The Week In Trans 3/22/21

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Elliot Page gave his first interview since he announced on Instagram that he is transgender. He tells Time magazine that he remembers getting a boyish haircut at age nine, and how good it felt to have others perceive him as a boy.

Brandon Boulware, a father from Missouri told the state House of Representatives about his “beautiful transgender daughter.” He testified to how she never smiled before being allowed out of the house as transgender. Although the testimony happened on March 3 (his transgender daughter’s birthday), it went viral this past week. You can read about it on KDSK-TV News.

Two Dartmouth students testified before the New Hampshire House of Representatives Education Committee, regarding the bill to prevent transgender students from participating in girls’ sports. The bill was delayed for a year, to work on the wording; there is no certainty that it will be taken up a year from now. The Dartmouth has this story.

A poll which the Human Rights Campaign is promoting shows that about 73% of Americans oppose laws that ban transgender females from participating in women’s sports. Even the majority of Republicans feel that transgender youth should be “allowed opportunities to participate in a way that is safe and comfortable for them.” It should be noted that a poll earlier this month showed a majority supporting a ban on transgender students participating in girls’ sports. The HRC poll told respondents that state sports organizations and the NCAA have enacted regulations to ensure a “level playing field”; the earlier poll did not tell respondents that. This story comes from Them.

NPR asked a couple of experts what science says about transgender females in girls’ sports. The answer is, they don’t have as big an advantage as people assume.

Stella Keating, a 16-year-old from Tacoma, Washington, testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. She says that, while the state of Washington protects her against discrimination on the grounds of her gender identity, she is worried that he she leaves the state to go to college, she might not be protected there. The Tacoma News Tribune has this story. Thanks to Alyssa Washington for a link to this and other stories.

The South Dakota state legislature has passed a bill forbidding transgender females from participating in girls’ sports. Governor Kristi Noem has not yet signed the bill into law, and according to The Sioux Falls Argus Leader, she still has not decided whether she will sign it or not.

On Wednesday, the Kansas state Senate approved a bill forbidding transgender females for participating in girls’ sports. That bill now goes to the state House of Representatives. The Daily Mail has this story.

On Thursday, the Alabama state House of Representatives passed a bill forbidding transgender females in girls’ athletics. This story is in The Advocate.

Bills forbidding transgender females from participating in girls’ sports and forbidding doctors from medically treating gender dysphoria in minors have passed the Montana Senate Judiciary Committee. Both bills have already passed the state House of Representatives, according to the Associated Press.

In South Carolina, the House Judiciary Committee tabled that state’s bill regarding transgender athletes. WMBF-TV has this story.

While states seek to ban trans girls from student athletics Sports Illustrated features Leyna Bloom as the first Black transgender woman to appear in their swimsuit issue. She also qualifies as the first transgender woman of Asian descent to appear in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. CNN took notice.

In Georgia, four bills regarding transgender people, including that state’s bill on transgender people, including one on transgender athletes, according to them.

NJ.com reports that, if a bill regarding transgender athletes in that state were to become law, it would undo the work of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Commission, which was the first state athletic body in the U.S. to enact a policy that allows transgender students to participate in school sports, if they meet certain requirements.

A letter to Flagler Live reveals that in Florida only eleven transgender students received permission from the Florida High School Athletic Association to participate in sports in the last seven years.

An article in Runner’s World points out that transgender athletes are not sweeping the podium in athletic events, despite their alleged advantages.

Chris Cillizza explains why Republican politicians think that banning transgender athletes is a winning issue for them at The Point on CNN.

Just before the election last year, the Trump administration opened a civil rights probe into Franklin Pierce University, because the university allowed transgender females to participate in athletics. The Department of Education dropped the civil rights investigation of the university, after the university capitulated on the matter of transgender athletes. Inside Higher Education thinks that the Biden administration will not pursue the matter further.

A pediatrician in Alabama wrote to AL.com to say that the proposed criminalization of medical treatment for gender dysphoria in minors goes against evidence-based medicine and against medical ethics.

A young transgender woman named Jessica Fuller, and her father, went to the Alabama state capital to speak to legislators about why they should vote against the bill that bans treatment for trans youth.  AL.com says the bill passed in the Senate.

Arkansas has passed its version of an anti-transgender health bill, called the “Medical Ethics and Diversity Act.” It allows doctors and other medical providers to opt-out of a healthcare service if it violates their religious or moral beliefs. This is supposed to protect medical professionals from lawsuits, but in fact, may open them up to lawsuits, as they have to defend the law. Unlike other states, gender identity is specifically cited as a reason for refusing to provide service, according to them.

Tennessee state Representative John Ragan introduced a bill banning the medical treatment of gender dysphoria in minors this week. WKMS radio has this story.

ABC News reports that 82 bills have been introduced this year which target transgender people. This is up from 79 bills targeting transgender people that were introduced all of last year.

The rash of bills about transgender people is called a “state-based Republican counterattack” in an article from Fox News.

These bills which target transgender people, and especially transgender youth, have a negative impact on mental health. The 1a talked about this to the mother of a transgender child in Mississippi.

25-year old transgender model Teddy Quinlivan has made history as the first openly transgender model to be the face of a major ad campaign for Chanel Beauty. Learn more from Trans Club. Thanks to JAn Brown for the link.

A grandmother wrote a letter to the editor of The Tennesseean saying that her transgender granddaughter is nothing like what Tennessee lawmakers are making transgender youth out to be.

In South Carolina, the House Judiciary Committee restored protections for sexual orientation and gender identity in the state’s hate crimes bill. Those protections were removed by a subcommittee earlier in this legislative season, as them explains.

A new poll commissioned by the Human Rights Campaign showed that 70% of Americans support the Equality Act, including 41% who strongly support it. LGBTQ Nation has this story.

Although there is widespread support for the Equality Act, Senator Lindsey Graham has threatened to “talk till I fall over” in order to prevent the bill from becoming law. Unfortunately, the filibuster is such that he does not have to actually talk all that much to prevent the Senate from taking up the matter, as LGBTQ Nation explains.

The House of Representatives has passed its version of the Violence Against Women Act. It include transgender women. LGBTQ Nation has this story. Thanks to Alyssa Washington for a link to this story.

In Wisconsin, a state where the governor is presumed to oppose the transgender athlete bill, dozens of people marched in a protest for transgender rights, according to WKOW-TV.

Another rally for transgender rights was held in Arkansas. KTHV-TV has this story.

Indeed, several states saw people gather in support of transgender rights, according to LGBTQ Nation.

A Black transgender woman named Diamond Kree Sanders was shot to death as part of a robbery. The Cincinnati Police released information about her death this week. The Cincinnati Enquirer has this story.

Kim Wirtz, a 43-year-old transgender woman, died in a jail cell at the Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Center in February. Details of her arrest and death are trickling in, but she died in a cell for men. She did not have a cellmate. Her family wants to know how this happened. This story comes from The Baltimore Sun.

In Orange County, California, a man is being held on suspicion of beating a transgender woman with his skateboard. The Los Angeles Times has this story.

PBS reports that transgender people are having a hard time finding housing during the pandemic.

The Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee of the U.S. Senate moved to advance the nomination of Dr. Rachel Levine as Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services. Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voted with the eleven Democrats on the committee. The Progresssive Pulse has this story.

Transgender people have many problems with regard to healthcare, including the fact that so many do not have insurance, as well as the need for help with things like depression as well as medical help with their gender transition. Health Payer Intelligence looks at how to build a better system for transgender people.

A dermatologist wrote an article for The Philadelphia Inquirer, about a transgender patient who needed help for acne. Because of possible side effects of the new medicine, the patient had to taper back his testosterone, and had to get a monthly pregnancy test.

A new study found that gender-affirming surgery has many positive effects for transgender people who are HIV-positive. PinkNews has this story.

A study from Brazil shows that gay and bisexual men who accept their more stereotypically feminine qualities have better mental health outcomes than those who try to suppress those qualities. This story comes from them.

Patti Harrison will be appearing in The Lost City of D, alongside Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock. This story comes from Variety.

The Oscar nominations are out, and Disclosure did not get nominated in the Documentary Film category. This is no surprise, as it didn’t even make the preliminary list. The Advocate has this story.

The cast and producers of Pose have taken to social media to express their feelings about the end of the show’s run. Them has this story.

Dwayne Wade has a transgender daughter, and Jennifer Lopez is the aunt of a transgender child. Both posted to social media this week in support of Brendon Boulware, whose testimony before the Missouri legislature has gone viral. This story appears in PinkNews.

Glamorous clothing is often not the most comfortable clothing a woman can wear. Before the pandemic there was a movement to eschew high heels, constrictive under garments and other attire that brought discomfort to the wearer. Now, after months of cozy clothes, slippers and sweats, some women are missing the thrill of dressing up. Learn more in this article from The New York Times.

Kataluna Enriquez won the title Miss Silver State USA, and will now compete in the Miss Nevada USA pageant. KVVU-TV took notice of this.

Them reports that both TikTok and Reddit have banned the term “Super Straight,” a term which has been linked to racists.

We reported last week that DC Comics was going to come out with a special comic for Pride month. This week, Marvel introduced its Pride comic. This story comes from Out.com.

The cast of the Harry Potter movies were quick to speak out against J.K. Rowling’s views on transgender people. This week, Ralph Fiennes said, “I can’t understand the vitriol directed at her.” While he did not say that he agreed with J.K. Rowling on this issue, he took exception to the level of personal attacks. And yet, he also said, “We need to have those voices that risk being offensive,” which sounds like he might be in agreement with her views on transgender issues. LGBTQ Nation has this story.

The person in the Phoenix costume was voted off on The Masked Singer, and after being voted off, the contestant took off the mask to reveal that that was Caitlyn Jenner. LGBTQ Nation has this story.

RuPaul’s Drag Race has given rise to several versions in other countries. The Sun reports that there will soon be an international All Star Drag Race competition. Baga Chipz and Blu Hydrangea will be among the queens who will compete.

Drag Race UK just crowned its winner for this season. You can find the results at Out.com, or you can watch the show and find out that way.

If you have wondered what it is like to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race, you will soon be able to simulate that experience. A video game of the show will be out later this year. Out.com has this story.

Raven, has twice competed but not won on RuPaul’s Drag Race. She then became RuPaul’s personal makeup artist. Now, she is going on to her own show. Her show will emphasize the importance of makeup to drag, according to Out.com.

Raven is one of several drag queens who told British GQ that men could use makeup.

Peppermint, BenDeLaCreme, and Jackie Cox joined Jennifer Garner while wearing outfits that recalled roles she has played. They talked about her new movie, Yes Day, and about her support for the LGBTQ community. The Advocate has this story.

Bimini Bon Boulash is doing punk drag, according to British Vogue.

When Freddy McConnell complains about the terrible transphobia going on in Britain, it is easy to think that maybe this is his own personal experience coming out. However, his own experience is a small part of the wave of transphobia in the country. PinkNews has this story. Thanks to Alyssa Washington for a link to this story.

The level of transphobia in Britain is so bad that just being trans in Britain “feels impossible.” From the backlogs at clinics to news shows that discuss transgender issues without having any transgender people present, there are a lot of problems, as PinkNews reports.

In a TED talk, a mother from Derry discussed the time when a stranger laughed at her transgender daughter for being interested in a dress. PinkNews has this story.

A former corporal of the Royal Australian Air Force pleaded guilty to killing a transgender woman, but will not spend time in jail for it. He claims that the choking was an accident, and that she did not ask him to stop choking her. This story comes to us from PinkNews.

A transgender woman in Turkey was blinded when her ex-boyfriend threw acid at her. As if that was not bad enough, staff at the hospital laughed at her. Out.com has this story. Thanks to Alyssa Washington for a link to this story.

India’s state of Chhattisgarh has hired 13 new constables who are transgender. Because of their background, they are survivors of prejudice, which the top police officer in that state says makes them uniquely qualified to serve as police officers. The Guardian has this story.

Robina Asti, a veteran of World War II, has died at the age of 99. Robina Asti later became an advocate for the right of transgender people, and especially older transgender people, as Out.com points out.

We told you last week that the North Carolina Department of Education would add a data field for preferred name to student records, so that a teacher could know of a name that a student goes by, even if it is not the student’s legal name. This could be a nickname for a cisgender student, as well as a name that a transgender student identifies by. As you might expect, the reaction from social conservatives has been negative. LGBTQ Nation has this story.

Various groups who lean conservative have spread the claim that gender confirmation surgery is free to members of the military. Snopes rates this claim as “unproven,” which makes sense since President Biden’s policy is too new for anyone in the military to qualify for surgery yet.

A panel of four Republicans discussed LGBTQ rights, and if you expect them to try to outdo each other in opposing LGBTQ people, they did not disappoint you. One of them was Blaire White, a transgender woman who supports Donald Trump. She was told to “grow out your mustache and tell people not to live like you.” We’d give the entire panel TWIT awards, but they would probably feel honored. LGBTQ Nation has this story.

The Philadelphia Independent Business Alliance is holding a TransWork Job Prep Workshop on March 24. The event will be virtual via Zoom from 4 to 6:00 p.m. To register visit the IBA registration page.

Tracy Davis is a trans woman who describes being transgender as, “you’re getting places, but you’re on the wrong road.” Her thoughts can be found in The Columbia Daily Tribune.

Out And About Nashville has a reading list of books on the transgender experience.

Media Matters for America reports that anti-LGBTQ groups have bought ads on Facebook with the aim of spreading lies about the Equality Act. Six of the eight ads are no longer active. Thanks to Alyssa Washington for a link to this story.

TWITs

A measure was proposed in the Tennessee legislature which would require that restrooms that allow transgender people to use them have a notice of inclusivity. This bill is not currently under consideration, but its sponsor, state Representative Tim Rudd, says that it is alive. For proposing this law with no indication of a need, and for finding a new way to make transgender people feel even less like members of society, Tennessee state Representative Tim Rudd gets a TWIT Award. WKRN-TV/a. has this story.

Rapper Lil Mama has been outspoken in her opposition to transgender people, which she describes as “depopulation at any cost.” She said, “So children are too young to smoke cigarettes, too young to drink alcohol, too young to get a driver’s license. . .but old enough to cut off their genitals and/or ‘change’ their gender? This is insanity, America.” She compounded her confusion by saying that she wants to “start a heterosexual rights movement,” not recognizing that gender identity and sexual orientation are different things. For speaking out against something that she obviously does not even attempt to understand, and for spreading misconceptions about gender identity and the medical treatment of gender dysphoria, Lil Mama gets a TWIT Award. This story comes from LGBTQ Nation.

The Family Research Council describes LGBTQ people as “unnatural” and “immoral, and informs its followers that the Bible says to kill LGBTQ people. The Bible says to kill all adulterers, including heterosexual adulterers. When presented with a woman so accused, Jesus Christ advised, “Let the one among you who is without sin cast the first stone.” The one group whom he spoke out against were people who looked down on others as less worthy in the eyes of God, which is precisely the attitude that the Family Research Council is taking. For distorting the very teaching that they claim to support, the Family Research Council gets a TWIT Award. LGBTQ Nation has this story.

A South Carolina group called “Concerned Parents of Georgetown” attacked a politician over the claim that he does not “protect women’s and girls’ sports” and that therefore he wants to see “biological males” in the ladies’ restroom. For conflating two issues, neither of which have any evidence of creating a problem in the real world, Concerned Parents of Georgetown gets a TWIT Award. This story comes from The Georgetown Times.

Politifact looked at the claim that transgender female athletes, after two years of HRT, still have a 12% advantage over cisgender female athletes, and found that the claim “lacks context.” That is another way of saying that the claim has been applied more broadly than it was intended. The many people who use that number, but misstate what it represents, gets a TWIT Award.

A man who describes himself as a “superfan” of J.K. Rowling harassed a gender consultant in Canada, asking the young woman about puberty blockers. He did not wear a face mask, and did not keep a six-foot social distance from her as he asked the questions, which were a thinly-disguised accusation of gross harm. For reckless disregard of the health and safety of another, while spreading false accusations of professional misconduct, this “superfan” gets a TWIT Award. PinkNews has this story.

A panel of federal judges rejected an appeal by a defendant who asked them to use the singular “they” to describe them. The judges said that it was “too hard.” The alternative is to not use any pronoun at all, using the legalistic term “the defendant” as if it were a pronoun. Yet, if the judges had done that, they would not have received the complaint. For creating a problem and refusing to even attempt to solve it, the judges of this panel get a TWIT Award. This story comes from them.

U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene voted against the Violence Against Women Act, because the act supports transgender women who are victims of domestic violence. Apparently, in her view, if a transgender woman is attacked, even by her domestic partner, she deserves it. For a total lack of concern for vulnerable people, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene gets a TWIT. Her social media posts on the subject can be found at Crooks And Liars.

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