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'De-gendered' toilets at the University of Manchester spark row
A row has broken out at the University of Manchester after its students' union toilets were "de-gendered".
Temporary signs have made the "ladies" simply "toilets", while the "gents" have become "toilets with urinals".
The changes are in response to an unspecified number of complaints from trans students who are uncomfortable using the men's toilets.
A university newspaper criticised the move but the student union said it was needed to tackle transphobia.
There are no figures on the number of transsexual and transgender students believed to be among the university's population of more than 35,000 students.
The students' union welfare office declined to reveal the number of complaints, but said it was an important issue. A row has broken out at the University of Manchester after its students' union toilets were "de-gendered". ... more -
Cosa prevede la legge per chi cambia sesso in Italia?
Ho messo a confronto la recente legge inglese con la (obsoleta) legge italiana in materia di rettificazione dei documenti a seguito dell'adeguamento dell'identità di genere. In Italia ci sono tre problemi non da poco che sarebbero da risolvere:
L'impossibilità di ottenere documenti rettificati in caso non si voglia (o non si possa) sostenere l'operazione di riassegnamento chirurgico del sesso (SRS);
L'impossibilità di ottenere documenti provvisori durante il periodo, forse più importante del percorso, in cui si testa se la vita del genere desiderato è quella che si immaginava;
La rettifica dei documenti è in ritardo anche rispetto alla SRS, costringendo l'individuo a vivere (a volte per mesi o un anno) con un'identità che non gli appartiene. Ho messo a confronto la recente legge inglese con la (obsoleta) legge italiana in materia di rettificazione dei documenti a seguito de... more -
Transgender Woman Wins Bias Suit Against Library of Congress
The Library of Congress unlawfully discriminated against a transgender woman whose job offer was revoked when her plans to transition from male to female were revealed, a U.S. district court ruled Friday. Judge James Robertson decided that Diane Schroer was discriminated against on the basis of sex, a groundbreaking conclusion, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented her.
"The evidence established that the Library was enthusiastic about hiring David Schroer -- until she disclosed her transsexuality," Robertson ruled. "The Library revoked the offer when it learned that a man named David intended to become, legally, culturally, and physically, a woman named Diane. This was discrimination 'because of ... sex.'"
The court agreed with the ACLU's argument based on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans sex discrimination in the workplace. The Library of Congress attempted to have the case dismissed, claiming that transgender people are not protected under the federal act. The court also said that the library used gender stereotyping because Schroer would have failed to adhere to traditional gender roles.
Schroer, 52, was denied a job as a terrorism research analyst in December 2004. She retired from the military as a special forces commander while she was still David, and previously directed a classified organization formed to track and target international terrorists after the September 11 attacks.
The ACLU filed suit on Schroer's behalf in June 2005 for $300,000 (the legal limit for such a case) and the position for which she applied. The district court trial started in August, where Charlotte Preece, Schroer's once-prospective supervisor, said she worried the transition would distract her from her work. Schroer countered, saying that her transition has helped her focus even more.
"It is especially gratifying that the court has ruled that discriminating against someone for transitioning is illegal," Schroer said in a statement. "I knew all along that the 25 years of experience I gained defending our country didn't disappear when I transitioned, so it was hard to understand why I was being turned down for a job doing what I do best." The Library of Congress unlawfully discriminated against a transgender woman whose job offer was revoked when her plans to transition ... more -
Transwoman wins Library of Congress bias case
A former Army Special Forces commander passed over for a job as a terrorism analyst at the Library of Congress because he was in the process of becoming a she won a discrimination lawsuit Friday.
U.S. District Judge James Robinson ruled that the Library of Congress discriminated against Diane Schroer of Alexandria, Va., by not giving her the job after the former David Schroer disclosed he would start becoming Diane before beginning the new job.
"The evidence establishes that the Library was enthusiastic about hiring David Schroer -- until she disclosed her transsexuality," Robinson wrote in his decision. "The Library revoked the offer when it learned that a man named David intended to become, legally, culturally, and physically, a woman named Diane. This was discrimination 'because of . . . sex.'"
Advocates called the ruling groundbreaking because a federal judge has now ruled that discriminating against someone for changing genders is sex discrimination under federal law.
"The court got it exactly right, sending a loud and clear message to employers everywhere: if you fire or refused to hire someone for transitioning, you are guilty of sex discrimination and may well find yourself liable," said Sharon McGowan, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union who helped with the case.
[more at link] A former Army Special Forces commander passed over for a job as a terrorism analyst at the Library of Congress because he was in the p... more -
16-year-old trans singer tipped for chart success
A German teenage singing sensation who underwent gender reassignment treatments in the form of hormone therapy from the age of 12 is tipped for chart success.
Kim Petras, 16, first became a cult hit on social networking website MySpace. She managed to land a record deal and is about to release her first album.
"My music is most important to me at the moment. It’s the way I can best express myself," she said. "I know that because of my past people will always bring up the subject, I can’t get away from it. But I hope that one day I might be better known for my music than for my past." A German teenage singing sensation who underwent gender reassignment treatments in the form of hormone therapy from the age of 12 is t... more -
'Gay things need to die', says man accused of brutally killing transgend...
A man accused of brutally beating a transgender woman to death told his girlfriend in a phone call from prison that he "snapped" and that “gay things need to die.”
Allen Andrade, 31, was charged with the murder of transgender woman Angie Zapata, 18, who was found dead in her apartment on July 17 2008. Andrade had told investigators that he had met Zapata on a social networking site and that the two met with the intention of having a sexual relationship. Apparently, Zapata performed oral sex on Andrade but refused to let him touch her. When Andrade was left alone in Zapata's apartment, he found several photographs that made him question Zapata's sex. When he confronted her, she told him "I am all woman." Andrade then grabbed Zapata's crotch area, felt male genitalia and became angry. He proceeded to take a fire extinguisher off a shelf and struck Zapata twice in the head, telling investigators he thought he "killed it."
In the phone calls from prison, Andrade expressed that he was out of control, outside himself and not a coherent person the day of the murder. The calls were also laden with derogatory remarks towards homosexuals, and he stated that people in jail are scared of him because of his reputation for wielding a fire extinguisher, which is the suspected murder weapon. When Andrade’s girlfriend said her cell phone was dying during a call, he said that was gay and that gay things need to die.
Weld District Court Judge Marcelo Kopcow ruled today that there was probable cause for first degree murder after deliberation, a felony bias-motivated crime. A man accused of brutally beating a transgender woman to death told his girlfriend in a phone call from prison that he "snapped&#... more -
Drag 'Tina Turner' attacks girl for giggling
A cross-dressing Tina Turner impersonator attacked a female teenage Scots holidaymaker for giggling during his drag act.
Twenty-year old Joshua Duffus, aka Armani D'Vyne, leapt off the stage and dragged Emma Lyon, 16, by the wrists across the dancefloor in Portugal. He then clambered back to finish belting out Turner hits such as Private Dancer and Simply The Best before being jeered off.
Duffus, who claimed Emma and a friend were mocking him by impersonating his act, was last week ordered to pay Emma 80 euros (£65) and fined 300 euros (£240) for the bust-up in Albufeira on the Algarve.
Emma's dad, George, 46, of Ayr, said: "It's a total disgrace. This was a totally unprovoked attack and he has virtually walked away scot-free "We had to fly back to Portugal for court which cost £1000 for flights and he got away with a 300 fine." A cross-dressing Tina Turner impersonator attacked a female teenage Scots holidaymaker for giggling during his drag act. ... more -
Europe takes aim at sexual stereotyping in ads
Women as (Only) Sex Objects
In Madison Avenue's mind's eye, women are still preternaturally obsessed with the cleanliness of their kitchen floors, while men ruminate constantly about which shaving products will render them more attractive to the opposite sex. The European Parliament has set out to change this. Last week, the legislature voted 504 to 110 to scold advertisers for 'sexual stereotyping,' adopting a nonbinding report that seeks to prod the industry to change the way it depicts men and women. Women as (Only) Sex Objects ... more -
Unions call for removal of Evangelical Christian from equality commission
The Equality and Human Rights Commission was established by the Equality Act 2006 and began work last October.
It brought together the three existing UK equality commissions - the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disability Rights Commission.
The EHRC incorporates three new human rights strands - age, sexual orientation and religion and belief.
The Trades Union Congress has called for Joel Edwards to be removed as an Equality and Human Rights Commissioner.
Mr Edwards was a controversial choice for the public body tasked with promoting a fair, equal and diverse society and tackling illegal discrimination.
He is director of the Evangelical Alliance, one of the most strident voices against gay rights in the UK.
Last year they gave evidence to a House of Commons committee opposing a new crime of incitement to violence on the grounds of sexual orientation.
They also launched large-scale campaigns against the Sexual Orientation Regulations, which ensure equality of gay, lesbian and bisexual people when accessing goods and services. The Equality and Human Rights Commission was established by the Equality Act 2006 and began work last October. ... more -
GenderVision: Transgender-Friendly Public Policy
Join Gordene MacKenzie and Nancy Nangeroni as they speak with Gunner Scott, co-founder and director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), about changes to public policy that are needed in order to create a truly transgender-inclusive society. Scott has earned widespread respect with his leadership in the Massachusetts-area transgender community, helping to create some of the most comprehensive resources available to transgender persons anywhere, including a free legal clinic and much more. MTPC is currently the lead sponsor of a legislative initiative to provide protections for all people against discrimination in employment, education, credit and accommodations based on gender identity or expression. Join Gordene MacKenzie and Nancy Nangeroni as they speak with Gunner Scott, co-founder and director of the Massachusetts Transgender P... more
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Fathers live together as lesbians
Jenny-Ann, 62, who used to be Paul, and Elen, 65, who was once Alan, have been husbands and fathers, but are now living together as a 'transsexual lesbian' couple.
Jenny-Anne Bishop and Elen Heart feel that they were born in the wrong body, but have decided against sex-change surgery because of the considerable health risks of the operation at their age. The couple, who have five children between them, take female hormones, wear fashionable dresses, lipstick and mascara, and curl and style their hair and wigs.
"Our relationship is hard to define," says Jenny-Anne who was married for 35 years before she met Elen. "We're not exactly lesbians, but people might use that word. To us we are just two transgender people who love each other."
"Our children have grown up and we are divorced so it's time for us to be who we really are," says Jenny-Anne. "Sometimes people call us bloody trannies or stare in a funny ways. Our relationship may be hard to understand because we have male genitalia but we live as a lesbian couple. People sometimes say we're gay men but we don't fit into that category – if you want to define us we're 'trans lesbian'."
Now retired, they have set up home together in Clwyd, Wales, and say they plan to have a civil partnership and grow old together. Elen added: "We enjoy each others company and go for lovely walks in the countryside, or do the gardening or housework together." Jenny-Ann, 62, who used to be Paul, and Elen, 65, who was once Alan, have been husbands and fathers, but are now living together as a ... more -
The most awesome mohawk that ever was
Find out more about the transman documentary here: http://www.myspace.com/jacefilmproduc...
or email me with questions here: jace.film.production@gmail.com Find out more about the transman documentary here: http://www.myspace.com/jacefilmproduc... ... more -
Virtual Transgender Suit, avatar termination and other online world tales!
You might remember that a year ago Marc Owens designed the Avatar Machine, a system which replicates the aesthetics and visuals of third person gaming, allowing the user to view themselves as a virtual character in real space via a head mounted interface.
His reflections on identity and gaming didn't stop there, during the Royal College of Art Summer show, the Platform 11 graduate was exhibiting his latest game-inspired works.
A study by psychologists at Nottingham Trent University has found that 54 percent of all males and 68 percent of all females "gender swap"--or create online personas of their opposite sex.
A real life manifestation of that practice, the Virtual Transgender Suit replicates the aesthetics of the typical virtual female form and catapults them within a real world context. The piece was specifically designed for men to wear in the real world, creating a bridge between real (where cross-dressing is not really socially accepted) and virtual.
Another of Owens' projects, Sabre & Mace - Second Death, was concerned more specifically with the online environment Second Life.
Collaborating with Tony Mullin, he created SABRE & MACE, a company that offers virtual characters the opportunity to experience death as a way to close their user account permanently. The project examines the notion of feeling sentimental toward a virtual character and examines the link between sentimentality and tangibility.
While researching the project, the designers discovered that a great deal of second life residents have multiple avatars, some stay in favour for a long time while others lose their interest. One guy who they spoke to had 14. He said that he used a many of them as platforms for different sides of his real life personality, and for others he invented entirely new fantasy personalities. However he admitted that some of his created avatars had fallen by the wayside and he no longer used them.
The service works as follows: Having discovered the Sabre&Mace site on-line (unfortunately the website had to be taken down after the show) or through one of the virtual adverts in Second Life, the prospective customer teleports to the company headquarters.
There, the client meets a manager who explains the full process and guides him or her through the signing of two contacts. Contract 1 - states that at some point (completely random) in their second life the avatar will be collected by a Sabre & Mace officer and taken back to the headquarters for termination.
Contract 2 is in fact the client's 'Last will and Testament' where he or she outlines how they wish their virtual moneys, land and assests to be distributed once they have been terminated.
The client continues to live their second life until one day, a Sabre & Mace officer appears and informs them that the final proceedings are about to begin. The client is collected and taken to the Sabre & Mace HQ.
The client meets again with the client manager, to discuss the final process. At this point the client reveals their 'account password', which is the means by which the avatar is terminated.
The client is led through the cryogenic chamber, where the virtual physical forms of past clients are stored. Upon arrival at the 'Termination Room', the client is instructed to walk through the 'white noise' door. Once he crosses the threshold of the door his Second Life game crashes, giving a Sabre & Mace member of staff time to change the clients password - effectively terminating the character.
The client's former avatar is immortalised as a golden statue. Information about the avatar can be read on the plaque which sits on the monument. Should the client visit the Sabre & Mace memorial gardens he would see his own statue as well as the monuments of previous clients. You might remember that a year ago Marc Owens designed the Avatar Machine, a system which replicates the aesthetics and visuals of thi... more -
Transgender Workers Struggle With Bias Claims
"Employment attorneys and lawyers for advocacy groups are keeping a close eye on a federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C. that could provide additional protections for transgender people in the work force.
But in this area of unsettled law, victories for transgender people are sometimes difficult to come by. Last week, Connecticut federal court Judge Alvin W. Thompson granted summary judgment to the defendants in a case where transgender woman Yvonne Morales sued her employer over sex discrimination, claiming Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act and Title VII violations.
Thompson ruled that Morales, formerly known as Javier, came up short in her lawsuit, which included allegations of raunchy workplace comments and behavior, because she "failed to produce any evidence that the alleged discrimination and harassment occurred because of her failure or refusal to conform to gender stereotypes."
Another transgender job bias lawsuit in Washington involves retired Army Col. Diane Schroer, who headed a classified national security operation while serving as a Special Forces officer. She then accepted a position as senior terrorism research analyst with the Library of Congress, but the job offer was withdrawn when she told her future boss that she was transgender.
The lawsuit, because it's against the federal government, could have a nationwide impact on employment policy, observers say.
"This case, the way it's going, would seem to establish that transgender people are protected," said Jennifer Levi, the Transgender Rights Project Director of Massachusetts-based Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders.
Estimating the population of transgender people in the United States is difficult. A 1994 study contended that approximately 1 in 30,000 people born as males and 1 in 100,000 people born as females undergo a sex-change operation in this country.
Twelve states and the District of Columbia have laws specifically banning workplace discrimination based on gender identity. But courts have moved slowly to recognize protection under Title VII. Federal courts have largely held that there is no protection.
Transgender rights have been a hot topic when the General Assembly is in session. While the state's hate crime laws include mentions of gender identity and expression, "there are no express protections" in the statutes, Levi said.
Despite a proposal to expressly ban transgender discrimination going 0-for-3, Murtha Cullina attorney Dena M. Castricone is confident in the law's future. She keeps close tabs on such developments as the co-founder of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Client Services Group at Murtha Cullina.
"It's a matter of time here in Connecticut, because we're a progressive state," said Castricone. "There's an education curve that has to happen." "Employment attorneys and lawyers for advocacy groups are keeping a close eye on a federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C. that could... more -
Transgender Army Veteran Sues National Library for Discrimination
Retired Col. Diane Schroer claims the Library of Congress rescinded a job offer after she disclosed that she was receiving gender therapy.
A federal court in Washington, D.C., is set to start hearings today as to whether the Library of Congress was in violation of legal precedent on sex discrimination when revoking Col. Schroer’s offer of employment.
David Schroer served 25 years in the Army, and was an Airborne Ranger and headed a classified national security operation. The retired officer was recently hired as a senior terrorism research analyst with the Library of Congress.
The day after he accepted the job offer, he told his presumptive boss that he was under professional treatment for gender dysphoria, the medical term for having transgender feelings. Schroer informed his supervisor that he would be changing his name from David to Diane. Schroer would start wearing women’s clothes and would not be undergoing sexual reassignment surgery for at least a year.
Schroer’s offer of employment was later revoked.
U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Taylor, the Library of Congress’ legal representation, contends there were other issues at stake but American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Sharon M. Gowan stands to differ. Schroer’s legal counsel for the federal case maintains that documents and e-mails show “direct evidence” that the decision to rescind Schroer’s employment was based on discrimination. Retired Col. Diane Schroer claims the Library of Congress rescinded a job offer after she disclosed that she was receiving gender ther... more -
Transgender Bias Suit Against Library of Congress Could Change Federal Policy
A transgender job bias suit against the Library of Congress moves to trial Tuesday in federal court in Washington, D.C., with potentially major implications for federal anti-discrimination policy.
U.S. District Judge James Robertson will preside over the bench trial in Schroer v. Billington, No. 05-1090, in which retired, decorated Army Colonel Diane Schroer contends that the library violated the federal law's ban on sex discrimination in employment practices.
The library, she charges in a suit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, rescinded a job offer that Schroer had accepted after her disclosure to her future supervisor that she was in the process of transitioning from a male to a female.
"This is potentially very significant, partly because the case is against the federal government, which could impact federal employment policy and people all over the country," said employment discrimination scholar Arthur Leonard of New York Law School. "It also is addressing an emerging issue as to whether people whose gender identity differs from the norm would be protected by the law's provisions against sex discrimination."
Twelve states and the District of Columbia have laws specifically banning workplace discrimination based on gender identity. But courts have moved slowly to recognize protection under the major federal job bias law -- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Until recently, federal courts have held there is no protection. But a 1989 U.S. Supreme Court ruling has led some federal courts to begin to hold that, under some circumstances, Title VII may protect transgender people who are discriminated against because they do not conform to gender stereotypes. A transgender job bias suit against the Library of Congress moves to trial Tuesday in federal court in Washington, D.C., with potentia... more -
Transgender contestant on America's Next Top Model
For the first time, the next season of America's Next Top Model, presented by Tyra Banks and set to begin in September, will feature a transgender contestant.
"Some people might say I'm transgender, some people might say transsexual. Personally, I prefer 'born in the wrong body,'" eleventh-season Top Model finalist Isis explains.
Isis is a pre-op 22-year-old non-profit organization program assistant who currently resides in New York City.
"I tell my staff, 'This girl is absolutely amazing. She has to come back for America's Next Top Model,'" Banks asked Isis during the semifinals process. "I said, 'this girl,' and my staff said, 'Tyra, there's something a little different about that girl.' So what's different about that girl?"
"I was born physically male," Isis replied. "But mentally, everything else, I was going female."
Top Model's cast has consisted of only non-transgender women since the show premiered on the now defunct UPN in May 2003, and Banks' decision to include Isis in the upcoming season hasn't gone unnoticed.
"[It's] an unprecedented opportunity for a community that is underrepresented on television," GLAAD president Neil Giuliano told Us Weekly in a Wednesday report. "We applaud Tyra Banks and The CW for making this historic visibility of transgender people possible." For the first time, the next season of America's Next Top Model, presented by Tyra Banks and set to begin in September, will feat... more -
London Transgender Film Festival announced
Organisers have announced that the London Transgender Film Festival is set to take place on 7th - 9th November 2008.
The aim of the festival is to 'increase trans visibility and acknowledgement, question the gender binary, to dispel ignorance and demystify stereotypes, unite and support a diverse LGBTQI community and celebrate trans spaces and their friends.'
The festival was described as "independent, experimental, cutting edge and diverse" with films featured are to represent and focus on intersex, androgyny, gender variance, trans feminists, gender queer, and gender fluid persons of all natures, all races and cultures, ages and abilities.
In addition to film screenings, the festival will include an exhibition, workshops, and a panel with special guests. Organisers have announced that the London Transgender Film Festival is set to take place on 7th - 9th November 2008. ... more -
Sex change clinic charged for underage castration
The Thai Health Services Department has filed a lawsuit against Pratunam Polyclinic for castrating underage sex change candidates.
Officials hope that the legal action will constitute an example and discourage other clinics from providing the service that was made illegal last month when the Council of State ruled that commercial testicle-removal surgery was unlawful unless the procedure was carried out for diagnosed medical reasons.
Thep Vejvisit, owner of Pratunam Polyclinic in Bangkok, admitted operating to remove the testicles of males under 18. Health officials raided his clinic in March after a report it provided the service without parental consent. The Thai Health Services Department has filed a lawsuit against Pratunam Polyclinic for castrating underage sex change candidates. ... more -
India's anti-gay law challenged
Gay-rights activists are lobbying for the repeal of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, a Victorian-era law banning homosexuality. As several high courts in a number of states and cities in India are currently reviewing the law, it looks like their efforts might be successful!
Arvind Narrain, an attorney for the Alternative Law Forum, a Bangalore-based human rights group, explains how 377 affects the lives of gay, lesbian and transgender Indians: "What that translates to, from 'legalese,' is that any forms of sex that are non-procreative in nature is a criminal offense. What it translates to on a ground level is it is basically used and enforced against people who are not heterosexual. So it is used very much against gay men, lesbians and transgender people in a big way to extort, blackmail and harass."
Under 377, LGBT individuals can face large fines and up to 10 years in prison and criminal gangs often threaten individuals to 'out' them unless they receive large sums of money. In addition, disapproving parents of gays and lesbians who live together sometimes charge their children with other unrelated crimes, such as kidnapping, in order to break up the union.
"We have gone to court many times where we actively cover up the nature of the relationship between two women because we do not want to complicate the case. You just want to get rid of the kidnapping charge so they can go on and live their lives. And that is because of a law like Section 377. If we were not actively criminalized by such a law, then we would be able to go to court and say, 'They are lovers. They are adults. And they have the right to live with each other,'" said Arasu.
India's health minister, Anbumani Ramadoss, has proven to be significant ally for gay activists. Speaking at an international AIDS conference this past week in Mexico City, Ramadoss called for a repeal of 377. He said the law tends to drive gays and lesbians under ground, hindering the country's efforts to prevent the spread of HIV and treat those with HIV/AIDS.
However, there is also considerable opposition to the Indian gay-rights movement. Prakash Jawadekar, a spokesperson of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, for instance, downplayed the significance of gay rights and stressed that there are more pressing problems facing India: "Basically these issues of gay marriages and gay rights are not very important issues in this country. We have various other issues for which we are fighting. We are the party of spreading more Indianness amid families and with regular marriages, male-female marriages. That is what the order of the day is."
A decision regarding the possible repeal of 377 is expected later this year. Gay-rights activists are lobbying for the repeal of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, a Victorian-era law banning homosexuality. A... more
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