Link to site where this flyer was posted: 

http://www.towleroad.com/2009/05/obama-to-face-gay-protest-at-dnc-beverly-hills-fundraiser-tonight.html

Also, check this out - 175 people arrested during peaceful protest in San Francisco (for blocking streets and jay-walking) against the upholding of Prop 8 by the Supreme Court:

http://www.theage.com.au/world/175-arrested-in-san-francisco-gay-marriage-protest-20090527-bmwv.html

« Schwarzenegger to Leno on Prop 8: 'It's Going to Be Overturned' | Main | Flexing Farm Boys 'Bare-Chested in the Barnyard' »

05/27/2009

OBAMA TO FACE GAY PROTEST AT DNC BEVERLY HILLS FUNDRAISER TONIGHT

 President Obama, the alleged "fierce advocate" for LGBT rights, is scheduled to attend a Democratic Party fundraiser at the Beverly Hilton tonight, one day after White House spokesman Robert Gibbs refused to offer any official response to the Supreme Court's decision to uphold Proposition 8 in California.

A Courage Campaign-organized demonstration is scheduled to take place in front of the Beverly Hilton this evening. The group writes: "Let's take this opportunity, just one day after the CA Supreme Court makes its decision on Proposition 8, to show our President our support for his daring promise to our community and to highlight the growing movement towards FULL FEDERAL EQUALITY."

Attending the demonstration will be recently discharged (under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell') Lt. Dan Choi and other LGBT military servicemembers: "They will ask for response from President Obama to the letter signed by 136,000 people asking the president not to fire Lt. Choi by ending DADT."

How long can President Obama remain mute on his promises to the LGBT voters who elected him?

SPHERE: RELATED CONTENT

POSTED 10:41 AM EST BY ANDY IN BARACK OBAMA, CALIFORNIA, DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL, GAY MARRIAGE, GAY RIGHTS, NEWS, PROPOSITION 8 | PERMALINK

Regressive politics = Lack of progress

Name calling and having the populace vote on propositions about which they don't really know much is like so totally last century.  Or is it?  California is in crisis (even more so, somehow, than the federal government) and is putting propositions to the people to vote on concerning the budget, and no one seems to be able to find consensus.  A reader received a letter from Legislators stating that voting yes on all the props coming up on tomorrow's special election ballot will be good for the LGBT community.  Our reader took issue with this, and also took issue with right-wing name calling contained in the email.  Please find these emails below, and below the emails, please find a video of the Beatles' 'Come Together'.  

CLICK HERE for more info on the California Propositions on the ballot tomorrow. This link also urges voters to vote no on 1E. Generally speaking, don't forget to read up before you vote, and don't forget to vote!!!  Enjoy!

Dear EQCA,

Actually, I have found evidence to the contrary of the information contained in the email you just sent out.  I think that if Prop 1E and 1D were to pass, it would actually cost the state a lot more in the long run, especially in terms to the damage it would do to society.  I know less about 1D, but as for 1E, Prop 63 money is ALL in use, and should NOT be diverted.  This would be TERRIBLE for society. It provides a lot of emergency relief and high level engagement treatment (hours a day) for severely mentally ill lower income people of all age groups.  Considering that 1 in 4 or 1 in 10 gay youth or something ridiculous drop out of high school or end up homeless due to parents kicking them out or being tortured in school, and then become poor homeless people in need of emergency and intervention public mental health services, slashing Prop 63 funds, (which are ALL in use right now) would harm the most vulnerable people in the LGBT community.  And there is a high likelihood that these are kids from mostly lower income backgrounds.  I think that more thought and less name calling would be appropriate here.  Right wing this and that sure, but what are the policies that the right wingers have put in place, and how have they been detrimental?  I want to know, and then more appropriate action can take place.  But I do not think this email is on point at all, and it certainly doesn't open the question up more broadly as to what passing every measure would mean.  As I understand, California is on the brink of complete disaster.  Well, then I think that there should be some more clarity on what the heck people are going to be voting for.  

Maybe these legislators should fight to put off the special election so that Californians would have more time to debate instead of thoughtlessly pushing for Californians to push yes buttons on Props they know nothing about.  We are not sheep.  California is full of smart, hardworking, cosmopolitan people, who are this way at all income levels and of all ethnic/racial/cultural/linguistic/national/etc backgrounds.  We are smart enough to be engaged in a discussion about how state funding is going to impact our very lives.  Because it is the average Californian whose life is at stake, and certainly not the life of the Governator, an oil tycoon, or other super wealthy or politically involved individual.  The American people should be able to really hash this budget debate out in a public forum.  This is what these Legislators should be fighting against, not rightwinger name calling.  That doesn't get me or anyone else out there anywhere.  As someone who spent the last year working on a policy project related to mental health in California, particularly Prop 63, I have seen first hand the benefits and importance of this program.  This  email makes me really upset.  I'm sure something can be worked out with the state budget.  Why has there been no call to the people to ask them how money should be spent and what would be best to cut? 

Please check out this site for somewhat of a more balanced view on the financial crisis in California:

http://obamaisamerica.blogspot.com/2009/05/email-to-californians-vote-no-on-prop.html 

If you could, please forward this email on to the appropriate individuals who could hear what I am saying.  This is really important.

Thank you.

Sasha

On Sat, May 16, 2009 at 2:13 PM, California LGBT Legislative Caucus <email@eqca.org> wrote:

May 16, 2009 Our friends in the LGBT Legislative Caucus asked EQCA to send out this important message about Tuesday's election. Although EQCA PAC has not taken a position on these measures, below please find the unanimous recommendations of our LGBT legislators for your consideration. And remember to vote on Tuesday, May 19.

Dear Sasha,  On Tuesday, May 19, our State has a special election with six important propositions on the ballot, Propositions 1A-1F. We encourage you to join us in support of Props 1A-1F for the sake of our schools, access to health care, the environment, children, seniors, working families and our underserved communities.  It is vital to the future of our shared agenda in California. Because of an arcane rule that gives Republicans veto power over our state budget, we have already been forced to make drastic cuts to vital state programs such as health care, education and environmental protection. If these measures do not pass, the right-wing hardliners are determined to “starve” state government by slashing schools, health care and hard-fought social and environmental protections will only be encouraged.  Propositions 1A-1F will ratify more than $30 billion in new taxes and other revenues that will help stabilize our budget so we can avoid having to make even more painful cuts in the future. These revenues are a significant concession that progressives were able to demand as part of this year’s budget, and we cannot allow these funds to come off the books.                                           These measures will also ensure that education is adequately funded and create an important long-term reserve fund, so when we have future budget shortfalls, major cuts can be prevented. These aren’t perfect solutions, but they are the only viable solutions on the table. Unlike some of the right-wing budget measures that have on previous ballots, none of the initiatives will restrain our core values. The fight for single-payer health care will continue. Improving public education will still be attainable, increased environmental protections will move forward and alleviating poverty will remain a top priority. And, of course, history’s long and overdue march toward marriage equality will continue to accelerate.   Being progressive and being fiscally responsible are not mutually exclusive. We must support these budget measures because, if they fail, we will be forced to make even deeper cuts and we will be continually focused on resolving the budget rather than advancing a progressive agenda for this state. Please join us in supporting Props 1A-1F. Warmly, Senator Mark Leno, Chair 3rd Senate District   Senator Christine Kehoe 39th Senate District   Assemblymember Tom Ammiano 13th Assembly District Assemblymember John A. Pérez 46th Assembly District

PROP 8 HEARINGS TOMORROW! AND A SPEECH FROM A LEADER!!!!

Firstly, a disclaimer:  posting has been slow for the last month, and will continue to be slow for the next couple of weeks.

This post is dedicated to California's Prop 8 mess and equality for all people, which therefore includes equality for the LGBT community.  This morning, the California Supreme Court listened to oral arguments to overturn Prop 8 and to nullify the 18,000 gay marriages that have taken place, which would forcibly destroy the marriages of many people who lovingly committed themselves to each other in 2008 - including the marriage of one of the moderators of this blog.

*Click here* to link to a video of the arguments.

In February, Obama IS America! had the opportunity to attend a celebratory dinner for Chinese New Year with the Network on Religion and Justice for Asian and Pacific Islander Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People.  This dinner followed a march that the group had through Chinatown with other organizations and individuals to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Marshall Wong, one of the leaders of this organization and the march, gave a moving speech which he has shared with us for this blog post.  Please find it below.  After his letter, please find a video included for your viewing pleasure called "Don't Divorce Me."

We greet the new lunar year with a mixture of elation and sadness.  Elation because two weeks ago, we witnessed the inauguration of a President who broke through a centuries old color-line and offers hope to everyone who has ever been excluded from the American Dream.  A president who, in his first week of office, has begun to dismantle some of the policies that have led to horrific suspension of civil liberties, legalized torture, and backlash and profiling based on race, ethnicity, and religion in our post-9/11 world.  A president who gives us hope that we will see progress in the near future in areas that have been unmovable for the past decade:  the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the military, the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in federal employment non-discrimination law, the addition of sexual orientation, gender and disability in our federal hate crime statute, and the repeal of DOMA, the Defense of the Marriage Act.  A President who as a candidate opposed Prop 8. 

But in the midst of celebration, also we stand today comforting each other in the shadows of defeat.  Despite a valiant state-wide effort to defeat Prop 8, that raised significantly more money; that mobilized more volunteers; that touched more voters in person, by phone, or through ads than any other LGBT civil rights campaign in the history of the world…we lost by a narrow margin.  It will be some time before we will fully understand the reasons for this outcome, and what we can learn from the campaign that will inform our future efforts to win back the freedom to marry.  But in the meantime, while the roadmap is still being drafted, we will continue our work educating and mobilizing support in our community. 

There are more than 1 million Asian Pacific Americans in Southern California, the largest concentration in the country.  Among eligible API voters, our voter registration and participation are high.  We know that this past November, we witnessed dramatic progress in the number of API voters who support marriage equality.  But our work is cut out for us.  The exit polling data is pretty consistent and suggests where we have to focus our efforts:  We know that we need to mobilize younger voters who overwhelmingly support the freedom to marry.  We know that we need to make greater in-roads into API faith communities and limited-English speaking people who rely largely on Asian language media for their information.  Moreover, we need to build coalitions with other communities of color to ensure that when future campaigns for marriage equality are launched, that we not only have an official place at the table, but that we get the resources and buy-in to build a strong, multi-racial movement.  Anything short of that, especially in California, is a recipe for defeat.  But if we can fulfill that dream, victory will be ours. 

Next week we will have a booth at the lunar new year festival in Alhambra.  Our volunteers will be doing outreach in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.  In the coming months we have an ambitious agenda of a movie premiere, speaking engagements, training workshops, and other activities.  Please speak with Kat or any of the steering committee members here tonight for more information or to get involved. 

Now many of you are aware that we had planned to have our contingent led today by two convertibles carrying gay and lesbian newlyweds, decorated with “Just Married” signs and cans tied to the bumpers.  A few days ago we got a call from the parade organizers and were told that this would violate the rule that participants not make any political statements.  We agreed to make the change but we were disappointed, not only because we’d put a lot of work into making the arrangements, but also because it is a sobering reminder of how much work we have ahead of us.  We look forward to the day when celebrating the marriages and loving relationships of gay and lesbian couples will not be viewed as controversial, but as normal, and healthy and joyous.  We will see that day in the not too distant future. 

I want to use this opportunity to recognize the one of the couples that we invited to lead our contingent today:  Arthur Dong and Young Gee and their four year-old son, Reed.  Arthur and Young married last August after being together for 30 years.  I also wanted to recognize Curtis Chin and Jeff Kim who wed in October.  Are there any other newlyweds present? 

You have all chosen to open the new lunar new year with us today, marching for justice, feasting, toasting.  It’s been a great day.  But we also ask each of you to make a commitment during the coming year.  It is said that the Ox is thought to be the sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work.  Fortitude and hard work describe exactly what we need for the battle before us.  Today we took a short stroll around Chinatown.  Join us on this long march to full equality.  It may be the journey of a lifetime. 

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

Announcement For Sunday Jan 4th: Latino Activist Led LBGT Anti-Prop 8 March

Clicking on the image above should make it open in a new window as a bigger image

If you live in the Los Angeles area, please come out to the march advertised above.  It should be interesting.  According to the email chain from which I got this announcement, this is the first time the Latino LGBTI community is coming together to protest. 

Also if you are in the Los Angeles area, on Wednesday, January 14, there will be a debate between one of the lawyers who is filing suit against the state of California on behalf of a lesbian couple and one of the Yes on 8 lawyers.  An audience Q&A session will follow the debate.  

Both of these events should be quite interesting.  Please find more information below.

Marcha Somos Familia : We Are Family

Unase con nosotros en MARCHA contra la discriminación y la homofobia. Envite y traiga su familia, amigos, vecinos, y todos sus queridos!

 

Join us as we MARCH against discrimination and homophobia. Bring your friends, family, neighbors, and all your loved ones.

 

We, the greater Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Communities of Los Angeles County, will march alongside our parents, siblings, aunts, cousins, grandparents and all other family members in peaceful protest against the passing of Proposition 8.

 

We invite everyone to join us on January 4th, 2009 at 10 AM at the corner of Soto Street and E. Cesar Chavez Ave as we march east on Cesar Chavez toward Belvedere Park in East Los Angeles.

 

We are a community of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual teachers, students, leaders and not-for-profit agency workers deeply invested in the future of the state of California. We are sons and daughters of immigrants, U.S. citizens, public servants, war veterans, and working-class citizens devoted to progress and change. We are productive, tax-paying citizens, who as a result of Proposition 8 have been constitutionally re-categorized as second class citizens. As an indispensable fabric of the greater American cultural quilt, we believe we are entitled to the inalienable right to equality, justice, liberty, and the right to marry those we love.

 

Please march with us against homophobia and constitutional discrimination. It is our intention not only to voice our disappointment on the passing of Proposition 8 but to also encourage dialogue and love among all friends, families, and allies of the LGBT communities. We stand together against any type of discrimination whether based on sexual orientation, immigration status, economic background or any other characteristic. We are not second-class citizens; we are your neighbors, we are your co-workers, we are your cousins, we are your brothers, we are your sisters, and most importantly, WE ARE FAMILY: SOMOS FAMILIA

Marcha Somos Familia : We Are Family

Date:	Sunday, January 4, 2009
Time:	10:00am - 2:00pm
Location:	Soto St y Avenida Cesar E. Chavez ---> Belvedere Park
Street:	N. Soto St. and E. Cesar E. Chavez
City/Town:	Los Angeles, CA

 

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=53238055931

 

Proposition 8 Debate

 

Gloria Allred, attorney representing Robin Tyler and Diane Olson vs. California and Andy Pugno, General Counsel for ProtectMarriage.com/Yes on Prop 8

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

 

Come weigh-in about how California defines marriage. Join Gloria Allred, attorney representing Robin Tyler and Diane Olson vs. California when she debates Andy Pugno, General Counsel for ProtectMarriage.com/Yes on Prop 8.

 

Debate will be moderated by Judy Muller , Assoicate Professor, USC Annenberg School for Communication & Correspondent, ABC News.

 

Allred filed with the California Supreme Court on November 5th on behalf of Robin Tyler and Diane Olson, who were the first same-sex couple to marry this June in Los Angeles County. Allred said the lawsuit will contain a new and controversial legal argument as to why Prop. 8 is unconstitutional.

 

Audience Q&A to follow.

 

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

7:30 PM, Registration Opens at 6:30 PM

The National Center for the Preservation of Democracy

111 North Central Ave (at First St)

Los Angeles, 90012

PRICES**

Members: $20

Guest of Members: $20

Non-members: $20

Public parking available in lots at First & Central and First & Alameda.

**Deadline for reservations and/or refunds is 2 business days prior to the event. 

To register go to http://www.townhall-la.org/programs/register/1256

For Those of You Who Think Racism is Dead - and a Reminder for Everyone Else

This blog post is for those of you who think that Racism is dead, and a reminder for everyone else that ugly histories are not long past us.  The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has tried to opt out of legislation that binds it to enforce desegregation in Texas public schools.  Shockingly, desegregation laws only started to be enforced in Texas around 1970 due to the case US v. Texas - the law that TEA is now trying to get overturned.  Texas desegregation laws started being enforced about 17 years after Brown vs. Board of Education made desegregation a federal mandate.  This means that the TEA put off federal law ordering all schools in the nation to desegregate for almost 20 years.  And now they want to opt out of desegregating Texan schools. 

Also, here is a thought for you: 

Black people in the United States have only truly been free in this country for about 46 years.  That means if you a Black American in your 20's, or 30's, your parents were probably born before the end of segregation, and your grandparents lived in the thick of it.  

Citizenship was not equal for all people until barely 46 years ago!!!  Based on something as arbitrary as skin color!!!  This is why it is so significant that Obama is the first President who was after the end of Jim Crow - it means that there has be a giant generational leap, where the younger generations voted for Obama and the growing populations of ethnic minorities voted for Obama, because they are ready for the end of repression.

Another thought for you:

Jim Crow laws did not just apply to Black people, they applied to ALL people of color.  The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the first time in American history when explicit equality for ALL people, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, or national origin was written into Law.  Please also remember that people who suffered under Jim Crow also included Latinos, Asian populations, and other non-White peoples and immigrant groups, etc.  If you couldn't pass for White-Anglo or you weren't White, you were considered not equal.

Final thought of the evening:

LGBTQQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex) people are not included in the Civil Rights Act.  Therefore, while it could be interpreted in Court that Prop 8 is a violation of the CA State Constitution since it allows the state to single out one group of people to discriminate against based on a specific identity, Prop 8 technically does not violate federal law.  This is why protections for 'LGBTQII' people should be written into the Civil Rights Act and the American Constitution.

What do YOU think about these comments?

Please read the article below.

COURT REJECTS ATTEMPT BY TEXAS EDUCATION  AGENCY TO ABANDON DESEGREGATION EFFORTS

AUSTIN, TX – Yesterday, the Honorable William Wayne Justice of the Eastern District of Texas ordered that the Texas Education Agency must continue to carry out its statewide desegregation obligations under the long-standing case US v. Texas.  The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the Multicultural Education, Training and Advocacy, Inc. (META), on behalf of LULAC and the GI Forum, urged this ruling, arguing that TEA’s latest motion seeking to be released from the desegregation case was unjustified.      “TEA wanted a free pass from its obligation to prove to the Court that it has abided by the terms of the desegregation order and that the ill effects of discrimination have been eradicated root and branch,” stated MALDEF Staff Attorney David Hinojosa, “but the Court appropriately denied their request.”   “The statewide history of segregation in Texas is undeniable,” said Attorney Roger Rice with META.  “There are no shortcuts under the law to allow TEA to just walk away from that history without demonstrating that it has met its obligations.”     This desegregation case dates back to 1970 when the United States filed suit against the State of Texas, the TEA, and a group of school districts for maintaining all-black and all-white segregated schools in Texas.  Following a trial later that year, the court found that the State had contributed to the continuation of racially segregated schools in Texas, seventeen years following the Brown v. Board decision.  Thereafter, the court issued a desegregation order which required TEA to monitor student transfers between districts statewide to ensure that desegregation was not impeded.  MALDEF intervened in 1973 on behalf of a class of Mexican American students and was later joined by META as co-counsel.      In the court decision yesterday, TEA had asked to be released from all desegregation monitoring responsibility except for the nine former all-black school districts that were parties to the original suit.  The court denied TEA’s motion in part, stating that TEA must still monitor districts statewide unless the districts can prove that were not parties to the original lawsuit, they had ceased segregating students before 1970, and they have not re-segregated.

November 20 is National Transgender Remembrance Day

Today (well yesterday, technically) is National Transgender Remembrance Day.  It is a day to send our thoughts and prayers to trans people that have been murdered in hate crimes.  There are a few interesting things to post on this subject.

Also, for those of you who are wondering why this is being posted on this blog, Obama IS America! is an INCLUSIVE blog and is trying to bring marginalized issues into the limelight.  The brutal killings of and bigotry toward transgender people has GOT to stop.  Some people are just born with genitalia and a physical form that does not reflect how they feel inside. What is so wrong with that?

Below, please find a blog post by *Autumn Sandeen* including some interesting comments and personal stories from readers of her post.

Below Autumn's blog post, please find a letter from the National Council for Lesbian Rights, on of the main law firms working for marriage equality, about National Transgender Remembrance Day, and dates/times/locations where vigils are being held in California.  Some of the vigils happened already, but there are still some that will be held tomorrow and this weekend.

Thank you.

STOP THE HATE, END THE VIOLENCE, EQUALITY OF LAW, LOVE, AND SPIRIT FOR ALL!!!!!

Today Is The Annual Transgender Day Of Remembrance by: Autumn Sandeen Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 11:17:45 AM EST

I woke up tired this morning, after a really restless night of sleep. I dreamed I was in a hostage situation, and because I had to go to the restroom, the hostage takers were going to likely discover I was trans -- it was pretty clear to me in the dream that if those folks found out I was trans that I would be considered an spiritual abomination, and would be killed. But it was only a dream. For the 30 individuals on the Transgender Day Of Remembrance list, they were brutally killed because their killers felt real anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. One of the last names added to the list this year was Lateisha Green. She was previously referred to by mainstream media by the name Moses "Teish" Cannon -- the headline read Syracuse man was killed for being gay, police say. But as Rod McCullom of Rod 2.0 filled us in, the Syracuse murder victim has now been identified as transgender. Was she killed because she was gender variant in appearance? -- was it that Latiesha Green was a trans woman killed because she was perceived to be gay by her killer, ? From the articles, that's what appears to have happened: Dwight R. DeLee shot and killed [Lateisha Green] with a .22-caliber rifle Friday night because he didn't like that Cannon was openly gay, Syracuse police said. Thinking from a Matthew Shepard Act point of view, it's important to point out Teich was trans, and to point out she was perceived to be gay. If we leave either sexual orientation or gender identity and expression out of the Matthew Shepard Act...well, one of the lessons of Teish's death is that being trans or gay isn't always distinguishable in the perceptions of those who would harm us. To some people, sexual orientation and gender identity and expression are functionally the same thing. I guess changing the focus a little, do I need to mention Teish was a double minority? Of the thirty names to be remembered this year, listkeeper Ethan St. Pierre tells me that three of the names are for caucasian victims, and the other 27 are of those who would be members of ethnic minorities. I'm not 100% sure his ethnic breakdown is 100% accurate, but it is clear that we most of the 30 names will be reading tonight will belong to non-whites. In 2005 I wrote a poem for a victim whose story I found while archiving for transgendernews. GLAAD, in their blog, they have that poem up -- for their series "What Does the Transgender Day of Remembrance mean to you?" The stories mentioned in the poem are all real cases -- there actually are two three-year-olds on the list killed for being "sissies." (The poem is below the fold.) If you haven't thought about going to a Transgender Day Of Remembrance service already, please think about going to one this evening. Dyssonance provided a link in her diary to find out where individual local events are being held, worldwide. In San Diego tonight, we're having a candlelight march at 6:00 PM, and a service beginning at 7:00 PM -- both at our LGBT Center. I'll be there.

Autumn Sandeen :: Today Is The Annual Transgender Day Of Remembrance

found dead in a garbage bin I found another name. Twenty-five names had made the list this past year,  now it's going to be twenty-six.  Gwen wrote 'I'll adjust materials shortly.' This one was found dead in a garbage bin in a back alley.  Found by a cleaner about 7.30 in the morning,  the cleaner saw a pair of legs jutting out of the garbage bin...  She initially thought a mannequin had been dumped into the garbage bin. The victim was wrapped in a blanket,  clad in a dark T-shirt,  white shorts,  and a padded bra.  There was a single slash wound on the neck ,  and there were several bruises on the body. Police didn't find any identification.  The complexion indicated the victim may be Chinese or an East Malaysian. Did I mention that the newspaper where I read the story  called the victim a 'transvestite?' That the victim was dressed in female clothing  -- and had a penis --  I know to many that makes the victim's life less valuable.  Perhaps we'd be wasting resources if we tried to find the killer. After all, she was found in a garbage bin. It's just,  well,  she's the twenty-sixth person added to the list  of transgender people...  people who've died due to transgender hate violence  since November, 2004. Twenty-five people had made the list this past year,  now it's going to be twenty-six.  One name on the list is that of a three year-old  whose dad killed him  because he thought he was acting like a sissy.  Gwen just keeps adjusting the materials to reflect the killings. I found another anti-transgender hate killing in an online newspaper last night.  I've found six of the names on this year's list... .

Tags: TDoR, Transgender Day Of Remembrance, GLAAD, Lateisha Green, Transgender, (All Tags)

Thanks (0.00 / 0)

Thanks for letting your readers know that today is Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.  It is so tragic that anyone is killed for being who they are and by speaking out about issues that affect the GLBT community we can help educate so violence like this will not continue!

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by: rambleredhead @ Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 11:14:25 AM CST

Thank you for posting about this (0.00 / 0)

Violence against trans people is so very hard for many of us to write about.  I formerly lived in Madison, WI.  Two trans Madisonians have been murdered in the past two years (one a few blocks from my former abode, one while vacationing in Mexico).  This summer I moved to Syracuse, not far from where Teish Green lived and died.  I've also struggled through my own issues with verbal and psychological abuse from the outside world, as well as crippling depression prior to my own coming out.  I've lost a friend to those forces.  I consider myself lucky that it was only one friend, but am resigned to the fact that there will be more.

I really wanted to start blogging, or writing or speaking or something about all of this, but it can feel so hopeless at times.  I'm glad others, like Autumn, have the strength to keep speaking out-- it's not easy.  The DOR is a very, very important event for me, and its a big part of speaking out and processing this violence.

I learned of Teish Green's death while looking in the Syracuse paper for coverage of the prop 8 protest my family had attended.  A few days later, I remember sitting in front of the TV with my sweetie and hearing that there would be a vigil, 30 minutes hence.  We immediately packed up and headed for the car, not knowing where exactly the vigil was, or how to get around our new hometown, simply because we felt like we had to be there.   It was the least we could do, and the only thing we could think of.  Ultimately we weren't able to even manage that.  I was on the verge of tears for the first in a long time.  I don't want to feel that sort of fear, anger, frustration and sorrow again, and I sure as hell don't want to see yet another family go through what the Greens have been through this week.

I'm glad to see that there are other people out there that manage to avoid being paralyzed by the situation many trans people (particularly trans women of color face).  Thank you Autumn, Pam and many others for all that you do. 

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by: eastsidekate @ Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 12:26:50 PM CST

I got lucky (0.00 / 0)

on June 22nd, 2007, I was walking home from another day of fruitless job hunting.  It was early evening, and I was passing through an area of empty corporate buildings, the sort that are full of life during the day, people working behind dark windows on the business of whatever the company leasing the cubicle space happens to be.

The day had ended for them, and they had gone home, and the parking lots were better lit than the street and I did not have glasses nor contact lenses then.  I saw better in the light.

IT had been a hot day and was going to be a hot night, and here I was in my skirt and my top, my little breasts at the time hidden by extra padding, my shoes hurting my feet, one little strap in particular digging into that pinky toe on my right foot.

I had to cross a tiny side street, and it wa a dark one, stret lamps at the far corner, and I was terrified underneath it all as this was still very new to me and I still had so much to learn.

I heard them a split second before they jogged into my path, and I put my head down and zigged away, shoulder tensing as I heard "faggot" and "gay freak".

They grabbed me.

In my life, I have done many things.  As I sit here and write this, I know that many of them I went through to give me the strength to walk out my front door today, knowing that I face that risk of dying the second I do, and that not even my own home is safe.

They knew.  I'd been clocked already, but it was as if they had to verify it by touch, as if they had to be certain as they pawed me all over, and I found myself stunned that was somehow unable to fight off two punks half my age when I'd been an Army Ranger.

I lived in fear, every day.

Fear of being discovered.  Fear of being hurt.  Fear of being "revealed to be a freak" which is what my fear of being called it really was.

I stopped being afraid as they hit me.

I also stopped being the person I had been.

Because I was trained a an Army Ranger, and I was lucky.

And I got away with only a couple broken ribs that I could never talk about,  little bit of blood on my forearms and my head, my wig and purse and shoes stolen, my house keys in my hand after a fight that left me bruised and cut on my left leg.

I was lucky.

I walked away.  I know how to fight when I have to.

I do not live in fear today.  I say that a lot.

I say it because when I cross a street that is dark still, I remember that I was called gay, and that I was hurt because of it.

I was not yet "full time".

I got lucky, though.

it only lasted for a little while.

Luck does that.

It runs out.

And when it does, you hurt.

Directing a house of transfolk is a challenge. Doing it well is a mission. 

---

by: dyssonance @ Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 14:23:14 PM CST

Today Is The Annual Transgender Day Of Remembrance | 8 comments

LGBT Organizations Mourn the Loss of Transgender Victims of Violence

10th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance Recognized Throughout California

(San Francisco, California, November 20, 2008)—Community United Against Violence, Equality California, National Center for Lesbian Rights, and the Transgender Law Center mourn the loss of our brothers and sisters on the 10th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.

This year, we remember the tragic deaths of Ruby Moreno, Lawrence King, and so many others in our communities who have lost their lives to violence and abuse. Ruby Moreno, a 22 year-old transgender woman, was killed this September, and found floating in the American River near Sacramento, CA. Lawrence King, a 14 year-old gay student who often wore make-up, jewelry and feminine clothing, was shot and killed at school by a classmate in Oxnard, CA. Ruby and Lawrence are painful reminders that violence against transgender and gender non-conforming people is a persistent, everyday reality for many in California. From 1970 to the present, California has had 55 documented murders of transgender people, the highest number in the country. These numbers do not begin to reflect the systematic discrimination and targeting that transgender and gender non-conforming people—particularly those who are also low-income, people of color, and immigrants—face in their daily attempts to access basic safe housing, employment, education, and public benefits.

“We receive calls every month from transgender people who have been victims of hate-motivated violence,” said Masen Davis, Executive Director at the Transgender Law Center. “On the Day of Remembrance, we reflect on the effects of violence on our lives and look to the hope and strength of our community. We remember Ruby and Lawrence and work even harder for transgender civil rights in their names.”

“As we mourn our transgender brothers and sisters who lost their lives to senseless acts of violence, we also honor those who live their lives with courage and integrity, often against great odds,” said Geoff Kors, Executive Director of Equality California. “On this day of remembrance, we redouble our commitment to ending violence, injustice, and discrimination everywhere that targets the transgender community.”

“Today, NCLR stands in solemn solidarity with our transgender brothers and sisters,” said Kate Kendell, Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. “The deaths of Ruby and Lawrence are unthinkable tragedies and as we mourn their passing, we stand committed to honoring their legacy by continuing to fight for full dignity, respect, and equality for all LGBT people.”

“CUAV recognizes that we must confront the devastating cycles of poverty, illness, and criminalization that leave transgender communities—in particular low-income transgender women of color—vulnerable to such high rates of violence and abuse,” said Jovida Ross, Executive Director of Community United Against Violence. “As we honor those we have lost, we must rededicate ourselves to the task of building safe, powerful communities in which we all can thrive.”

Locally organized events are taking place all over California today, November 20, through Saturday, November 22.

Fresno
Thursday, November 20th at 6:00 PM
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte,
633 N. Van Ness, Fresno, CA

Sacramento
Saturday, November 22th at 6:30 PM
A Church For All
721 North B Street, Sacramento, CA

San Diego
Thursday, November 20 at 6:00 PM
3909 Centre Street, San Diego, CA

San Francisco
Thursday, November 20th at 6:00 PM
TRANS:THRIVE
815 Hyde Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA

Friday, November 21st at 7:30 PM
Congregation Sha’ar Zahav
290 Dolores Street, San Francisco, CA

San Jose
Thursday, November 20th at 7:30 PM
The Billy DeFrank Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Community Center
938 The Alameda, San Jose, CA

Santa Barbara
Thursday November 20th at 6:00 PM
Corner of Anapamu and Anacapa Streets, Santa Barbara, CA

Watsonville
Thursday, November 20th at 6:00 PM
Watsonville City Plaza, Watsonville CA

West Hollywood
Thursday, November 20th at 6:00 PM
Plummer Park’s Fiesta Hall
7377 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA

The Power of Hope: An analysis of Prop 8 and the Movement for Gay Marriage

This blog post contains two pieces of interest for you.

1.  An article from blogger GardensforAmerica--this article is partly a response to the *last* blog post, partly a commentary on Obama winning, and partly a commentary on failures of the No on 8 campaign.

2.  A video entitled "The Prop 8 Issue - Being Black and Being Gay are Not the Same."

ENJOY!!!

The Power of Hope: An analysis of Prop 8 and the Movement for Gay Marriage

Why did Obama win the presidential candidacy? Was it because he was the first Black candidate for the office of the President? Was it because he had some really smart policies that Americans thought would be good for their country? Was it because he is the direct opposite of George Bush, and offered America an alternative to Bush? During the past few months he showed America he has excellent executive abilities by the way he ran his presidential campaign; a campaign that bombarded the opposing candidate so strongly that he won 54% of the popular vote. He showed he had excellent executive abilities in his choice for VP, and in his message that was consistent strong and unyielding with regard to the core aspects of his platform (trade reform, taxing reform, educational reform, research and development of alternative energies). But even his strong executive ability is not why he won. He is the most liberal president to be elected in the history of America. Racism played a significant role in this election. So how was he able to overcome the obstacles America put before him?

I think he won because he called on America to hope. He called on America to hope for a newer, better, smarter, more peaceful America. He called on America to hope for a future where we are not divided by our politics, where America's promises of freedom, equality, civil rights, and the American Dream are a possibility, where America's influence, innovation, and strength can be used to create peace in the world to promote international harmony, and provide opportunities to nations struggling, where heterosexual families and gay families can live together in harmony.

My last point is not part of his platform. But I do believe that his election will mean LGBTQQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex) families will be able to have families and have rights nationally that we do not have currently. Why do I believe this? Because he stated this in his speech during the DNC, while he did not say gay marriage, he did at least talk about it and come out strong in favor of gay rights--something a presidential candidate has never really done--especially not when s/he is in the limelight. He also again acknowledged LGBT people in his acceptance speech on the evening of the election, during the first few sentences of his speech!!!! We are on the national agenda! I think he did this because he knew Prop 8 was going to lose and he wanted to send us a shout out.

So, to the young woman who wrote the previous blog entry, I understand your frustration. But I also think we need to look at the positive, and critically look at ourselves to make sure that we are also moving towards change. Prop 8 was not an initiative from Capitol Hill. It was put forth by Californian citizens. I think the election results on Prop 8 are a good thing, in the sense that 45% of California believes that the LGBT community should be able to get married. That is huge. A few years ago, that would NOT have been the situation. The last poll I saw placed Californians that stood for gay marriage at 40% of the population.

Also, I think the NO on Prop 8 campaign was very badly run. It did not address the issue of family, which was the crux of the Prop 8 campaign. It did not address the lies the Prop 8 campaign made regarding forcing churches to conduct gay ceremonies or teaching about LGBT issues in classrooms. In fact, I think the best arguments for gay marriage came from the *Mormons for Marriage* website that Obama IS America! posted earlier.

Finally, race played a significant role in this proposition, especially since California has one of the largest populations of people of Color. The gay movement is very racialized (meaning that it is primarily organized by White, liberal LGBT people), and I think they did not effectively reach out to communities of Color in this campaign. LGBT People of Color often feel tokenized in these movements, they feel marginalized, they feel exotified. I say these things from experience - as a Lesbian Woman of Color I have participated in the activist movement, and associate with many LGBT activists of Color.

The No on Prop 8 campaign focused on associating gay marriage with the Black Civil Rights movement in the 1960's but did not integrate the issues of these groups into it's campaign, nor did it reach out to these groups as mentioned earlier. I think Prop 8 passing should also be a wake up call to the LGBT movement, to address fundamental problems within the movement, and to look at how to build a broad-based understanding of the fundamental need for gay marriage. Perhaps we need to take a few tips from the Obama campaign to really look at how the gay movement can build a broad-based voting consensus on these issues. BESIDES, I don't think a ban on gay marriage is constitutional and I think this law will be overturned by the California Supreme Court.

Anyways, Some thoughts - sending peace and love.

GardensforAmerica