Tag: transgender

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News Round-Up: November 25, 2017

Nyle DiMarco (via Instagram)

Some news items you may have missed:

• ICYMI, Dancing with the Stars/America’s Next Top Model champ Nyle DiMarco served up quite the Thanksgiving meal, but I’m not sure which meat Instagram fans were checking out…

• Four Democratic U.S. senators have introduced the LGBT Elder Americans Act, which seeks to expand services for LGBT seniors. The legislation would designate LGBT seniors as a vulnerable population as well as establish the National Resource on LGBT Aging.

• Authorities estimate that a record 10,000 shiny, happy LGBTs and allies marched in this year’s Hong Kong Pride parade.

• Transgender healthcare facts: 31% of transgender Americans lack access to regular healthcare. 22% of transgender American avoid doctors out of fear of discrimination.

• This Reddit user tells the world he hooked up with a “10,” and since he sees himself as a “6” he couldn’t handle it. I remember experiencing this myself once. Read his story here.

• A new docu-series coming to HBO, 15: A Quinceañera Story, follows five Latina girls from different backgrounds as they celebrate their 15th birthdays. The first segment chronicles the story of Zoey, a transgender girl, who lives in Los Angeles and dedicates her Quinceañera to her trans-godmothers, who never got to have one of their own.

Premieres December 19 on HBO. Watch the trailer below.

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2017 Transgender Day Of Remembrance #TDOR17

The year 2017 is already the deadliest year on record for transgender people with at least 25 trans homicides reported so far.

Transgender Day of Remembrance began in 1999 thanks to as a way to honor Rita Hester, a trans woman murdered inside her Boston apartment in 1998.

A vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence since Rita Hester’s death, and began an important tradition that has become the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Observed every November 20, the day is meant to honor the memory of those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.

Click here for a list of those trans people we’ve lost to violence this year.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued this statement in observance of Transgender Day of Remembrance:

On Transgender Day of Remembrance, the United States honors the memory of the many transgender individuals who have lost their lives to acts of violence.

Transgender individuals and their advocates, along with lesbian, gay, bisexual and intersex persons, are facing increasing physical attacks and arbitrary arrests in many parts of the world. Often these attacks are perpetrated by government officials, undermining the rule of law.

Transgender persons should not be subjected to violence or discrimination, and the human rights they share with all persons should be respected.

On this Transgender Day of Remembrance, the United States remains committed to advancing the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons. These principles are inherent in our own Constitution and drive the diplomacy of the United States.

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Out Music: Kim Petras “I Don’t Want It At All”

Check out the music video for out trans popster Kim Petras’ debut single, “I Don’t Want It At All,” a pop-y “shop-til-you-drop” anthem that features a special guest appearance by Paris Hilton.

Via press release:

Since her childhood in Cologne, Germany, Kim has been in love with pop music. It was a window into the bigger world outside of her little town. Kim notably began transitioning with female hormone therapy following her twelfth birthday before making worldwide headlines as the youngest person to receive gender reassignment surgery at the age of 16. Her experiences and bravery are subtly present in her music and her undeniable debut single perfectly showcases her imaginative artistry and unique brand of escapism.

“Pop was always my biggest obsession,” Kim affirms. “I spend so much time looking for new music online. As a kid, music videos were my escape from the little town I was living in, because nothing happened there. I want to provide that kind of escapism. It’s unapologetically pop.”

Great to see the release was noticed by big mainstream sites Ew.com and Idolator.

Watch the video below.

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New Ryan Murphy Series Will Feature Largest Trans Cast Ever In Scripted TV History


 Pose, the new series for FX from TV wonder-genius Ryan Murphy, will continue his practice of breaking down barriers and celebrating diversity by featuring the largest cast of transgender actors in a scripted series ever.

Via Deadline:

The five transgender actors were cast after a six-month nationwide search led by casting director Alexa Fogel. They are MJ Rodriguez (pictured, above), Indya Moore, Dominique Jackson, Hailie Sahar, and Angelica Ross. All will be playing transgender characters. Also, cast in the series are Ryan Jamaal Swain, Billy Porter and Dyllon Burnside.

Set in the 1980s, Pose looks at the juxtaposition of several segments of life and society in New York: the rise of the luxury Trump-era universe, the downtown social and literary scene and the ball culture world.

More from Reuters:

Michael Roberson and Twiggy Pucci Garcon are serving as consultants to the series on ball culture, an LGBTQ subculture rooted in 19080s nightclubs. Hector Xtravaganza, Skylar King, and Sol Williams will also serve as consultants.

Trans activist director Silas Howard will serve as a co-exec producer on the show, which will work with Ryan Murphy’s Half Initiative to bring in trans directors for mentorship opportunities.

Leiomy Maldonado and Danielle Polanco will choreograph ball scenes for the show.

“We are thrilled that POSE pushes the narrative forward by centering on the unique and under-told experiences of trans women and gay people of color,” says Canals.

The pilot of Pose will be shot in New York City in November.

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Texas Speaker Of The House, Who Stood Up Against Anti-Transgender Legislation, Will Not Run For Re-Election In 2018

Joe Straus, the Republican Speaker of the House in Texas, has announced he will not seek re-election in 2018.

“I believe that in a representative democracy, those who serve in public office should do so for a time, not for a lifetime. And so I want you to know that my family and I have decided that I will not run for re-election next year. My time as a state representative and as speaker will end at the conclusion of my current term,” he announced via Facebook to his constituents.

You may recall that during last year’s legislative session, and the recent special session called by the governor, Straus beat back pressure from prominent politicians including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to bring a controversial anti-transgender “bathroom bill” to the floor of the state House for a vote.

Referencing the high suicide rates among the transgender community thanks to social judgments, the moderate Republican said at the time, “Tell the lieutenant governor I don’t want the suicide of a single Texan on my hands.”

Expect celebrations in the far-right realms of the Republican party as Straus has long been considered a target of the anti-LGBT Family Research Council and other hate groups.

Look for much jockeying in the Texas GOP  universe for the position of Speaker of the House in the coming months.

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Podcast: HIV Undetectable=Untransmittable; Will & Grace Returns; Eli Lieb’s “Kissing Your Tattoos;” And Cher On Broadway

On this week’s podcast:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agree that when an HIV+ person’s viral load is undetectable there’s zero chance of transmission to an uninfected person

• The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says transgender military members who meet physical and mental requirements should be able to serve in the U.S. military

• Azerbaijan is now rounding up and torturing gay men

• A new musical based on the life and music of Cher is heading to Broadway

• Will & Grace triumphantly returns to network TV after 11 years

• Eli Lieb’s latest single, “Kissing Your Tattoos”

All that and more on this episode of The Randy Report podcast.

Listen below. Catch up on LGBT headlines in only a few minutes, and if you like – hit the Share button for your social media 🙂

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Music Video: Maggie Szabo’s “Don’t Give Up” Is A Love Letter To Trans Youth

Acclaimed Canadian pop singer/songwriter Maggie Szabo drops her moving and uplifting new music video, "Don’t Give Up On Love."
Maggie Szabo

Acclaimed Canadian pop singer/songwriter Maggie Szabo recently released her moving and uplifting new music video, “Don’t Give Up On Love,” from her upcoming EP Worthy.

The video, a love letter of support to the LGBTQ community, tells the story of a transgender high school student attending prom.

Szabo’s soaring vocals sweep across an emotional, anthemic musical landscape accompanied by gospel-tinged backing vocals. The lyrics share an empowering message of hope and acceptance.

When your back’s against the wall
Cuz you feel you’ve lost it all
There’s nowhere left to turn and no one left to call
There is someone just like you
Who feels the same way too
Why would you surrender?
Don’t give up on love

Touching and authentic, the video is dedicated to transgender youth around the world who live in fear and suffer from rejection and exclusion.

Via press release:

The powerful and poignant narrative of ‘Don’t Give Up’ is reflected in an exquisitely cinematic video, that follows a girl who is struggling with her gender identity and the pressures of conformity in high school. Szabo’s ultimate messages to fight for social justice and equality, “people are people, love is love. Society needs to stand up” professes Szabo. “I can’t stand by and watch millions of transgender youth live in fear for their safety, outcast from their homes and marginalized by society simply because they are struggling to understand their gender identity. I want to stand with them.”

“Don’t Give Up” was written and recorded in Los Angeles along with Stefan Lit (One Direction) and Chaz Mason.

With over 14 + million Youtube views, Szabo has been featured on several high profile media outlets including Billboard, Perez Hilton, Huffington Post and Yahoo Music!

A portion of the proceeds from this music video will be donated to the Ali Forney Center whose mission is to protect LGBTQ youths from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to live independently.

Watch “Don’t Give Up” below.

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News Round-Up: September 11, 2017

(image via Pinterest)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Welcome to a brand new fresh week! Today is just about as fresh and ready for you as, well, this guy (above).

• Former 90210 star Brian Austin Green’s 4-year-old son Noah has been seen out in public occasionally wearing dresses, and Green has no problem with that. “I feel like at 4, at 5, that’s a time when he should be having fun,” the actor continues. “He’s not harming anyone wearing a dress. So if he wants to wear a dress, awesome. Good on him, you know?”

• In just the past week, 3 GOP Congressmen have announced they will not be seeking reelection in 2018. This potentially opens up more possibilities for the Democrats to regain control of the House. Cook Political Report analyst Dave Wasserman moved his rating of one of the races from “likely Republican” to “toss up.”

• InfoWars idiot Alex Jones says Donald Trump behaves erratically because White House insiders are slowly drugging his Diet Cokes. #NoLie

 • A transgender man in New Jersey, who was wrongly accused on shoplifting, is bringing legal action after being forced to show his vagina and prosthetic penis to a female grocery store employee. A security guard apparently mistook the bulge in the man’s pants for stolen goods.

• One of the new characters being written into the upcoming 8 episode reboot of Roseanne will be the 4-year-old “gender-creative” son of “Darlene” played by Sara Gilbert. The young son’s name will be “Mark” who is described as “Sensitive and bright, Mark occasionally likes to wear girls’ clothing.”

• Folks are a little worried “down under” as recent polling shows 58.4% say they would back a “yes” vote on marriage equality, down 6 points from two weeks earlier; support for a “no” vote rose two points to 31.4%. In a world of Brexit votes and Donald Trumps becoming president, folks don’t want to take anything for granted. Make sure your Aussie friends vote!

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New Laws In Illinois Ban “Gay Panic” Defense In Murder Cases, Make Amending Trans Birth Certificates Easier

Good news in Illinois as the state’s governor has just signed two bills into law that will help LGBTs find greater equality in the Prairie State.

The first bill removes the option of a “gay panic” defense in murder cases. Utilized in several LGBT murders in recent years (Matthew Shepard, Brandon Teena, Marco McMillan), “gay panic” defenses have allowed defendants accused of killing homosexuals to legally claim they had a legitimate fear for their safety because the victim had made a pass at them.

The defense has been criticized by many for implicitly condoning that LGBTs are a threat to society.

Illinois is the second state in the U.S. to ban the defense. California is the only other state to pass similar legislation.

The second bill makes it easier for transgender people to amend their birth certificates to reflect their correct gender identity.

Until now, trans folks had to submit sworn affidavits from their physicians confirming they had performed gender confirmation surgery.

Under the new law, trans individuals are only required to provide a note from licensed medical professionals documenting the fact that they are receiving “clinically appropriate” treatment as they transition.

(source)

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St. Louis: Driver Injures 3 Demonstrators At Trans Lives Matter Memorial

Three demonstrators at a Trans Lives Matter memorial in St. Louis were injured last night when a driver drove through the crowd.

The vigil was organized in memory of Kiwi Herring, a trans woman who died earlier this week when she allegedly cut a police officer with a knife.

The demonstrators blocked the road frustrating drivers who mostly found other venues to drive around the crowd.

But one driver in a Mercedes, after honking his horn in an attempt to dispel the crowd, drove through the protesters.

More from LGBTQ Nation:

Police and those present at the vigil are giving different accounts of how the situation escalated.

Schron Jackson, a police spokeswoman, gave the following statement to the River Front Times:

Tonight, a group of protesters marched from the Transgender Memorial to the intersection of Manchester and Sarah were they blocked traffic in all directions. A vehicle approached, stopped, honked its horn and attempted to drive around the protesters.

The protesters surrounded the vehicle and began striking it with their hands and a flag pole. Several protesters also kicked and jumped on top of the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle (white male) proceeded to drive away when three protesters ( 2 white females and 1 white male) fell from the vehicle. The three protesters reported minor injuries, but refused medical attention on the scene.

Police attempted to stop driver of vehicle who initially refused to stop. He stopped about a block away from the incident and was taken into custody for felony fleeing. The incident was captured on video. The investigation is ongoing.

Protester Keith Rose disputes that account in a Facebook post, saying no one hit the car until the driver began running into people. He said the driver gave the finger to the crowd before driving into them.

“The SLMPD is going out of its way to protect this man who tried to run over people just a couple weeks after the Charlottesville attack. This kind of immunity from consequences only emboldens the people who want to harm protesters,” he writes.