In response to the latest message I received, I thought it would be good to post an explanation of identities other than transboy/transman/transgirl/transwoman - as these aren’t the only non-cis gender identities out there. Some of the more common ones include agender, genderfluid, demiboy/demigirl, polygender, and non-binary. Under the cut are some definitions of these different gender identities.
hi! so today my friend came out to me as trans demi boy, and I'm not quite sure of the correct and polite way to ask what name and which pronouns they would like me to use? thanks!
I’m so sorry I never received a notification of this message and this is such a late response - so I apologize if this answer is now completely irrelevant! In my experience, the best way to ask someone what pronouns they prefer is to just ask. Simple as that. It may feel awkward and uncomfortable, but that really is the easiest and most respectful way to go about it - and a majority of the time the person will appreciate you taking the effort and precaution to make sure they are comfortable with what you refer to them by. A nice “so which pronouns would you prefer me to call you by?” saves a lot of pain and discomfort for your friend later on. Hope this helps!
Case law shows that only the General Assembly has the authority to create protected classes, they say.
Following in the footsteps of a similar policy enacted in California (AB 1266), the school board in Fairfax, Virginia is looking into creating a policy to grant transgender students “protected class” status. This would essentially prohibit discrimination based on gender identity by school authorities for both students and faculty. A policy like this already exists that protects students and teachers from discrimination based on their sexual identity. The biggest stumbling block in this proposal so far, however, is that a few delegates to the assembly do not believe school boards have the authority to grant protected class status - even citing previous cases where it was ruled they did not. Other delegates feel it is the duty of the school board to “close the gaps” in protections granted to their students.
It's only April, but 2015 may be remembered as the year the term "transgender" fully entered mainstream consciousness.
Though only four months in, 2015 is becoming known as the year the transgender movement finally gained traction. From President Obama addressing the lack of comprehensive trans policy, to Bruce Jenner revealing his own transgender identity, and Laverne Cox being voted on of People’s most beautiful people, huge strides forward in trans visibility and awareness have been made this year already. Hopefully this new national (and, potentially, global) awareness will push forward policy innovations to enactment and guarantee greater protective legislation to the transgender community.
Banning transgender employees from using restrooms consistent with their gender identities violates federal civil rights laws, an agency ruled.
In a new ruling, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found that businesses cannot bar their employees from using facilities in accordance with their gender identity. This case was brought forth by a trans woman called Lusardi who was unfairly discriminated against at her job as a software specialist in the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center - she was called by her birth name with which she no longer identified, referred to by masculine pronouns, and was not allowed to use female restrooms. As such, the EEOC ordered the company to provide her with compensation for damages and lawyer fees. This ruling recognizes transgender rights in the workplace, and “is binding on other federal agencies” but unfortunately not at federal or state courts, which will take further discussion to decide. But, this is still a huge step forward in allowing trans people rights where they work.
While Canada’s healthcare system is known for its “premise of equal access for all,” the transgender community is claiming that the treatment they are receiving from health care services is far from universal.
A transman from Saskatchewan who identifies as Adam shared his experience in this article, claiming that he was originally met with a diagnosis of “gender dysphoria” and told to consult with a mental health professional - none of which were available in Saskatchewan. He even recounts a time when a doctor told him “having a hysterectomy isn’t going to make you a man, no amount of surgery or hormones is ever going to make you a man.” In the end, Adam had to go to San Francisco to get the surgery he wanted - and had to pay about $80,000 out-of-pocket for it.
In reaction, many trans advocacy groups are retaliating against this discrimination and starting a push for reform of the Canadian healthcare system to fix this discrimination in a healthcare system designed to allow fair access for all.
The Obama administration came out today in support of efforts to ban the dangerous, discredited practice known as conversion therapy.
In an exciting update to a previous post, the White House has recently announced plans to work on passing legislation banning the practice of conversion therapy to “cure” trans people. This decision was, in part, fueled by the whitehouse.gov petition that gained traction in the wake of the suicide of Leelah Alcorn. Petitions such as this one demonstrate how effective public support and action can be in shaping the presidential agenda.
The National Center for Transgender Equality is the nation’s leading social justice advocacy organization winning life-saving change for transgender people.
One of the premier trans rights lobbying groups in America is the National Center for Transgender Equality. Founded in 2003, the group formed in order to address the “urgent need for policy change to advance transgender equality.” They are located in D.C. and work as an interest/lobbying/advocacy group for transgender people. As outlined in their Blueprint for Equality, some of their key issues include economic opportunity, housing and homelessness, safe schools for younger trans individuals, health care, the HIV/AIDS fight and many other areas. Furthermore, they plan to expand to other countries and advance human rights on an international level.
An important look into why Transgender Day of Visibility is such a big online movement, this infographic by the Trans Student Educational Network is being spread across social media and informing those unaware about how trans people (especially younger individuals) are faced with discrimination in their lives and the toll it can take. Social media sites (such as tumblr, facebook, and twitter - demonstrated by the bottom left corner) are important platforms for these kinds of groups as they allow their message to be spread to wider audiences, even with little to no advertisement budgeting. This infographic serves a dual purpose of educating the general public about the issue at hand, as well as spreading the organization’s name to a wider public.
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Today, March 31st, is International Trans Day of Visibility (or TDoV). Sponsored by trans rights non-profits such as Trans Student Educational Resources, today serves to bring awareness to the plight of trans individuals, and how their gender identities are erased and forgotten in their own lives and, more often than not, by the government.
This year, selfies are the big push for the movement. Trans people are encouraged to post pictures of themselves to social media sites to celebrate themselves and their identities. This serves to humanize them and their struggle in a society that is often not accepting.
If you haven’t already, take a moment to scroll through the tumblr tag for the event and enjoy the creative and varied faces of young trans people celebrating themselves and who they are.
Our mission is to provide leadership, capacity building, professional training, policy advocacy, research development, and resources to increase access to culturally competent health care for transgender people in the United States.
Another important transgender-centric non-proft organization is The Center of Excellence for Transgender Health. As noted in their mission statement, this group focuses on promoting policy, researching, and creating resources to allow for greater access by trans individuals to comprehensive health care. For many trans individuals, access to health can be quite difficult - especially when trying to access appropriate surgeries and hormonal treatments for transitioning their bodies to match their gender identity. The Center of Excellent for Transgender Health has a full-time staff of professors, health care professionals, an advisory board, and a medical advisory board that work to promote their mission.
Ranked one of the best transgender non-profits by philanthropedia.org, the Transgender Law Center is active in “chang[ing] law, policy, and attitudes” to promote the rights of all people. Some of the areas the law center is involved in include employment, family law, health care, identity documents, and more. In order to fulfill its mission, the center relies on an attorney network to connect trans individuals facing discrimination in many facets of life to. These “cooperating attorneys” can offer advice or representation, and often specialize in areas of LGBTQ+ law and policy. The Transgender Law Center does not rely on membership costs or a corporate arm, so it exists almost entirely on the volunteer work of attorneys and charitable donations to fulfill its vision of a society without “discrimination regardless of ... gender identity or expression.”
Amendments introduced to the Senate Wednesday would exempt the transgender rights bill from public washrooms, locker rooms and women’s shelters.
In a surprising move from a country that normally prides itself on progressive thinking in regards to the LGBT+ community, Canada's Senate has passed an amendment to their trans rights bill that essentially bans trans people from access to public bathrooms, locker rooms, and other public facilities. While initially the Canadian trans bill seemed similar to California's AB 1266, the goal and target of the policy are becoming increasingly unclear - as banning access to gender-identified facilities defeats the purpose of a "bathroom bill" and is likely just an attempt to kill the bill.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Thursday he doesn’t know if President Obama will seek to overturn the ban on openly transgender military service before the end of his administration.
Earnest made the remarks more than five months after Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the policy should be reviewed and the White House said it backs such an effort. However, since that time, no apparent movement on the issue has taken place and a Defense Department official confirmed to the Blade that a review is not underway.
In response to a question from the Washington Blade about whether this potential review has come up in conversations between Obama and Hagel, Earnest referred to a meeting that took place at the White House the same day.
But Earnest professed to have no knowledge as to whether transgender service was a topic of that discussion, which took place as the administration works to combat Ebola and the Islamic State of Syria & Iraq.
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Despite his success and repeated reference to his repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," President Obama remains relatively tight-lipped on whether he's going to repeal a similar policy that prevents transgender people from serving openly in the military. This decision is quite surprising - as the DADT repeal was quite popular, even with re-election a serious concern. Now, with re-election not an option and only his legacy to consider, it's strange that the president isn't targeting a group that could certainly use such a policy and leave himself a lasting legacy.
HUD has instructed shelters to not ask intrusive medical questions or kick out trans residents because of their gender identities, among other important guidelines.
While more of a symbolic gesture than substantial policy, the government's decision to instruct homeless shelters to allow their clients access to services and areas based on their gender identity is an important step forward in recognizing trans identities. In the trans community, roughly 20% of individuals face homelessness at one point or another. Furthermore, between 20-40% of homeless youth (around 1.6 million individuals) are LGBT+, often as a result of violence or being forced from their homes. By establishing this non-codified policy, the government creates safe places for these individuals to get the help they need while still being recognized for their gender identity.
Police are still investigating the death of Miami entertainer Kristina Gomez Reinwald as the year's number of trans women reported murdered in the U.S. continues to rise.
So far in 2015, seven transgender women have been murdered. In comparison, twelve trans women were killed in the entirety of 2014. This recent uptick in violence against trans women can possibly be accredited to the strengthening movement to create more redistributive policy that grants greater rights and protection to trans women. However, it is difficult to say how such policy can prevent more violence unless there is more education about transgender individuals that can reduce the possibility of violent acts such as this.
"My death needs to mean something. My death needs to be counted in the number of trnsgender people who commit suicide this year. I want someone to look at that number and say ‘that’s f*cked up’ and fix it. Fix society. Please.” - Leelah Alcorn's suicide note
On December 27th, 2014, a transgender teen named Leelah Alcorn posted a suicide note on her personal Tumblr, left her house, and committed suicide by walking into a highway. In her suicide note, she described how she was forced by her parents to attend Christian-centric conversion therapy to "cure" her of her gender identity - and this was ultimately what drove her to take her own life.
In the wake of the tragedy, a grassroots movement began to implement a policy that would prevent something like this from happening. Petitions to promote "Leelah's Law" began at both change.org and whitehouse.gov to ban transgender conversion therapy; a practice regarded by trans activists, therapists, and psychologists as abusive and often the cause of severe alienation and depression in children and teens. Many LGBT+ rights groups are also involved in spreading awareness about Leelah's death and encouraging the call for change it sparked.
Though it is still unclear if such a policy will make it to the agenda just yet, the public outcry demonstrates how events similar to this one can push forward the agenda of interest groups into the public's attention, and hopefully move it closer to the decision agenda.
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