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| NEWS ITEMS (from 4/10 to 7/6) |
| This page currently has 11 articles. The web mistress, will limit the total to 12, but will be happy to email old articles by date & title. | |
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Rec's
7/9/03 The U.S. Senate may vote as early as TODAY on the local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, S. 966. Your immediate action is needed. Just a note ... it still has coverage for real or perceived ... and a laundry list of various groups including sexual orientation and gender. Unfortunately there is NO definition, nor even mention of anything transgendered, much less explicit coverage for gender identity. **** WE MUST ACT NOW!!! **** Please call your U.S. Senators NOW, as soon as possible. Identify yourself as a constituent, IL D dick@durbin.senate.gov Senator Durbin Richard 332 Dirksen 202-224-2152 IL R http://fitzgerald.senate.gov/ contact/contact_email.htm Senator Fitzgerald Peter 555 Dirksen 202-224-2854 And urge them
to EXPLICITLY AMEND S. 966 to include "gender identity or gender
expression", and ensure that this bill will (and should) protect ALL
AMERICANS, not just those most citizens are "comfortable with"
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For
Immediate Release: Dated July 8, 2003
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For Immediate Release: July 6, 2003 From: The National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC) Contacts: Media Director, Robyn Walters, Seattle, Washington NTAC Chair, Vanessa Edwards Foster; Houston, Texas Contact Email: ntacmedia@aol.com media@ntac.org Contact Phone: 832-483-9901 360-437-4091 Website: http://www.ntac.org ARAUJO'S ACCUSED MURDERER SEEKS BOND, TRANSGENDER GROUP SAYS NO The National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC) issued a statement requesting that the judge continue to deny bail for murder suspect Michael Magidson. Meanwhile, Magidson's attorney is continuing forward to petition for reversal of a judge's order revoking his client's bail. Trial dates are scheduled to be set July 8. "The Gwen Araujo murder case is one of the precious few in which a diligent police investigation has led to arrest of the transgendered victim's alleged killers followed by conscientious prosecution and thorough preliminary treatment in the courts. Due to the gruesome details of the case and its high visibility, we in the Transgender Community are loath to see the risk to justice being served by providing opportunity for the prime suspect to flee the country as well as the risk of allowing a person capable of such violence access to members of the GLBT community. Accordingly, NTAC calls upon Judge Mark Kenneth Burr to continue disallowance of bail for Michael Magidson." Magidson, 22, was charged along with three others in the brutal death of a transgender Newark, California teenager Gwen (born Eddie) Araujo. Seventeen year-old Araujo had attended a party, and was later beaten, kicked, bludgeoned with a can, a frying pan, and a shovel, strangled, and buried in a shallow grave 150 miles from home. One suspect, Jaron Nabors, 19 at the time of the murder, plea bargained and testified against Magidson, Jose Antonio Merel, then 22, and Jason Cazares, also 22 at the time. After several hearings, Magidson was granted a $1.68 million bail, bonded out and released for six weeks until the preliminary hearing. At the preliminary hearing, Judge Burr called Magidson the "primary actor" in the killing and revoked his bond. Michael Thorman, attorney for Michael Magidson, has requested that a bond be re-established, calling Judge Burr's order, "unconstitutional." The only way Magidson can be held without bail is if a judge finds he is a risk to the community, Thorman said. "It has to be a crime of violence where proof of guilt is evident, and there is - by clear and convincing evidence - a substantial likelihood the person's release would result in great bodily harm to others," said Thorman, quoted in the Tri-Valley Herald. He argued his client is unlikely to commit further violence. "(Magidson) has no history of violence and no criminal record." "He reacted to a particular event without any indication it will ever reoccur," Thorman said. "You could use the same argument with a Rottweiler," responded Foster of NTAC. "Let's say this dog has no history of aggressive reaction, then suddenly snaps one day and attacks - with devastating consequences. Since this Rottweiler had no prior history of attack, and gives no indication of further violence, is it an appropriate response to allow this dog to roam free again? What if a catalyst, similar to what drew the first attack, occurs again?" "Not to be vengeful, but we've been shown Magidson's reaction to one trans-person, Gwen "Lida" Araujo," Foster added. "With an estimated 10% of the population being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered, is it really safe to have Magidson out on the street where he may encounter more 'catalysts' to such spontaneous violence?" "We don't want to risk another tragedy a la Gwen Araujo," finished Foster. "We ask that Judge Burr err on the side of public safety." "I feel in my heart that he will not be let out again," said Gwen Araujo's mother, Sylvia Guerrero. "I only hope and pray that I am right." |
Supreme
Court Rights Egregious Wrong of 17 Years Striking Down Associated
Press In an historic decision with wide-ranging implications, the
U.S. Supreme Court today struck down a This decision will affect virtually every important legal and
social question involving lesbians and gay men," said James Esseks,
Litigation Director of the ACLU's Lesbian and Gay Rights Project.
"For years, whenever we have sought equality, we've been answered
both in courts of law and in the court of public opinion with the claim
that we are not entitled to equality because our love makes us
criminals. That argument which has been a serious block to progress —
is now a dead letter." Esseks added, "from now on, cases and
political debates about employment, custody and the treatment of
same-sex couples should be about merit, not about who you love." In sweeping language, the Court said the Constitution
protects the right of gay people to form intimate relationships and
"retain their dignity as free persons." Gay people, the Court
said, have the same right to "define one's concept of existence, of
meaning, or the universe, and of the mystery of human life," that
heterosexuals do. The
Bowers decision, the Court said, "demeans the lives of homosexual
persons." Since 1986, lower courts have relied on Bowers v.
Hardwick to take away or limit custody to gay parents and to uphold
firing or refusing to hire gay people. Bowers has frequently been
invoked in legislative debates as a reason not to protect gay people
from discrimination. "With this decision, the Court has finally
recognized that we are part of the American family. Now it's time for
the rest of society to do the same/' Esseks said. "Our civil rights
laws need to make the workplace fair, our schools safe, and to give
basic respect to the relationships at the core of our lives—with our partners
and our children. By acknowledging that we are not criminals, this
decision will make it far easier for us to get society to change." In an 18-page opinion, the Court held that the The Court overruled its 1986 decision in Bowers v. Hardwick
in unusually strong terms. "Bowers was not correct when it was
decided, and it is not correct today," the Court said. Bowers was
an ACLU challenge to Although other teenager was boy, |
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For Immediate Release: June 21, 2003 From: The Natinal Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC) Contacts: Media Director, Robyn Walters, Seattle, Washington NTAC Chair, Vanessa Edwards Foster; Houston, Texas Contact Email: ntacmedia@aol.com media@ntac.org Contact Phone: 832-483-9901 360-437-4091 Website: http://www.ntac.org CONTROVERSY ERUPTS OVER GAY AND TRANSSEXUAL BOOK, NTAC URGES NAS REVIEW, INDEPENDENT RESEARCH The gloves have come off, and a scientific brouhaha has developed over J. Michael Bailey’s book, The Man Who Would be Queen, published by Joseph Henry Press, imprint for the National Academies, including the National Academy of Science. Respected members of the medical and scientific world as well as transgender activists have decried as worse than junk science a publication that is long on intuition and devoid of original research data. Such well known and respected transsexual women as Professor Lynn Conway, University of Michigan; Professor Joan Roughgarden; Stanford University Biology Department, Dr. Becky Allison, MD; and Christine Burns, Vice President of Britain’s Press for Change organization, decry the simplistic Blanchard theory posited as truth by Bailey based largely on his observations of transsexual prostitutes and others who frequent gay bars in Chicago. They have expressed concern over the treatment transsexuals could expect if the Blanchard-Bailey position were taught as fact. Conway, Roughgarden and Burns have called on the National Academy of Science to investigate Bailey’s work and to remove the book from under the imprimatur of the national Academies. The National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC) supports this action and calls for independent research into other potential transsexual taxonomies. Many educated, intelligent, and successful transsexuals disagree that ‘two sizes fit all.’ The categories of homosexual and autogynephile do not capture these individuals’ experience and ignore their self-description and understanding. Bailey's limited definitions turn all other opinions into ‘self-deception,’ which strains credulity. Even Anjelica Kieltyka, portrayed as ‘Cher,’ a major character in Bailey’s chapters on autogynephilia has disavowed Bailey and Blanchard’s all-inclusive categorizations. She has been quoted as writing, “It is most unfortunate that he [Bailey] used me and my case history as the ‘poster child for autogynephilia’... using all of my case study (under the pseudonym of "Cher") to support his chapters on ‘autogynephiliacs.’ Unfortunate because here was an opportunity to break away from, rather then [sic] give further support to a dead ‘Freudian’ mixture of onanism, narcissism and paraphilic transvestite fetishism. I refused to join this bandwagon of Bailey, Blanchard and Lawrence, to which I would also add Zucker and Bradley of the Clarke Institute.” In a May 3, 2003 letter to the presidents of the National Academy of Science and the National Institute of Medicine, Dr. Joan Roughgarden, Stanford University Professor of Population Biology, states the following: “Many are claiming that the Academy has become complicit in publishing junk science... The situation is actually worse however. Junk science at least goes through the motions of science. Junk-science books include references, footnotes, data tables, and statistics to create the semblance of science. Only by tracking down the references can junk science be refuted. Bailey, on the other hand, has written a thin book without references, a book that nonetheless makes exceptionally broad and dubious claims in the name of science, and draws legitimacy from appearing under the Academy's imprint and on the Academy's website. The situation is remarkable. There's nothing in Bailey's book to refute other than hot air - no data tables, no statistics, no knowledge of the principles of classification, no experiments, no controls, no out-groups, nothing.” Three primary reasons for the opposition of successful transsexual scientists and educators to Bailey’s book include a near complete lack of research details or reference; the apparent omission of transsexuals from other than the gay bar, sex worker, and erotic sex scenes; and the insistence that those transsexuals who strongly disavow being homosexual or autogynephilic are simply in a state of self-deception or are lying. In placing all MTF transsexuals in one of two narrowly defined categories that don’t match the reported feelings of many transsexuals, Bailey is deemed guilty of faulty research, faulty conclusions, sensationalism, and perhaps, of promoting a homophobic and transphobic approach to treatment. Bailey, Blanchard and Lawrence contend that transsexuals coming from a heterosexual life who deny eroticism as the primary reason for their transition are not being truthful. Since they consider the feelings of such transsexuals to be false by presumption, then all such transsexuals must be autogynephilic. QED. No need for further research. Bailey, an Associate Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University, contends that early onset MTFs – those who have known since childhood that they are ‘women trapped in a man’s body – are extremely feminine homosexual men. He identifies only one other classification of MTF transsexuals: autogynephilics. These, he contends, are men who are so erotically obsessed with the image of themselves as women that they live as women, undergoing sex reassignment surgery, if possible. Thus, Bailey reiterates the 20 year-old conclusions of Ray Blanchard at the Clarke Institute in Toronto, who first developed the model of autogynephilia to explain transsexuals who transition later in life, often following a long-term and successful male role. Blanchard’s theory on autogynephilia and his categorization of only two types of transsexual received little lasting notice until resurrected by several articles written by Dr. Anne Lawrence, MD and PhD, of Seattle a few years ago. On page 146 of his book, Bailey writes, “The two types of transsexuals who begin life as males are called homosexual and autogynephilic. Once understood, these names are appropriate. Succinctly put, homosexual male-to-female transsexuals are extremely feminine gay men, and autogynephilic transsexuals are men erotically obsessed with the image of themselves as women.” In a recent note to an autogynephilia discussion list, however, Bailey said, “I have never written that transsexuals who transition from men to women are still men. Nor has Ray Blanchard. Nor has Anne Lawrence. The phrase ‘men trapped in men's bodies,’ which applies to autogynephilic transsexuals, means simply that they are not naturally feminine in the way that homosexual m-f transsexuals are. It doesn't mean that they do not achieve femininity, and regardless of how feminine they are, once they decide to become women and enter that role (regardless of genital status), they are women, in my opinion.” Bailey posits that transsexuals who lived in the role of straight men suffer from sexual aberrations (paraphilias) rather than from the more commonly accepted mismatch between body and the brain’s gender identity. Bailey, Blanchard, and Lawrence seem to discount the role of gender in Gender Identity Disorder (GID), assigning the role instead to either homosexuality or sexual obsession. Bailey states (page 176), “With luck, the next revision of the DSM [Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders] will distinguish ‘homosexual’ from ‘autogynephilic’ transsexualism.“ Outspoken critics hope not. A Pacific Northwest gender counselor and a post-operative medical doctor recently stated – in private - words to the effect that “this bad idea will die off as it deserves to do if we just don’t make a big deal of it.” Dr. Ben Barres, MD, PhD, professor of Neurobiology and Developmental Biology at Stanford University and a female to male transsexual puts it this way. “Bailey truly doesn't get the gender identity dissonance that transsexuals experience -- it really is hard for people to understand what they haven't experienced themselves. I have talked with many MtFs who have contacted me and have listened to the feelings they have gone through their whole lives and it is always an exact mirror of what I have experienced as an FtM. These MtFs have no reason to lie to me, as I have no power over what treatment they receive. For Bailey to say that most MtFs are primarily doing the gender change because of a fetish rather than a true gender identity issue just doesn't ring true to me or to many other people that have worked in clinics taking care of many MtFs.” The danger of teaching incomplete results as fact can be seen in Bailey’s own comments (page 206). “They [my undergraduate students] are especially hesitant to support [sex reassignment] surgery for nonhomosexual transsexuals, once they learn about autogynephilia. … When I press them, they say something like the following: ‘But they don’t have the wrong body; they are mentally ill.’” Bailey notes that Paul McHugh, then Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins used a version of that argument to close the John Hopkins gender identity clinic many years ago. Thus, Bailey seems to realize that -- despite his avowed support of transsexuals and of gay men -- he is developing a generation of potential gender counselors, legislators, and doctors who will see sex reassignment as a bad solution to a sexual aberration rather than as an effective ‘cure’ for matching body and the brain’s gender identity. Dr. Sarah Fox, who attended graduate school with Bailey at the University of Texas and was briefly a teaching assistant under one of Bailey's most influential professors says that Bailey’s apparent lack of concern comes as little surprise to her. Says Fox, "[The professor under whom she and Bailey studied] was a noted authority on supposed intelligence differences between the races and sexes. Irrespective of whether such differences may exist, I was very uncomfortable with how his teachings might be used and/or abused by those with social and political agendas. I discussed my apprehensions with him on at least two occasions. He stood firm that a scientist's job is to do the research and that it is up to others to sort out the ramifications. Bailey seems like a chip off the old block." In her opinion concerning Bailey’s book, Dr. Julie Maverick, NTAC Vice-Chair, said, "This book is supported chiefly through ‘proof by blatant assertion.’ The lack of scholarship and unwillingness to discuss opposing views strongly diminishes the scientific credibility of this book immediately. I rather doubt it would have passed rigorous peer review." Dr. Maverick noted, for example, the lack of credence afforded by Prof. Bailey to valid, peer-reviewed papers published in the 1990s that showed gay men and male-to-female transsexuals to have different brain chemistries and structures from each other (e.g., Zhou, et al., 1995, Nature). Those studies showed that the brain chemistry and structure of the transsexuals studied were much more like those of women than those of gay men. Dr. Maverick also noted that studies of intersex biology and behavior clearly demonstrate a wide range of physiological and psychological conditions within a transgender framework that do not fit the Prof. Bailey’s scheme. Dr. Robyn Walters, NTAC Media Director notes that, following a half dozen or more email exchanges in recent weeks on an international autogynephilia news list that counts Anne Lawrence and Michael Bailey as members, she has yet to receive an answer to the question of why many supporters of Blanchard’s theory and Bailey’s book are adamantly opposed to even the possibility that there could be another theory. A more comprehensive theory might include gender identity as well as autogynephilia and homosexuality as special cases. This would be akin to the General Theory of Relativity including the Special Theory of Relativity. “Responses to this line of questioning have merely repeated the mantra that there are only two types of MTF transsexual and that those who consider other explanations are self-deceptive liars,” Walters reported. “Relying solely on an unproven presumption of massive self-deception does not appear to be good science.” NTAC considers the National Academies’ imprimatur assigned this book to be misplaced and ultimately harmful. Reliance on Bailey’s work will likely hurt our community in terms of health care and in terms of legal, medical, and societal acceptance. NTAC considers that questionable science -- potentially incomplete science -- cannot remain unchallenged and must not alone form the basis on which future generations of transsexuals will be judged and treated. Therefore, NTAC urges the National Academies to review the research credibility behind The Man Who Would Be Queen. In addition, NTAC urges the National Academies and such organizations as the Gill Foundation, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Rikki Swinn Institute, Human Rights Campaign, and others to join forces in organizing and funding an independent study to analyze and categorize transsexuals who disavow a history of homosexuality and who disavow eroticism as the reason for making their bodies anatomically congruent with their sense of gender identity. The results of such a study, coupled with the theory of Ray Blanchard and the anecdotes of Michael Bailey, could well lead to a ‘Unified Theory of Transsexualism’ and better represent and serve the diversity of our community. |
Received 7/4/03
Folks,
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For Immediate Release: May 21,
2003 From: The National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC) Contacts: Media Director, Robyn Walters, Seattle, Washington NTAC Chair, Vanessa Edwards Foster; Houston, Texas Contact Email: ntacmedia@aol.com , media@ntac.org Contact Phone: 832-483-9901, 360-437-4091 Website: http://www.ntac.org SENATE TABLES GENERAL'S PROMOTION, NTAC ASKS FOR WITHDRAWAL OF CONSIDERATION For the second time, Senator John Warner (R – VA), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee has delayed consideration of the promotion of an Army general who commanded a base where one soldier beat a fellow soldier to death. The decision drew praise from the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC), which also requested that the general's promotion be pulled from further consideration. Maj. Gen. Robert T. Clark, up for consideration to receive his third star, was commander of Fort Campbell, KY, in 1999, when Pfc. Barry Winchell, 21, was bludgeoned to death in his barracks at the base. In March, President Bush re-nominated Gen. Clark for promotion. Possibly feeling pressure from calls for an open hearing, the Senate Armed Services Committee delayed further consideration of the general's promotion late last week. "We're pleased that the Senate Armed Services Committee has reconsidered voting on Maj. Gen. Clark's promotion," said NTAC chair, Vanessa Edwards Foster, "but we'd much prefer seeing the promotion withdrawn altogether." Foster added that, "Gen. Clark has been widely maligned and with good reason." Clark had been subject of much controversy for his apathy toward the homophobic harassment that Barry Winchell faced in the weeks leading to his death. Winchell fell in love with a pre-operative transsexual, Calpernia Addams, who performed at the Connection - one of Nashville's famed nightclubs known for its drag performances just an hour down the road from the army base. After a night of drinking, Pvt. Calvin Glover beat Winchell to death as Pvt. Justin Fisher egged Glover on. On May 12 Patricia and Wally Kutteles, the parents of Barry Winchell, finally met with Maj. Gen. Clark; the man whom they say allowed a "tyrannical, homophobic atmosphere" to fester at the base where their son was stationed. The Servicemembers' Legal Defense Network (SLDN) reported that Clark never offered an apology to Winchell's parents during the meeting. The Kutteleses contend that during Clark's command at Fort Campbell he failed to address anti-gay harassment. In a recent interview on CNN, Mrs. Kutteles added that Clark offered "no teaching on 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' until ordered by the Pentagon." The Kutteleses alleged that Clark also initiated an investigation into Winchell's sexual orientation, against military policy, while ignoring threats to Winchell's safety. "I wonder if General Clark has ever publicly addressed the major problems occurring on his watch," asked Calpernia Addams, Winchell's girlfriend at the time: "How and why so much underage drinking was going on at Fort Campbell; why his officers were unschooled in the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy; why violations of this policy were permitted; why complaints of harassment went unheeded?" "It really is a shocking list of failures that would be individually problematic," Addams added, "and I don't recall a good explanation from anyone, much less the man in charge." Clark was also criticized for his treatment of Winchell's loved ones as well as his lack of communication. "He didn't apologize for the way Barry's things were sent back," Mr. Kutteles said in an interview with SLDN. "They didn't send any dress uniforms, only fatigues [and] one boot¦. The inside of the box looked like someone emptied their trash." "We called down there but no one responded," Mr. Kutteles added. "Why wouldn't you want to meet us as a sign of courtesy?" Kutteles asked Clark. "He didn't answer." "I asked him, "Why did you wait four years to meet with us?" said Mrs. Kutteles during the CNN interview. "He said, ‘Well, you could've called me.’" Addams stated flatly that, "[Neither] General Clark, nor anyone from the military, has ever acknowledged me in any way." The Kutteleses said that Clark told them that he would likely retire if he does not receive the promotion, and added that he knew the meeting was necessary for his confirmation. Mrs. Kutteles felt, "this meeting was clearly more important to Maj. Gen. Clark than to us." "Clearly with all of the missteps and problems under his command, offering a promotion to Gen. Clark distinctly sends the wrong message," added Foster of NTAC. " Regardless of whether he is contrite about it now, why reward a poor track record?" "These failures [at Fort Campbell] allowed the murder of Barry Winchell to take place," said Addams, now living in California. "In the end, nothing anyone does makes up for a lost life." |
For
Immediate Release: May 30, 2003
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For
Immediate Release: Dated April 24, 2003
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For Immediate Release: April 28, 2003 From: The National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC) Contacts: Media Director, Robyn Walters, Seattle, Washington TAC Chair, Vanessa Edwards Foster; Houston, Texas Contact Email: ntacmedia@aol.com media@ntac.org Contact Phone: 832-483-9901 360-437-4091 Website: http://www.ntac.org The California Assembly has once again passed a bill to protect the right of its transgendered citizens to employment and housing. As with the previous bill, opponents of the bill have turned up the rhetoric. Meanwhile, the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC) urges the California Senate to introduce and pass this important legislation. Introduced by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, AB 196 would expand the state's Fair Employment and Housing Act to include the transgender community. The bill's definition of "gender" includes "identity, appearance, or behavior, whether or not that identity, appearance, or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with the victim's sex at birth." On April 21, the bill passed the California Assembly 42-34 with all Republican members in opposition. The senate has yet to take up the bill, and Governor Gray Davis has not yet given any indication of his position on this year's bill. NTAC endorsed AB 196 when it was introduced to the Assembly. After the victory, Assemblyman Leno stated, "I cannot imagine anything more fundamental to liberty and freedom than being allowed to peacefully go about one's day, to get up in the morning, get dressed, go to work and come home to one's family without harassment, without discrimination and without intimidation." "California has long been a leader in LGBT civil rights issues," said Roslyn Manley, long-time California activist and former vice chair of NTAC, "No other single piece of legislation can be so important as the right to career protection and the ability to seek new employment on an equal basis with other applicants." Prior to debate, Leno reminded his colleagues that the issue was about discrimination, not about morality or the Bible. He noted that the only "holy" tracts referenced in debate should be the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Despite Leno's admonition, Republican legislators who spoke against the measure relied on emotionally charged examples designed to inspire fear. "You are messing with people's perception of their souls and their afterlife," said Ray Haynes (R-Temecula), bringing the issue of certain religion groups to the fore. "You are telling people who believe in a faith that they cannot exercise that faith without being forced into bankruptcy," Haynes finished. "You are imposing your belief on what you think their faith ought to say." "If I have a Christian bookstore, how could I possibly follow this law?" asked Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy (R-Monrovia), a perennial critic of transgender rights. "How could I possibly have an employee that's here today in a dress, tomorrow may come in a suit, and then stay in a dress? How can I possibly employ this employee," continued Mountjoy, "and live by my faith?" "This is a textbook example of using conjecture and adding a "spirituality under attack" reference, in order to incite phobia," fumed NTAC chair, Vanessa Edwards Foster, herself a former San Diego resident. "All one has to do is change a few words of the statements made by Assemblymen Mountjoy and Haynes, and instantly we are transported back to the 1950s and 1960s," stated Yoseńio V. Lewis, immediate past chair of NTAC. "The same specious arguments were made to deny the constitutional rights of people who look like me," continued Lewis a dark skinned Latino activist who has been a resident of California for 25 years. "The arguments had no substance then; they have no substance now." NTAC has received no reported incidences of transgendered people bringing frivolous lawsuits against religious organizations in jurisdictions that protect their civil rights. Gwen Smith, founder of Day of Remembrance said "In spite of clear and acceptable clauses in AB 196 that prevent it from going against anyone's religious freedoms, members of the conservative right still wish to frame this with lurid strawman arguments about drag queen persecuting boy scouts." NTAC's Manley noted that a similar bill in 2001 died in the Senate while facing business opposition and non-support from the Governor in advance of his election. "The conservative right is mounting a strong and organized opposition to AB 196," she said, "and it is incumbent upon the transgender community and its allies to professionally lobby our Senators." Democratic lawmakers argued that the bill merely adds gender identity to a law that already outlaws discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, religion, creed and other protected classes. People's feelings about their particular religious beliefs should not be allowed as a reason to discriminate against anyone, they said. Assemblywoman Judy Chu, D-Monterey Park, stated, "In fact, these kinds of things can lead to hate crimes. This bill sends an important message about tolerance." "In a nation in which church and state are constitutionally separated," said Robyn Walters, a member of the NTAC Board of Directors and practicing Christian, "the narrow fire and brimstone views of certain religious groups have no place in the legislation or the judicial proceedings at any government level." NTAC calls on the California Senate to introduce and pass a senate version of AB 196. "We urge the California legislature to look beyond emotional rhetoric," added Foster of NTAC, "and rely on fact, not hysteria, when considering this measure." |
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For Immediate Release: Dated April 10, 2003 From: The National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC) Contacts: Robyn Walters, Seattle, Washington Chair, Vanessa Edwards Foster; Houston, Texas Contact Email: ntacmedia@aol.com media@ntac.org Contact Phone: 832-483-9901 360-437-4091 Website: http://www.ntac.org NTAC APPLAUDS PASSAGE OF EL PASO TRANSGENDER-INCLUSIVE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT The National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC) applauds the El Paso City Council, which voted unanimously on Tuesday, April 9, to expand its anti-discrimination ordinance. The amended ordinance will ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, which Rep. Sumrall described as "one's gender being misidentified at birth." The city council set out to amend the ordinance to add "sexual orientation" to its protected categories in the nondiscrimination code after a city council representative mentioned that a grant the city was seeking required certain language protecting gay and lesbian citizens. She explained that a number of companies require a prohibition against sexual-orientation-based discrimination before they will provide grants or donations. Lisa Turner, a transgendered city council candidate, asked the council for the additional coverage of "gender identity." The council agreed, and the gender identity amendment faced no opposition. The newly passed ordinance declares it unlawful to "refuse, deny or withhold from any person, for any reason directly or indirectly relating to the race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, color, religion, ethnic background or national origin of such person, any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities or services offered" to the general public. "The fact that I have been attending city council meetings and participating in those meetings for the last two years made it easy for them to accept the gender identity addition," stated Turner, a steering committee member of the Texas Gender Advocacy & Information Network (TGAIN). "It was during this time that all council members and the Mayor got to know me," she added. "This is what I believe allowed the gender identity provision to be added without opposition. Even my opponent for the District 8 seat on city council [Anthony Cobos] was for it and did an interview on TV saying [that] we cannot discriminate against the citizens of El Paso." "Lisa has been a pleasure to know and work with," said Rep. Sumrall, who has visited with Turner often since Turner's announced campaign for city council. "I felt this was the right time [election season] to put this on the agenda - it passed 8-0," she added. "Let this ordinance serve as a reminder to everyone," said Rob Knight, president of El Paso's LAMBDA GLBT Community Services. "[that] we should focus not on differences but instead emphasize our common humanity." "We took a small but important step yesterday," said a modest Turner, preparing for her upcoming campaign in El Paso. "NTAC celebrates the El Paso City Council for taking a courageous stand to make all El Pasoans equal," said Vanessa Edwards Foster, Chair of NTAC. "The ordinance victory with gender identity included was testament that equal consideration for all people is what resonates with Americans - even in archconservative Texas." All three nondiscrimination ordinance votes in Texas since 2001 - Houston, Dallas and now El Paso - have included gender identity and passed with healthy support. Houston's ordinance only extends to city employees. "The El Paso City Council showed what leadership, vision and principle are all about," Foster added. Underscoring El Paso's commitment to its citizens, Rep. Sumrall added that coverage for domestic partners on the city's insurance plan will begin in January 2004. "I am thrilled and honored to have been the one to lead the charge on this very important addition to our discrimination ordinance - at last, all members of our community have equal protection," said Rep. Sumrall about the ordinance victory. "It was only the right thing to do." |
For
Immediate Release: Dated April 12, 2003
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