Tag: transgender

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Trailer: Amazon’s Transparent Season 4

Amazon has shared the first look at season 4 of the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning series, Transparent, which premieres September 22nd.

Jeffrey Tambor’s “Maura” is heading to Israel, and of course, the whole Pfefferman clan has to tag along.

The Pfeffermans take off on a spiritual and political journey as they dig deep into their family’s history. Maura heads to Israel to speak at a conference and makes a startling discovery. Before long the rest of the family joins her for an explosive adventure. Adrift in the desert, each member of the family ultimately set off on their own paths to find acceptance, love, and truth.

Arriving just days after Donald Trump’s announcement that he plans to ban all transgender service members in the U.S. military, the cast and creators also released a response to Trump’s surprise move.

Via People:

“We are honored to share the trailer for Transparent season 4. We feel very lucky to get to make art inspired by themes of love, home and boundaries, and how they operate in both human beings as well as nations,” the joint statement begins.

“Sharing this work amidst President Trump’s continued assault on the transgender community is painful. We are outraged that he announced in a tweet that transgender people would not be allowed to serve ‘in any capacity’ in the U.S. military. It is reprehensible to deny an estimated 15,000 current trans service members, and 134,000 trans veterans, the dignity, respect and safety that they deserve,” the statement continues.

“At Transparent we believe in the integrity of the trans community, which we know firsthand because we are all either trans or allies to the trans community. It is a revolutionary act for a trans person to simply leave the house and walk down the street. We tap into the incredible history of survival the trans community has achieved against all odds, knowing that our fight is noble and on the side of justice and human rights.”

“To our trans community members serving in the military and to transgender veterans: We work in solidarity with you and will continue fighting and creating art for our community’s well-being and future,” it reads. “We hope that you’ll enjoy the trailer for season 4 because our visibility and our stories are more important than ever.”

Watch the season 4 trailer below:

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News Round-Up: July 28, 2017

Some news items you may have missed:

• Fitness trainer Ben Zerbst (above) is concerned about his “t-shirt tan,” which gives you just one more reason to keep staring, as if you need one 🙂

• Kathryn Knott, convicted Philadelphia gay-basher, is now claiming self-defense in a civil lawsuit from the couple she helped attack. One of her victims had his jaw wired shut for 8 months due to injuries.

• Stephen Colbert slammed Donald Trump’s tweets announcing a new ban on transgender military service members: “I began my day today as I often begin my days, by checking Donald Trump’s Twitter feed. Just to see how far the crazy has spread. And today, I really think he’s off his meds, as he’s gone from crazy to cruel.”

• The GOP-controlled House has approved $1.6 billion for President Donald Trump’s long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump promised at nearly every rally and campaign event that Mexico would pay for the wall.

• 19 Attorneys General have sent a letter to Congress opposing Trump’s transgender military ban.

• Woofy Instahunk Roberto Caccamo sends regards from Italy…

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The Late Late Show’s James Corden Sings & Dances Some “L-O-V-E” To Transgender Military

The Late Late Show‘s James Corden trolled Donald Trump’s latest policy debacle via a song and dance parody of Nat King Cole’s “L.O.V.E.”

But Corden’s version, meant as commentary on Trump newly-tweeted transgender military ban, is spelled, “L.G.B.T.”

Armed with a swing band and backup dancers, Corden doesn’t miss his chance to skewer Trump’s well-known sensitivities about his diminutive assets:

“Trump wants to seem like a manly man, overcompensating for his tiny… hands.”

Watch the clip below:

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Podcast: Trump Bans Transgenders From U.S. Military; Texas Senate Approves Anti-Trans “Bathroom Bill”

In this mid-week podcast from The Randy Report, two big stories:

• President Trump bans – via tweet – any transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military calling them “a burden.”

• The Texas State Senate has approved it’s hateful, anti-transgender “bathroom bill.”

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Podcast: Texas’ Anti-Trans Bill; Star Trek Discovery; New Jersey’s Support For Trans Students

Listen in as I discuss this week’s LGBTQ headlines including:

• The Texas Legislature is on its way to approving an anti-transgender “bathroom” bill

• Rhode Island becomes the 9th state to ban harmful “ex-gay therapy”

• New Jersey passes required guidance for trans students

• Star Trek Discovery will feature its first gay romantic couple

• We may soon find out if Academy Award winner Moonlight opened the door for more mainstream success for queer-themed cinema

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

For past episodes, or to subscribe to the podcast for free, click here.

And, by the way, please feel free to share The Randy Report podcast with friends. It’s a great way to catch up on the week’s LGBT political, pop culture and entertainment headlines in about 15 minutes 🙂

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Amendment To Deny Transgender Military Service Members & Family Healthcare Voted Down In U.S. House

The U.S. House of Representatives voted down an amendment today that would have ripped away critical health care for transgender service members and military dependents.

Proposed by virulently anti-LGBT Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), the amendment would have barred access to transition-related health care — including critically important care such as hormone therapy — for service members and military family members.

The amendment was defeated by a vote of 214 to 209.

“Congresswoman Hartzler’s attempt to strip healthcare from service members and their families in a time of war was unpatriotic, unconstitutional, and just plain vile, we are pleased to see that the House of Representatives voted down this amendment” said OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Matt Thorn.

Since October 2016, it has been the policy of the Department of Defense to allow transgender members of the armed forces to serve openly and authentically. Estimates show there are more than 15,500 transgender individuals currently serving in the armed services. In addition to these service members, thousands of service members also have members of their families who are transgender.

(via press release)

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Secretary Of Defense Approves Six Month Delay In Transgender Military Recruitment

Reuters is reporting that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Friday approved a six-month delay in allowing transgender recruits to join the U.S. armed forces.

Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement that Mattis accepted a recommendation to defer transgender applicants until Jan. 1.

The Pentagon ended its ban on openly transgender people serving in the U.S. military in 2016 under the Barack Obama administration. It was expected to start allowing transgender people to begin enlisting this year, provided they had been “stable” in their preferred gender for 18 months.

Last year, then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter cited a study by the RAND Corporation saying there were about 2,500 transgender active-duty service members and 1,500 reserve transgender service members. Rand’s figures were within a range, which at the upper end reached 7,000 active duty forces and 4,000 reserves.

Transgender troops have been serving openly for the past year, and have been widely praised by their Commanders.

This delay request came from the Army and Marine Corps chiefs. The Navy is reportedly ready to accept transgender recruits.

According to reports, the initial delay requested was for up to two years. But anonymous sources told the AP that they were concerned about criticism from Congress if the delay was too long.

However, it’s impossible not to consider this didn’t factor into the decision somehow:

U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler says that allowing transgender soldiers to serve costs taxpayers too much money.

Hartzler, a Republican whose district covers central and western Missouri, wants to reverse that policy and pointed to the cost of the surgery as the reason.

“The Obama transgender policy, which was implemented without input from members of Congress, is ill-conceived and contrary to our goals of increasing troop readiness and investing defense dollars into addressing budget shortfalls of the past,” Hartzler said in a statement.

“By recruiting and allowing transgender individuals to serve in our military we are subjecting taxpayers to high medical costs including up to $130,000 per transition surgery, lifetime hormone treatments, and additional surgeries to address the high percentage of individuals who experience complications.”

But LGBT advocates in Missouri say that Hartzler is using this financial argument to mask her opposition to transgender rights.

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New Olympic Channel Series, IDENTIFY, Follows 5 Transgender Athletes

In 2016, transgender athletes could compete without undergoing surgery, welcoming a new age to the Olympic family.

Produced for the Olympic Channel by VICE Media, Identify is a new series following the inspiring journeys of five transgender athletes and how sport helped them find their true identity.

You can watch all episodes to date here.

(h/t Boy Culture)

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News Round-Up: June 23, 2017

Weekend bound (via Instagram)

Some news stories you may have missed:

• Who’s ready for the weekend? #Yahoooooo!

• Thanks to Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, the spire of One World Trade Center and the Kosciuszko Bridge to be lit with the colors of the transgender flag for Trans Day of Action today, June 23rd. The same landmarks will be illuminated in the colors of the Pride flag on Saturday and Sunday for NYC Pride celebrations.

• Also for NYC Pride – New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declared June 22nd officially “Laverne Cox Day” as the actress made an appearance at his official residence, Gracie Mansion.

Said Cox, “Can you believe that a black transgender woman from Mobile, Alabama, raised by a single mother has a day in New York City named after her?”

• July 1st was the date that qualified transgender people were supposed to be able to enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces, but military heads are asking for a six month delay.

• California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced yesterday that four states are being added to the state-sponsored travel ban because of efforts to enshrine discrimination against LGBTQ people into law.

• Speaking of lights for Pride, the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago was lit up in rainbow colors, apparently in celebration of Chicago Pride this weekend. But the lights only lasted one night, and when asked the hotel responded with, “We’ve been told not to say anything until the PR person puts out a statement.” Of course, as we all know, President Trump ended the tradition of recognizing Pride Month after eight straight years of proclamations from President Obama.

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Laverne Cox Shares Summer Schedule For CBS Series DOUBT

While Laverne Cox’s nascent CBS series Doubt only ran for two episodes this past season, Cox shares the news that all remaining episodes will get airtime this summer on Saturday nights at 8PM beginning July 1.