Some of the trans-related news from around the world that we’re reading today, Tuesday …
#1 - The New York Times published a feature yesterday on high school principal Genna Suraci and the start of the new school year at Ulster County’s Career & Technical Center …
… Gary Suraci, who had been running the school for the past dozen years, returned this fall as Genna Suraci, causing something of a stir among students, staff and the broader Hudson Valley community surrounding the school. Cassandra met the change with a beneficent shrug but an outdated pronoun. “If he wants to do it, let him do it,” she said. “It’s just his business.”
But Renée McCormick said her daughter Nicole had not returned to the school this year, in part because of the principal. “It’s a horrible influence for the kids,” she said. And Michael Locasio, who owns a tattoo parlor in a neighboring town, complained, “God makes things perfect and people want to screw it all up.”
…
After classes let out on Wednesday, Margo McLoone, who teaches English at the Career & Technical Center, said she was very proud to be at the school, which draws students from nine districts, including New Paltz and Woodstock.
“We’re educating our students in more than English, history or science,” she said. “We’re educating them in compassionate living; that is what it’s about. It’s a revolutionary process happening right here. And she was an incredible principal before, but a better principal now.”
Ms. McLoone said the gender transition was “not really an issue” with her students.
“They understand in a way that adults, who are set in their ways, can’t understand,” she said.
…
Outside the mall’s food court, Kaitlyn Walker, 17, who studies criminal justice at the school, said, “It doesn’t matter what happened, it’s the person inside. It’s the same person. It doesn’t really matter if you change the outside.”
Another student, Chris Terwilliger, 17, said that when students were asked if they had any questions on Wednesday, one stood out: “Why is everyone making a big deal of it?”
A Stir, but No Crisis, From Principal’s Gender Change
#2 - In Singapore, Leona Lo is working to break the silence that surrounds the “silent community” …
She loves children and her lifelong dream is to be a wife and a mother, but the raspy voice and masculine frame betray the fact that Leona Lo was born a man.
Unlike many other transsexuals in Asia who prefer to live privately because of the social stigma of sex change, the British-educated, Singaporean transsexual woman has chosen to live a normal life, but in public.
Smart, confident and articulate, the communications specialist who heads her own public relations company has embarked on a mission to help turn around the “culture of shame” surrounding transsexuals in Singapore and the region.
“Somewhere out there, not just in Singapore but throughout Asia, there are lots of young people who are suffering the way I suffered years ago,” Leona, 32, tells AFP in an interview.
In her former life as a man, she was called Leonard.
These days, she draws on her experiences of gender identity crisis, rejection and discrimination to challenge social mores on behalf of the so-called silent community.
…
No reliable figures on the number of transsexual men and women in Singapore, or the region, are available, mainly because those who feel they have been born in the wrong body prefer to endure their situation in silence rather than embarrass their families, Leona says.
“It’s because a lot of transsexual women face discrimination at work and experience failure of relationships that a lot end up in suicide, depression. They end up on the streets as prostitutes,” she says.
This is why she has taken time away from her thriving public relations consultancy promoting beauty products to wage her campaign.
After much persuasion, one local university allowed her to speak to an audience of students but she is finding it hard to pry open a window to share her thoughts in the corporate world.
On September 14 she is to launch her autobiography, “From Leonard to Leona — A Singapore Transsexual’s Journey to Womanhood.”
From Singapore, Leona plans to travel across Asia to bring her message for greater tolerance of gender diversity.
…
Singapore transsexual battles culture of shame
#3 - In Nepal, trans people are struggling to achieve recognition and political representation …
Dozens of transsexuals gathered in Nepal’s capital Tuesday to push for official recognition as a minority ahead of crucial polls planned for November to decide the country’s political future.
The women and men, who want to be officially identified as transgender, say they face widespread official discrimination in Nepal, a majority Hindu nation that is deeply conservative.
“As the constituent assembly elections approach we want proper representation in the assembly that is going to shape the future of the nation,” said Sunil Pant, president of the Blue Diamond Society which works on behalf of sexual minorities in Nepal.
Pant said that transsexuals account for nearly five percent of Nepal’s 27 million population, but have trouble getting listed on the voter rolls.
“There are no voters lists of third gender people and this is a very worrying situation for us,” he said.
The government and former rebel Maoists reached a landmark peace deal late last year to end 14 months of absolute rule by the monarchy and since then ethnic and caste groups have demanded a greater voice in mainstream politics.
The country is scheduled to go to the polls on November 22 to elect a body that will rewrite Nepal’s constitution and plan the country’s political future, including the role, if any, of the monarchy.
But the transsexuals say none of the political parties is willing to help them with problems like getting official identification.
“The state has been ignoring us and we are facing difficulties in getting citizenship based on our identity,” said Alex Chamling, a member of the Blue Diamond society.
“We want the representation of a few transgender people in parliament and in the constituent assembly.”
…
Nepali transsexuals press for increased rights ahead of polls
#4 - In Strasbourg, France the European Court of Human Rights issued a trans-friendly ruling in a case against Lithuania …
A Lithuanian transsexual has won a case at the European Court of Human Rights over claims that he has been blocked from completing his gender transition.
The seven judges also ruled that Lithuania must implement new legislation on gender reassignment within three months or pay damages.
The 28-year-old has been undergoing gender reassignment since 1998 including hormone treatment and breast removal, but is now being blocked from more treatment because of the laws in Lithuania.
He says he suffers daily embarrassment because he is still described as a woman on official documents.
…
Transsexual’s rights were violated by Lithuania
And …
Patricia Prendiville, Executive Director of ILGA-Europe, said:
“This is a very positive judgement and we welcome the Court’s
consistency on this matter. This case highlights a problem with some
European countries which formally permit gender reassignment and
amendment of identity documents but lack legal clarity and consistency
and available medical facilities.
It is also important that the Court took into consideration the mental
distress and a number of practical burdens and problems experienced by
the applicant because of being unable to complete the gender
reassignment process and associated amendments in documentation. This
case highlights the complexity and the need for better understanding
of the issues that transgender people experience because of the legal
and bureaucratic barriers they face.”
ILGA-Europe Welcomes Judgement by European Court of Human Rights
#5 - In England, a Christian publishing firm is facing the threat of legal action …
[Photo: Matt Lucas as Vicky Pollard]
Comedians Catherine Tate, Matt Lucas and David Walliams have called in their lawyers after a Christian group used their catchphrases on its posters.
Christian Publishing and Outreach (CPO) featured Tate’s “Am I bovvered?” remark and Little Britain’s “Yeah, I know!” in a campaign aimed at young people.
Representatives for the stars confirmed solicitors would be contacting CPO.
CPO admitted it had not sought permission to use the material, and said the posters had been withdrawn.
The campaign also featured Tate’s “How very dare you” and the “Yeah but no but yeah” mantra of Little Britain’s Vicky Pollard.
Bible quotations
Under the catchphrases, each poster featured a quote from the Bible.
Tate’s production company Tiger Aspect confirmed it had instructed solicitors to act on her behalf.
Lucas and Walliams’ management said their legal representatives had been in contact with the evangelical Christian organisation.
Before the brightly-coloured posters were withdrawn, CPO had been selling them to churches for £25 a set.
Tate bovvered by poster campaign
