Well, not exactly, but I can’t help but believe that one of “the usual suspects” will put some of that spin on this news story …
COEUR D’ALENE - Police in the Lake City are investigating a reported rape on North Idaho College’s campus involving a cross-dressing man who attacked a student in a bathroom.
Coeur d’Alene police are not commenting on their investigation at this point only to say they do not feel students are not in danger because the victim said she knew her attacker.
NIC student Janea Kelso heard about the alleged rape from a friend who got an emergency alert on her phone.
“It’s scary considering this is a small school,” Kelso said.
The text message said a man dressed as a woman was hiding in the first floor bathroom of the Meyer Health and Science Building and raped a woman last Friday. Kelso says teachers warned female students to be careful.
“They just said be careful when leaving class go in buddy system,” she said.
The victim told police she knows the rapist, who is described as being white with brown hair and is clean shaven. The attacker is 48-years-old and is not an NIC student. Police are not releasing the man’s name and no one has been arrested
NIC administrators notified students of the attack and said security officers are watching for suspicious people but they are not adding additional patrols.
“We have no indication since this was according to police someone known to her, we don’t believe nor does our security or police that is someone looking for targets at this time but still urging everyone to be vigilant,” NIC vice president John Martin said.
Police have declined comment on the case but did say that a rapist is not roaming the streets.
[Caleb H. Price, research analyst at Focus on the Family] says Focus on the Family has caught a lot of heat for referring to this philosophy as “ethical bankruptcy.” He contends teens are not stable enough emotionally to make a decision of such magnitude.
“We see this as a situation that’s tragic, foolish, and unconscionable for a professional medical group to encourage young people to move forward on a road where they might be making a decision about changing their gender,” he adds.
According to Price, the drug treatment program is another example of parents and physicians bowing to political correctness and to the demands and feelings of young people.
We recommend that adolescents who fulfill eligibility and readiness criteria for gender reassignment initially undergo treatment to suppress pubertal development.
…Caleb H. Price, research analyst at Focus on the Family, said young people are in no position to make a decision of this magnitude.
“Teenage years are marked by a confusing maze of feelings that wax and wane on a daily basis,” he said. “It is unconscionable for a professional group to push hormone treatment that alters — perhaps irrevocably — natural physical development.
“The endocrinologists have clearly been hijacked by activist groups, lost their credibility and entered into ethical bankruptcy. They’ve capitulated to the political correct notion that gender is a social construct and can be changed.”
The problems with that Caleb statement are many, but to let me highlight a few.
First and perhaps foremost, FOTF’s Caleb isn’t an endocrinologist, but he feels confident in substituting his judgment for those of a society of endocrinologists. That’s a lot of righteous hubris.
Secondly, Caleb makes the assumption that the youth in question are fickle in how they perceive their own gender identities. I know from talking to folk at Trans Youth Family Allies, health care providers, other trans people, and my personal experience that these youth aren’t fickle in how they perceive their own gender identities. If an individual youth was fickle in his or her gender identity, that would be the reason for a healthcare gatekeeper to state that a particular adolescent didn’t meet the eligibility and readiness criteria for this treatment.
Also, transyouth aren’t making healthcare decisions on treatment on their own. By framing the treatment schema as FOTF’s Caleb does, he implies that’s exactly what’s happening. Does he really, honestly believe that parents and medical professionals aren’t involved in the decision making process? Does he really believe that youth make these decisions on their own? In my opinion, this is yet another example of FOTF’s less than honest framing of issues.
And lastly, while Caleb and most medical and healthcare experts on trans people agree that gender can’t be changed, Caleb doesn’t agree with what scientific evidence seems to be indicating regarding how sex and gender don’t always match. As Zoe Brain over at AEBrain documents, there is scientific evidence that sex (what’s between the legs) and gender (what’s between the ears) don’t always match; there is a growing body of evidence that people’s brains can be cross-gendered from their bodies.
As usual, Focus On The Family appears very willing to substitute their organizations’ interpretation of the Bible for good science, good healthcare, and/or good public policy.
News and views for Wednesday, November 26th through Friday, November 28th …
[CA, USA] “Trans-Latina migrants are slowly discovering the asylum option in San Francisco and California. A steady stream of transgender applicants has been showing up in what immigration attorneys say are open-minded asylum offices and immigration courts that have become acquainted with gender-identity–based claims. Exact numbers of how many transgender women have gotten asylum are hard to come by since the government doesn’t track the reason for awarding asylum status. Yet such cases almost seem like a sure thing because of the severity of the alleged discrimination. “You almost gotta try to lose it,” attorney Robert Jobe says. In fact, none of the 12 immigration attorneys interviewed for this story could remember any trans clients being denied some sort of protection. Even if applicants can’t get asylum, they may still be eligible to stay via other international treaties that offer haven from persecution. And, as many trans-Latina prostitutes have learned, even a lengthy rap sheet in this country won’t seriously threaten their chances of receiving protected immigration status.” — Border Crossers
[GA, USA] “As the 31 names of transgender people killed around the world during 2008 were read aloud at Atlanta’s Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil, each of the deceased’s biographies ended with “Remember me.” A crowd of more than 100 braved wind and cold temperatures Nov. 20 outside the State Capitol to do just that. A bell chimed for each person and trans activist Sir Jesse McNulty played “Taps” after the names were read. Many of the dead included transgender women of color — a “holocaust” that can no longer be ignored, according to Dee Dee Chamblee, executive director of LaGender Inc. “There is a holocaust of transgender women of color. Many of them are prostituting [because they can’t get jobs] and are in danger. But when you are African American and transgender, well, you can’t get lower than that,” she said. “These women are killed out of meanness, hatred. And all they want is to eat, a place to stay. They put their life on the lines. Everybody should be outraged.”” — Transgender activists, allies rally at Capitol
[MI, USA] “Nearly 70 people filled the rows at Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit on the bitterly cold evening of Nov. 21 to commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance … “We are here to remember our transgender brothers and sisters who have been killed just for being transgender,” said Rachel Crandall, executive director of TransGender Michigan. “If you ask me how I feel about that, I’ll say I’m really pissed off.” Crandall’s anger is not difficult to understand. According to a letter read by Transgender Detroit’s Michelle Fox-Phillips from Transgender Day of Remembrance founder Gwendolyn Smith, a transgender person has a 1 in 12 chance of being murdered due to anti-transgender violence or prejudice. “I wish to remind each of you (that) the most basic right we have is the right to exist,” Fox-Phillips read. Currently no transgender-inclusive hate crimes legislation exists in Michigan or at the federal level.” — Community gathers for 9th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance
[NY, USA] “A midlevel appeals court ruled Wednesday that a transgender individual can change from traditionally male to traditionally female first and middle names, regardless of potential confusion. The case involved Earl William Golden III’s petition to change names to Elisabeth Whitney Golden. A lower court had concluded the proposed change was “fraught with possible confusion.” The Appellate Division of State Supreme Court noted that people can change their names “at will,” provided there is no fraud, misrepresentation or interference with the rights of others. Done in court, the switch can be “speedy, definite and a matter of record.” While confusion can be one reason for a judge to reject someone’s name change petition, “that factor is not, standing alone, a basis to deny a petition inasmuch as ‘confusion is a normal concomitant of any name change,”‘ Justice Anthony Cardona wrote.” — NY court removes bar to transgender name changes
[NY, USA] “And so Syracuse mirrors in painful fashion the national schizophrenia of a people determined to push the boundaries of possibilities while insisting on denying others the freedom to be who they are. On the night that America celebrated the election of Barack Obama, millions watched in disbelief as the people of California voted to ban gay Americans from enjoying the delights and anguish associated with the institution of marriage. This is the great contradiction that presents itself in the current chapter of American history. What is it about this country, and about our community, that still causes some to cling to the idea that we can decide for other people how to live out their sexual lives? What is it about the idea of someone loving someone of the same sex, or realizing that their mind and their body are at odds on the question of gender, that some in this freedom-loving country find so offensive?Many will say this is just a problem of the individual who pulled the trigger. You can think that if you choose to, but it only makes the problem persist, and makes you part of it. That man pulling the trigger learned somewhere along the line that there is a right way and a wrong way to love somebody, and that his anger against those who are different is somehow justified. He learned that people like him get to decide the fate of another person. He learned that those people should learn to be like him. A gun, a few drinks, a dare later, and Teish Cannon lay bleeding in her brother’s arms.” — A Nightmare on Seymour Street
[USA] From Kelley Winters, “Psychiatric incarceration and abuse of gender variant youth and adults has for generations been facilitated by diagnostic nomenclature that equates difference with disease: nonconformity to assigned birth-sex with mental disorder and sexual deviance. It is time for the American Psychiatric Association and other mental health organizations to repudiate the practice of gender-reparative therapies, as they have renounced reparative therapies for sexual orientation. It is time for the APA and the mental health professions to extend an apology to all who have been imprisoned or traumatized in the course of these treatments. In drafting the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, it is time for the APA to remove the classification of Transvestic Fetishism and revise that of Gender Identity Disorder to serve constructive rather than destructive purposes. It is time for new diagnostic nomenclature consistent with the medical principle of “First, do no harm.”” — The Gender Gulag: Voices of the Asylum
[USA] From Vanessa Edwards Foster, “Typically I must admit a slight bias towards moms in allowing their children to be who they are innately – who they were meant to be. Much of this comes from my upbringing and my own dad’s notice of my natural feminine tendencies and his insistence that I “be the man” from the age of five onward, urging me into football and other masculine pursuits. Men have a harder time dealing with anything resembling emasculation. But in an unusual twist, Chicago Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher may well be doing the right thing, while his son’s mom, Tyna Robertson, is in the wrong. It’s Robertson who is claiming that Urlacher is feminizing his three year old son Kennedy, and seeking to remove Urlacher’s visitation rights.” — Pro Linebacker’s Child Used As A Football In Tabloidesque “Gender Confusion” Custody Battle
[USA] “Shame on you, Dr. Phil. As a man who’s own personal mantra is urging people to “get real,” Dr. Phil was decidedly unreal in his approach to transgender rights on a show that aired last month. (You Tube clip at the bottom of this post.) Allison Steinberg’s latest post takes Dr. Phil to task for allowing a phony doctor with ties to Focus on the Family to be an “expert” on his show regarding to transgender issues … Dr. Stanton, in fact, is no doctor. He holds a Master’s degree from the University of West Florida and is known widely as one of the foremost defenders of evangelical family values. He is a fellow at James Dobson’s organization Focus on The Family, which boasts a Christian mission, “To cooperate with the Holy Spirit in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible by nurturing and defending the God-ordained institution of the family and promoting biblical truths worldwide.” The show angered the parents of transgender children that were guests on the show as well as the larger LGBT community.” — Dr. Phil Misrepresents Transgender Identity
[Australia] “The Australian Department of Health has come under fire for appointing two men’s health ambassadors who were allegedly involved in writing a document that espoused homophobic views … The paper entitled ‘21 Reasons why Gender Matters’ was published by the Fatherhood Foundation two years ago and Mr Marsh and Mr Williams were among 34 authors who contributed to the document. Amongst other things, the paper describes homosexuality as ‘gender disorientation pathology’ and suggests that gay people are more likely to abuse children, be unfaithful or violent in relationships and abuse drugs.” — Australian government ‘health ambassadors’ in gay hate controversy
[Australia] “Australia’s Health Minister Nicola Roxon has dismissed one of the new Men’s Health Ambassadors for co-authoring an anti-gay, anti-transgender report. Warwick Marsh, president of Fatherhood Foundation, was one of 34 co-authors of 21 Reasons Why Gender Matters, a report which calls homosexuality a mental disorder. Ms Roxon announced today that Mr Marsh would no longer be an ambassador on the panel. “Mr Marsh has not repudiated his offensive comments. This makes his position as an Ambassador untenable and I have made a decision to dismiss him from this role,” she said.” — Health ambassador sacked for standing by anti-gay comments
[Australia] “A bitter feud has erupted at a prestigious golf club after it was revealed a leading member was undergoing a sex change. Male members of Wynnum Golf Club in Brisbane were disgusted when they learned married dad-of-one Don Asher, 52, had begun hormone treatment to become a woman. They forced Mr Asher to quit the men’s team after he turned up for a tournament wearing a dress. Following an emergency meeting at the club, Mr Asher was given permission to play for the ladies team. Yesterday he said he has never been happier– despite the hostile reaction of his former friends. “It feels as though everything is right at last,” he said.” — Sex-change golfer now a birdie
[Australia] “Human Rights Commissioner Graeme Innes sent a solemn message last week, calling on Australians to remember the “horrors and difficulties” that discrimination still inflicts on people who are gender diverse. The comments were made to mark the 10th International Transgender Day of Action and to announce the impending release of a report which will give recommendations on how to tackle trans discrimination in Australia. “It is sobering to think that this day of action was established as a reminder of those who have been killed as a result of anti-gendered hatred or prejudice,” Innes said. After same-sex entitlement reforms, the Commission has now set its sights on the rights of the trans community and has been researching and consulting on issues faced by gender diverse communities over the last year.” — Innes pushes for trans law change
[Thailand] “The ever increasing turbulence of the anti-government protests notwithstanding, a demonstration of a different nature was taking place yesterday in Bangkok. Unaffiliated to any political party, a group of transgender ‘ladyboys’ paraded past central Police Headquarters in Bangkok to protest at the lack of AIDS awareness in Thailand. Glamorously dressed in brightly coloured ball gowns and feathered head-dresses, the group struck a contrasting pose to the increasingly militant demonstrations … While observers hope the increasingly fraught situation in the country will end peaceably, the ladyboys, with their stylish parade of singing and dancing showed the world how peaceful yet fabulous protest is all about.” — ‘Ladyboy’ protests amid Thailand’s political chaos
[Malaysia] “While the causes of gender identity disorders are still disputed, one thing is certain – these patients need care and compassion, rather than discrimination.” — Gender poser
[TN, USA] As Autumn has mentioned here, troubled trans woman Duanna Johnson was found shot to death in Memphis today. The news reports as of Monday evening …
The victim of a shooting early today in North Memphis has been identified by a local attorney as the transgendered person who was beaten by police earlier this year … Police are looking for suspects in this morning’s shooting. A witness told investigators three people ran from the scene after a shot was fired.
The lawyer for a transgender woman who was preparing to sue Memphis police says his client has been killed … Wells said Johnson’s family still intends to sue Memphis police because of the jailhouse beating
A statement from the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center: “Duanna bravely confronted the Memphis Police Department officers who brutalized her while she was in police custody. At great personal cost, Duanna was the public face of our community’s campaign against racism, homophobia, and transphobia. There was no justice for Duanna Johnson in life. The Mid-South Peace & Justice Center calls for justice in the investigation and prosecution of Duanna’s murder.”
[IL, USA] “Even a dreary, drizzly Chicago November evening did not deter a strong crowd of at least 300 from gathering to protest the Museum of Broadcast Communications’ induction of James Dobson into the Radio Hall of Fame on Saturday at the downtown Renaissance Chicago Hotel … “They said they couldn’t do anything because he won the vote,” explained Thayer while addressing the crowd early in the evening. “At one point in the history of our country, the premiere broadcaster [of the 1930’s] was Father [Charles] Coughlin, a notorious anti-semite and racist. They did not, rightfully, choose to honor him, but unfortunately a double standard still persists in this country for haters of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people.”‘ — Chicagoans Protest Dobson’s Hall of Fame Induction
[NY, USA] ” ‘Malcolm Smith, the Queens Democrat who will be the new majority leader, appeared at ESPA’s annual Manhattan Fall Dinner last October and enthusiastically pledged to “forward” the marriage equality bill on “the first day of our session,” and to put it at “the top of the list” when discussing agenda items with the governor.’ I’m fine with that happening on the first day - so long as a bill to rectify the 2002 Gays’ and Lesbians’ Right to Discriminate Against Trans People Act (sometimes referred to as SONDA) is ‘forwarded’ first on that first day and so long as not one thing is done on the marriage bill until the bill to rectify the 2002 Gays’ and Lesbians’ Right to Discriminate Against Trans People Act has passed both houses of the legislature and has Gov. Paterson’s signature affixed to it.” — Marriage My Ass
[NY, USA] “I’m sure there were plenty of transwomen who wanted to vote in New York City who could have been profiled in this article. Or the Times could have done an article about voter apathy and used Michelle Carver as an example. So good on the Times for at least referring to Michelle Carver with female pronouns and a female honorific. But this issue deserves serious coverage, not condescending commentary on a someone who isn’t even facing the problems outlined in the beginning of the article.” — Traditional media still has trouble covering transgender issues
[USA] “In their first interview since the birth of their daughter, Susan, this past summer, Beatie and his wife, Nancy, speak candidly to Barbara Walters. Find out about the childbirth experience, how they’re raising their daughter, and what the future holds for them on “What Is a Man, What Is a Woman? Journey of a Pregnant Man” Friday on “20/20″ at 10 p.m. ET ,,, The hour also explores how gender boundaries are dissolving, and how transgender couples create families amid the social and legal complexities of this brave new world.” — Barbara Walters Exclusive: ‘Journey of a Pregnant Man’
[USA] “Today, I have no problem with my self-worth. I don’t need laws that protect my employment or include me in hate crimes legislation to justify my humanity. My self worth and humanity is based on me and me only. My renewed belief in God has also been very helpful. Trans people all over the country have come to realize that they will not relinquish their humanity to anyone. No one decided our humanity or self worth but us. Maybe our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters need to take a little lesson from the trans community when it comes to self worth. We have been put down and marginalized for such a long time and for so many reasons that we had to make peace with our humanity. We have been left out of legislation so many times that we had to build the strength within us to move on. We have seen so many trans-related bills fail that it has dampened our self worth. Yet, we keep moving forward.” — Devaluating Your Self Worth
[USA] “That is exactly how many of us feel about ”friends and neighbors” who somehow found a way to justify leaving trans people behind on ENDA. And although I hate to compare griefs the fact of the matter is that it’s all the same. Fundamental rights are fundamental rights, whether it be the right to have a job and earn a living or the right to have loving committed relationships recognized and to raise a family. Denial of both are materially harmful. No difference. Yet you made a conscious decision to harm us, Joe. You did. Perhaps you’ll recognize that you were that friend and neighbor - to me personally and to our community in general - who made that hurtful decision yet can somehow justify still being a “friend”. I hope that you recognize that the crowds still protesting the Prop. 8 outcome in cities throughout California and across the country are the same as gender variant people and allies who protest at HRC events around the country, upset with the injustice that has been forced upon us and needing to express that anger and frustration.” — What’s the Point?
[UK] The Department of Health has authorised the publication of “A guide to trans service users’ rights” (PDF here), the sixth in the series of booklets that it has commissioned the Gender Identity Research and Education (GIRES) to develop.
[Canada] “Put yourself in the place of someone who’s trying to transition. Many people simply just don’t understand why you would do that. Then add to that the realization that the APA, a socially-recognized mental health authority, considers you to be diseased, simply out of who you are. Ask yourself if you would be willing to trade a bit of your dignity for medical treatment. If not, why should anyone else have to?” — Non-normative gender is not a disease
[Sweden] “Jan-Olov Ågren, a male cross-dresser from Norrbotten in northern Sweden, has been handed a victory by the county administrative court in his bid to go by the name Madeleine. Ågren has a penchant for dressing up in women’s clothing and when he does, he likes to go by the name Madeleine, reports the Norrbottens-Kuriren newspaper. But the Swedish Tax Agency had previously rejected Ågren’s application to have his name changed to Jan-Olov Madeleine Ågren on the grounds that it’s not appropriate for a man to have a woman’s name.” — Cross-dressing Swedish man can be named Madeleine
[Peru] “In the city of Iquitos, in the Peruvian Amazon, attitudes towards gender roles and sexual orientation are comparatively relaxed. But despite the thriving gay and transvestite scene, members of the cross-dressing community, known as chivas, still face prejudice and violence. Sixteen-year-old Rober has been working as a transsexual prostitute since he was 12. Donning his girlish clothes and wig every night, he says that he’s happier on the streets than at school, despite the risks to his safety.” — Walk on the wild side: Peru
Judge Robertson’s claim that the Library of Congress violated Title VII of the 1964 civil rights act by not hiring Schroer is incorrect – and judicial activism. Title VII only addresses the issue of males and females – not confused individuals who think they’re the opposite sex. Robertson’s use of this section is illegitimate and should be appealed to a higher court.
A person who thinks he’s the opposite sex is medically diagnosed as having Gender Dysphoria, which is still listed as a mental disorder in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). A person who wears opposite sex clothing has a mental illness described as transvestic fetishism in the DSM.
There is currently no federal law in effect that provides cross-dressers, transsexuals, drag queens, or she-males federally protected class status. However, efforts have been underway in Congress for years to pass legislation doing this. The brief filed by the Library of Congress in this case points out that Title VII does not protect transgendered persons from discrimination.
One of those laws is the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which has been blocked from passage by the aggressive work of TVC. ENDA originally contained protections for “gender identity” but was stripped from the bill by homosexual Barney Frank in order to get it passed.
Using a phrase I heard often while serving in the US Navy, l feel like I’m “beating a dead horse” when I point out how offensive Andrea Lafferty’s and Lou Sheldon’s language usually is regarding transgender people. They frequently refer to trans people by the incredibly offensive pejorative “she-male”.
The TVC also cites the how the American Psychiatric Association (APA) lists transgender conditions in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) — apparently as a reason why transgender people should experience employment discrimination, which by extension…
I don’t always connect dots in the ways others do, so it’s usually interesting to me when someone connects dots in a way I never thought about — especially when it’s a particularly interesting character who makes the connections.
I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, so I supported the man-woman marriage Proposition 8 in California - until I discovered the Proposition 8 campaign tolerates discrimination against Jews. ProtectMarriage.com’s legal counsel, the Alliance Defense Fund, has in effect a “No Jews Need Apply” policy for legal and even secretarial positions. They say they’re not a law firm, they’re a “ministry” and thus have a right to discriminate against Jews and other non-Christians. But even if that’s true, Proposition 8 had hundreds of law firms to choose from. The fact they chose one that refuses to hire a Jew like me is very disturbing. Interestingly, Jesus himself was a Jew, so when a group has a policy that would lead them to refuse to hire their own Messiah, you know something’s seriously wrong.
I wanted to check to see if the employment policies of the ADF were as Benkof described these policies, and he’s correct on that facts, in that the ADF doesn’t hire anyone but those who ascribe to the ADF’s vision of Christianity:
[Below the fold: The employment policies of the ADF, and the interesting personal history of David Benkof]
The court’s ruling today is a loss for democracy, a loss for Montgomery County, and a loss for common sense. The average citizen wants to protect a woman’s right to privacy and safety. To that end, voters would have defeated this bill. The MCRG is considering a legal challenge to ensure that voters have the chance to be heard on this issue.
–Ruth Jacobs, M.D., president of the Maryland Citizens For Responsible Government
Yes, the world ended. No doubt the world ended in a horrible mess o’ violence against the white women and children because we gosh darn predatory, public bathroom using trans people ushered Satan’s rule here on earth.
“We’re very disappointed with this court’s ruling, which suggests that, in America, every citizen does not have a voice. Today’s court decision sends a clear message that groups with narrow, extreme political agendas can disenfranchise the voters of an entire county. We will work closely with MCRG toward the goal of putting this issue back into the hands of the voters.”
–Amy Smith, Alliance Defense Fund attorney (the Focus On The Family bankrolled legal alliance that represented the interests of the Maryland Citizens For Responsible Government)
Theresa Rickman sent out a letter to mobilize her troops this weekend. She and the Maryland Citizens For Responsible Government warning their troops about the possibility of their free speech being restricted in the email, linked to in the long jpeg on the right side of this piece:
Be careful what you say!
Washington DC’s gender identity law punishes users of the “wrong pronoun” with a fine - if you refer to man in women’s clothing as a he, DC’s Human Rights Commission can levy a substantial fine. Montgomery County’s gender identity law goes further.
Ugh.. Is this a real argument, or is this a ludicrous example of hyperbole-ridden spin? Well, of course it’s over-exaggeration. They scale back their concern of everyone having to watch what pronouns they use to just employers in the very next paragraph of the email:
One of the things I noticed about the An Examination of Discrimination Against Transgender Americans in the Workplace hearing is that minus the Alliance Defense Fund, there weren’t any conservative Christian organizations speaking at the hearing; minus the Traditional Values Coalition any conservative Christian organizations leaving press materials at the hearing; and minus the ranking minority member of the subcommittee (Rep. John Kline, R-MN) there were no Republicans there to ask questions of the witnesses at the hearing.
So what’s happening now there’s a conservative Christian community characterization of the hearing as if there was serious wave of opposition speaking to trans employment issues — but they didn’t actually have much presense there opposing any future gender idenity and expression inclusive legislation in person.
Some examples of online, conservative Christian commentary:
- PFOX: Congressional Hearing To Push Gender Confusion Upon All Americans
Democrat leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives have scheduled a hearing this Thursday on discrimination against “transgendered” individuals in the workplace.
“Homosexuals and their transgender activist allies hope to use this hearing as a way of forcing the imposition of gender confusion upon all Americans,” said Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) Executive Director Regina Griggs today. “Instead of treating transsexualism and cross-dressing behaviors as Gender Identity Disorders (GID) as defined by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Democrats seem determined to make these behaviors into federally-protected minorities.”
“Why should Congress force Americans to provide workplace accommodations for people who are confused about whether they’re male or female? How can Congress force us to make believe that a man is really a woman or a woman is really a man?”
“If Democrats were truly concerned about these gender confused individuals, they’d push for expanded mental health services for GID. A person can’t change his or her sex – and many of these individuals think they’re a woman one day and a man the next day. Why is Congress catering to such insanity?”
[OneNewsNow/American Family Association, Peter LaBarbera, Focus On The Family/CitizenLink, Concerned Women For America, and Traditional Values Coalition commentaries below the fold.] Read the rest of this entry »
SAN DIEGO — Several employees of the county clerk’s office have been reassigned to other duties because they expressed “sincerely held religious objections” to gay marriage, County Clerk Gregory Smith said Friday.
No employee is being allowed to perform marriage duties involving only heterosexual couples, Smith said. Instead, employees are being shifted to other duties that do not include issuing marriage licenses, officiating at civil weddings or acting as witnesses.
…Smith cited Government Code Section 12940, which requires an employer to explore “any available reasonable alternative means of accommodating the religious belief or observance [of an employee], including the possibilities of excusing the person from those duties that conflict with his or her religious belief.”
The San Diego Union-Tribune added that fourteen county clerks inquired about religious exemptions to performing marriages:
[E]mployees were told they would have to perform the ceremonies without discrimination or seek a reassignment within the department or the county.
“The Department is still exploring possible ways to accommodate your religious concerns, but you should realize that it will be impossible for you to remain in your current assignment,” employees were told in the June 5 e-mail.
Given that answer, Smith said, several employees withdrew their objections, but a few chose reassignment. He would not give specific numbers. Smith also would not say whether the 14 employees whose e-mails were released were the only ones who objected.
Focus On The Family/CitizenLink got the facts wrong over the numbers…
At least 14 employees with the San Diego County Clerk’s office have been reassigned because they expressed religious objections to gay “marriage” and refused to perform the ceremonies.
Does that count as lying, or just sloppy journalism?
Focus On The Family/CitizenLink added:
Jenny Tyree, associate marriage analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said state workers’ moral and religious beliefs are in tension with the state. Voters will decide how this plays out when they vote on a state marriage amendment defining marriage as between one man and woman.
“Amending the state constitution in November would not only protect the definition of marriage,” Tyree said, “but also will protect the First Amendment rights of people who believe that marriage is the union of a man and a woman.”
It’s easy to give easy digs on Focus On The Family/CitizenLink/Focus on the Family Action for their marriage is the union of a man and a woman language, other than I feel a need to join RadicalRuss in pointing out Sen. Obama recently started using the same language on marriage equality as conservative Christians are using — again.
[Below the fold: Where Sen. Obama recently used the "marriage is between a man and a woman" language]
I received an email from Equality California’s Geoff Kors yesterday, identifying a major contribution to the opposition protect marriage campaign. From the Equality California email on the major donation (Equality California being one of Equality For All’s coalition organizations):
“I … discovered the unhappy news that Focus on the Family just donated $250,000 to ban marriage for same-sex couples in California. After this morning’s celebration of love and commitment, this only makes me more determined to ensure that all couples continue have the opportunity to celebrate their marriages.”
If we want marriage equality in California to last past this November, we’re going to have to, as a broad community, work for it — and we’re going to have to donate for it. Are opponents are going to be very well funded.
Select the Equality For All logo below if you wish to donate to California’s marriage equality continuing past this November election.
~~~~~
Further reading:
* Los Angeles Times: Gay marriages begin with a day of hope and hoopla; Although protests are low-key, a constitutional battle is gathering behind the scenes
#2 - Big news (yes, it’s worthy of an “orgasmic release” from the Empire State Pride Agenda) from New York on the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) …
By an overwhelming vote of 102-33, the New York State Assembly early in the evening of June 3 approved a bill affording civil rights protections to the transgender community.
…
“I’m numb, I’m pleased, I surprised, I’m impressed,” said Melissa Sklarz, the director of the New York Transgender Rights Organization, who also witnessed the vote. “I always heard that Albany was the place where good ideas go to die, and I figured even our LGBT elected officials would move the marriage bill, but that our bill would not happen. I’m thrilled that everyone who said they would help helped.”
#3 - Still no final results as I write this (Wednesday morning, a little after midnight here on the East Coast) on Victoria Kolakowski’s bid for a judgeship in Alameda County, California …
In Alameda County, four candidates - prosecutor Phil Daly of San Leandro, state Public Utilities Commission Administrative Law Judge Victoria Kolakowski of Oakland, public-interest lawyer Dennis Hayashi of Castro Valley, and criminal defense attorney Dennis Reid of San Leandro - vied for the seat vacated by Judge Kenneth Kingsbury, who retired.
In early returns, Hayashi and Daly had taken the lead in the hotly contested race, followed by Kolakowski and Reid. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, the two top vote-getters will face off in a runoff in November.
Kolakowski, who hears cases at the PUC, said she would be the first known transgender trial court judge in the nation if elected.
#5 - Wanna bet this story doesn’t get a play from the likes of WWD, FOTF, CRG or such?
A man dressed in woman’s clothing was arrested and charged in the Superior Court of Guam.
Court documents state Ruben Cabral Jr. walked into the restroom at the Tower of London Pub and kicked open a stall door while wearing a high heeled shoe.
The woman inside the stall asked Cabral to leave the restroom because it was the ladies’ room and he was a man.
Last Thursday, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed Senate Bill 200 — the Colorado public accommodation law.
The bill bans discrimination based on a person’s religious belief or sexual orientation - including transgender people - in places of public accommodation, housing practices, family planning services and 20 other public spheres. Such prohibitions are already in place with regard to race.
“I think it’s a step in the right direction for Coloradans and civil rights,” said Sen. Jennifer Veiga, a Denver Democrat who sponsored the bill.
Ritter signed Senate Bill 200 [Thursday] afternoon in his office, without any of the public ceremonies and news releases that came with six other bills he signed today. His spokesman, Evan Dreyer, said the governor was not deliberately trying to keep the signing quiet. In all, Ritter signed 20 bills today, Dreyer said.
Should I be worried about conservative Christian’s expectation of a barrage of cross-dressed, male predators stalking girls and women within the gym lockers and public restrooms in Colorado? I know from archiving news there just aren’t that many stories about cross dressed predators, let alone one’s that use women’s public restrooms and women’s gym locker rooms to do so — but if you’re James Dobson, you worry a lot about predators, bisexuals, pervy crossdressers and homosexual or heterosexual males that might walk in and relieve himself in women’s and girls’ presences:
“Who would have believed that the Colorado state Legislature and its governor would have made it fully legal for men to enter and use women’s restrooms and locker-room facilities without notice or explanation?
“Henceforth, every woman and little girl will have to fear that a predator, bisexual, cross-dresser or even a homosexual or heterosexual male might walk in and relieve himself in their presence. The legislation lists every conceivable type of organization to which this law applies, including restaurants, bathhouses, massage parlors, mortuaries, theaters and ‘public facilities of any kind.’ Those who would attempt to protect females from this intrusion are subject to a fine of up to $5,000 and up to one year behind bars.
“This is your government in action. It represents a payback to Tim Gill and two other billionaires who have essentially ‘bought’ the state Legislature with enormous campaign contributions. Coloradans deserve better!
“And by the way, because of the way this bill is written, it is not subject to the initiative process. There is no recourse.”
Be afraid. Be very afraid:
Of course, the alternative forcing people to segregate their bathroom usage strictly by chromosomes, genitalia, or whether there’s an F or an M on your original birth certificate is that female-to-male (FTM) trans people will be using women’s restroom.
Meet my FTM friend Ethan St. Pierre…
Would Dr. Dobson & Company prefer him to use the women’s restroom now? I’m sure most conservative Christian women would feel very comfortable sharing a public restroom with Ethan…
I believe Dr. Dobson & Company would rather gay, lesbian, and bisexual people — as well as people of transsexual history or transgender experience — would just never-ever-ever pee in a public restrooms at any time whatsoever. The assumption appears to be we’re all just predators waiting to assault women and girls in restrooms and gym locker rooms.
So if Dr. Dobson were king, LGBT people in ColoradoDobsonland would likely all be required to start wearing Depend Diapers. Y’know, so when we left our apartments and homes so we never set foot in a public restroom. Oh — that’s assuming that any Dobsonland businesses would sell LGBT people goods or services — or heck! Even rent apartments to us, or sell us property!
* sigh *
~~~~~
Related:
* According To CitizenLink/Focus On The Family, There’s “A New Type Of Predator” — Men In Dresses
News and views relevant to (not just) trans people …
#1 - Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter signedSenate Bill 08-200 (”Concerning The Expansion Of Prohibitions Against Discrimination”) into law Thursday. The bill essentially (defines and) adds “sexual orientation” to the state’s existing anti-discrimination statutes, where …
“Sexual orienation” means a person’s orientation toward heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, or transgender status oe another person’s perception thereof.
“Who would have believed that the Colorado state Legislature and its governor would have made it fully legal for men to enter and use women’s restrooms and locker-room facilities without notice or explanation?
“Henceforth, every woman and little girl will have to fear that a predator, bisexual, cross-dresser or even a homosexual or heterosexual male might walk in and relieve himself in their presence. The legislation lists every conceivable type of organization to which this law applies, including restaurants, bathhouses, massage parlors, mortuaries, theaters and ‘public facilities of any kind.’ Those who would attempt to protect females from this intrusion are subject to a fine of up to $5,000 and up to one year behind bars.
“This is your government in action. It represents a payback to Tim Gill and two other billionaires who have essentially ‘bought’ the state Legislature with enormous campaign contributions. Coloradans deserve better!
“And by the way, because of the way this bill is written, it is not subject to the initiative process. There is no recourse.”
Please, when you get down to it, this is about much more bathrooms. It’s really about issues like finding employment or housing, or even about getting someone to cut your grass, and some folks’ perceived, god-given right to say trannies or gays “need not apply.” Every restroom or bathroom in the state of Colorado could be magically transformed today into one’s own little, unassailable fortress, and these folks would be no happier tomorrow. They want their own little “land of the free and home of the brave” all to themselves. That’s it.
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!
[CA, USA] “Trans-Latina migrants are slowly discovering the asylum option in San Francisco and California. A steady stream of transgender applicants has been showing up in what immigration attorneys say are open-minded asylum offices and immigration courts that have become acquainted with gender-identity–based claims. Exact numbers of how many transgender women have gotten asylum are hard to come by since the government doesn’t track the reason for awarding asylum status. Yet such cases almost seem like a sure thing because of the severity of the alleged discrimination. “You almost gotta try to lose it,” attorney Robert Jobe says. In fact, none of the 12 immigration attorneys interviewed for this story could remember any trans clients being denied some sort of protection. Even if applicants can’t get asylum, they may still be eligible to stay via other international treaties that offer haven from persecution. And, as many trans-Latina prostitutes have learned, even a lengthy rap sheet in this country won’t seriously threaten their chances of receiving protected immigration status.” — 
[Australia] “A bitter feud has erupted at a prestigious golf club after it was revealed a leading member was undergoing a sex change. Male members of Wynnum Golf Club in Brisbane were disgusted when they learned married dad-of-one Don Asher, 52, had begun hormone treatment to become a woman. They forced Mr Asher to quit the men’s team after he turned up for a tournament wearing a dress. Following an emergency meeting at the club, Mr Asher was given permission to play for the ladies team. Yesterday he said he has never been happier– despite the hostile reaction of his former friends. “It feels as though everything is right at last,” he said.” — 
[USA] “In their first interview since the birth of their daughter, Susan, this past summer, Beatie and his wife, Nancy, speak candidly to Barbara Walters. Find out about the childbirth experience, how they’re raising their daughter, and what the future holds for them on “What Is a Man, What Is a Woman? Journey of a Pregnant Man” Friday on “20/20″ at 10 p.m. ET ,,, The hour also explores how gender boundaries are dissolving, and how transgender couples create families amid the social and legal complexities of this brave new world.” — 
I received an email from Equality California’s Geoff Kors yesterday, identifying a major contribution to the opposition 
