The Week In Trans 11/29/21

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Jazz Jennings

Two weeks ago, we reported that the Denton Public Library in Texas was promoting a reading of I Am Jazz during Transgender Awareness Week. Last week, we reported the event was cancelled, due to opposition from some socially conservative parents. This week we are glad to report that Amber Briggle the mother of a transgender child and a woman who was present at several legislative events this year, organized a Transgender Story-time event. It was held at Armadillo Ale Works, with participation from a local church. The Hill reports that three books were read.

This year has set a record as the deadliest year on record for transgender people. And yet, as Vic Parsons of PinkNews points out at the start of this article, more and more allies are beside us as we call for transgender rights and fight hatred. Nonetheless, conditions for transgender people are not good.

Danyale Johnson, who was killed in Memphis on November 7, was identified as transgender this week. She brings the total number of transgender people murdered in the U.S. this year to 48. The Advocate has this story.

In the Santa Ynez Valley, parents of a transgender man, who was shot to death by police on March 28, have filed a lawsuit, saying that although their son had a kitchen knife, he did not have a gun, and he was far enough away from anyone that there was no need to shoot him. This story comes from The Santa Ynez Valley News.

In Tennessee, a teenager has been charged with robbing and shooting a transgender woman named Marquiisha Lawrence. As the defendant entered his plea, several people were in the court wearing sweatshirts with the victim’s name. The Post and Courrier of Greenville has this story.

Cisgender inmates in California have filed a lawsuit saying having transgender female inmates at a prison for women is a danger to cisgender female prisoners. The lawsuit makes the usual claims about the potential for sexual abuse, ignoring the fact that transgender women are often the victims of sexual abuse themselves. This story comes from The Los Angeles Times.

A man who was charged with a hate crime against a transgender woman was released on a personal recognizance bond as his case is being developed. He is charged with one count of assault with a deadly weapon and second-degree criminal sexual conduct. M LIve has this report.

PinkNews reports that homelessness is more common for LGBTQ+ youth than for cisgender heterosexual youth, in part due to rejection by family. While the article mentions LGBTQ+ children, we know that this is especially true among transgender children.

The day after Thanksgiving is Native American Heritage Day. The Advocate reports that LGBTQ and Two-Spirit youth among Native Americans are especially in danger, experiencing high levels of poverty and mental health issues. However, there is help available.

A transgender student at the California Maritime Academy complained about an open letter concerning new grooming standards. A proposal would make grooming standards less gender-related, but a letter opposing the proposal blames transgender people for the idea, and compares transgender people to a neutered dog. This story comes from The Times-Herald.

In Nebraska, a petition aims to dismantle the elected Board of Education and replace it with a committee appointed by the governor. Backers of the petition are upset that the board recommended more discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in health and sex education classes. LGBTQ Nation has this story.

Stu Rasmussen

Stu Rasmussen, the one-time mayor of Silverton, Oregon, died this week of prostate cancer at age 73. Rasmussen was the first openly-transgender mayor in the United States, according to CNN. Rasmussen was already mayor before coming out as transgender, and was re-elected. Thanks to Alyssa Washington for a link to this story.

Children’s Medical Center Dallas has announced that it will end its program which provided medical treatment to children and adolescents with gender dysphoria. This was the only such program in Texas, and actually served some patients from other states. The individual practitioners will continue to see transgender patients. The Texas Tribune has this story. Thanks to Alyssa Washington for a link to this story.

A law in Iowa which prohibited the state from covering transgender surgeries under Medicaid has been ruled illegal. NBC News has this story.

Dr. Don Dizon points out that little study has been made of whether hormone replacement therapy interacts with certain cancer treatments which also affect the hormone system. This story appears in Cancer Network.

Healio reports on a pilot program in London aimed at getting transgender men and non-binary people screenings for cervical cancer.

A viral TikTok video explains that not every transgender person can afford medical treatments, which are often quite expensive. The video urges the public to accept transgender people whose bodies are not ideal. Buzzfeed’s story was picked up by Yahoo.

Mondaq reports that the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics have filed a brief urging the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to rule against a ban on transgender athletes.

Idaho was the first state to ban transgender females from school athletics. A court granted a stay on that ban, but the ban is back in court, as the athletes who asked for the injunction are no longer at the schools they wanted to play for. There is a question of whether anyone has standing to challenge the law, Idaho Education News points out.

Team Trans, the first all-transgender hockey team, recently reunited to play in a tournament for the second time. This time, they had enough players for three teams, as they played an all-gay team from Madison, Wisconsin. NBC News has this story.

Team Trans

Men’s Health has profiles of some transgender male athletes.

LGBTQ Nation has a list of LGBTQ athletes, which includes several transgender and non-binary people.

Transgender soccer player Kumi Yokoyama married his girlfriend in the U.S. This story comes from Kyodo News.

Terra Field

Netflix has settled the dispute with its transgender employees, in part because senior software engineer Terra Field has resigned from the company. Field was quite vocal in opposing Dave Chappelle. The Los Angeles Times has this story.

Meanwhile, Dave Chappelle is continuing his concert tour, and still relying on the same anti-transgender material. He calls them jokes, but there is little funny about them. This story comes from The Daily Beast. (By the way, does anyone else find it ironic that Dave Chappelle claims he has been “cancelled” while he is appearing at Madison Square Garden?)

Chappelle also went back to his high school and the visit did not go so well. Some of the students called him a “childish bigot,” and he responded by telling them, “I’m better than all of you.” We would give him a TWIT, but he would probably twist it into a badge of honor. LGBTQ Nation has this story.

Netflix is streaming a live action version of the anime series Cowboy Bebop. Out.com praises the new version for making Gren a non-binary character and casting a non-binary actor in the role (one of two non-binary members of this cast). while LGBTQ Nation complains that making Gren non-binary removes the unwilling nature of the character’s gender transition.

Isabel Torres

Isabela Torres, one of the transgender actresses from the Spanish mini series Veneno, announced she has cancer. She has been undergoing treatment, but the disease has taken a turn for the worse. She says she has two months to live. Out.com has this story.

Eddie Redmayne said last week that he would not have taken the role of Lili Elbe today, saying the role should have gone to a transgender actress. This story can be found in Newsweek.

The Barnes and Noble store in Union Square in New York City created a display of “The Unproblematic Wizarding World,” with books from authors other than J.K. Rowling. While some of Ms. Rowling’s supporters say it was a slap at her, others applauded the sign. Unfortunately, one of the authors whose work was was displayed has made anti-LGBTQ remarks, The Advocate notes.

JR and Vanessa Ford appeared on NPR to discuss their book Calvin.

Trace Lysette has a new podcast, entitled Harsh Reality. It is about Miriam Rivera, the transgender star of the reality TV show There’s Something About Miriam. This story comes from them.

The Brit Awards, the British equivalent of the Grammy Awards, has done away with gendered categories. The Guardian has this story.

One of Liam’s subjects.

Liam Woods is a photographer. His latest project is a series of portraits of transgender and non-binary friends. His work can be seen at them.

Five queer photographers talk to them about how they would shake up the traditional family portrait.

The opera As One, features one character, a transgender person who is played by two singers. On November 20 of this year, for the first time, it was performed by two transgender singers. The Advocate has this story.

Transgender model Natassia Dreams has agreed to be a brand ambassador for Pornhub. This story comes from The Advocate.

Vanity Milan, the only transgender person of color among the queens on Drag Race UK this season, talked about her experiences on the show with Out.com.

Caitlyn Jenner continues to be out of touch with reality. She says that Ellen DeGeneris “alienated” her from the LGBTQ community. Yeah, her support of politicians who make very public anti-LGBTQ statements is not the reason, it is only Ellen DeGeneres who caused LGBTQ people to disapprove of Miss Jenner. This silly story comes from LGBTQ Nation.

Freddy McConnell

In a new film, Our Trans Family, Freddy McConnell talks about his problems with the British government, trying to get them to recognize him as the father of his child. PinkNews has this story.

On Transgender Day of Remembrance, a protest was held outside the BBC. They protested the network’s “careless transphobia,” which fails to help solve the problem, as well as a recent article which accuses transgender people of forcing lesbians to have sex with them. This story comes from PinkNews.

A hearing titled, “Is the government ban on conversion therapy safe?” was held in Parliament in London. Many people were present to support the ban, often with stories of their own experiences with conversion therapy. A group called the International Federation for Therapeutic and Counseling Choice showed up, including several members who traveled from the U.S. to join this protest in opposition to banning conversion therapy. (Conversion therapy does not change anyone’s sexuality or gender identity, though it does instill a deep sense of shame that can make some afraid to act on or tell others their sexual orientation or gender identity.) PinkNews has this story.

Germany held elections recently, and this week, Olaf Scholz of the Social Democratic Party announced the formation of a new government with coalition partners. One of their pledges is the reform of LGBTQ+ laws, including a right of transgender people to self-identify their gender. While making this pledge does not by itself change the law, it is nice to hear them talk about this. PinkNews has this story.

Amita Kuttner

Amita Kuttner, a transgender astrophysicist, has been selected as the interim leader of the Green Party of Canada. At age 30, Dr. Kuttner is also the youngest leader of a political party in Canada’s history. The CBC has this story.

Dr. Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju is a doctor and activist in India. She is also a transgender woman. This combination of identities caught the attention of France 24.

Emilia Schneider is the first transgender person elected to Chile’s national Congress. She is worried about what would happen if far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast wins the runoff election for president on December 19. Mercopress has this story.

An editorial in Military Times argues that we should honor all veterans by expanding rights for transgender people.

The Black Trans Prayer Book is about faith and spirituality, but more, it is about teaching Black trans people to believe in themselves and in the power they have as a community. The authors talked to them about their book.

Billy Tipton

PinkNews reports on the film No Ordinary Man. It’s the story of jazz pianist Billy Tipton, living his truth, which filled him with a joy, in a time long before the public was accepting of out transgender people.

This time of year, people often visit family. But, many terms for referring to family relations are gender-specific. Them has a list of gender-neutral terms that can be used to describe a non-binary family member, or any family member.

You can find some tips on preparing for your first visit home after transitioning courtesy of them.

TWITs

Three transgender actors protested outside J.K. Rowling’s house last week. According to her, they showed her address, and as a result, she has received “so many death threats I could paper the house with them.” She says that people got her address from a video of the protest, even though her house can be found on Wikipedia. (You can find this story on PinkNews.) We here at The Week In Trans extend a TWIT Award to anyone who issues a death threat to anyone over the issue of supporting transgender people. Too many people have died because of the lack of transgender support, and threatening anyone else is not a way to advance the cause. Answering rudeness with rudeness only creates more rudeness.

Parents in Wisconsin have filed a lawsuit against their school district because the district has a policy whereby students can request the name and pronouns they identify with, and parents do not get notified. For reacting in a way that shows the need for this policy, these parents get a TWIT Award. Fox News has a clip of the parents.

Parents at the Downers Grove District 99 school board meeting brought up a subject not on the agenda–the book Gender Queer. It is a memoir of growing up and realizing the author, Maia Kobabe, does not fit within the gender binary. According to these parents, it is “liberal code for teaching children how to perform oral sex, anal sex, [and] wear strap-on dildos.” None of that is in the book, but that did not stop these parents. For labeling a book as “porn” without even having any idea what is in the book, these parents get a TWIT. This story comes from them.

In a sermon at his church, North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson described gay people as “maggots,” and said that straight people are superior because they can reproduce. But, some straight people are naturally sterile. For obviously faulty logic, and for dismissing anything but breeding as not of God, Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson gets a TWIT. This story comes from LGBTQ Nation.

TWIT is assembled by Cecilia Barzyk with additional content and editing by Angela Gardner. Care to make a comment on this post? Login here and use the comment area below.

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Category: Transgender Community News