Sunday night …

Fannie and Freddie, a “bi-gender” mess — a long time coming and a longer time payin’ … brought to us, “bipartisanly,” of course.

I just can’t focus on one candidate’s putative primacy on gay and transgender issues when both parties are and have been (and will be) parties to running the country fiscally, monetarily, militarily and every other which way into the ground … and I’m getting it you know where.

Some things trump other things and, as much as Ivana, I just can’t count on a Trump to help me out … as a poor tax payer of limited means.

By the way, St. Barney (Kat’s well-chosen appellation), who’s been so benificent on “T” stuff (sarcasm alert) — heck, you may not know which (pun alert) ENDA’s up, but Chairman Barney knows — there’s money for everything, like old times — something to look forward to in the “days” ahead … is a player in all this.

Frankly, I’m cranky … and not amused by any of this.

Sorry.

Only 80 meters? … no marathon? … you call that pumped? The Stiletto Sprint …

The world record for the number of people running a race while wearing stilettos has been broken in Australia.

A total of 265 competitors, including some few men, dashed their way around an 80m track at Sydney’s Circular Quay wearing three-inch heels.

The race was won by 400 metre professional hurdler Brittney McGlone by several clear lengths who took home £2,500, and a pair of gold stilettos.

The 18-year-old left the other competitors in her wake as many fell, suffering scratches and scrapes to knees and hands.

Other sprinters had to be treated for bruises, it was reported.

Former Australian sprinter Melinda Gainsford-Taylor inspected the athletes and ensured they were wearing the mandatory three-inch heels.

“All the girls were pumped,” she told Australian media.

“I don’t think I’ve experienced such energy since my racing days,”

Australia’s Age reported her as saying.

A spokeswoman for the event said the world record had topped the previous world record of 150 which was made in Holland.

Last week I posted a word cloud of Barrack Obama’s acceptance speech. Here’s a similar word cloud of John McCain’s acceptance speech this evening …

Via Wordle

I’m sure there were more than a few folks out there who expected “Crazy Uncle Joe” Biden to come up with another “clean and articulate” type comment rather sooner than later and, commenting on the Republican VP nominee, the “gorgeous” Sen. Gaffe did not disappoint …

“She’s good looking.”

Well, whatever one may think about Gov. Palin’s apparent complete and utter lack of experience and qualifications, what was Biden thinking?

Ha ha, we don’t need those feminists anyhow, maybe? We’re gonna get the women’s vote anyway (just kidding), maybe?

A couple of reactions to Biden’s remark …

Oh, jeez, here we go already. With the canny, seemingly good-natured-but-really-a-put-down jokes about a female candidate.

The lone female is gone from the Democratic race; they can’t use the old pantsuits laugher anymore. So Joe Biden trotted out the subtly dismissive, isn’t-she-pretty line about you-know-who, the newbie on the Republican side. (Translation: There’s really nothing else to her to comment about, but I won’t say that because I’m not a sexist.)

[...]

“She’s good-looking,” he quipped.

Yeah, really, hold your sides on that one.

Let’s turn that reference around 180-degrees and imagine a female candidate in front of a large audience talking about some, oh, hypothetical male opponent for the vice presidency. “Thirty-six years in the United States Senate,” she says, “And all he’s got to show for it is a beautiful head of hairplugs.”

Real classy, right?

Democrat Joe Biden likes Republican Sarah Palin’s looks

… and …

“There’s a gigantic difference between John McCain and Barack Obama and between me and I suspect my vice presidential opponent,” he said in Toledo, Ohio. Pause for the punch-line. “She’s good looking.” It’s the way he tells ‘em, folks.

[...]

Amid all the kerfuffle over Sarah Palin, it’s worth remembering that one advantage of the pick could be that Joe Biden has a habit of behaving like your slightly embarrassing uncle. Or, as Alex Massie puts it, he’s “the sort of man I’ve met many a time in Irish pubs”.

Joe Biden: Sarah Palin is “good looking”

Enough of our “future.”

Now, back to the future …

Google introduces Chrome

Geez, the last time I saw chrome was back in ‘69 on my Chevy.

A sign of the times, ahhhh …

This year, however, fewer people are ordering the region’s signature dish, driving down lobster prices and making times harder for lobster fishermen already reeling from the high cost of fuel and bait.

“Lobster is a luxury item, and when things are tight, people don’t buy lobster,” said Peter Eaton, a lobsterman from Kennebunkport, Me., who is getting about $3.75 per lobster off the boat, a quarter less than three months ago and about a dollar less than last summer.

While price and demand have hit their lowest point in years, lobster fishermen are hauling in larger catches than ever. Restaurants in New England have been running lobster specials all summer, trying to pass on the lower prices and move lobsters from the tank to the table.

Demand and Price Are Falling for Lobster

Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, there’s a “Rally for Liberty” (aka The Ron Paul Show) … no lobsters speaking as far as we know, but Tucker “Just because you’re castrated and have a fake set of boobs does not make you a woman” Carlson is there.

Well, maybe after the A.C.L.U. takes care of this case, they can take on this issue …

(Anyone for renaming Helena … “Girlsie” … ? )

Transgender news and views for Friday …

#1 - Here’s the latest (’Random, “Conventional” Thoughts…‘ and ‘Log Cabin Republican’s Apparently Have An Interesting Definition Of “Inclusive Republican”‘) at PHB from Autumn, who’s been a bit of a tease, and obviously in need of help.

#2 - I’m a lifelong “Yankee Yellow Dog” … but I’ll not likely be voting for the Obama-Biden ticket come election time. Time enough to share my simple thoughts about that later. Meanwhile, let’s say I can’t disagree with Serena Freewomyn today over at Bilerico …

… the Democrats are chicken shits who will pander to the least common denominator …

Of course, I’ve held the same view (but multiply it by an appropriate double-digit — at least — numerator) of the Republicans for the past 40 years … as long as I’ve been voting.

Sorry, call me a curmudgeon (or whatever you may prefer) if you wish, but no apologies, I conscientiously object to ‘em all.

#3 - Lynn Conway’s posted a critique on her site regarding the prevalence of GID. News of this sort of apparent “undercounting” came out earlier this year. Kelly Winters has also touched on the subject recently.

#4 - Marti Abernathey, who’s been busy with the Obama campaign, among other things, I’m sure, has a post up at Transadvocate (and Bilerico) today about “St. Barney” (as Kat Rose refers to him) …

On Tuesday I attended the HRC/Victory Fund luncheon and on Wednesday I attended the LGBT caucus at the convention center in Denver. Many stories were broke in the past few days, but one event passed by without a word. In a very consistent manner, Barney Frank again signaled that when ENDA is introduced, it will not be fully inclusive.

#5 - Some trans people in the news …

• “Teacher Chooses Gender Change” [Video here]
• “The Second Most Beautiful Girl in New York“
• “Transsexual’s old online ad won’t derail parks board bid“

No, I wasn’t expecting to see “transgender” (among other things) in here …

Via Wordle

(I’ll do the same for McCain next week.)

This one (click the pic) …

… not this one.

Richard Kim concluded a good blog piece (”Gay Days at the DNC“) at The Nation with …

“Will everyone else please stop bitching about trivia!” he exclaimed–a rather inopportune verb choice that had some gay PUMAs licking their fur off. Fortunately, Barney talks like he has marbles in his mouth, so his plea came out more like this: “Veel jevvryone else reees rop wristing arout Riviera!”

I thought, for a moment, he was talking about some fabulous drag-queen delegate who had found her name on a map of France.

On a more substantive note, Kim pointed out …

… the Democratic platform this year is the most pro-gay it has ever been, calling for a repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, employment non-discrimination legislation that includes trans folks, increased money to fight AIDS and opposition to the federal marriage amendment. There was some worry earlier this month by gay activists who noticed that the words “gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender” appear nowhere in the platform (unlike 2004), but that reflects a move toward using the terms “sexual orientation,” “same-sex couple” and “gender identity”–expressions that have some legal teeth.

Mara Keisling of NCTE (National Center for Transgender Equality) made essentially the same observation a couple of days ago in one of our Yahoo! groups (TGV_Advocacy) …

… note that neither ENDA nor any other federal legislation we support — that I can think of — mentions the words gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender either. We write laws to protect people based on characteristics not by naming types of people.

By the way, Kim met up with Arizona delegate Amanda Simpson in Denver …

And then I met Amanda Simpson, a male-to-female transgender Obama delegate from Arizona who (and I don’t think she’d mind me saying) has had about as much work done as Cindy McCain, but looks 100 times better. Simpson was introduced to me as a “rocket scientist,” and indeed, she works in the aerospace industry but can’t tell me exactly what she does without clearance. She breakfasts here in Denver with a retired one-star general and his wife, also delegates from Arizona, who according to Simpson think, like many military officers, that DADT is silly and outrageous.

pretty amazing person, Amanda.

Umm, not exactly, but it appears Joe & Co. may be interested in razing ‘walls and raising Log Cabins.

From Ethan St.Pierre (via a trusted, but anonymous source) at the Boycott HRC blog …

The Human Rights Campaign decided to donate the 10 grand to the Log Cabin republicans instead of the Stonewall Democrats because HRC was still pissed off that the Stonewall Dems would only support a fully inclusive ENDA.

Regarding the catty and transphobic rant from Caitlyn Scott (”America’s Next Top Model features hot tranny mess“) last Tuesday in the LSU student newspaper, The Daily Reveille. I suppose Ms. Scott does not have too much to fear in calling Ms. Banks a “hot tranny mess,” but she needs to be careful in commenting on someone’s (”horrendous crimped”) hairstyle — just ask Don Imus …

Ladies and gentleman, the inevitable has happened — Tyra Banks has lost her freaking mind.

No, I’m not talking about the horrendous crimped hairstyle she recently wore to celebrate Vogue Italia’s first all-black model issue.

I’m not even referencing the recent reports that she kept an audience for her talk show waiting for two hours while she gabbed with stagehands around the snack table backstage.

I’m talking about Isis, Banks’ newest headline-snagging protégé.

Fourteen contestants are taking part in Cycle 11 of “America’s Next Top Model,” but only one of those 14 has the distinction of being born a man.

The 22-year-old aspiring model and Maryland native told Us Weekly that she is a woman who was born a male.

Now, I understand everyone is different — and transgendered persons have just as much right to be America’s next top model as anyone else.

But I personally find it a little hard to believe that Isis is more qualified to strut her stuff down the runway than the thousands of actual women she beat out for the part — including a bevy of Baton Rouge beauties when auditions were held in our fair city.

Which leads me to my next question — Is Isis pre-op or post-op?

She is tall, thin and leggy with boyish good looks that could lead to either conclusion.

Perhaps this is the final push in the campaign started by Twiggy in the 1960s and revived by Kate Moss in the 1990s of having runway models with the figures of 13-year-old boys.

Instead of having high-strung cocaine addicts who puke after meals as role models, young girls can idolize the bodies of modern- day eunuchs.

Perhaps Isis’ inherent testosterone will make her less of a cat-fighting attention whore than the other divas in training.

If Banks, the CW and co. want something to talk about, why not just allow men to participate in the show? Then Isis could stand and deliver without the surgery.

Do men want to be snipped at by noted fashion photographer Nigel Barker and runway diva extraordinaire Miss J. Alexander so badly that they’ll go to excruciating lengths to reach their goal? Are they aching for face time with Paulina Porizkova so hard that they’re willing to castrate themselves?

I wonder how Isis’ past will influence her performance on the show.

The ANTM judges have always expressed their love of androgyny in contestants like Cycle 5’s Kim. But what about Kim’s fellow castmate Coryn, who was frequently chastised for being too masculine?

I wonder if such comments directed at Isis would be considered offensive.

If this was a true attempt to be open-minded and progressive, I would applaud the ANTM team. But I call a spade a spade, and shameless plays for ratings make me reach for my Daily Reveille-issued shovel.

Plus-sized models are old news. We’ve seen scores of confrontational contestants. We’ve had race issues out the wazoo. There was even a lesbian hook up in Cycle 5. Now we’ve reached the final frontier of edgy reality TV.

Can a woman — born a man, but now a woman — make it as a top model?

This must herald the final chapter of “America’s Next Top Model.” How do they top this? Lizard people?

ANTM has a rich and diverse history of capitalizing on the differences of one girl each season.

Cycle 3 winner Eva was short – for a model.

Cycle 5 contestant Kim was a lesbian and Cycle 10 winner Whitney was plus sized.

They even had Heather — a contestant with Asperger’s Syndrome — on Cycle 9.

Banks recaps the chosen sob story at the front of every episode in an effort to strengthen the contestant’s emotional chokehold on the audience.

And honestly, if Isis is cool with being exploited who am I to contradict her? I’m sure this is the big throbbing break she’s been waiting for all her young life.

Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation president Neil Giuliano told Us Weekly this is “an unprecedented opportunity for a community that is underrepresented on television.”

I have to respectfully disagree with Mr. Giuliano.

Is he completely disregarding the character of Mrs. Garrison on South Park?

Besides, no one encompasses the phrase “hot tranny mess” better than Tyra Banks — and I see her on TV every day.

The latest on Autumn at the Democratic National Convention, via Russ at Pam’s House Blend …

The event Autumn and I attended was the LGBT Caucus.

[...]

In between speakers, Autumn would grab me for quick interviews with the transgender activists. I’ll let her take care of the names and topics (feel free to edit here, Autumn) because I really didn’t catch them.

(I think that’s Vanessa Foster (middle) and Dana Beyer (right) pictured above.)

In the meantime, according to Russ, we’ll have to “stay tuned” for that “scoop” …

… until I can edit the video and scrub the audio we’re embargoing the story. Stay tuned - I get home Sunday and this will be the first video I edit and post. Let’s just say I captured a provocative conversation with someone on his controversial stance on a complicated civil rights issue. (And damn me for bringing a digital video tape camera with no way of capturing the digital video to my laptop!)

… I’m anticipating a “Barney.”

I have little interest in and try to limit my exposure to this kind of news, but it does seem (unavoidable at times) that there’s something ineffably “special” about the UK press/tabloids … covering American reality TV and dissipated, faded living legends … and then throwing “transsexuals” into the mix …

From the Daily Mail …

The 24-year-old managed to win over Baywatch David Hasselhoff, who quipped: ‘I’m questioning my sexuality.’

… and from The Sun …

BRITNEY SPEARS impersonator DERRICK BARRY is taking the States by storm with his rock-hard abs and razor-sharp cheekbones that would put the real deal to shame.

His sleek physique is so chic, it even had America’s Got Talent judge DAVID HASSELHOFF drooling for more during filming for the hit show.

[Photo caption: "Open-mouthed ... The Hoff"]

Drinking and drooling … pick him up KITT.

” … I am disappointed in the transgender community. They seem to think that if Nancy Pelosi and myself, George Miller and a few others waved a magic wand we could deliver it.” — Congressman Barney Frank speaking Monday in Denver with Towleroad about a trans-inclusive ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act)

Some of the transgender news and views we came across on Tuesday …

#1 - Autumn spoke with Shannon Minter And Mara Keisling yesterday at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. You can hear that here. And, if it’s your cup of tea, there’s plenty more coverage of the DNC at Pam’s House Blend.

#2 - “Removing ’some’ of the inequalities” … “still a political problem” … “has enough lobbying been done?” … so, to whom do you think Barney Frank’s referring?

…

He added that the Employment Non Discrimination Act still presented “a political problem.”

It was originally designed to make it illegal to fire, refuse to hire or promote a person based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

The decision to remove trans people from the scope of the legislation caused anger among the LGBT community in the US, with many demanding an “all or nothing” stance.

“The question now is whether enough lobbying has been done to include people who are transgender,” Congressman Frank said.

“We need more lobbying on that. We had a very good hearing on that issue and it helped. Previously, we were running into problems getting it out of committee, and I think the hearing we had a major impact on that. It also depends on if we get more Democrats.”

…

Congressman attacks gays who support McCain

Kat Rose over at ENDAblog had something to say about “more Democrats” …

And wait for those 15 to be ‘educated’ by those who say that they have our best interests at heart.

And then wait for him to say 15 more are needed.

#3 - Joshua Lynsen of the Washington Blade spoke with Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley at the DNC in Denver on Monday. Lynsen asked O’Malley about Montgomery County’s (Md.) upcoming transgender rights referendum …

Blade: Last question. There is a transgender rights measure that is going to the ballot in Montgomery County in November. Do you expect to become involved in that battle at all to help protect the rights of transgender people?

O’Malley: You know, I think we passed a similar bill in the city of Baltimore when I was mayor, if my memory serves me correctly. So, you know, there are bills at the local level. There’s bills at the state level. I typically don’t get involved with local ordinances. I try to focus my attention on statewide bills. But we did it in the city of Baltimore and dogs and cats didn’t fall from the sky. You know? It was — I think these bills — I don’t know. I think it would probably be a good thing for Montgomery County to do. I don’t have the legislation in front of me, but if it’s like what we did in Baltimore, it caused no problems whatsoever.

Blade: So it’s got your thumbs up?

O’Malley: Yes.

O’Malley reiterates call for civil unions

#4 - We haven’t heard much about Susan Stanton since early April (”Wife Seeks Amicable Divorce From Ex-Largo Manager Susan“). As a follow-up to that news, the Tampa Tribune reported yesterday …

Susan Stanton, the former Largo city manager known as Steven Stanton before a sex change, has mediated his divorce from his wife of 18 years, according to court documents.

The agreement was signed off on by a Pinellas-Pasco judge on Aug. 6.

…

Transgendered Ex-Largo Manager Gets Divorce Terms

The St. Petersburg Times noted (”Stanton’s marriage comes to an end“) that Stanton “has a good relationship with her ex-wife, but she has lost most of her friends” and “has been unable to find work.”

#5 - In the UK, the late Lynne Braithwaite was honored last Friday …

A FLY-PAST of a lone Vulcan bomber across Morecambe on Friday was a
fitting tribute to a leading transgender activist, author and RAF veteran of 40 years.

The life of Lynne Janine Braithwaite BEM, who died on August 12, was celebrated at a packed Lancaster Cremator-ium where friends and family said their farewells to a remarkable person.

They included the Deputy Chief Constable of Lancashire police force, who gave a speech outlining Lynne’s involvement as a volunteer advisor on transgender issues, who toured the country speaking at various seminars and workshops – fighting for the rights of all transgender people.

The fly-past of the Vulcan bomber was in honour of the work carried out by Lynne as an engineer on the Vulcan to the Sky project – a campaign to get the Vulcan airborne again which was only achieved months before Lynne passed away.

Lynne, of Westfield Grove in Morecambe, certainly led an inspirational life.

She was born Lawrence James Braithwaite on July 1, 1934 in one of Beatrix Potter’s houses at Near Sawrey in the Lake District.

She left school to join the RAF in September 1949, retiring as a Flight Sergeant on July 1 1989.

Lynne was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Honours List in 1976.

Her expertise was maintenance of Vulcan bombers. It was with this experience that she was called out of retirement as engineering consultant to the Vulcan to the Sky Trust.

In early 2008 the Vulcan bomber XH558 passed its airworthiness tests and flew once again. Lynne was very proud of this achievement and it was therfore entirely appropriate that the plane was present at her funeral.

After leaving the RAF Lynne ran her own business making silver model aircraft until 1992, when it went bust during the recession.

Not long after her transition to female in 1994 aged 60, she contacted Lancashire Constabulary asking what policies and procedures they had regarding transgender people.

Lynne had significant input advising on best practice for trans people as service users and employees in the police service.

Until July 2008 she remained an active member of Lancashire Northern Police Division’s Independent Advisors Group where, over the years, she was consulted on a number of policing issues and policies. At the time of her death she was also an active member of Trans Lancs group – an advisory team for the constabulary, keeping them up to date with the legal and social issues affecting trans people.

She wrote several books including ‘Diaries of a Transfemale’ and ‘From Brigands to V Bombers’.

The Press For Change website, which campaigns for respect and equality for all transgender people, paid tribute to her: “Lynne was a vibrant, indefatigable person who was always active and approach-ed life with the enthusiasm of someone decades younger. She will be greatly missed.”

Fly-past tribute to RAF veteran