News and views for Thursday, November 6th …

[Australia] “Dr Hamid, of Glenroy, is standing trial in the Victorian County Court for eight sex-related charges including rape, sexual penetration of a cognitively impaired person by a provider of medical services and indecent assault.” — Doctor ‘raped suicidal transsexual’

[Turkey] “Discrimination: The legislation about discrimination does not include the sexual discrimination. The lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals and transvestites still face the charges of the “indecent exposure” and the “acts against public morality.” Lambdaistanbul, the organization that embraces individuals with sexual preferences other than heterosexuality, was closed by the Istanbul Governor. The discrimination against the gays in the military service is still strong. Transsexuals suffer attacks. The homophobic violence easily turns into sexual violence. Investigations are needed in these areas.” — The European Union Report Points To Lack Of Reforms In Turkey

[Canada] Toronto Sun fashion columnist Derick Chetty takes singer Kate (“I Kissed a Girl”) Perry to task for “ugly behavior” at a charitable benefit: ” … the pretty chanteuse who when on the red carpet, exclaimed rather loudly when she saw Enza “Supermodel” Anderson, “Oh, you’re a man!” The popular transgendered columnist for Metro and a fixture on the social scene in Toronto, said his heart sank when he heard her. “I felt like a freak of nature at this gay event,” he said. “Did this woman not know that there were going to be transgendered persons, drag queens, gays and lesbians at this event?” — Fashion Cares at Monster’s Ball

[Canada] A feature in The Martlet (the independent weekly student newspaper at the University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia) on the Transgender Day of Remembrance: “Turje emphasizes that the more we interrogate the ways gender controls our lives, the more we will be able to imagine a world where we will have the freedom to express all sides of ourselves without fear. If there is a message that the bodies of the 237 speak, a lesson in this long history of gender violence, then surely this is it. History needs to claim no further souls to make its message clear. By the light of the candles on Nov. 20, may a prayer be said and a determination made for the 237 to rest in peace at last.” — Remembered and celebrated

[USA] Human Rights Campaign (HRC) president Joe Solmonese “said hate crimes legislation, which passed in the House and Senate last year but was dropped from a defense authorization bill before final passage, would potentially be an easier victory in the short term, since lawmakers in both chambers have passed it and Obama has announced his support for the measure. ENDA would require more work, Solmonese said; last year the House passed a non-transgender-inclusive version of the bill, and the Senate has not yet voted on it, so there would be more work needed to build support for it in both chambers.” — What can we expect from an Obama administration?

[USA] The Washington Blade runs down the “mixed” results of Tuesday’s election. — Polis becomes 3rd openly gay member of Congress

[USA] An interesting item of (trans)Americana, “The Female Teamster – a girl in men’s attire was taken from the Bowery Theatre, New York – on her examination, it appeared she had been driven from home by her step-father’s cruelty and changed her dress to make a better life – lived out in the capacity of a servant boy, clerk, followed boating on the canal, driving team, etc – she states that situated as she is, without friends, she prefers her present dress as she is far more healthy than she formerly was and is enabled the better to gain her livelihood.” — New TG Archive Acquisition: 1828 TG Newspaper

[IL, USA] Reeling 2008 (The 27th Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival), the second oldest gay and lesbian film festival in the country, starts today. Among the festival’s showings — Trinidad, SqueezeBox!, a collection of shorts including Playing with Gender, and Out Late.

[FL, USA] From Palm Beach County, Florida, the county school board “is seeking to exceed the requirements of a new anti-bullying policy, mandated by state law, to specifically prohibit harassing students who believe they were born the wrong gender and those who may be perceived as being too masculine or too feminine for their gender.” — School board to expand protections for gay students

[TX, USA] In the San Antonio Express-News today, “4.67 implies that federal law, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, outlaws employment decisions based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The fact is Title VII does not outlaw employment decisions based on sexual orientation or gender identity. However, one unelected person has issued an edict to protect sexual orientation, a decision far beyond what is required by law.” — City manager overstepping her bounds

[MI, USA] Zoe Brain comments on election day in Hamtramck, Michigan: “”We don’t want any group to get special freedom and discriminate ourselves,” said Akm Rahman, co-chairman of Hamtramck Citizens Voting No to “Special Rights.” “This is unnecessary. We have a lot of other things that need to be done (such as) taxes, crime and economic development. Those are more important issues.” And yet it’s important enough to get a ballot specifically to remove existing Human Rights. We understand. Michigan, by the way, voted 57:41 for Obama. Some issues transcend Blue and Red.” — In Other News…

[USA] From Jillian Weiss, “Personally, I am strongly committed to moving ENDA forward, as workplace equality is my area of professional expertise, and a subject about which I have profound feelings. I am putting aside my hard feelings and concentrating on catching the ball. I hope that advocates of marriage equality do the same. Yes, we got dinged. Now let’s pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off and get back to work.” — ENDA, marriage equality and moving the ball forward

[USA] Via Curtis Hinkle of OII, OII is launching its site in Chinese as part of their commemoration of Intersex Solidarity Day. For more information on activities worldwide to celebrate Intersex Solidarity Day, November 8th, see here.

A real nice oldie, and, no, it’s not dedicated to Sarah Palin …

There may be some tears
Through the coming years
Ooh, all the while
I know you’ll be smilin’
Your love will guide me
Though every mile ’cause

You’re the one that I long to kiss
Baby, you’re the one that I really miss
You’re the one that I’m dreaming of
Baby, you’re the one that I love

I get the news I need on the weather report.
I can gather all the news I need on the weather report.
Hey, I’ve got nothing to do today but smile.

After Barack, after Sarah, we may finally be getting our first honest snow job of the year here in Asheville.

Well, tonight’s the VP debate (a few minutes away) … unless Sarah can do a Dan on Joe, she and McCain will be deader than any moose ever was in that old show.

Nevermind party differences.

(Forget transgender and GLB issues for a minute.)

The reckless, the imprudent and the improvident, no problem, they’re both for’em.

Where does that get us not in that category. Not very far.

There has been, and there will continue to be a stream of bull**** (moose or otherwise) from all concerned.

If anyone thinks any of this “$700B” is for real, you don’t know about the real “Northern Exposure” … or your “Southern Exposure.”

Whatever, feel free of McPain and believe happy days will soon be barack again.

Forget Sarah Palin (who, rightly so, is going to be and should be “burnt toast” rather sooner than later … good take here on that today) … who’s not been in national government yet … or ever … I hope.

But, how some folks can so embrace some folks who have been in Washington — who’ve been part(y) and parcel to a big, bipartisan mess — and deny most responsibility for such — and take on greater patriotic airs, too … is beyond my simple comprehension.

Sorry, for me, it doesn’t work.

I don’t have any kind of secure position or entitlements.

Whatever I’ve scrapped and saved for, however prudent I’ve been, over the past decade … doesn’t mean shit to a tree … or pig …

… to the $66M man or to the poor old guy …

It’s going to be a “new” “Morning again in America” …

for them, anyway, either way it goes.

Party on …

… but they’ll be our piggies, one way or another.

Feeling grumpy, once again, America …

Can’t help it … but the headline on Tommi Avicolli Mecca’s article in Beyond Chron today about the Human Rights Campaign’s fundraiser in San Francisco brought to mind an image of a big room full of Roys and Silos …

~~~

Related …

Enda United: We will not be divided

Lesbian activist ousted from HRC dinner

A bit of word play here, but Autumn’s earlier post brought back memories of this story …

An avid athlete and a transgender person, Tedra Thomsen wants to play
coed softball — as a woman.

But the softball league she plays on won’t allow that.

“This snubs me basically,” said Thomsen, who explained while the sex
she was born with is anatomically male, the gender she identifies
herself with is female.

Next week the league’s recreation district will consider a policy on
transsexual athletes — a first for the Chico Area Recreation and
Park District — because of Thomsen’s concerns.

… and …

their knowledge but said the board needed to put a policy in placenow to answer Thomsen’s coed softball application request.

Also Thursday the board unanimously approved a policy addressing the
participation of transgender and transsexual athletes in recreational
sports programs. The policy — which originated when Chico resident
and softball player Tedra Thomsen, a transgender person who expressed
a desire to play on a coed softball team as a woman — states that
transsexual athletes can play in a male or female sport after sex
reassignment surgery, hormone therapy and legal recognition of their
reassigned sex. Medical documentation is also required.

Transgender athletes who don’t meet those requirements are eligible
for participation in female or male recreational sports according to
their birth sex, the policy states.

Thomsen, friends and advocates and attorneys for gender rights — some
who had traveled from San Francisco to attend the meeting — urged the
CARD board to reconsider the policy because it would mean Thomsen
cannot play as a female until undergoing sex reassignment surgery and
hormone therapy. Several said surgery was a drastic procedure and
that Olympic standards were not appropriate for a recreation league.

“I think this is not a time for hard and fast rules that might
protect someone legally, but fairness,” said one speaker in favor of
Thomsen.

CARD legal representative Jennifer Wendell, an attorney with the
Carter Law Office, said the policy — based on standards put in place
by the International Olympic Committee — is the recreation district’s
attempt at balancing CARD’s need for safety and competitive standards
with accommodating Thomsen. She said the policy will not keep anyone
from dressing, acting or being addressed and treated as the gender
they identify with.

CARD attorney Jeff Carter said CARD’s legal team would be willing to
meet with those knowledgeable about transgender issues to further
their knowledge but said the board needed to put a policy in place
now to answer Thomsen’s coed softball application request.

… and that left me wondering if there have been any updates to this story?

I haven’t heard of any … ??

(By the way, if we didn’t “archive” these news stories, they may as well never have happened in many cases.)

Back to Autumn’s post, which also brought to mind this story, speaking of (“tricky”) Libertarians …

Activists belonging to the libertarian wing of the Republican Party continue to mourn the loss of Kent Snyder, a 49-year-old gay political operative credited with propelling the presidential campaign of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) into a national, grassroots movement that raised more than $35 million.

Snyder, who served as Paul’s campaign chair, died of pneumonia on June 26 after being hospitalized for about two months and after running up medical bills exceeding $400,000, according to friends and family members, who said he did not have health insurance.

…

When asked at the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday about concerns raised by critics that his presidential campaign did not provide employee health insurance, Paul said only that he doesn’t believe any political campaigns offer health insurance.

“I don’t know of any campaign that has health insurance for temporary and other employees,” he said. “I’ve never had it and I’ve been in this business for 30 years. I don’t know any campaign that does.”

…

Spokespersons for the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain said both campaigns provide full health insurance coverage to their paid staff. A spokesperson for the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign said Clinton also provided health insurance coverage to campaign staffers before she ended her campaign in early June.

I don’t expect, though, I’ll be seeing “full health insurance coverage” coming forth, for me or you, from any of these folks any time soon … Paul, McCain or Obama … three whiffs and we’re out.

Some not quite out of date mood music for this Saturday night …

Well, one show has moved out of town (actually it was closer to Black Mountain and about 18 miles or so up the valley from downtown Asheville). No loss. Just another “circus” whose methods are also certainly questionable. You can read “the reviews” from Pam Spaulding and Wayne Besen.

This Friday-Saturday-Sunday is the 30th annual Bele Chere Festival. A much better show, believe me … hope you can visit here sometime.

~~~

Just a couple of local links …

Equality Asheville

Phoenix

BlogAsheville

OUTLOUD

But … they’re just the grubby, dirty (18%) pot calling the scorched, nuked kettle black.

I may be an ol’ yellow dog (from New York City), but I sure as heck don’t feel comfortable voting for them come this November.

(Though I probably will end up doing so. I’m no McCain fan … for starters, I remember this business.)

Forget single issues (trans rights, for instance, especially when folks don’t deliver) — I don’t see these ass clowns doing anything to address and fix my concerns about where my life, or likely where your life and those of most fellow citizens are going.

Obama, please, I expect we’ll see more improvement in his golf game like his buddy, Franklin Raines (shame, shame) …

He has shaved eight points off his golf handicap, taken a corner office in Steve Case’s D.C. conglomeration of finance, entertainment and health-care companies and more recently, taken calls from Barack Obama’s presidential campaign seeking his advice on mortgage and housing policy matters.

… than anything substantive. Steve Case? Dot-com bubble. Harold Raines? Housing-bubble. Barack Obama? Name that bubble.

Saturday night, I went out to the Diversionary Theatre with my friends Diversionary Theatre board member Vicki Estrada, her partner and fiancée Lynda, and IGFE Winslow Street Fund Chair Stephanie Battaglino to see the musical Yank — a musical about gays in the World War II military services. I had so much fun watching the show with my friends. At the same time, I cringed listening to a boot camp instructor character shout at recruits as I remembered some of my own boot camp experiences at the Naval Recruit Training Command, San Diego. And then, at the same time I got a kick out of the theatre’s lobby display of LGBT military veterans — I got to see my photograph prominently displayed with the LGB vets.

Yank. At dinner and the between play’s two acts, I was discussing the 2009 California Transgender Leadership Summit with her — very preliminary discussions about attempting to get a Winslow Fund grant for putting the summit in San Diego next March.

Oh. I’m on the team planning for the summit in San Diego — probably will end up being in the executive committee for this conference. I guess it was recently decided that California’s Transgender Leadership Summit will be at San Diego, with the goal of having the summit at San Diego State University‘s Aztec Center in late March of 2009.

For the 2008 summit, we had approximately 400 trans and ally activists show for the 2008/third annual summit in Berkley — so I believe that makes this annual summit the second largest transgender conference in the United States (only following Southern Comfort in size), and the largest conference geared entirely towards individual and organizational development for transgender activism.

Obviously, I’ll be writing more about this summit in months to come — more details about California’s fourth annual Transgender Leadership Summit as details develop.

Oh — back to Yank for a moment — this musical is wonderful. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a theater production in years as much as I enjoyed this one.

At an after party, I commented to the actor playing the play’s focal character Stu — the actor’s name is Tom Zohar — that he really captured that feeling I had of feeling off in boot camp. If you look above to the picture of me in my navy blue crackerjack uniform (that was taken on my boot camp liberty weekend back in 1980), perhaps you notice how feminine I appeared to be back then even when presenting as male. There was a feminity of posture, movement, and speech that was there throughout pretty much my entire Navy career. That feminity — that feminity many of my peers in the Navy took as effeminacy — resulted in me being perceived as gay, for which I was sexually harassed in 1999/2000. Anywho, I though Tom, the rest of the cast, and the production folk did a incredible job.

I hear Yank‘s next stop after San Diego is Off-Off-Broadway. I obviously recommend seeing the play at some point, if you have the opportunity too.

Two interesting features worth a look in tomorrow’s New York Times Sunday Magazine (6.29.2008) …

Genes, money, drive … if you have’em, you might have a chance of looking and performing like Dara Torres at 41 years of age …

NEAR THE WARM-UP POOL AT THE Missouri Grand Prix swim meet, in Columbia, a crop of Olympic hopefuls lolled around in practice suits and towels on a Saturday morning in February. Fully clothed among them stood some relics of Olympics past: Scott Goldblatt, who won a gold medal in the 2004 Games, wore an aqua sport coat and a striped tie and was doing on-air commentary for Swimnetwork.com; Mel Stewart, who won two golds and a bronze in 1992, wore the same goofy get-up, working as Goldblatt’s sidekick. Meanwhile, Dara Torres, who won the first of her nine Olympic medals in 1984, a year before Michael Phelps was born, stripped off her baggy T-shirt and sweat pants, revealing a breathtaking body in a magenta Speedo. She pulled on a cap marked with her initials and prepared to swim. Torres is now 41 and the mother of a 2-year-old daughter, Tessa Grace. She broke her first of three world records in 1982, at 14, and she has retired from swimming and come back three times, her latest effort built on an obsessive attention to her aging body.

Torres’s retinue includes a head coach, a sprint coach, a strength coach, two stretchers, two masseuses, a chiropractor and a nanny, at the cost of at least $100,000 per year. At the Olympic trials, this week, in Omaha, Neb., she’s expected to swim fast enough to make her fifth Olympic team. If she does, she’ll be the first American swimmer to compete in five Olympics (despite sitting out 1996 and 2004). She’ll also be oldest female swimmer in the history of the Olympic games.

…

The rest of “A Swimmer of a Certain Age” may be read here.

And Times fashion writer Guy Trebay has a feature on filmmaker and “fashionista” Daphne Guinness …

Because the archetypal women in Daphne Guinness’s short film, ‘‘The Phenomenology of Body,’’ revolve on turntables, it is somehow easier to think of her as a D.J. than as a director. Because the chic images she assembled appear in some sense random, it seems appropriate to think of her as more a sampler than any kind of auteur. And because the story depicting women through the ages is, as its creator points out, not exactly linear and only accidentally feminist, it is easy to see in it hints of autobiography, the personal history of a slightly anachronistic sort of being, less actor than spectator, a woman upon whom the events of life impress themselves.

While few outside the style world are likely to have heard of Guinness, she Lose Weight Exercises considerable fascination in fashionable circles and the tabloid press. The daughter of the Guinness brewery heir Jonathan Guinness, formally known as Lord Moyne, Guinness is also the step-granddaughter of Sir Oswald Mosley, the British fascist; the ex-wife of Spyros Niarchos, of Greek shipping fame (she married him at 19; he settled a reputed $40 million dollars on her when they divorced in 1999); and lately the subject of tabloid rumors related to her friendship with Bernard-Henri Lévy, the wealthy, and married, French writer whose intellect is almost as celebrated as his luxuriant head of hair.

…

The rest of “Her Feminine Mystique” may be read here, and her film’s below …

I’m not Alex Blaze, Bil Browning is not either, and this is not exactly queer music, but nevermind … it’s Vampire Weekend …

Although the times are changing, for the better, I’m not expecting a Hollywood “update” of the 1947 classic film anytime soon … but, thankfully, at least you can’t say anymore about news such as this (see photo) …

The first openly gay Episcopal bishop and his partner of 20 years have been united in a private civil union.

The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson was legally joined to Mark Andrew, his partner of 20 years, in a civil ceremony Saturday, the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire announced.

Civil unions became legal in New Hampshire this year.

The union was performed five years to the day after New Hampshire Episcopalians elected him as their bishop.

The civil and a following religious service of thanksgiving were both held at St. Paul’s Church in Concord.

…

NH gay bishop, partner joined in civil union

From the UK, Electro Magnetic Workshop, who performed today on the Isle of Wight … this is an earlier performance …

~~~

h/t to Robyn at transsexual-uk who provided there, “This group is comprised of Phaedra, Melinda, Alex and Chris (the only non-trans).”

… and on the lookout around public restrooms for the individual pictured here …

The View intuits from a higher authority that said individual could be “a predator, bisexual, cross-dresser.”

~~~~~

Related …

Ritter signs controversial anti-discrimination bill

~~~~~

Hecuba: Alas! Alas! Alas! Ilium is ablaze; the fire consumes the citadel, the roofs of our city, the tops of the walls!
Chorus: Like smoke blown to heaven on the wings of the wind, our country, our conquered country, perishes. Its palaces are overrun by the fierce flames and the murderous spear.
Hecuba: O land that reared my children!

The Trojan Women