Lots of Coverage, Very Little Plan for Action

The online news media has been in a frenzy this week after the fifth gay youth in three weeks took his own life. Everyone from the Huffington Post, the Advocate, to Washington Post bloggers have buzzed about Raymond Chase, the latest student to have committed suicide, often quoting the email that administrators sent to the Johnson & Wales University student body after Chase died.

In his email, JWU Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Ronald Martel mourned Chase's passing and offered condolences to the family. Unfortunately, his message stopped there. No mention of how to prevent such a thing from happening again, no mention of possible problems that needed to be tackled, no mention of anything.

But the school's vice president is not the only one - many major news sources have continued this trend, giving the issue lots of coverage with very little plan of action on how to help alleviate the environments causing these teens to turn to suicide. Even the statement issued by US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan called for an end to harassment and a need to speak out against such forms of intolerance. But no actual solutions towards enacting the VERY change they all call for was ever mentioned.

This spree of suicides is proof that the current system is failing. It is time to ask the hard questions to get the core of these problems in order to implement real change and prevent even more loss of life. Students on Facebook formed a group encouraging activists across the country to wear purple on October 20th in light of the recent deaths. For more information, check out the group Wear Purple on October 20th, 2010. For a country that calls itself the land of the free, freedom from harassment and bullying is still not in the cards for everyone.

So....Step up and help! Contact your local campus officials and demand them to make school a safe and friendly place to be, ask them what resources are available and if there are none inform the larger public! Everyone has a right to a bully and harassment free life.

Contact and join your LGBT group on campus. No LGBT friendly group or groups on campus? Create one! Not enough people or members? Ally with like minded groups on campus and rally for change. October 20th could be a really great day to gain attention on individual campuses and spread the word. Need help with your plans of action? Campus Pride, a nonprofit organization aimed at making colleges more LGBT friendly, offers more information on helping making campuses more open and friendly.

Remember, bullying and harassment affects everyone. While your college campus is a great place to start please do not forget about your local community. Bullying and harassment can start at a young age, use your new found club or your group of friends to reach out to near by schools and volunteer for their antibullying or antiharassment programs. Make a positive change with a plan of action.

For Equality!

Thank You!

THANK YOU:

• U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker for lifting the temporary stay on same-sex marriage and allowing same-sex couples to continue marrying on August 18th!


• Dolores Huerta for hosting the "Weaving Movements Together" Benefit Concert at the Greek Theatre yesterday!


• Kentucky Foundation for Women for awarding $100,000 in grants to feminist artist and social justice organizations


• California Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) for authoring SB 677 regarding property owned by human traffickers

Thank You Thursday! 07/29/2010

We are excited to announce that we are adding a new weekly series of blog posts known as "Thank You Thursday!" Our "Thank You Thursday" posts will include a list of people who have done or said something pro-woman that we appreciate. We hope you enjoy seeing who is doing positive work!
This Thursday, we would like to thank:

• U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton for blocking several key passages of Arizona's new immigration law SB 1070
• Memphis City Council Member Janis Fullilove for supporting a proposed LGBT antidiscrimination policy even when faced with death threats
• ESPN Reporter Erin Andrews for advocating for the STALKERS Act
• Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for their efforts to get the Dream Act passed

• and a special thanks to everyone who help with the Pro-Choice Clinic Defense in Charlotte, North Carolina, last week!!!

THANK YOU!!!!!

Forced Marriage can "Correct" Gay Men

The U.K.'s Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) reports that there was a 65% increase in the calls reporting cases of men in forced marriage in 2009. The unit received 134 calls and emails in 2008, but the following year, FMU received 220 calls and emails reporting male victims.

Last year, men in Britain made up a 14% of the 1,682 forced marriage cases total reported. However, under-reporting has led FMU to believe that there could be a total of 10,ooo British citizens in forced marriage. In addition, they estimate that 20% of these cases involve a male victim.

According to Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne, men find it harder than women to ask for help when faced with forced marriage. With few men coming forward, young men between the age of 15 and 24 years continue to face physical and sexual violence, confinement and at times, being sent to other countries for not complying with their families' wishes.

Why is this happening to men? Hasn't forced marriage usually been a problem for women?

While many think of forced marriage as a crime that occurs against women, men also experience this form of human trafficking. Unsurprisingly, men are subjected to forced marriage because they are gay or their families believe that they might be gay. Reinforcing the societal expectation of heterosexuality, families use forced marriage as a means to "correct" a man's sexual orientation.

I also just want to point out that homosexuality is one reason that some women have been subjected to forced marriage. There is no reason that anyone, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation (or any other reason!), should be forced into marriage.

Photo Credit: BBC News

Doctor trying to prenatally treat lesbianism? SAY WHAT?!

Yes. You heard right. Dr. Maria New of the Florida International University and her colleague Heino F. L. Meyer-Bahlburg of Columbia University are using the drug dexamethasone on pregnant women in order to prevent their female fetuses from being homosexual or bisexual. Dexamethasone is an experimental drug that is used to try to treat female fetuses with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), a genetic defect that affects the hormone production of the adrenal glands and in females can result in an increase in androgens and "masculinized" genitals (typically considered to be a clitoris larger than deemed normal). It is a class C drug, which means that it is unknown whether dex can harm a fetus. New and Meyer-Bahlburg believe that one's sexual orientation could be connected to prenatal androgens prenatal stage, and that treatment with dex could be used to change a fetus' sexual orientation.

As if that weren't bad enough, Meyer-Bahlburg goes on to describe the behavior of those with CAH: “CAH women as a group have a lower interest than controls in getting married and performing the traditional child-care/housewife role. As children, they show an unusually low interest in engaging in maternal play with baby dolls, and their interest in caring for infants, the frequency of daydreams or fantasies of pregnancy and motherhood, or the expressed wish of experiencing pregnancy and having children of their own appear to be relatively low in all age groups.” (You can read the article where I got this quote here. It also has a link to the paper where Meyer-Bahlburg said this.) Now, I don't have CAH, but that sounds like normal childhood to me. I hated dolls. I didn't want to be pregnant. I can't ever remember having a "fantasy" of pregnancy. I was perfectly ok with the idea of a stork bringing the baby. That certainly sounded better than the alternative, and what I later found out to be true.

But this research has many consequences (listed in no particular order because they are all frightening).

First, the fact that research like this is even happening is an ethical concern. Many anti-abortion activists will rant and rave about how abortionists are trying to exterminate races by performing "selective race" abortions, but then here we have doctors trying to eliminate different types of sexuality through prenatal treatment. And writing academic papers about it! The ethical implications of "curing" differing sexualities have been debated for decades, but apparently have fallen on deaf ears of New and Meyer-Bahlburg.

Second, this research implies that there is only one normal and acceptable form of female behavior. And that's "I only have one purpose in life, making babies" behavior. So all of you who wanted to be play the doctor instead of the nurse, abnormal female behavior (ironic since Maria New is a female doctor). For all of you who didn't like baby dolls, abnormal female behavior. Those of you who didn't like to play house, abnormal female behavior. This approach completely ignores every single difference between sex and gender, not to mention some of the major points of the women's rights movement. This opens the gates to researching ridiculous gender stereotypes as proven science and biological nature, like trying to prove that girls are genetically predisposed to pink.

Third, it frames LGBTQIA (Intersex and Asexual) people not as human beings, but as diseased inferiors who need to be removed from society. Call me radical, but research like this sounds an awful lot like the beginning of eugenics. This isn't just the regular anti-gay rhetoric you hear from protesters at Pride, or even from some of the more radical anti-gay extremist groups. It's one thing to be called an abomination. It's another to have doctors out there actively working on a cure for you, a vaccine to prevent people like you from existing.

And lastly, (though we could go on and on) it belittles the experiences of those women who have CAH and other intersex individuals. Intersex people face a lot of mistreatment by the medical industry, such as forced gender correction surgeries at birth and throughout their life, constant hormone replacement, and being judged by arbitrary standards that are defined by those who can't understand their position. One measure of whether a woman is intersex is by measuring the length of the clitoris. If it's too big, then she can be deemed intersex and have gender correction surgery where they cut the clitoris down to a "normal" size (this often leaves that individual with limited or no sensation in their clitoris as they grow older). Trying to prenatally treat fetuses so that they do not behave "abnormally" for their gender as prescribed for their sex erases those who may not have a sex recognized by our binary society, even though they're already invisible in our world of only male and female options.

This is some dangerous medicine.
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Photo Credit: peasap on flickr.com
Cross-posted at Ode to Patriarchy

Stigma Still Surrounds Bisexuals

CNNs coverage on a story about one couple this morning beings out as a typical love story and then throws in a twist. Sorority girl meets fraternity boy, sorority girl goes on a date with fraternity boy, both fall in love, and then marry. Now here comes the twist! The woman is heterosexual and the man is bisexual. I must say it is an interesting piece, not typical of CNN topics that discusses bisexuality and the stigma surrounding it.

Battling stereotypes, assumptions, and confusion held by others, bisexuals often find themselves gridlocked between being considered straight or not. If not, then usually left turn into yet another binary being considered lesbian or gay. Although more and more Americans recognize homosexuality, bisexuality still represents a gray area. Unfortunately, there is no open door policy for bisexuals in and out of the so called closet as most (emphasis on most as there are some groups) homosexual and heterosexual communities/groups steer clear of bisexuality.

But, never fear there is hope of accepting this gray area. Some sociologists say that more and more members of the younger generations are accepting of bisexuality and thus it is only a matter of time before this becomes more socially acceptable.


Photo Credit: Jessica Martinez on flickr.com

Elena Kagan + No answer = Ex-Gay?!

Supreme Court nominees are often criticized for their views on issues like abortion, the death penalty and so on. In the case of Elena Kagan, there is talk about her possibly being a lesbian because former Harvard classmates claim that they knew her to be a lesbian. While her decline to answer the media's questioning her sexual orientation has caused people to share their ideas about her sexuality, one individual's hypothesis stands out...
Greg Quinlan, President of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX), recently claimed that Kagan should come out as an ex-gay. As an ex-gay himself, Quinlan suggests that if Kagan is a lesbian she would have come out because President Obama supports LGBT individuals and BECAUSE she has not stated her sexual orientation, she must not be a lesbian! He proposes two possible reasons for her refusal:
1. She is worried that denying rumors could imply that she discriminates against LGBT people-- Quinlan states that to prove her heterosexuality she would need to marry a man which would "be a step backward, and not forward, in liberal gender politics"-- OR,
2. She is an ex-gay!
Oh, really? Refusing to share her sexuality with the media means that she must be or was at one time a lesbian? Sorry, but that's bull. First of all, I must point out that just because she doesn't divulge her sexual orientation does NOT mean she is gay or an "ex-gay"-- maybe, just maybe, she would simply prefer to maintain her privacy. Next, I take serious issue with the term "ex-gay" and organizations like PFOX. PFOX and similar organizations use the term "ex-gay" to describe an individual that has been converted-- CONVERTED?!?!-- from being homosexual to being heterosexual. These organizations that claim to support ex-gays and their loved ones are often ran by religious groups that shame LGBT individuals and attempt to convert them.
Specifically, PFOX claims that individuals choose to be ex-gays yet the organization focuses on providing testimonies and resources that encourage individuals to "leave homosexuality." According to Truth Wins OUT, PFOX's "goal was to counter PFLAG by providing the media with parents who claimed to love their children-- while rejecting their sexual orientation. Ironically, the group has never been lead by a person who is actually the parent of an ex-gay individual."
Um... Not anti-gay? I disagree-- PFOX's goal is to counter a prominent pro-gay organization! How can an organization whose primary goal is counter a pro-gay organization not be anti-gay?
However, this organization's aggressiveness toward PFLAG doesn't surprise me. After all, the organization's founder, Anthony Falarano, claims,

"Satan uses homosexuals as pawns. They're in, as you know, key positions in the media, they're in the White House, they're in everything, they're in Hollywood now. Then after he uses them, he infects them with AIDS and then they die."

This group has been against LGBT individuals from the start. You're not fooling me PFOX. Elena Kagan should NOT "come out" as an ex-gay nor should anyone else.

Interested in learning more?

• Check out Ted Cox and contact him at ted.m.cox@gmail.com to let him know that you're interested in having him speak about his undercover work at on your campus.
• Stay up to date on the ex-gay movement at Ex-Gay Watch.

The Intersection of Abortion and LGBTQ Rights

Cross-posted at Ode to Patriarchy

I talk a lot about LGBTQ rights, and I talk a lot about abortion rights. So do a lot of people. But very rarely do they ever seem to be mentioned together. And I know the obvious rebuttal... "it's not like someone's going to get pregnant"...

But in reality, it's two different sides of the same issue. Politicians trying to control other people's bodies (especially white, upper-class, straight, cis men controlling the bodies of anyone different from them, especially women).

Think about it. All the fuss about the "sanctity" of marriage and how same-sex marriage would destroy such an institution is a way to prevent physical interactions between LGBTQ individuals. The actual success of such an argument can be debated, but really the message is the same. While many laws prohibiting sodomy and other types of sexual interaction have been removed or buried so deep in the history books that they have no purpose, some still exist on the record across the nation. In addition, we still live in a culture that looks down on premarital sex (to the point that you can lose your job in some areas), teaches abstinence until marriage in public schools, and is horrified by the scandal that is teenage pregnancy. In a last ditch effort to control what LGBTQ individuals do in the bedroom, anti-gay politicians push for the ban of same-sex marriage, dismissal of LGBTQ people from the military, and prevention of gay adoption. All under the guise of religious doctrine and "pro-family" politics.

Meanwhile, in the abortion debate, the justifications for controlling LGBTQ bodies are the same as the justifications for banning abortion. Mandatory waiting periods, lack of insurance coverage, and restrictions on who can have an abortion take control of a woman's body away from her and gives it to typically male politicians. The question of how does a male politician with no medical training in abortion or experience as a woman know what is best for a woman, of course, is never said. Access to birth control and abortion are restricted little by little with the full intention of placing control of women's bodies in the hand of male politicians. Like with anti-gay politics, religious reasons and "pro-life" mantras are used on the streets and in the courtrooms to dictate what a woman can and cannot do with her own body.

To those who would say that no one chooses to be gay, trans, or anything in between, while women choose to have sex with the risk of getting pregnant, I disagree. No one chooses to be gay, true. But women don't choose the circumstances that affect getting an abortion. Abortion may be a choice, but the financial, emotional, and physical situations that a woman is in aren't choices. When a woman gives a partner consent, she's consenting to sex, not a pregnancy. If pregnancy were a choice then we wouldn't have to pay for birth control, we could just choose not to have the sperm fertilize the egg. Simple. Saying that a woman who is pregnant and considering abortion should have thought about that before having sex is like saying a person injured in a car accident should have thought about that before buying a car. Or that a person throwing up from food poisoning should have thought about that before eating at a restaurant.

In response to the inevitable "why would a lesbian need an abortion anyway?" I would like to point out that it's not just straight or bi women who get abortions. Lesbians, like all women, can be raped or assaulted incestuously. To dismiss lesbian and queer women from the abortion debate is to dismiss the experiences of those who have been the survivors of sexual violence.

Both LGBTQ and abortion rights come down to asserting that WE are the ones who control our bodies. WE must fight to make sure that WE have control over who we sleep with and what can be inside us. These aren't separate struggles. If we give in on one, we give in on them all.

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Photo credit: kevindooley on flickr.com

Ode to Patriarchy is Kari's personal blog. Don't worry, the name is ironic.

L.A Pride Turns 40!!

This past weekend (June 11-13th) was the 40th annual Los Angeles Pride presented by Christopher Street West in the City of West Hollywood, California. The lovely FMF Choices Campus and Ms. Magazine interns volunteered with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the nation's oldest LGBT organization.

The Task Force is one of the nation’s experts on LGBT campaigns and the ballot box. Constantly fighting for equality, the Task Force trains activists and volunteers, equips state and local groups with grassroots organizing skills, and conducts important research and policy analysis on issues affecting the LGBT community.

The volunteers spoke with Pride attendees about the Task Force and raised money for the organization to continue its amazing work nationwide. Last year, the Task Force was instrumental in getting a non-discrimination law passed in Kalamazoo, Michigan by a remarkable 63%, making it illegal to discriminate against people because of their sexual preference or gender identity in housing, employment or access to public accommodations.

The Task Force is currently working on a broad range of issues, from hate crimes, youth, politics, faith, health, nondiscrimination, family, to marriage equality. 35 states still have same-sex marriage bans on their books and Proposition 8 has riled up the LGBT community across the country. With closing arguments today, Wednesday, June 16, 2010 in a trial challenging the Constitutionality of Prop. 8, same-sex marriage has remained an important issue. The Task Force has teamed up with Equality California to repeal Prop. 8.

When the interns asked the attendees which issues they were passionate about, common responses were same-sex marriage (particularly Proposition 8), youth safety and education, nondiscrimination, and the United States military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

The interns also joined in for the festivities, enjoying the wide variety of food, great musical performances (including Kelly Rowland, Kelis and EnVouge), numerous booths and activities, and a top-notch parade. The historic pride parade was established in 1970 to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Inn Riots, sparked by police brutality during a raid of the popular gay bar in the early hours of June 28, 1969. The lesser known riots at Compton’s Cafeteria in 1966 and Stonewall, which is commonly used as the marker for the modern movement for LGBTQ rights, were vitally important social protests for conducing social change in the United States and need to be remembered.

The United States Supreme Court ruling on Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003) struck down all remaining state sodomy laws, but the LGBTQ community still faces severe discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, and inequality in the United States, with LGBTQ youth at extremely high risk of suicide and a lack of civil rights for all citizens.

Although LA Pride has recently been criticized for its commercialism, the right to march proudly down Santa Monica Boulevard, with LGBTQ activists, state and city officials, families, allies and corporations, is an important moment of visibility and the interns were excited to be a part of it.

What if the Visitation Rights that were given to Same Sex couples were inclusive of those couples in which one partner is serving in the military?

This week President Obama signed a directive that would allow same sex partners hospital visitation rights if the one of them were to fall ill. Granting same sex couples the right to be beside their loved one as they pass (if the illness or injury is fatal) was a decision that came after hearing a story in which a woman was denied the right to hold her lover as her spouse died. Before the signed directive same sex partners would be denied visitation due to the fact that they were not considered family by blood or legally wed.

Of the 1,138 rights that are denied to same sex couples because same sex marriage is not legal in every state, hospital visitation was only one of them. Currently same sex marriage is legal in only 5 states as well as Washington D.C. Unfortunately under of the Defense of Marriage act (DOMA), same sex couples that legally wed in a state that allows same sex marriages will have an annulled marriage license once they return back to their state where same sex marriage licenses are not recognized. Obama has it in his agenda to repeal that as well as the controversial military ban on gays and lesbians serving openly known as Don’t ask Don’t tel (DADT)l.

I must say that although I am grateful to have this single right granted to me, I am disappointed with how he went about the issue. It should not take a story of sorrow to make one understand that love is not a bad thing even if it is between two people of the same sex. Love should not be taken away or toyed with it should not be a bargaining tool for votes. Instead of signing this directive that grants rights to only some of the LGBTQ community why don’t you do what is humane and repeal DADT and DOMA. Under DADT a civilian in a same sex relationship with a soldier cannot visit them openly if the soldier is wounded in battle therefore this directive does not extend rights to all LGBTQ couples. If he had repealed DOMA same sex couples could marry elsewhere in the U.S. and still have a legal marriage license upon return to their state. If DOMA was repealed, then the rights given to those married could be applicable to all same sex couples who are wed anywhere in the United States. If his adminstartion repealed both DADT and DOMA then the lesbian and gays serving our military could wed. Is this the next step? What he did was good for the community but I find that it was nothing great. It was fair and right but it was something that should have been done a long time ago.

P.S.- Celebrate National Day of Silence today!!

Photo compliment of See-ming Lee

Okay to discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity in VA universities?

Late last week, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli sent a letter to the state’s public colleges and universities advising them to repeal clauses in their non-discrimination clauses relating to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. According to Cuccinelli, only the Virginia General Assembly can extend legal protections to LGBT students and faculty.

Attorney General Cuccinelli’s actions have spurred large amounts of on- and off-line campus activism across the state. Students from many universities created the Facebook group WE DON'T WANT DISCRIMINATION IN OUR STATE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES! which now has over 6,000 members. UVA’s Queer and Allied Activism sponsored a social media campaign, calling on Virginian college students to flood social media sites with messages urging AG Cuccinelli to keep LGBT students covered by anti-discrimination clauses. Other universities have planned rallies and are working with Equality Virginia to fight the shift in policy.

AG Cuccinelli’s position is untenable for Virginia’s colleges and universities. Without offering protection from discrimination for all students and faculty, Virginia schools will fail to attract top professors and students. Refusing to protect LGBT members of campus communities is inexcusable—and will cause permanent damage to Virginia’s reputation for providing excellent public higher education.

It is cases like these that highlight the importance of passing the Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) through the US Congress. By passing national non-discrimination language protecting LGBT employees, it would be impossible for states like Virginia to try to eliminate protections for employees of their public universities.

Click here for ways you can help pass ENDA!

Good news/bad news: Women in the arts

Round up on women in the arts from the folks at the NY Times...

Good news:

Visual arts
Modernist painter Carmen Herrera's work was recently featured in the Times, and The Observer named her collection one of the best of the year. The 94-year-old painter was born in Cuba and immigrated to France and the US, where she's spent the last several decades painting but rarely exhibiting her work.

Five years ago, Herrera got her big break, and her sought-after paintings are now in the permanent collections of MoMA, the Hirshhorn, and Tate Modern.

Literature
Joan Schenkar's new biography of Patricia Highsmith, the novelist behind crime thrillers like The Talented Mr. Ripley and Strangers on a Train, is receiving critical praise. Highsmith was a groundbreaking writer, notorious womanizer, and virulent racist. Homosexuality was a theme throughout her work from the 1940s through the 70s, which was a risky endeavor in a Puritanical culture. Schenkar, a playwright, strays from a linear recounting of Highsmith's life and instead draws a vivid portrait of her subject with poetic language and critical details.

Music
Keep an eye out for the upcoming documentary about godmother of punk Patti Smith. PBS is airing Patti Smith: Dream of Life on December 30, Smith's 63rd birthday. It's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll, and you have two X chromosomes. But Patti smashed the mold and is still performing today. Fierce.

Film
The Times also recently profiled Nancy Meyers, one of the few bankable, prolific female directors in Hollywood. She creates movies about upper-middle class, older white women who are doing just fine, stumble upon Prince Charming nonetheless, and live happily ever after. Women buy the lion's share of movie tickets for themselves and their families (ie the 15-24 year old boys to whom most films are marketed). But Hollywood remains an inhospitable place for women who want to make, view, or act in films that reflect the realities of our lives.

Bad news:

We were sorry to hear Brittany Murphy died yesterday at age 32. Murphy caught our attention in Clueless as the artless teenager Tai and had a promising B-list career ahead of her. The critics will not miss her. But you know what? Eyes to the stage, pilgrim. Maybe she was just warming up. RIP Brittany.

Photo: chrisschuepp via Flickr

Gender Reassignment and Healthcare

I arrived at FMF this morning and saw this post about taxing cosmetic surgery on Feministe. Naturally, I had a "THEY'RE LIMITING TRANSGENDER RIGHTS!" freak out and spent the day researching the issue.

The Senate Healthcare bill places a 5% tax on any cosmetic surgery.

According to the the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, cosmetic surgery is "any procedure which is directed at improving the patient's appearance and does not meaningfully promote the proper function of the body or prevent or treat illness or disease."

Gender reassignment surgery could potentially be classified as cosmetic surgery since the language is vague. Who decides what "proper function of the body" means? Do transgender people treat a disease or illness when they get surgery? Can gender dysphoria be cited as a illness or disease to avoid the new tax?

I contacted the Transgender Law Center and their Legal Director told me that this provision is not an issue. Generally, cosmetic surgery is not interpreted to include gender reassignment surgery. So, the language in the Senate bill shouldn't really pose any problems.

However, there is a case in the US Tax Court that could determine whether gender reassignment surgery is interpreted as cosmetic surgery. Back in 2002, Rhiannon O'Donnabhain and GLAD challenged the IRS's "denial of [O'Donnabhain's] deduction of costs related to her sex reassignment." They're still waiting on a decision. This is the case to watch if you're interested in the issue. Read more about it here.

Church Uses 68,000 Lives as Bargaining Chips

By now most of you have heard about DC's Catholic Archdiocese threatening to pull funding from homeless services in DC for fear of being forced to "extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples" under the DC marriage bill. (They are allowed to deny marriages.)

The Church, through the non-profit Catholic Charities, serves 68,000 people in the District and supplements DC funding for programs with $10 million. Jos of Feministing pointed out that "[the Church's] willingness to use the lives and health of 68,000 people in need as pawns in their fight for the right to discriminate is unconscionable. D.C. needs more social services, not less."

Personally, I'm not surprised. The leadership in the Catholic Church never had much of a pro-LGBT stance (I'm not denying that Catholics can have one though). I can't help but wonder how queer homeless youth are being impacted by this. LGBT homeless youth suffer disproportionally in comparison to their heterosexual counterparts. The Catholic Charities don't offer this group of people any services (I called and asked).

Regardless, the point that the Church shouldn't use 68,000 lives as bargaining chips still stands.

Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/livenature/

Bias-related Assault at Georgetown

On November 1st, a Georgetown student was assaulted on 36th & N Streets, NW. According to Georgetown's Public Safety Alert, a male suspect repeatedly asked the victim "Are you homo?" before the assault. The Hoya reports that this incident was the second bias-related assault this week.

Georgetown student Carter Lavin organized a flash protest through Twitter in response to the incident. According to Vox Populi, about 70 people met at Red Square and shouted chants: "'Hate crimes are ridiculous / My Georgetown is better than this!' and 'Georgetown students are under attack / What do we do? Stand up, fight back!'".

There will be a vigil held at the Red Square tonight from 8:30 PM to 9:00 PM.

Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/werkunz/

Support Maine Equality! Vote No on 1!

On November 3rd, Maine voters will decide whether to repeal Maine's new same sex marriage law. According to CommonDreams, both sides are close in the polls.

The marriage fight in Maine is shaping up to be similar to the Prop. 8 fight in California. The "THEY WILL TEACH GAY TO THE CHILDREN!" rhetoric came out in full force. Ads like these have started to run in Maine:

Give Me A Break from Stand for Marriage Maine on Vimeo.

Apparently, children will be explicitly taught that gay sex involves HUGGING and (gasp!) KISSING!

Protect Maine Equality has raised $1.4 million more than its opponent. However, advocates for equality are far from complacent. Protect Maine Equality's Jesse Connoley says "We have every reason to think this will be a razor-thin election."

If you're a Maine voter, make sure to vote on November 3rd or earlier!

HPV For Boys

The CDC gave Gardasil, the vaccine against HPV, a "permissive" recommendation for men and young boys. This means that the vaccine is okay to sell, but it isn't recommended for all men.

Why? A CDC economist argued that it would be more cost-effective to improve accessibility for young women rather than extend the vaccine to young men.

The argument is that if girls are vaccinated, boys won't have anything to catch or transmit. Why should men bear any responsibility when women can do it for them? It's not like women have any obstacles to obtaining health care.

Furthemore, Dan Savage makes a decent point when he says:

"But if you want to vaccinate gay men against HPV—because women can't do it for us—you have to vaccinate gay men well before we become sexually active, same as girls. Age 11, remember? And since we don't know at age 11 which boys are going to be gay when they grow up, you have to vaccinate all boys against HPV in order to protect the ones who are going to be gay when they grow up. It seems like a no-brainer and a win-win: vaccinating all boys against HPV will protect the gays ones—gay men are 17 times more likely to develop anal cancer as adults—and help protect girls and women from the deadlier strains of HPV. It would also offer some protection to girls whose parents denied them the vaccine for... religious reasons. That's a win-win-win."

More broadly, any man that doesn't have sex exclusively with HPV-vaccinated women is at risk. It's ridiculous that the CDC didn't let this fact influence their decision.

Image courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/euthman/

Thousands of Gay Rights Supporters March in DC

Tens of thousands marched yesterday from the White House to the nation's Capital at the National Equality March in Washington, DC, in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender rights. March spokesman Phil Siegal, estimated the crowd at "more than 150,000" according to the Los Angeles Times.

Activist and blogger Corey Johnson told the the New York Times "I think this march represents the passing of the torch...The points of power are no longer in the halls of Washington or large metropolitan areas. It's decentralized now. You have young activists and gay people from all walks of life converging on Washington not because a national organization told them to, but because they feel the time is now." Dave Valk, a student coordinator for the march, also told the New York Times that "There are a lot of people getting involved not just because it's a gay rights movement but because it's a generational movement. People feel like they're part of a shift, that this is important."

Prior to the march, President Obama spoke at a Human Rights Campaign black-tie gala, where he reiterated his commitment to reverse the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that prohibits openly gay individuals from serving in the military and his support of abolishing the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits federal acknowledgement of same-sex marriages. Joe Salmonese, president of The Human Rights Campaign, in a statement following Obama's speech on Saturday night wrote "This was a historic night when we felt the full embrace and commitment of the President of the United States. It's simply unprecedented." The Human Rights Campaign gala and the march were two separate events.

However, the march also demonstrated a split in the gay rights movement and received variable support from activist organizations and government officials. Openly gay democratic Representative Barney Frank (MA-4) told the New York Times that "The only thing [marchers are] going to put pressure on is the grass," not the Obama administration.

Source: Feminist Daily News Wire

National Equality March

Drum circles, mixers, town hall meetings, film screening and more. This weekend's National Equality March promises to be a fun and informative event! Topics covered range from homeless and depression, to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. With such a diverse repertoire this march is going to be an educational, yet thrilling experience—especially for all your Lady Gaga fans! As the new LGBT icon is scheduled to speak at the event.



Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transgender people and others are marching for equal protection under the law. Because thus far, many continue to experience discrimination in their jobs or schools. They do not have the same protection under immigration policies or with marriage law, they cannot serve in the military openly, donate blood and more. Yet, every citizen supposedly has the same equal rights. Clearly, not everyone is equal under the law as some are more equal than others… so why are we willingly turning a blind eye and becoming the sheep in George Orwell’s Animal Farm?

Come out this weekend and join me at the National Equality March!! More details can be found at http://www.nationalequalitymarch.com/ .

Image Credit: VJnet on Flickr.com

Register for the Women of Color Conference Today!

Have you registered yet for the Women of Color Conference?

With only 8 days left to take advantage of Early Bird Registration discounts (only $15 for individuals, and a measly $12/person for groups of 5+), there's no time to wait! Register today!

Check out our preliminary conference schedule...

Friday, October 9, 2009
12:30-1:30 Registration

1:30-3:00 Conference Opening: Are We There Yet? An Intergenerational Dialogue on the Future of Feminism

3:00-4:30 SpeakOUT at Market Friday

4:30-6:00 Dinner

6:30-8:30 Conference Kickoff Event

Saturday, October 10, 2009
9:00 Registration

10-11:15 Opening Plenary - The Power of Many: Building a Progressive Coalition for Public Health

11:30-12:45 Breakout Session 1

• More Than Just Safe Spaces: Countering Violence Against Young Women
• Feminism Speaks for Me – Or Does It?
• Barriers to Family Planning in the US and Globally
• This Movement Could Save Your Life: Making Sense of Healthcare Insurance Reform

12:45-1:45 Lunch and optional Teach-In session
2-3:15 Breakout Session 2

• With Justice for All? Decriminalizing Immigrant Communities
• Access Denied: Anti-Abortion Terrorism and Threats to Women’s Reproductive Health
• What’s Next? Global Reproductive Health and Rights in the Obama Era
• Taking It Into Our Own Hands: The Power of Alternative Media

3:30-4:45 Breakout Session 3

• Professional Activism and Working in Nonprofits
• Reproductive Rights are Civil Rights: Guaranteeing Reproductive Justice in Our Communities
• Facing the Pandemic Here and Abroad: HIV/AIDS in Communities of Color
• Enslaved in the Shadows: Human Trafficking In Your Community

5:00 Closing Plenary - The Movement of a Lifetime: Living Your Feminism After College

Conference schedule subject to change - there are more details to come! Please check back for updates!