo-lhe as (poucas) forças que teria. Em que se descobriu que não são assassinos quem a atirou.Um ano em que se ficou a saber que, se se afogar alguém obrigando a cabeça a ficar dentro de água, não se é culpado de assassínio. A culpa é da água que não tem nada que entrar nos pulmões da pessoa (como já tinha referido num post na altura do julgamento).Um ano em que se viu (e apesar de promessas feitas) o principal partido do governo relegar para o fim da sua legislatura "casos fracturantes" como o do casamento entre pessoas do mesmo género. (Realmente, quem tem a ver com quem outras pessoas casem?)Um ano em que se viu, finalmente, uma associação LGBT a fazer qualquer coisa pela população T (além da ªt). O primeiro debate da ILGA sobre a temática trans é de aplaudir.Um ano em que se viu um movimento (Panteras Rosa) a batalhar constantemente pela temática T.Seria legítimo esperar no dia em que se relembra a Gisberta, comunicados a homenagearem quem tanto sofreu, e por seu intermédio, homenagearem tod@s aquel@s que tiveram o mesmo fim (sim, houve casos anteriores), mas que não tiveram o mesmo mediatismo.É com mágoa e com um reforçar do sentimento de exclusão que se vê que, salvo a ªt com uma campanha online denominada "Não Temos Vergonha", e o movimento Panteras Rosa com acções que se estenderão até Março, além da emissão de um comunicado, mais nenhuma associação se dignou a honrar a memória de Gisberta.Nem mesmo, como seria de esperar depois da organização de um debate, a ILGA-Portugal, que parecia estar finalmente a mexer-se. Nem a Opus Gay apesar de ter noticiado a criação de um "núcleo trans" que se absteve de fazer seja o que for até ao momento.Nos meios LGBT o silêncio é impressionante, salvo um ou outro blog pessoal.É triste, passado um ano, ver-se como as pessoas Transgénero (a Gisberta era Transexual) continuam a ser sistematicamente excluídas e ignoradas. Mesmo silenciadas.Um ano passou... Que venha o próximo.

.

"Todos os dias quando me olho ao espelho

Vejo uma pessoa que não sou eu

E todos os dias me lembro

Que não me deixam ser quem sou"

EM MEMÓRIA DE GISBERTA

QUEREMOS ACREDITAR QUE ,POR AI,

ONDE QUER QUE ESTEJAS,

OU POR ONDE ANDAR A TUA ALMA,

SEJAS MUITO MAIS FELIZ.

ATÉ SEMPRE GISBERTA

AMC casts transgender actors, including Jennifer Boylan

February 22, 2007

A cast of six real transgender people will appear as a support group for a new character's recent coming-out as transgender on ABC's daytime soap All My Children.
In the episode to air March 9, Zoe, played by Jeffery Carlson, will visit a support group to help with her transition. Jennifer Boylan, a transgender author, was cast as the support group leader. During the support group scenes, the cast will speak unscripted dialogue about their experiences as transgender men and women.
In 2004 the show also received its third consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series Writing, its third Writers Guild Award, and its third GLAAD Media Award. (The Advocate)
.http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid42208.asp

Community Standards of Practice for the Provision of Quality Health Care Services to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Clients

Community Standards of Practice for the Provision of Quality Health Care Services to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Clients

Introduction
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Health Access Project is a collaborative, community-based program funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH). The Project's mission is to foster the development and implementation of comprehensive, culturally appropriate, quality health promotion policies and health care services for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) people and their families.
Research has indicated that fear of discrimination and stigma cause many GLBT individuals to postpone or decline seeking medical care. Others, once in care, sometimes withhold from their providers personal information which may be critical to their well-being. Working closely with consumers and clinicians across the state, the GLBT Health Access Project works to confront the insensitivity and ignorance that many GLBT people have experienced in accessing health care and related services. Additionally, the Project seeks to support GLBT individuals in understanding and acquiring the quality care they need. The Community Standards of Practice contained here provide a benchmark for both providers and consumers in the development of and search for welcoming, culturally competent and responsive care. The need for Community Standards emerged from several sources, including a statewide provider survey and a 1997 GLBT Health Access Project report, Health Concerns of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community. Among other things these reports detailed a serious lack of GLBT awareness and understanding among health care providers in Massachusetts. Some believed they had no GLBT clients or staff in their facilities; many were unsure about what their role should be in identifying and addressing GLBT issues; few had policies in place to guide personnel or consumers. To address these concerns, the GLBT Health Access Project convened a community Working Group of over 60 consumers, providers, public and private agency administrators and staff. Over the course of a year, the group worked to develop a framework to improve GLBT access to quality care and to assist clinicians and their facilities in creating responsive environments. The working group's efforts were guided by four principles: (1) the elimination of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity; (2) the promotion and provision of full and equal access to services; (3) the elimination of stigmatization of GLBT people and their families; and (4) the creation of health service environments where it is safe for people to be "out" to their providers. The resulting community standards of practice and quality indicators outlined in this document will guide and assist providers in achieving these goals. The standards address both agency administrative practices and service delivery components, including the following areas: I. Personnel II. Client's Rights III. Intake and Assessment IV. Service Planning and Delivery V. Confidentiality VI. Community Outreach and Health Promotion
GLBT people live in and seek health care and prevention services in every community in Massachusetts. Eliminating barriers to care requires both an educated and empowered consumer base and a skilled, culturally competent, sensitive and welcoming provider community that is openly supportive of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people and their families. These standards are one tool for achieving greater health care for all. Return to top of page

STANDARDS AND INDICATORS
I. Personnel Standard 1. The agency shall establish, promote and effectively communicate an inclusive, non-discriminatory work place environment for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered employees.
INDICATOR: Written policies, including but not limited to non-discrimination, diversity and non-harassment policies that explicitly include gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered employees.
INDICATOR: Inclusion of policies in all new employee orientation programs and materials; inclusion of policies in employee handbook.
INDICATOR: Written sign-off on policies by all employees.
INDICATOR: Discussion of polices with job applicants during interviewing process.
INDICATOR: Posting of polices in all of agency's facilities.
INDICATOR: Annual review of all policies, and opportunities for ongoing employee input and training.
Standard 2. The agency shall support and encourage visibility of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered employees.
INDICATOR: Active employment recruitment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered employees, including outreach to GLBT organizations, and advertising in GLBT media.
INDICATOR: Development and implementation or revision of existing policies to ensure effective procedures for dealing with employee complaints of discrimination or harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
INDICATOR: Written notice to all employees that discrimination or harassment of other employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identification is grounds for appropriate levels of discipline, up to and including dismissal.
Standard 3. The agency shall work towards ensuring that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered employees of all ages are subject to the same terms and conditions of employment, including the same benefits and compensation, as all other employees.
INDICATOR: Written policies explicitly stating that the agency does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in providing compensation and benefits, including but not limited to family and medical leave, bereavement leave, and such other benefits as the agency offers its employees.
INDICATOR: Written policies explicitly extending the same benefits to all families, including the families of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered employees. Such policies may allow employees to designate who shall be considered their "family" members. If the agency offers health, life, disability insurance and pension benefits to its employees, the agency shall work towards including full and equal coverage for its gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered employees and their families.
INDICATOR: Comprehensive ongoing training of all human resource and other appropriate personnel in sexual orientation and gender identity issues with regard to employee benefits.
INDICATOR: Mechanisms to appropriately convey GLBT-related policies and make relevant training accessible to all employees at all levels, including those with disabilities, and those for whom English is not their primary language.
Return to top of page

II. Client's RightsStandard 4. The agency shall assure that comprehensive policies are implemented to prohibit discrimination in the delivery of services to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered clients and their families. The agency shall ensure that all staff use, and all written forms and policies employ, culturally appropriate language when dealing with gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered clients and their families. For the purpose of these standards the terms "family" and "families" shall be broadly construed, and shall include but not be limited to relatives by blood, adoption, marriage or declaration of domestic partnership.
INDICATOR: Written polices that explicitly state that the agency does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in the provision of services. Such policies shall specifically include families of all clients.
INDICATOR: Conspicuous posting of non-discrimination policies in all languages appropriate to the populations served by the agency, and inclusion of policies in agency brochures, informational and promotional materials.INDICATOR: Mechanisms to ensure that non-discrimination policies and procedures are appropriately conveyed to all clients, including those with disabilities and those for whom English is not their primary language.
INDICATOR: Explicit sign-off on policy by all employees.
Standard 5. The agency shall ensure that it has comprehensive and easily accessible procedures in place for clients to file and resolve complaints alleging violations of these policies.
INDICATOR: Written complaint procedures.
INDICATOR: Designation of one or more persons responsible for ensuring agency compliance.
INDICATOR: Written notice to all employees that discrimination in the delivery of services based on sexual orientation or gender identity violates standards of good care, and is subject to appropriate discipline.
INDICATOR: Conspicuous posting of complaint procedures, inclusion of procedures in informational materials given to agency clients and their families.
INDICATOR: Translation of procedures into and provision of information in all languages appropriate to populations the agency serves.
Return to top of page
III. Intake and AssessmentStandard 6. The agency shall develop and implement or revise existing intake and assessment procedures to ensure that they meet the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered clients of all ages and their families.
INDICATOR: All reception, intake and assessment staff are trained to use culturally appropriate language.
INDICATOR: Development and implementation of intake and assessment forms which provide for optional self-identification in all categories of gender identity, sexual orientation, marital, partnership and family status, and provide clients with the option and opportunity for further written explanation.
INDICATOR: Develop mechanisms to ensure that all reception, intake and assessment staff are familiar with providers within the agency with expertise in and sensitivity to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues, and appropriately convey this information to clients.
INDICATOR: Development and implementation of training for all intake and assessment staff to assure medically and culturally appropriate referrals for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered clients and their families to providers within and outside of the agency.
Return to top of page
IV. Service Planning and DeliveryStandard 7. All agency staff shall have a basic familiarity with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues as they pertain to services provided by the agency.
INDICATOR: Development and implementation or revision of agency training and programs on diversity, harassment, and anti-discrimination to assure explicit inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.
INDICATOR: Development and implementation of training for all intake, assessment, supervisory, human resource, case management and direct care staff on basic gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.
Standard 8. All direct care staff shall routinely provide general care to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered clients. All direct care staff shall be competent to identify and address, within the scope of their field of expertise, specific health problems and treatment issues for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered clients and their families, to provide treatment accordingly, and to provide appropriate referrals when necessary.
INDICATOR: Comprehensive ongoing training provided for direct care staff to identify and address basic health issues within their field of expertise that may particularly or uniquely affect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered clients.
INDICATOR: Creation and implementation of mechanism for identification of staff with special expertise in and sensitivity to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.
INDICATOR: Provision of training for direct care staff on how, when and where to make appropriate referrals for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered clients and their families.
INDICATOR: Development of a comprehensive resource list for appropriate referrals for special gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender health concerns.
INDICATOR: Outreach to and development of relationships with other agencies and providers with expertise in gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender health issues.
INDICATOR: Evidence of agreements or other appropriate mechanisms to ensure cooperation with other agencies and providers to whom gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered clients and their families may be referred for specialized care and treatment.
Standard 9. All case management and treatment plans shall include and address sexual orientation and gender identity where it is a necessary and appropriate issue in client care.
INDICATOR: Provision of training for all case management and direct care staff on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender health, treatment and cultural issues.
Return to top of page
V. ConfidentialityStandard 10. The agency shall ensure the confidentiality of client data, including information about sexual orientation and gender identity issues. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered clients shall be informed about data collection that includes references to sexual orientation and/or gender identity, including in what circumstances such information may be disclosed, whether it may be disclosed as aggregate or individual information whether personal identifiers may be disclosed, and how and by whom such information may be used.
INDICATOR: Written confidentiality policies which explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identity, indicating that such information is to be considered highly sensitive and treated accordingly.
INDICATOR: Designation of sexual orientation and gender identity is at client's option on forms and records.
INDICATOR: Comprehensive training for appropriate staff on data collection and reporting issues as they relate to confidentiality.
INDICATOR: Written disclosure to clients explaining when information may or must be disclosed to third parties for payment or other reasons, and in what circumstances such disclosures may include information regarding sexual orientation and gender identity.
Standard 11. The agency shall provide appropriate, safe and confidential treatment to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered minors, unless the agency's services are inappropriate for all minors. All clients who are minors shall be informed of their legal rights, and advised of the possibility and possible consequences of any statutory or otherwise mandated reporting.
INDICATOR: Staff training regarding the legal rights of minors.
INDICATOR: Development and implementation of procedures for intake, assessment and treatment of minors that is sensitive to gender identity and sexual orientation.
INDICATOR: Written and oral notice to minors of various mandated reporting laws and their implications, and of the minor's rights regarding confidentiality and treatment without parental consent.
INDICATOR: Reception staff trained to be sensitive to issues of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth.

Return to top of page
VI. Community Relations and Health PromotionStandard 12. The agency shall include gay lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people and their families in outreach and health promotion efforts.
INDICATOR: Agency advertising and promotional materials clearly indicate nondiscrimination policies regarding sexual orientation and gender identification.
INDICATOR: Agency outreach efforts to social service, medical and other providers promote services to gay lesbian, bisexual and transgendered clients and their families.
INDICATOR: Agency outreach and promotional efforts accurately reflect the level and quality of services available to gay lesbian, bisexual and transgendered clients and their families.
Standard 13. The composition of the agency Board of Directors and other institutional bodies shall encourage representation from GLBT communities.
INDICATOR: The process for electing or appointing members of the Board of Directors and other institutional bodies includes outreach to and inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered candidates.
Standard 14. Agency community benefits programs shall include gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people in the communities the agency serves.
INDICATOR: Development of criteria for community benefits programs that provide for inclusion and promotion of issues of concern to gay lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people and their families.

.

The GLBT Health Access Project is part of JRI Health

Address : 130 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116

Phone: 617.988.2605 Fax: 617-457-8133 Email: access@jri.org
.

http://www.glbthealth.org/CommunityStandardsofPractice.htm

NOVO BLOG INFORMATIVO LGBT

Nova página da internet que surge com o intuito de dar a conhecer todos os eventos LGBT em Portugal.

.

http://beyourselfblog.blogspot.com/

GISBERTA - MORRER INVISIVEL

Quarta-feira, Fevereiro 21, 2007

GISBERTA - MORRER INVISÍVEL - Amanhã, no Porto
O movimento Panteras Rosa - Frente de Combate à LesBiGayTransfobia, promove amanhã, pelas 18h30 na Rua de Santa Catarina, no Porto (encontro frente ao Via Catarina), uma intervenção de rua intitulada "GISBERTA: MORRER INVISÍVEL ", destinada a lembrar e sensibilizar a população para o crime que teve lugar há um ano e as discriminações e agressões a que está sujeita a população transsexual.Trata-se da primeira de uma série de iniciativas alusivas a este crime, aos direitos da população trans e ao tema das discriminações e da violência/desprotecção de menores em Portugal, que as Panteras Rosa irão desenvolver entre amanhã e 2 de Março.Os próximos eventos, entre os quais o lançamento de uma petição dirigida à Câmara Municipal do Porto para criação de um memorial a Gisberta Salce Júnior naquela cidade, serão divulgados oportunamente.Estão desde já convidados/as a comparecer e participar.
Rugido de sérgio vitorino às 17:13 Quarta-feira, Fevereiro 21, 2007
http://www.panterasrosa.blogspot.com/

COMUNICADO DE IMPRENSA PANTERAS COR DE ROSA

UM ANO DEPOIS, TUDO NA MESMA.
Comunicado de imprensa PANTERAS ROSAUm ano depois do assassinato da transsexual GisbertaTudo na mesma!Faz amanhã um ano desde que foi encontrado o corpo de Gisberta, transsexual, toxicodependente, seropositiva, prostituta e imigrante brasileira, que sucumbiu a três dias de tortura e sevícias sexuais e posterior afogamento, ao ser lançada a um poço por um bando de rapazes no Porto. Um ano passado, fala-se de um crime que “chocou o País”. E não é verdade: um país chocado, é um País que reage e previne. E não foi assim.O problema está em que o referido “choque” foi limitado à jovem idade dos autores deste crime (eles próprios vítimas de injustas políticas sociais e de desprotecção de menores), e não se estendeu à perda de uma vida, à exclusão social extrema em que esta vítima mortal estava encurralada, e sobre a qual, um ano depois, praticamente nenhuma intervenção teve lugar, e nada de concreto se alterou. O País pode, portanto, acertar os relógios e continuar a contar os dias até à próxima Gisberta, talvez menos mediática mas nem por isso menos certa. Aliás, o País queria esquecer e já esqueceu.Um ano depois, temos uma sentença judicial ignóbil que responsabiliza os jovens em causa por agressão mas que os iliba do assassinato e da tortura, sustentando que a vítima morreu por culpa da água em que se afogou. Gisberta morreu assassinada mas ninguém a assassinou, tal como às restantes transsexuais que têm tido sorte semelhante e cujos casos não vêm a público. Por outras palavras, podem matar-se transsexuais, porque isso não tem em si consequência jurídica.Um ano depois, a protecção legal de pessoas como Gisberta continua inexistente, e as condições de marginalização de grande parte da população transsexual continuam intocadas porque os decisores políticos e o Estado continuam a fugir às suas responsabilidades, tal como aliás no que toca também à população homossexual:Num país campeão da violência sobre menores, o sistema de “guarda e protecção de menores” continua sem medidas de reforma para que seja mais do que um armazém de crianças e jovens, das quais metade entregues a instituições religiosas, sem contexto emocional ou educativo.Continua ausente da discussão política o reconhecimento do direito à identidade de género e a protecção legal da população trans contra a discriminação e a violência, no sentido do que legislaram já a Espanha ou a Inglaterra.Os/as transsexuais continuam sujeitos/as a um processo médico abusivo e mesmo, os transsexuais masculinos, à esterilização forçada, para poderem alterar os seus nomes no BI. Continuam impedidos/as de ver alterado o seu género noutros documentos de identificação, com prejuízo evidente das suas oportunidades de acesso ao emprego.Nada se fez para limitar o impacto da exclusão social da maioria da população transsexual. A primeira violência de que esta é vítima, é institucional e legal. Numa altura em que a política institucional volta a adiar o reconhecimento do direito ao casamento civil para os casais do mesmo sexo, lembremos que em Portugal ainda estamos na fase de debater medidas que poderiam significar a diferença entre a vida e a morte.Quando alguma agenda política e mediática tende a resumir ao tema do “casamento” as reivindicações do movimento Lésbico, Gay, Bissexual e Transgénero (LGBT), o caso de Gisberta Salce Júnior aí está para nos lembrar e não deixar esquecer que em Portugal a homofobia e a transfobia continuam regra, que a verdadeira fractura social está na discriminação, e não no reconhecimento de direitos à população LGBT.Sobretudo, que no combate a estas discriminações, temas como o do casamento civil são “parte” mas não “o todo”, porque está quase tudo por fazer naquilo que pode em concreto melhorar as vidas sujeitas a estas discriminações e violências.Certo é que a transfobia, a homofobia, e a violência discriminatória começam e acabam por ser institucionais, e pouco se alterará nas mentalidades enquanto assim for, e enquanto os políticos continuarem a escudar-se na necessidade de “um grande debate nacional” para não fazerem o que está certo: prevenir (a violência e a discriminação), educar e legislar. O que não dizem os políticos que assim falam, é que eles próprios não estão abertos a esse debate:A legislar contra a discriminação pela orientação sexual ou pela identidade de género, ainda mais desprotegida.A assumir responsabilidade por políticas activas de Educação para a prevenção destas discriminações, à semelhança de outras.A assumir a extinção de normas discriminatórias, como a que continua a excluir homossexuais na doação de sangue.A alterar a legislação discriminatória e contrária ao princípio constitucional de não discriminação em função da orientação sexual, reconhecendo as novas expressões familiares e as famílias não-heterossexuais e os seus direitos: reconhecer os milhares de famílias de homossexuais com filhos e, em consquência, o acesso à adopção, alargar, sim, o acesso ao casamento civil, regulamentar o acesso à inseminação artificial para lá dos casos de fertilidade, regulamentar e fazer aplicar a Lei das Uniões de Facto.O Estado continua a ser o primeiro violador da igualdade. Não só não a combate como promove a discriminação através da sua inacção e das suas leis.“Tema fracturante”, realmente, só vemos um: a discriminação que nos expõe à desigualdade e à violência, sobre a qual ninguém em Portugal assume responsabilidades. Mas essa indiferença tem custos humanos e sociais, de que Gisberta é um lembrete incómodo. E prova trágica de que quem não assume as suas responsabilidades, é já responsável.
Rugido de sérgio vitorino às 17:11

http://www.panterasrosa.blogspot.com/

Can One Be A Transgender Christian?

Can One Be A Transgender Christian?
Julie Marie Nemecek, formerly known as John Nemecek, has recently filed a suit against Spring Arbor University (SAU). The University is firing the transgender professor/Baptist minisiter effective June 1st, choosing not to tolerate Nemecek’s transformation from John to Julie Marie:
Pastor Tom Ramundo is superintendent for the southern Michigan conference of the Free Methodist Church, a conservative evangelical denomination with which the university is affiliated. He says Nemecek has been a cause célèbre for homosexual activist groups like PFLAG — Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
“It seems very carefully orchestrated,” says Ramundo in reference to the discrimination claim; “the way they’re going about it, the legal connections, the public relations move. I feel this professor has been very carefully coached on how to respond, on how to ‘come out,’ on how to build a case.”
According to Ramundo, Nemecek had been ignoring clear guidelines the school had laid out for him. “I know that university really well, and I know its leadership,” he says. “I am sure they have endeavored to treat him in a redemptive way.” The Free Methodist superintendent describes the situation as “just one of those issues where there’s that tension between love and purity, and the school’s just finally having to take a strong biblical stand.”
Can one be a transgender Christian? Rev. Ramundo apparently doesn’t think so. Neither does Spring Arbor University President Gayle Beebe, who has stated that Nemecek’s transition is “not in keeping with Biblical principles” and “inconsistent with the Christian faith.”

Neither, apparently, does Jerry Leach of Reality Resources (an Exodus International affiliated ministry). In a piece entitled Ex-Transsexual or Ex-Christian?, Leach quotes letter writer “Misty:”
After that I had been faced with the truth of the wickedness in what I had been doing as a post-operative male-to-female transsexual. The Bible says that sodomy between males is wrong. That physical, sexual relationships between men is wrong, just as it is between women. Devastated, I cried, “Oh dear ! Where does that leave me?”
Although I had been keeping pretty much to myself, I cut off all physical contact with other men. I then began to dress primarily in pants and tops, but I still looked like a woman. I then stopped taking the female hormones.
I want to glorify my God and recommence living as a man, but it’s a hard road to hoe. Just getting the courage to start taking males hormones is a real battle. Living as a man again will inevitably destroy existing friendships. I will be shocking to people who have come to know me as a woman. But I can’t go on like this for much longer.
Leach adds his own comments:
[Misty’s] personal regrets coupled with the ongoing inward prompting of a loving God; as well as the many Christian people sent his way, created a divided heart. Finally his heart was awakened to the reality that if he was to be a Christian, he had to abandon his false-feminine-self and become an authentic person.
And…
He has discovered that to be an ex-transsexual is more fulfilling than being an ex-Christian.
Yet despite the comments of Ramundo, Beebe, and Leach, one of the interesting issues that’s been brought up in Professor Nemecek’s legal complaint is that officials at Spring Arbor University have never precisely identified the Christian principles Nemecek violated. In other words, apparently Spring Arbor University has never spelled out exactly why it believes one can’t be transgender and Christian — to either Professor Nemecek or her attorney Randi Barnabee (one of the attorneys that litigated the Smith v. Salem case).
Professor Nemecek has herself pointed out that:
* In both undergraduate and graduate classes, SAU teaches an affirmative understanding of my medical condition and treatment consistent with what I am doing.
* The Free Methodist Book of Discipline lists gender identity issues - along with organ transplants and environmental issues - as ethical dilemmas not sin or something perverse.
* I have met with a Christian counselor - ordained by the Free Methodist Church - who has informed the university that my diagnosis is accurate, the treatment is effective and necessary, and that neither the diagnosis or treatment have any negative impact on my ability to do my job or continue a faithful Christian walk.
The answer one hears to the question of whether one can be transgender and Christian depends on who one asks. However, I tend to agree with general idea Timothy Kincaid put forth in his article for The Advocate entitled “Ex-gay” lies and God’s love:
…But the most damaging and difficult lie of all is that you cannot be gay and Christian.
Change the word “gay” to “transgender” in Timothy’s statement, and you’ll have a statement Julie Marie Nemecek and I would know as true.
——

http://www.exgaywatch.com/wp/2007/02/can-one-be-a-transgender-christian/

JEFFREE STAR AGAIN!

JEFFREE STAR

Jeffree Star
19/2/2007
Cantora transex americana montadérrima é a nova mania do site MySpace

Por Redação

Jeffree Star: bonita, né!?
Depois de Artic Monkeys, Lily Allen e Klaxons, a nova mania do myspace é Jeffree Star. Sua página já foi visitada 17 milhões vezes e Jeffree está começando a sentir o gostinho da fama. Tudo muito natural em uma época que nomes de novos artistas surgem a cada semana apoiados pela internet. Natural se o nome do momento não fosse uma transexual. Jeffree é montadérrima, moderna e, melhor ainda, canta direitinho.Suas músicas lembram o electro mas são mais rockers, cheias de guitarras distorcidas e letras cheias de palavrões e xoxos. A moça já tem até uma linha de camisetas. Ela é de Los Angeles. Ouça as músicas da fofa .

http://mixbrasil.uol.com.br/mp/upload/noticia/3_46_58020.shtml


2007 - MIX BRASIL - © Todos os direitos reservados

ACABARAM-SE OS COMPRIMIDOS E A MÉDICA FOI DE FÉRIAS PARA AS CARAÍBAS, LÁ TEREMOS QUE RECORRER AO MERCADO NEGRO!

TESTOSTERONA PROJESTERONA E OUTRAS QUE TAIS!!!!!!!!

TRANSGENDER TRIBE

Transgenderpublic - created 10/16/03

A tribe for discussing issues related to any of the vast range of transgender identities. Transgender and questioning individuals, signifigant others, friends, family, allies, and open-minded individuals seeking information and education are welcome. Flames and personal attacks are not allowed on this tribe. "Transgender" can include female and male crossdressers and transvestites, pre-operative, post-operative and non-operative transsexuals, genderqueers, all types of intersexed people, masculine females, feminine males, drag kings and queens, male and female impersonators, gender illusionists, anyone whose perceived gender or anatomical sex does not necessarily match their gender expression and anyone with androgynous gender characteristics or identities. Other keywords: transgendered, trans, tranny, trannie, trannies, trannys, queer, queers, crossdresser, crossdressed, crossdressing, transvestite, transvestism, intersex, pre-op, post-op, non-op, androgyny.

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http://transgender.tribe.net/

Transmission – Pride-Race, Sex, and Society

February 17, 2007 by Jamie Tyroler
There’s so much going on in February—Black History Month, Presidents’ Day, Valentine’s Day—it has taken some time to try to come up with a column for this issue, especially with Camp coming out twice as often.
There’s not much I could say about Valentine’s Day that hasn’t already been said by Hallmark and there’s nothing positive I can say about the current president. So, once I decided on writing an article regarding Black History Month, I had to decide if I would write about some historical African-American who was either transgender or blurred the gender stereotypes (like Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton’s penchant for wearing men’s clothing) or about someone who is very active in the transgender community (like Washington, D.C. activist Earline Budd of Transgender Health Empowerment). Instead, I’m choosing to talk about some of the issues transgender African-Americans have to face. Every November the transgender community stops to remember those people who have been murdered because they do not seem to conform to gender stereotypes. Since 2002, when I first became involved, a large percentage of these murder victims have been black. Many of these murders occurred in places like Washington, D.C., and California where there some legal protections for transgender people. Clearly, legal protections in employment and housing don’t resolve all these issues. These crimes have a racial component. Members of racial minorities, at least in this country, often don’t have the same economic opportunities as whites. Transgender people also have a lot of obstacles to overcome. For example, many transgender youth don’t complete high school due to alienation and bullying—even changing clothes in gym class can be a problem. Yet as almost everyone knows, especially if you’ve seen the commercials for all the area vocational schools, education is important for getting a decent-paying job. There’s also the fact that urban and rural school districts tend to get less money from states and the federal government than suburban districts, which usually have a higher percentage of white students. In a C-SPAN2 interview with Jonathan Kozol discussing his book, “The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America,” he said that schools in the South Bronx in New York received about half as much in federal funds as schools in the more exclusive suburbs of Long Island. Since we live in one of the few industrialized nations that does not have universal health care coverage, in Missouri being a transgender person can be extremely expensive; it requires frequent doctor visits, blood tests, hormones, and surgeries. For male-to-female transsexuals, genital surgery can easily run between $10,000 and $20,000. Genital surgery for female-to-male transsexuals, which doesn’t have the greatest results, can be several times more. Insurance coverage, if you have it, often doesn’t pay for genital surgery. Financing it can be next to impossible if you can only get a low-paying job. One of the options for transgendered persons to earn extra money is in the sex industry– modeling, prostitution, films, etc. This is risky for many reasons: Prostitution is illegal in almost all of the United States. Transgender sex workers are at extremely high risk for HIV/AIDS – a recent study of transgender sex workers in Miami/Dade County, Florida showed an infection rate of between 65% and 70%. Those infected have a myriad of other health care costs that can push any transgender-related surgeries further out of reach. Then there’s transphobia: the violence that often results when a person “discovers” that a sex partner is a transgender person. The reason for the quotes around “discovers” is that the perpetrator often knows the person is transgendered but becomes violent when others find out about the relationship. Male-to-female transgender people are often sought out as sex partners because people think we’re easy. And as long as the transgender woman takes the traditional female role, the man can still reassure himself that he’s heterosexual. Transgender people, regardless of race, have a difficult life even in the best of circumstances. When you add inequalities in education and economic opportunities, life can be indescribably difficult. There is no easy way to make it easier for them. The disproportionate murder rate of black transgender people can be attributed to the murderers’ racism, sexism, the depersonalization of transgender people, and the fear of being labeled gay, among many other explanations. Although it does help to have laws that protect transgender people from being discriminated against in employment, housing, and access to public spaces, people will still die as a result of other people’s emotions. So: We need to change how people think. We need to make nontransgender people more aware of our issues. We need to allow others to know who we are—not much different from everyone else. Laws help, though only to a small extent, by penalizing blatant mistreatment. Some people will remain closed-minded, and there will always be the possibility that someone will react violently to someone else solely because that person is in some way different. But the less we interact with others, the more difficult it is to change their views. We need to be willing to educate other people about our lives. We need to be open about how and what we are. When relationships are built, it’s more difficult to dehumanize others. If you have friends of a different race, for example, you are less likely to make racial generalizations about people of that race. When you think about Black History Month, don’t just think about people and events of the past. Think about how that history has affected you and your perceptions of others. Think about the present and the future. If you feel there is room for improvement, work on it. Work on it within yourself and the people you interact with. If you hear someone tell a racist joke, for example, speak up and say something. Otherwise, you give the impression that you approve of racist comments and jokes. To improve society, we have to take a more active role in society.

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http://www.campkc.com/campkc-content.php?Page_ID=424

DQ (Eurovision Denmark 2007 SF 2)

Transgender Warrior comes to Case

Photo Credit: Marilyn Humphries

February 16, 2007

Transgender warrior comes to Case
Leslie Feinberg warns againstforming ‘binary’ societies
by Eric Resnick
Cleveland--“Build genuine bonds of trust and solidarity [with other oppressed people], not quid pro quo,” Leslie Feinberg told 120 people gathered in Case Western Reserve University’s Ford Auditorium on February 9. “It’s not ‘I’ll do this, if you do that.’ ”
Feinberg, 58, a transgender activist, historian, speaker, and author, is also an editor of Workers World newspaper where hir column “Lavender and Red” appears.
Feinberg prefers the gender-neutral pronouns “ze” and “hir,” pronounced “here.”
Ze spoke on many topics and took questions, but wanted the audience to think differently about how struggling people form bonds, how the oppressors stay in power by breaking those bonds, and how LGBT people have been used as wedge issues in nearly every social movement for centuries.
Feinberg described ‘right wing’ politics as those which perpetuate the status quo and allow a few to hold on to wealth, and ‘left wing’ politics as those which cause change and promote a more just society.
“It’s not enough just to have a left wing,” said Feinberg. “The left wing needs a left wing.”
Feinberg used the occupation of Iraq as an analogy.
“What’s the difference whether Republicans or Democrats fight the war in Iraq?” Feinberg asked rhetorically, to applause.
“The real change comes from those on the far left,” ze said.
Feinberg warned against “binary” societies, like Democrat and Republican, gay and straight, or butch and femme, because “we are more complex than the binary structure allows.”
Feinberg said those who fit the mold of the binary structure are the ones called “reasonable,” while those who don’t are “other.”
“The right wing lumps us all together, then pit the ‘reasonable’ ones against the rest,” said Feinberg. “That pulls the reasonable ones closer to the power, which, in order to maintain, will say of the others, ‘We’re not all like that,’ or say, ‘We’re going to be reasonable. The rest of you are an impediment.’ ”
“That has never been a strategy for victory,” said Feinberg.
“Their strength at the table is only as strong as the picket line outside the building,” Feinberg added.
Feinberg said anti-gay laws were brought about by colonialism, and are now brought out, often outside historical or cultural context, to justify wars of aggression.
Ze used the example of Afghanistan to illustrate how propaganda of gender oppression allows aggressors to convince themselves they are liberators.
“Suddenly, the Pentagon became the vehicle for women’s liberation,” Feinberg said, again to applause.
Feinberg said LGBT people have stood with every successful revolutionary movement and must continue to do so.
“If we can’t understand the struggles revolutions have faced, how the hell are we going to have a revolution here?” ze said.
“LGBT people have been on the front lines,” said Feinberg, “because we said ‘you need us, and that’s where we are going to be.’ ”
“This is not the kind of solidarity that goes hat in hand to powers that be, and says ‘please don’t hurt us too badly,’ Feinberg continued.
“It’s the ones with the least to lose and the most to gain who fight the battles.”
Feinberg appealed to the group to stand in solidarity with the Cuban 5, who are now being held prisoner by the U.S. government for infiltrating CIA commando groups who were performing terror raids on Cuba in an attempt to stop them.
As an example to hir audience, Feinberg, circulated petitions and leaflets calling on LGBT solidarity.
“Realize the power by bridging the fault lines keeping those who stand against all oppression apart,” Feinberg said.

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Feinberg’s website is www.transgenderwarrior.org

WORL'D FIRST GENDER PARTY

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

POSSIBLY THE WORLD'S FIRST GENDER FEST

CALL TO ACTION -- BOOK YOUR TICKECTS FOR MY FIRST EVER GENDER FEST.GENDER FEST is a pioneer event designed to break down barriers between Society and transgender people and to be a ‘Catalyst for Transgender People to find a Great Place in The World.’ It will provide a safe environment where people who want to understand more about transgender issues can learn and have fun in a relaxed informal manner. More details soon.Why this? Why now?Should Society fit the People or Should the People fit Society? This question is at the heart of the majority of my coaching. My philosophy is that Society should be a respectful place where people of all diverse natures co-exist. Sadly Society with it’s written and unwritten laws and prejudice falls short of this ideal. Europe strives to redress this balance through Human Rights and equality legislation and I seem to find myself at the cutting edge of the wave of reform. I have been described as a pioneer and to some extent this is true. I have the ability to connect to a future that doesn’t seem obvious to everyone.I first became aware of vision 15 years ago during what I describe as the technological revolution in British Government. I imagined communication as people networked together and sharing resources via intranets and gave a talk to the IT group in a major government dept. Ten years ago I was the founder member of a Cultural Festival which still happens annually and has broken down the barriers between culturally different groups in a city. My programmes , for which I received an award , created a structure to re-engage young socially excluded people and integrate them back into society. My niche then was Special Needs such as dyslexia and ADHD.Following this I was invited to coach The Cabinet Office Disability Working Group to change perceptions of Disabled People. The single most significant issue that is common to all these situations is FEAR. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the misunderstood. Fear of being discriminated against if you associate with people who don ‘t fit with societies perception of normal. I find myself drawn to working at the edge and using my creative ability create harmony between ‘normal society’ and people who don’t fit the mould ( if in fact any of us really do) This incredibly interesting life’s work has placed me at the door of the Transgender Society where I can feel the terror of intelligent gentle people struggling against all odds just to live in peace without the fear of discrimination and violence. My heart goes out to them and for that reason I have pledged to do what I am able to break down barriers for transgender people – of which there are many and develop programmes that are a Catalyst for Transgender People to Step into a Great Place in The World. I know that I will attract the people that I need to work collaboratively with me to achieve this. And , yes, I do feel scared by what I am doing but at the same time excited. If you would like to be involved I would love to hear from you – discretion guaranteed – at lynne.paris@my-diversity-coaching-gymn.net

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Lynne Paris

HÁ TEORIAS QUE NÃO LEMBRAM A DEUS!!!!!

Dr. John Nemacek has taught at the school for 16 years. But when he started transitioning to become a woman the school reduced Nemecek's responsibilities, eventually ending his contract.
But not everyone supports the university's decision. Spring Arbor is a Christian school, but one group of faculty and students there say that doesn't mean there isn't room for diversity. Monday they held a rally to support the transgendered professor fired by the school.
"I'm overwhelmed. I really am grateful for them coming out on a cold and wintry day," said Dr. Julie Nemacek.
The people were all gathered in front of Spring Arbor University for Dr. Julie Nemecek.
"Spring Arbor hasn't given a solid reason why Julie can't stay here. We think it's really important that she stay," said one supporter.
Nemecek's attorney, Randi Barnabee, says letting Julie go amounts to discrimination. "This may be a Christian college, but they accept federal funds, their students get federal funding, and when you get federal funds you have to follow the federal law," said Barnabee.
This case is set to go to mediation in March, but Nemecek's attorney says if that doesn't work, they're willing to take it to court.

http://www.drudge.com/news/90450/christian-university-fires-transgender-prof

HÁ TEORIAS QUE NÃO LEMBRAM AO DIABO!!!!!

Feb 13, 2007
A response to the transgender community
by Jenni Thurman
** Note from the editor:In the last issue we published Jenn-ifer Thurman’s article, “DNA speaks truth: gender cannot be redefined,” which was also posted on the Champion’s Web site. The author received an overwhelming response from the public—75 e-mails and counting. The author has contributed this article in order to address the questions and comments raised in the letters.--- In the beginning, God created male and female, but on rare occasions the question of an individual’s sex is not that simple. God loves transsexual and intersexual individuals; however, the question still remains – how should Christians respond to the transgender community?Transsexuals are chromosomally and anatomically correct individuals who feel they are incapable of relating to their assigned sex. According to an article the Reality Resources Web site by Dr. Neil E. Whitehead, a scientist who has worked with the United Nations, there is no scientific evidence to support that transsexuality is an effect of hormonal or genetic disorders. "Like homosexuality, transsexuality appears to be the result of a complex interaction between biology, social environment and personal choice,” said Whitehead.Genetic variances in chromosomes, such as Klinefelter and Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, refer to intersex-ism and do not directly correlate with transsexual issues.Despite the fact that transsexualism is not a result of genetic disorders, many transsexual individuals feel that Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) is necessary in order to match their sex with their perceived gender. However, Dr. Paul McHugh, a University Distinguished Service Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University, chronicles the overwhelming negative response from transsexuals who undergo SRS in his article “Surgical Sex” published on the GodSpy Web site. McHugh discovered that although most post-op transsexuals expressed contentment with their surgery, they still experienced the same difficulties at work and in relationships. “With these facts in hand I concluded that Hopkins was fundamentally cooperating with a mental illness. We psychiatrists, I thought, would do better to concentrate on trying to fix their minds and not their genitalia,” said McHugh.Additionally, McHugh’s article discusses babies who are born intersexed and given surgery as infants to correct ambiguous genitalia. Dr. William G. Reiner conducted a study in which he examined the emotional state of intersexed adults who had SRS surgery as infants.“Later on, most of those individuals who learned that they were actually genetic males wished to reconstitute their lives as males (some even asked for surgical reconstruction and male hormone replacement),” according to McHugh’s article.As a result of such studies, McHugh and John Hopkins University have now stopped performing Sex Reassignment Surgery. Instead, McHugh advocates counseling and therapy for individuals who are born intersexed, as well as transsexuals.“For children with birth defects the most rational approach at this moment is to correct promptly any of the major urological defects they face, but to postpone any decision about sexual identity until much later, while raising the child according to its genetic sex,” said McHugh.“We have wasted scientific and technical resources and damaged our professional credibility by collaborating with madness rather than trying to study, cure, and ultimately prevent it.”Dr. Jerry Leach, a Christian and a former transsexual, also advocates therapy to cure Gender Identity Disorder, also known as gender dysphoria. Leach’s website, RealityResources.org, records his recovery from gender dysphoria – which Leach attributes to his relationship with God. “The only way we (transsexuals) can truly survive is to cut our emotional umbilical cord to our mother and secure it to our Christ through submission to His Lordship. To survive is to submit; to live is to die,” said Leach.While a cure for gender dysphoria is not grounded in scientific research, Christians, transsexuals and intersexual individuals can take comfort in knowing that God and the Bible will always offer comfort and healing.1 Corinthians 6:19-20 in the NIV version reads, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”Transsexuals and intersexuals were made in the image of God and ought to be wholeheartedly accepted and loved by the Christian community.The transgender community should be willing to entertain the idea that the solution to feelings of confusion or alienation may not lie in surgery or physical alterations, but rather in the healing power of Jesus Christ.Contact Jennifer Thurman at jthurman@liberty.edu.

http://www.liberty.edu/academics/communications/champion/index.cfm?PID=10609&CAID=167

New Zealand's Labour MP Georgina Beyer bidding parliament farewell

Transexual MP calls it a day

Feb 14, 2007

The world's first transexual MP, Georgina Beyer, made her final speech at parliament in Wellington on Wednesday night, having quit after seven years in the job.
Always the performer, Beyer got set for her final appearance on the parliamentary stage, getting her hair done.
It was a busy day for her, chairing the social services committee for the last time and clearing out her office after seven years.
It has been an remarkable journey for the former prostitute and drag queen.
But disappointed isn't a word she uses to describe her time in parliament.
Her support for prostitution reform and civil unions is what she's most proud of.
As the world's first transexual MP, Beyer has attracted international interest.
A movie on her life is now underway withan Australian production house on to a second draft script, she says.
The former Carterton mayor is herself lining up work on TV, or maybe a shot at the Wellington mayoralty.
But on Wednesday night, she was playing the MP for one last time and received a standing ovation for her colourful career.

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http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/989807

Beyer's gender bill withdrawn

Aug 23, 2006

The National Party says it has no doubt that Labour MP, Georgina Beyer, came under political pressure to remove legislation relating to transgender rights.
Her member's bill sought to outlaw discrimination transvestites, transexuals, hermaphrodites and cross dressers. But it is being withdrawn following a Crown Law opinion that there is already protection under the Human Rights Act.
National's justice spokesperson, Richard Worth, says the fact that the bill hadn't been advanced shows there was pressure for it to be dropped.
Beyer says that is not the case.
The transgender advocacy group, Agender, says it accepts Beyer's decision.
Claudia McKay from Agender says the community has probably been spared what she calls "crude and petty attacks", from politicians in particular.

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http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/425824/819838

Transgender summit a first for Ireland

The conference was organised by the Belfast Butterfly Club, a support network for transgendered people and their families.

14th February 2007

12:28PinkNews.co.ukwriter

An event being held in Belfast today aims to increase awareness of the existence of transgender and transsexual people in Ireland.The Transgender Symmetry conference is the first time such a gathering has been seen on either side of the Irish border.Richard O'Brien, presenter of TV show The Crystal Maze and star and writer of musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show, is attending the event.The conference was organised by the Belfast Butterfly Club, a support network for transgendered people and their families. The group, founded in 1991, holds meetings in towns across the province and runs a telephone helpline. In September 2004 they received a lottery grant of £31,370 to run a three year project for transgendered people. "Here is an opportunity to challenge ignorance and fear and create awareness, understanding and acceptance of diversity," Linda Marshall, president of the club, told the BBC. An invited audience of community representatives, police, trades unionists and others will hear seminars on trans issues in the workplace and how young transgender people and families can be given greater support. The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commissioner said the conference was an indication of progress in society."For those in gender transition from male to female or female to male, or for those who are permanently stuck between genders in this society, that dignity and respect sometimes seems like a distant dream," Monica McWilliams told the BBC."This conference is about starting to change that, changing attitudes and opening up a new vision where equality, dignity and respect are the norm."

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http://pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-3709.html