The Week In Trans 4/19/21

Links in TWIT will open in this window. To return to this page use the Back button on your browser. If the link opens in a new tab, close the tab to return to this page.

---

10-year-old Maya Stanton travelled to Austin to tell Texas lawmakers how the bills they are introducing, especially SB 1646, which would forbid doctors from medically treating gender dysphoria in minors, will affect transgender students like her. She probably did not impress the Republicans in the state legislature, or the governor, but she did impress KPRC-TV news.

A new poll shows that anti-transgender bills are not popular with the public, not even with people who describe themselves as “Republicans”. Among all Americans polled, 66% oppose limiting medical care for transgender children, while 28% approve. Among Republicans, it’s 70% oppose, 26% support. 67% of Americans oppose forbidding transgender athletes; among Republicans, 66% oppose forbidding transgender athletes. PBS and NPR sponsored this poll. Also in this survey, the percentage of Americans who say that they personally know someone who is transgender has passed 50%, led by those 18-40.

Sadly, in addition to restrictive laws being passed, 2021 is a deadly year for transgender women, especially transgender women of color. Jaida Peterson was one of two transgender women shot and killed in North Carolina. WSOC-TV has this story. Thanks to Alyssa Washington for a link to this and other stories.

Two men were arrested in the murders of Jaida Peterson and Remy Fennell in North Carolina, according to The Advocate.

In Missouri, a man was arrested for the murder of Dominique Lucious. People magazine has this story.

Kimberly Shappley writes for the Houston Chronicle to not pass new laws that will make her leave Texas in order to protect her transgender daughter. One of the new bills in Texas would label parents who give their children gender-affirming medical care “child abusers.”

West Virginia will become the fourth state this year and fifth overall to forbid transgender females from participating in school athletics. WBOY-TV announced that Governor Jim Justice will sign the bill that was passed by the legislature. Thanks to Alyssa Washington for a link to this story.

The state legislature of Kansas also passed a bill on transgender athletes, which heads to Governor Laura Kelly. KSNT-TV has this story.

KAKE-TV reports that Governor Kelly has called the transgender athletics bill “a job killer.” While she did not actually say she would veto the bill, she seems to be considering a veto.

In Florida, a bill on transgender athletes has now passed both houses of the legislature, and heads to Governor Ron DeSantis after reconciliation of the bills passed by each chamber. Out.com reports that the bill includes the possibility of genital inspections. Thanks to Alyssa Washington for a link to this story.

The legislatures of North Dakota and Alabama also passed transgender sports bills, according to The Advocate.

The Pew Charitable Trust reports that bans on transgender athletes will especially hurt rural transgender students, who are often physically and socially isolated.

A trans girl named Rebekah made a video about her desire to play school sports, an activity the 14-year-old transgender female would be denied in many states. The Advocate has this story.

The Washington Post has a long piece about transgender student athletes and Title IX.

More than 1500 parents of transgender, non-binary, and gender-expansive children signed an open letter to lawmakers, expressing their displeasure with the bills that would restrict the rights of transgender, non-binary, and gender-expansive people. The Human Rights Campaign has a press release about this, as well as the body of the open letter.

The NCAA has announced that it will not hold events, including conference championships, in states which discriminate against transgender students. This is likely especially aimed at Texas, which feels it is too big to punish, as The Texas Tribune notes, but even smaller states could feel the effects of this, as Montana Sports reports.

Former member of the House of Representatives Joe Kennedy wrote for CNN that the proponents of anti-transgender legislation are attempting to claim victimhood.

At NBC News Think, Jude Ellison Sady Doyle, author of Trainwreck: The Women We Love To Hate, Mock And Fear. . .And Why, writes that she fears the current outrage over anti-transgender legislation will diminish as more states pass similar laws.

Three of the transgender people who are fighting the new laws in Arkansas are profiled in them.

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, who is one of the survivors of Stonewall, is calling for a boycott of Arkansas. She is among the signatories of an open letter to the NCAA and others, according to them.

Arkansas just passed its hate crimes bill, but the bill does not specify any category of crime that it covers. The bill is so vague that no one can be sure what it does or does not cover. Them has this story.

A new bill in Arkansas not only forbids transgender people from using a restroom labeled for a sex not assigned at birth, it goes a step farther and allows people to sue a transgender person who dares to share the “wrong” restroom with them. This story can be found in LGBTQ Nation.

CNN reports on the various anti-transgender legislation proposed this year.

US News And World Report also noticed the “wave of bills targeting transgender youth.”

These bills did not come out of the blue. LGBTQ Nation has a series of tweets by Brynn Tannehill showing the history of attacks on transgender rights in the last five-and-a-fraction years.

45,000 young transgender people could lose access to gender-affirming care, at least until they are well into puberty in a sex that they do not identify as theirs. This story comes from them.

Julie Kalceff, who created the Australian mini-series New Day about a transgender school child’s transition, tells The Hollywood Reporter that it’s important that transgender people are visible and their stories are told by the media. Trans actor Evie Macdonald plays trans 12-year-old Hannah.

A column in The Los Angeles Times states that, although Donald Trump is no longer president, the anti-transgender feelings he fanned are still felt.

In answering a question at a White House press conference, Jen Psaki said the White House has not ruled out legal action to oppose legislation which limits the rights of transgender people. PinkNews has this story.

Mark Yarhouse, a psychology professor at Wheaton College and an author on transgender identities, talked to Christianity Today about how Christians could accept transgender people.

An article in National Catholic Reporter suggests that the Catholic Church should be fighting against anti-transgender legislation.

Almost in defiance of the trend among states, Maryland is set to pass a law protecting transgender people. Specifically, this bill bans the gay and trans panic forms of defense in criminal trials. If one bill is not enough, there is a second bill, which will make it easier for transgender people to legally change their names. Both bills have passed the legislature, and await Governor Larry Hogan’s signature, according to them.

The NYPD has settled with transgender activist Shannon Lumpkin for wrongful imprisonment when they were arrested Lumpkin for public urination while they were only repositioning their prosthetic leg. Them has this story.

Healthline explains why the new law banning doctors from medically treating gender dysphoria in Arkansas minors is so dangerous.

A pediatrician who cares for transgender children wrote about her experiences in The Conversation.

Another pediatrician who cares for transgender children was interviewed by WEAR-TV.

A new survey out of New Zealand shows that more than 50% of transgender and gender diverse students struggle with a mental health issue, such as anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts. This story comes from Stuff.

The CDC reports that 40% of transgender women tested in seven major cities were positive for HIV. The Hill has this story.

KTLA-TV reports that there is a COVID vaccination site for transgender people in Orange County, California.

The form used by CVS to register people for the COVID vaccine has been changed to eliminate a question about “birth sex.” LGBTQ Nation has this story.

In Oklahoma, a transgender woman was denied a COVID vaccine because her ID did not match her presentation. This story comes from KOCO-TV.

It is not that long ago that very few surgeons performed gender confirmation surgery. Martin J. Smith wrote a book about Dr. Stanley Bieber, the pioneer of gender confirmation surgery, and about two of his patients, one of whom now uses the name Walt Heyer. (The other has been much happier with the surgery.) The book is Going To Trinidad: A Doctor, A Colorado Town, and Stories from an Unlikely Gender Crossroads. High Country News has this story.

Changing The Game is a film that looks at three transgender athletes who are at different points in their athletics and in their lives. Hulu has bought the film, according to Variety.

HBO Max has released a trailer for the second season of the ballroom competition show Legendary. Out.com has this story.

A new production of Little Shop Of Horrors at the Pasadena Playhouse received an Artios Award for casting all LGBTQ+ performers, including Mj Rodriguez as Audrey. This story comes from The Advocate.

Out.com has assembled a panel of five LGBTQ+ actors to talk about what the industry is like today for LGBTQ+ performers. Among the panelists is Vico Ortiz, who is non-binary, and Ian Carmichael, who is transmasculine.

Transgender ballroom star Leiomy Maldonad has turned to modeling, and is in an ad campaign for Black Opal Beauty. The Advocate has this story.

A new coffee table book features photographs of transgender and gender expressive people taken by Magnus Hastings. It’s titled Rainbow Revolution, and features over 300 photographs, including some celebrities. This story comes from The Advocate.

Them has a look at the miniseries Trans In Trumpland.

A new film entitled No Ordinary Man examines Billy Tipton, a jazz musician whose gender history was discovered and misreported after his death. PinkNews has this story.

Did you ever look at RuPaul’s Drag Race, or Drag Race UK, and wonder how much the contestants spent on their outfits? Vice reports that several contestants have spent a lot on their outfits.

Wands and Wizards Exploratorium is a shop inspired by Harry Potter, designed to remind people of Diagon Alley. It also celebrates the transgender community. This story comes from PinkNews.

Disney Parks has had rather strict employee requirements, with staff presenting in old-fashioned gender roles. Those rules have been updated to allow more modern gender expression, according to The Advocate.

An unnamed transgender person who was a part of the British armed forces in the Afghanistan campaign of the last couple of decades has returned her medals to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, along with a letter expressing her “disgust” with the broken promise of reforming the gender recognition act. PinkNews has this story.

Prime Minister Johnson has also chipped away at the proposal for a ban on conversion therapy, even dissolving the panel which would have advised him on this practice. However, he told the Evangelical Alliance that he still wants to end the “pray away the gay” practice. This story comes from The Independent.

Robert Webb gave a lot of support to an article by Janice Turner, which was critical of the charity Mermaids and of medical treatment of transgender children in general. Three years later, he says that since the article came out, he has come to see it was not as accurate as he thought it was. NME has this story.

Abigail Thorn is a transgender woman who hosts The Philosophy Tube on Youtube. She says she is thinking about leaving England due to the hostility toward transgender people. She complains that she “can’t get proper healthcare or equal rights” in England. One place she is thinking of moving is New York City, where transgender healthcare is available if you can afford to pay the bills. You can find this story in PinkNews.

A father from British Columbia who repeatedly revealed his transgender son’s identity to the press while attempting to prevent his son’s medical transition has been sentenced to six months in jail. CTV has this story. The father now says that he realizes how wrong his behavior was.

Someone defaced an LGBTQ center in Madrid with anti-transgender and anti-gay graffiti. This comes as Spain is attempting to update its laws regarding the ability of transgender people to change their legal gender, a reform which is being opposed by more conservative elements. PinkNews has this story.

Earlier this year, the town of Krasnick, Poland, refused a visit from the French Minister for European Affairs, who happens to be gay. The mayor now says, “We have become Europe’s laughingstock, and it’s the citizens not the local politicians who’ve suffered the most.” This story comes from Out.

In Albania, a transgender person was refused a ride in a cab because the taxi drivers “could not conceive putting them in cars.” PinkNews has this story.

In Argentina, a transgender woman named Sofia Micaela Catan died at age 24 after being burned badly. The burns covered more than 50 percent of her body, according to PinkNews.

In India, police have arrested two men who were involved in a plot that killed Ekta Joshi, a leader of the transgender community. PinkNews has this story.

Reuters has a story about a Pakistani transgender woman who has found a career in tailoring.

In Kenya, a local transgender man was killed by a gasoline bomb. “Trinidad Jerry” had been loved by members of his community, according to PinkNews.

Ronnie Manzone was elected to the Fairhaven, Mass., Housing Authority. She is the first transgender official in the town. South Coast Today has this story.

TWITs

One of several bills in Texas which would affect transgender people would charge parents with “child abuse” if they allow their child to receive gender-affirming medical care before the age of 18. For hyperbole, and for practicing medicine without a license (as well as without an understanding of what is going on), the sponsors of this bill get a TWIT Award. The Hill has this story, while PinkNews tells of a mother who is afraid she will be put in jail for supporting her transgender child. Thanks to Alyssa Washington for a link to this story.

Oklahoma state Representative JJ Humphrey replied to an email criticizing his support for anti-transgender legislation with the accusation that transgender people are “mentally ill.” For delusions of grandeur and for over-the-top rhetoric, JJ Humphrey gets a TWIT Award. This story can be found at KOCO-TV.

Well-known biologist Richard Dawkins compared transgender people to Rachel Dolezal, who claimed a Black identity despite having white parents. For failing to see a distinction between race and gender, and for failing to note the many ways in which sex is more complex than the binary, Richard Dawkins gets a TWIT. PinkNews has this story.

Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson called on Republicans to show compassion, then shortly thereafter called transgender girls “males.” Granted, the phrase was “biological males,” which merely means that he has a very primitive understanding of biology. For failing to recognize the complexity of real biology, and for not practicing what he preaches, Governor Asa Hutchinson gets a TWIT Award. This story comes from PinkNews.

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.

Tags: featured, news, Transgender, TWIT

Category: Transgender Community News