New Ad Campaign Explains North Carolina’s ‘Bathroom Law’ With Actual Trans Person

From Freedom For All Americans:

In this new ad, Zeke Christopoulos – a transgender man who lives in Asheville, North Carolina – and two of his professional colleagues discuss their concerns about the discriminatory House Bill 2, which knocked down existing non-discrimination protections for LGBT people and banned transgender people from using public restrooms.

One of Zeke’s co-workers, Patricia Hickling Beckman, shares her initial reactions to learning Zeke transitioned from female to male, and Zeke explains the absurd possibility of what could happen to him under HB 2 when a transgender man like himself uses a public bathroom.

Target Posts Policy Statement Supporting LGBT Rights

Target has posted a statement on it’s corporate website underlining the department store’s commitment to inclusivity.

The statement is particularly “targeted” at LGBTs, and makes clear that transgender folks have nothing to worry about when looking for a rest room while shopping.

Recent debate around proposed laws in several states has reignited a national conversation around inclusivity. So earlier this week, we reiterated with our team members where Target stands and how our beliefs are brought to life in how we serve our guests.

Inclusivity is a core belief at Target. It’s something we celebrate. We stand for equality and equity, and strive to make our guests and team members feel accepted, respected and welcomed in our stores and workplaces every day.

We believe that everyone—every team member, every guest, and every community—deserves to be protected from discrimination, and treated equally. Consistent with this belief, Target supports the federal Equality Act, which provides protections to LGBT individuals, and opposes action that enables discrimination.

In our stores, we demonstrate our commitment to an inclusive experience in many ways. Most relevant for the conversations currently underway, we welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity.

We regularly assess issues and consider many factors such as impact to our business, guests and team members. Given the specific questions these legislative proposals raised about how we manage our fitting rooms and restrooms, we felt it was important to state our position.

Everyone deserves to feel like they belong. And you’ll always be accepted, respected and welcomed at Target.

I want to add that I’m a regular at Target stores. Friends of mine have asked why I don’t go to Walmart or similar stores. In addition to the values I find there, public positions like these make it clear where I should spend my consumer dollars.

Thanks Target!

North Carolina Transgender Residents Share Their Shock & Frustration Over HB2

Produced by the Raleigh News & Observer, this video shares the confusion, shock, dismay and frustration of North Carolina transgender residents in the aftermath of the passage of HB2, which makes using a public bathroom which corresponds to their gender identity illegal.

Watch as these transgender residents explain the impact of HB2 on their lives.

Look at these folks – is it hard to guess which restrooms they should be using?

Imagine the men pictured here walking into a women’s room. Or, this woman strolling into the men’s room.

Once you do, I think you’ll understand the issue.

RuPaul Explains The Difference Betweens Drag Queens And Trangender People

The fab RuPaul dropped by The Real on Fox to promote the 8th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (beginning March 7 on LOGO), and along the way was asked to explain the difference between being a “drag queen” and being “transgender.”

Said the wise and wonderful Ru:

“Well, drag is really making fun of identity.

“We are shape-shifters. We’re like, ‘OK, today, I’m this. Now, I’m a cowboy. Now, I’m this.’ That’s what drag is about.

“Transgender [people] take identity very, very seriously, in that their identity is who they are.

“But you know, I come from the school of you know, I’ll do whatever I want to do at any time and change and whatever.”

I’ve explained the difference to folks this way: drag is about performance; transgender is about how some folks view their gender identity.

Mya Taylor Becomes First Transgender Actress To Win At Independent Spirit Awards

Congratulations to transgender actress Mya Taylor who took home the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 31st Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday for her performance in the acclaimed indie hit film, Tangerine.

In her acceptance speech Taylor said, “I have had a long journey through my 2015 because I had come from almost nothing and then got this role and this movie, and my life just did a total 360.”

“There is transgender talent. There’s very beautiful transgender talent. So, you better get it out there and put it in your next movie.”

Preview: Season 2 – I AM CAIT

Clip description:

Caitlyn Jenner is coming into her womanhood and evolving as a person. She realizes there’s too much at stake to get it wrong.

The quick glimpse into the new season shows Caitlyn trying on a wedding dress (?), talking about being a better transgender advocate and even meets Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.

Watch the trailer below.

Brendan Jordan, Social Media Sensation, Comes Out As Transgender At HRC’s “Time To Thrive”

Brendan Jordan, who developed a huge social media following after vogueing in the background of a local news report in Las Vegas has come out as transgender.

Introducing trans fashion model Andreja Pejić at the Human Rights Campaign’s Time To Thrive conference, Jordan said this:

“Like most teenagers, I’m still figuring it out. I’m starting to identify as one, or as part, of the trans community. I can’t really label it, because, you know, some days, my more feminine side comes out — the ‘she.’ Some other days I don’t feel like putting on my fabulous mask, and the ‘he’ comes out, and I’m totally OK with that. And I don’t know who I am, or where I will be going in the future, who I will be 10 years from now but I’m still a teenager. I just like the limitless feeling of it, and I’m perfectly fine with who I am now. I just identify with both genders, so I go by the pronouns he or she and it’s just what I’m happy with.”

Watch Brendan’s coming out below:

Iowa Hotel Manager Calls 911 Upon Seeing Transgender Women

Just to let you know how far we have to go.

An Iowa hotel manager was so overwhelmed by the fact that two transgender women checked into his hotel, the manager called 911 as if it was an “emergency.”

The ACLU has filed suit:

“911, what’s your emergency?” There are a lot of situations that may warrant calling 911. But seeing a transgender person is not one of them. But that’s exactly what a hotel manager in West Des Moines, Iowa, did when Meagan Taylor and her friend, both Black transgender women, checked into the hotel.

There was no emergency. Just two young women stopping for the evening at a hotel. The caller complains that they are “unusual” because they are “two males, but they’re dressed as females with ‘male IDs’ and ‘dressed a little over the top.’” Even the dispatcher is somewhat incredulous that this would prompt anyone to call 911. She questions why the caller is suspicious and the caller explains, that “I just want to make sure they’re not hookers either.”

Meagan and her friend were not men dressed as women. They are women who triggered a set of racialized and gendered assumptions about who is appropriate and welcome in public space — still not transgender people of color in far too many places.

“When this all happened,” Meagan wrote. “I knew exactly what it was: the racial profiling, the transgender profiling, the harassment…I knew why it was happening, and I knew it wasn’t right. I knew something had to change. To experience so many levels of discrimination makes you feel like less of a person. I want to stand up for myself and other Black and transgender people. And so I did.”

The two women were on their way to a funeral. They just wanted a place to sleep.

You can listen to the 911 call here.