The Week In Trans 6/7/21

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Last Tuesday marked the beginning of Pride month. President Biden issued a proclamation for Pride Month, in which, among other things, he noted that transgender people are often victims of bullying, violence, and legislative attacks on our rights. The proclamation can be found at the White House website. Thanks to Alyssa Washington for a link to this and other stories.

Also for Pride month, NPR has a handy guide to transgender terms and pronoun use. It’s the kind of thing that we all know well, but it can be handy to give to cisgender folks who might get confused.

Two crosswalks outside of City Hall in Chicago received two paint jobs for Pride month. One is painted in the rainbow colors of the Pride flag, while the other is in the light blue, pink, and white of the Transgender Pride flag. CBS Chicago has this story.

Seventeen has the story of the Transgender Pride flag.

Click2Houston reports that in Houston, Pride celebrations are calling attention to the legislative attempts to limit the rights of transgender people.

Drawing attention to the legislative attacks on transgender and non-binary people should be a major emphasis of Pride this year, according to the Human Rights Campaign. The Hill has this report.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis chose the first day of Pride month to sign a bill which forbids transgender females from playing school sports on girls’ teams. Although the primary focus of the bill was to allow public universities and colleges to sponsor charter schools, Governor DeSantis talked only about the provision on transgender athletes which was an amendment to the main bill. This story comes from NPR. On the second day of Pride month, Governor DeSantis vetoed a bill to fund mental health for survivors of the Pulse nightclub mass shooting. Them has this story. Thanks to Alyssa Washington for the link.

Several experts who spoke to The Hill say that bills banning transgender athletes are based on perception, not science. Thanks to Alyssa Washington.

Although the NCAA threatened to withhold events from states that enacted anti-transgender laws, they have yet to be seen doing so. (Does anyone think that the NCAA will move the Orange Bowl out of Florida, now that it has approved a ban on transgender female athletes?) The Washington Post has this story.

The first transgender person to be chosen as Michigan Teacher Of The Year, Owen Bondono, has spoken out against the bill in that state which would target transgender athletes. The bill seems to be more a talking point than anything else, since Governor Whitmer would veto it if it were to pass, and the legislature does not have the votes to override a veto. Click On Detroit has this story.

A guest editorial in Time magazine asks if President Biden has done enough for transgender people. Granted, he is miles ahead of President Trump, but is that enough, given the many legal attacks on transgender people that are still happening?

At the bottom of a bill which would ban critical race theory in Ohio, there is the clause, “No teacher shall be required by a policy. . .to affirm a belief. . .in the multiplicity or fluidity of gender identities, or like ideas, against a teacher’s sincerely held religious or philosophical convictions.” This clause was uncovered by WKBN-TV.

A mother of a transgender child writes to The Detroit Free Press about the effect of anti-transgender legislative proposals, even if they do not pass. She reminds us that there are people here, not just political ideas.

A roundtable in Elle, including such luminaries as Chase Strangio, Jazz Jennings and her mother Jeanette, athlete Andraya Yearwood, Alphonso David of the Human Rights Campaign, and more, talk about the fight for transgender rights, especially in this legislative year, and how everyone can play a part.

Dr. Rachel Levine is the first person profiled for The Now List by them.

A federal judge denied an attempt to dismiss a lawsuit which would force Medicaid of West Virginia and the insurance for state workers to cover surgery when it is prescribed for the treatment of gender dysphoria. The Intermountain has this story.

The ACLU has filed a lawsuit concerning Arkansas’s ban on medical treatment of gender dysphoria in minors. In this lawsuit, a state contractor was notified that his contract would not be renewed two days after he wrote to his state representative in opposition to the bill. This story comes from KNWA-TV.

A story in Military Times tells us that some in the House of Representatives are proposing legislation to protect the ability of transgender children with military parents to access gender-affirming medical treatment. This would not override state laws that ban medical treatment of gender dysphoria in minors, but rather, would assure that families with transgender children would not be sent to a base where the children cannot get medical treatment.

While other states are trying to enact laws to limit the rights of transgender people, Colorado recently added “gender identity” as a protected class in anti-discrimination legislation. According to an editorial in The Colorado Sun, this shows that denying transgender people their rights is not a winning political strategy.

Governor Tony Evans of Wisconsin announced his opposition to conversion therapy, especially for transgender youth. He also said that he would veto a ban on transgender athletes, if it were to reach his desk. The Advocate feels that this is a good way to celebrate Pride month.

The Republican State Leadership Committee sent out a tweet for Pride month, saluting “LGBTQ+ Republican state leaders.” LGBTQ Nation notes that, while there are a few Republican state legislators who are out as LGBTQ+, there are no out LGBTQ+ people in the state leadership of the Republican party. Beyond that, many Twitter users feel that just the thought that the party which so vigorously backs legislation promoting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity should align itself with Pride is ludicrous.

We reported that Thomas Hardin of South Carolina was a victim of violence recently. Her murder is now considered to be a part of a spree by a couple, one of whom had lived with Hardin at one time, who are being compared to Bonnie and Clyde. This story comes from LGBTQ Nation.

Leo Hoffman, a transgender student in Pinellas County, Florida, was attacked for displaying a transgender flag. Spectrum News has this story.

On the first day of Pride month, the San Diego Police Department issued updated guidelines for interaction between members of the police and transgender people. This story comes from The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Last year, the Pride and Black Lives Matter movements both happened in June. NPR took a look at what happened when these two movements occurred side-by-side, sometimes with the same participants, especially Black transgender people.

LGBTQ celebrities, including some transgender and non-binary people, are among those who came together for a fundraiser for Safe Spaces. This story comes from The Advocate.

A longer piece by NPR attempts to give its audience pieces of sex education regarding LGBTQ people, which often is not taught in school.

A transgender man who has given birth to two children talks of the psychological aspects of pregnancy for a transgender man. His story appeared on The Today Show.

Endocrinology Advisor notes that there was a decrease in HDL among transgender men taking testosterone. Taking estrogen did not seem to affect the HDL levels of transgender women.

Many transgender teens turn to alcohol to help cope with stress, according to a report in Medical News Today. The study suggested that acceptance by family and friends lowered the likelihood of alcohol use, but not to levels found in cisgender youth.

A study highlighted by The American Medical Association shows that simply using a transgender student’s correct name and pronoun can be a lifesaving measure.

WOIO-TV has a story of a transgender teen in Toledo, and how he found resources to help him at his local University Hospital.

CeCe Telfer is trying out for the U.S. Olympic team, in the 400-meter hurdles. She was the first transgender woman to win an NCAA title. The New York Times has this story.

Belgian weightlifter Anna Vanbellinghen complained about the inclusion of transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard of New Zealand in the Olympics. She said the situation is “like a bad joke.” This story comes from Reuters.

Quince Mountain is the first openly transgender competitor in the Iditarod. He is profiled by NBC.

The staff of Boston Children’s Hospital assembled some tips for coaching a sports team that has a transgender or non-binary athlete on it.

The Advocate has an excerpt from Paula Stone Williams new book As A Woman. Another article by her about the book appears on CNN.com.

The novel One Last Stop sounds almost like it is throwing in a huge variety of things. The heroine meets a Chinese-American butch lesbian time traveler, whom she brings home. One of her roommates is a transgender guy. If any of that attracts you, there is a fuller description of the novel at The Advocate.

The Nickelodeon show Danger Force has just added a transgender actor, 13-year-old Sasha A. Cohen. His twin sister, Natalie R. Cohen, was also cast. Variety says this is the first time that Nickelodeon has cast an openly transgender performer in a live-action series.

Zackery Torres of Dance Moms announced that they are transitioning gender. The announcement came on TikTok, according to Seventeen.

Lio Tipton came out as non-binary, as well as queer, according to Out.com.

Neil Gaiman is defending a non-binary performer as the character Desire in The Sandman, as well as a Black actor as Death. Desire was described in nonbinary terms, but not everyone picked up on that. PinkNews has this story.

A court dismissed the final two charges against Rosario Dawson, including a charge of deliberately misgendering an employee. This story comes from Out.com.

The Lambda Literary Awards gave out some recognition for some queer comic books, including at least one with a transgender theme. The Advocate has this story.

A lot of political pundits are unable to figure out why Caitlyn Jenner is running for governor. Kate Merrill suggests it’s “rampant narcissism.” You can find this and other theories at PinkNews.

A contestant on Drag Race Down Under was discovered to have performed in blackface, as well as other cultural appropriation. While some versions of Drag Race would eliminate a contestant after such a discovery, in this case, Scarlet Adams was allowed to make an apology and a promise to not do that again, to remain with the show. Them has this story.

Former Drag Race contestant Widow Von’Du was arrested following a domestic abuse incident. This story comes from TMZ.

For the first time ever, corporations are signing on to support a summit on transgender rights in Britain, according to Forbes. The summit is being organized by PinkNews, and it comes at a time when several media outlets have been critical of transgender rights.

One of the biggest problems for transgender rights has been the launch of the LGB Alliance, a group which has tried to push back on the rights of transgender people, especially by taking those rights away from the larger LGBTQ movement. Several LGBTQ groups have joined the transgender children’s charity Mermaids in appealing the Charity Commission’s decision to grant charity status to the LGB Alliance. PinkNews has this story.

LGBTQ+ leaders in Cambridge called on British politicians to pay more attention to the fight for legal recognition of non-binary identities. This call for action appears in Cambridgeshire Live.

The government of Bangladesh has announced a plan to give tax breaks to companies that hire transgender workers. Newsweek has this story.

Google just made a donation of several million dollars to LGBTQ+ charities in several countries, including the Transgender Law Center and the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund. This story comes from The Advocate.

Out magazine has a short telling for the LGBTQ history of Atlanta, including female impersonators and drag queens.

The Tenacious Unicorn Ranch in Custer County, Colorado, is supposed to be a safe refuge for transgender people. It is the subject of a story on All Things Considered.

Soo Today reports that the Rainbow Online Connection will have an on-line camp for transgender children.

Dr. Michelle Telfer was a gymnast at the 1992 Olympics. She has since graduated from medical school, and is now a doctor in Melbourne, Australia. She works with transgender children, as a pediatrician in a program for trans children. PinkNews has a profile of her.

TWITs

Simon Fanshawe, one of the founders of Stonewall, declared that the charity should not support transgender rights, since they erode “women’s sex-based rights.” He specifically opposes reform of the Gender Recognition Act. For falling for the lies told by opponents of transgender rights, and for not recognizing the “us-versus-them” nature of the argument, Simon Fanshawe gets a TWIT Award. His writing can be found in The Daily Mail.

A gym teacher in Virginia is refusing to follow his school district’s policy on transgender students, citing his religious convictions. For thinking that his misinterpretation of scripture exempts him from following the rules for his workplace, Byron Cross gets a TWIT. NPR has this story.

The owner of Chick-fil-A is still sending lots of money to groups that are fighting to stop the Equality Act and backing anti-transgender legislation. For thinking himself more worthy than others in the sight of God, an act which the Bible warns against in many places, Chick-fil-A’s owner gets a TWIT Award. This story comes from The Daily Beast.

Facebook has a policy which prohibits conversion therapy, but apparently, it is not being enforced in Arabic speaking countries. For selective enforcement of a ban on a very dangerous practice, Facebook’s enforcement gets a TWIT. Reuters has this story.

Marjorie Taylor Greene is trying to ban U.S. embassies from flying the rainbow flag. “The Old Glory Act” would actually ban the flying of any flag but the national flag at any embassy. For attempting to undermine the ability of the government from supporting democracy movements within other countries, supporters of the Old Glory Act get a TWIT Award. This story comes from them.

A Christian father has created an Internet filter that removes content from “the dangerous LGBT+ cult”. For being the sort of holier-than-thou figure whom Jesus warned against, this dad gets a TWIT Award. PinkNews has this story. Thanks to Alyssa Washington for a link to this story.

A group of Christians have launched an effort to combat Pride month with “Christianity Month.” They include the slogan, “Reclaim the rainbow.” For becoming bullies in an attempt to deny the rights of others, on the basis of a story which has no scientific validity, the people behind “Christianity month” get a TWIT Award. Pink News has this story. Thanks to Alyssa Washington for the link.

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