Archive for the ‘Transgender’ Category

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Argentina Legalizes Gay Marriage!

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

Early Thursday morning, the Argentine Senate voted to legalize gay marriage and allow same-sex couples to adopt children. The President, Christina Fernandez de Kirchner, has been a vocal supporter of the bill and is expected to sign it into law upon her return from an international trip.

Check out this video of supporters celebrating as they learn of the victory. It’ll bring tears to your eyes:

From Colorlines.com:

It’s clear that the United States is quickly falling out of step with international counterparts on the issue of gay marriage equality. Already Mexico City, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Afirca, Norway, Sweden, Portugal and Iceland have all legalized gay marriage. Uruguay allows same-sex couples to adopt children, but not marry. And Brazil at least recognizes some same-sex unions.

Dan Hawes, organizer for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, told The Post , “Every win we have gives momentum and hope to people everywhere, including activists in the United States working for the right to marry.”

Órale! Argentina’s victory is good news for anyone who cherishes freedom and human dignity. ¡Felicitaciones, Argentina!

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Posted in Bisexual, Gay, Gay Marriage, LGBT, Lesbian, Transgender | No Comments »

American College of Pediatricians is a Homophobic Farce

Friday, April 9th, 2010

In 2002, a small group of homophobic pediatricians defected from the American Academy of Pedatrics after it adopted a resolution in support of gay parents. These unethical practitioners then founded the American College of Pediatrics, which is not actually a college at all, but an anti-LBGT activist organization whose board is made up of a significant number of anti-gay, anti-trans activists from the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality.

In March of this year, the ACP sent a letter to every Superintendent of every US school district citing non-existent studies or misinterpreting data in an attempt to “prove” that a) people are not born Queer or Trans and thus, b) LBGT youth can be “fixed” with corrective therapy.

This is utter nonsense and incredibly dangerous. Medical practitioners are in a unique position to influence public opinion and school policy in powerful ways because of their status as “experts.”

The hacks behind ACP are not experts. They are a group of anti-gay, anti-trans activists making up statistics or perverting legitimate science for their own hate-filled agendas.

A friend of mine recently said that half of activism is being informed, and I completely agree.

The ACP is trying to sabotage Queer and Trans youth by spreading misinformation, so its up to us to be informed and keep others informed.

Although I’m not psyched about the American Psychological Association’s classification of Transgender existence as a psychological disorder, they have compiled a real resource guide for schools that accurately cites real studies and encourages schools to support their LBGT students.

From the APA’s Just the Facts resource guide:

The idea that homosexuality is a mental disorder or that the emergence of same-sex attraction and orientation among some adolescents is in any way abnormal or mentally unhealthy has no support among any mainstream health and mental health organizations.

Consider taking action by presenting your local school officials with the APA’s resource guide to combat the ACP’s anti-LBGT propaganda!

For more info, check out these links:

I Am Against the Letter Sent Out by the ACP
Box Turtle Bulletin
Pam’s house blend

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Posted in Action Alert, Activism, Bisexual, Gay, LGBT, Lesbian, Liberalism, Transgender, Uncategorized, Youth | No Comments »

A Gendered Reflection on Passports

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

Today is a big day for me. I just got my passport in the mail! My renewed passport that finally has my chosen name and gender. Like many Transgender people, I was really nervous that I would be harassed in the process of updating my gendered information and potentially denied all together. Given that the Federal government and most US states do not include gender identity and expression in their anti-discrimination laws and the oppressive nature of many of our national security policies, I feel so fortunate to have obtained a US passport that matches my true identity, hassle and persecution-free.

Holy crap that is not the experience of so very many people. Scores of Trans, Gender Queer and Two-Spirit folks are denied passports and other government documents every year because of bigotry or are unable to meet the requirements because of poverty. And so many of our friends, family and neighbors who were not born in this country but nevertheless live, work and pay taxes here (income tax is not the only way to contribute financially to this country’s well-being) are denied basic civil liberties and human rights because they don’t have access to various government-issued documents like the one I hold in my hand right now.

This is less of a call to action than a call for reflection.  Yes, issuing and controlling government documents is a way for a country to manage its infrastructure and national security. But Visas, Passports, Social Security cards and State IDs are more than security measures; they impact our ability to access basic institutions and opportunities that allow us to survive and thrive.

If we as a nation are to live up to the promise of liberty and justice for all, we must reject the impulse to use security measures intended to preserve freedom as a means of restricting it.

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Posted in Immigration, LGBT, National Security, Transgender, Uncategorized | No Comments »

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