GLAA Forum

Vigil for Deoni Jones #trans

Deoni Jones is the transgender woman murdered at a bus stop last week.

GLAA testifies Tuesday against Prostitution Free Zone Amendment Act

GLAA will testify against Bill 19-567, the Prostitution Free Zone Amendment Act of 2011, at a hearing today, January 24, before the D.C. Council Judiciary Committee. Our testimony is here. The text of the bill, introduced by Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander, is here. The hearing notice is here. Also testifying against the bill will be the local ACLU, DC Trans Coalition, The Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance, Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive, Best Practices Policy Project, and Human Rights Watch. Thanks to my colleagues who reviewed GLAA's testimony, especially GLAA President Miguel Tuason who helped with the research.

Sign our petition against PFZs here.

Trans Mafia: Savage Glitterbombed Again

Bil Browning writes at Bilerico:

Dan Savage was glitterbombed again by trans activists. If you think that Dan Savage is the worst enemy of the trans community, you're sadly mistaken. If you think that throwing heavy objects at someone's head will make them a closer friend, you're an idiot. And if you think that you're garnering support for your cause by attacking someone over things said years ago when most of us have had to make adjustments to our thinking as we've come along the transgender road to acceptance, you didn't study the LGB history lessons at all.

Yes. It's bad enough to do it to our enemies, like Santorum. Doing it to Dan Savage is just amazingly stupid and counterproductive. The people doing it need an intervention where they are sternly told to grow up and get a clue. What they do not need is to be pandered to by soft-headed people saying how "empowering" their dumbass stunts are.

(Photo of Dan Savage)

Please sign petition opposing Prostitution Free Zones

Friends,

As you may know, the D.C. Council's Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing tomorrow (Tuesday, Jan. 24) on Yvette Alexander's Bill 19-567 to allow the police chief to make so-called Prostitution Free Zones permanent. As I will testify on behalf of GLAA, those zones violate the U.S. Constitution and in any case do not solve problems associated with street prostitution, because such police tactics merely chase the activity to other streetcorners. And giving criminal records to people who are engaged in commercial sex in order to survive only makes it harder for them to escape the streets.

Our discussion of this issue in GLAA's "Agenda: 2012" is here. We will post our testimony for the Jan. 24 hearing on GLAA's website on that morning.

Our friends Darby Hickey and Sonya Mendoza have placed a petition on change.org and tumblr.com about PFZs. Please use one of these links to add your voice to ours.

http://nopfzs.tumblr.com/

https://www.change.org/petitions/council-member-vote-against-making-dcs-prostitution-free-zones-permanent

Thanks,

Rick Rosendall
Vice President for Political Affairs
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance

GLSEN Releases Groundbreaking Study of Bias, Bullying and Homophobia in Grades K-6

Here's a portion:

Key Findings on Gender Non-Conforming Students

• Nearly 1 in 10 of elementary students in 3rd to 6th grade (8%) indicate that they do not always conform to traditional gender norms/roles - either they are boys who others sometimes think, act or look like a girl, or they are girls who others sometimes think, act or look like a boy.
• Gender nonconforming students are less likely than other students to feel very safe at school (42% vs 61%), and are more likely than others to indicate they sometimes do not want to go to school because they feel unsafe or afraid there (35% vs 15%). Gender nonconforming students are also more likely than others to be called names, made fun of or bullied at least sometimes at school (56% vs 33%).
• Less than half of teachers believe that a gender nonconforming student would feel comfortable at their school (male student who acts or looks traditionally feminine: 44%, female student who acts or looks traditionally masculine: 49%)
• Only a third (34%) of teachers report having personally engaged in efforts to create a safe and supportive classroom environment for gender nonconforming students.

Check it out.

Anderson - Transgender Children

Our friend Alexandra Andrea Beninda shares this video with the comment, "Wonderful presentation of trans children and their families with Anderson Cooper. Thank You Anderson."

WAMU: D.C. Cracks Down On Prostitution

WAMU has an excellent story on the city's use of "prostitution free zones" and their unintended effects. Here's a portion:

Just before midnight, three people in their late teens or early twenties load a Honda minivan with supplies. This might sound like the beginning of a zany road trip, but it's not. The minivan belongs to a group called HIPS, which stands for Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive. One of the supplies they're loading is a giant box of condoms.

HIPS's mission is to make the lives of D.C.'s prostitutes safer and easier. Three nights a week, the group's staffers and volunteers drive the van to places where sex workers work, often in some of the most dangerous parts of town....

There's a reason why sex workers have been feeling more police pressure, says Cyndee Clay, executive director of HIPS. Five years ago, the D.C. Council passed a law allowing the police to designate certain streets or neighborhoods "prostitution-free zones." In these zones, officers can make arrests with a lower burden of proof. So far, most of the prostitution-free zones have been downtown, and Clay says that's had some surprising effects....

Clay says the prostitution-free zone law didn't get rid of prostitution in the District. The law simply moved it from downtown to the outskirts of the city. The Metropolitan Police Department refused to grant an interview for this story, but an analysis of the District's crime data shows that Clay is right....

"It's bad public health, it's bad social policy," says Clay. "It's not even effective judicial policy because we're not giving people the tools that they need to change their life or to make a change. We're just re-incarcerating the same people over and over again for the same thing." ...

HIPS keeps track of every sex worker it encounters, and the group is seeing roughly the same number of sex workers on the streets now as there was a decade ago. The difference is now they're more likely to get a criminal record and more likely to be working in a violent area. The sex workers are more isolated and more at risk. But they're less visible.

I will be testifying at a D.C. Council hearing on the Prostitution Free Zones on January 24. Getting our city's officials to see how counterproductive the PFZs are is going to be difficult. I am sure that GLAA's position on them is unpopular even in segments of the gay community. But no one said activism was easy. A constitutionally questionable policy that only chases sex workers into more distant and unsafe neighborhoods is no solution; and giving them criminal records only makes it harder for them to get better jobs. Thanks to WAMU for shining a light on this.

Tennessee state GOP rep pushes anti-trans bathroom bill

Joe Jervis summarizes: "Something something horses cats dogs."

I thank the Goddess that I live in D.C. I think my head would explode from this nonsense if I lived in this guy's district. It's bad enough for trans people here, but here the challenge is to make our city comply with its model human rights law, not overcome troglodyte lawmakers.

Grading Mayor Gray, one year in

John Riley in Metro Weekly takes a look at Mayor Vince Gray's performance after his first year as D.C. mayor. He talks not only to Jeff Richardson of the Mayor's Office of GLBT Affairs, who has issued an annual report for 2011, but to several activists from the LGBT community. Alex Padro, Shannon Cuttle, Ruby Corado, and I all have good things to say about Mayor Gray.

As reporter Riley notes, this positive view contrasts with the Mayor's low rating in public opinion polls. Indeed, someone posted the comment "Corrupt Scum bag" below the article under the pseudonym "Guest." It should be kept in mind that our mayoral elections occur every four years; if Gray hasn't improved his numbers two years from now, he'll be in trouble. But we're only one year in, and many of us who have worked with him are looking beyond the distractions and seeing good efforts.

Reading the article, I recognize that it sounds awfully arrogant for me to say I am better informed than people who are reacting to negative headlines. The reporter asked me how I could explain the contrast between the positive things that I and other activists were saying about the Mayor, on one hand, and the more negative view of the wider community as reflected in the polls. My point was simply that those of us who have worked with Vince Gray know about the good work that he and his administration have been doing with LGBT activists.

Those of us who are trying to change things for the better don't have the luxury of hurling dismissive insults. We are meeting with city officials to advance the interests of our community, and we are having a much better experience than we had with Adrian Fenty. BTW, I am talking about dedicated community activists, not a bunch of hacks lining their pockets. I am aware that a lot of gay people voted for Fenty; but can we please look at the full record here, and not just the scandals? The issues LGBT activists are working on include job training and placement for transgender people; impoverishment protections for same-sex couples who are excluded from federal Medicaid protections by DOMA; confronting discrimination by police; and strengthening the city's response to bullying of our youth.

I am not saying that all we should have is cheerleading, or that there are not other legitimate perspectives and concerns. But then let's air them with specificity and a constructive attitude. It won't kill us to give credit where due. If all you're willing to do is hurl anonymous insults, you're a jerk. Personally, I would like to abolish anonymous comments on web pages. I believe most people would think twice about their nastiness if they had to put their name to it.

2011 DC Center Year End Movie

Our friend (and GLAA Distinguished Service Award Honoree) David Mariner includes the following note with this slide-show retrospective on the DC Center's busy year in 2011:

Dear Friend of the DC Center,

On behalf of everyone at the DC Center I would like to wish you happy holidays. This has been an exciting year at the DC Center, and a year of many firsts:

The first year of free Second-Saturday HIV Testing for the HIV Working Group

The first year of the Friendly Visitor Program for SAGE Metro DC

The first Annual LGBT Book Festival for OutWrite

Our first Foster Parent Information night for Center Families

The first National Great American Smokeout event for the Tobacco Working Group

The establishment of our first ever arts-advisory committee for Center Arts

Programs and services like GLOV, Center Women and Center Careers continued to do great work this year, and we added new programs such as the Youth Working Group. We also established stronger online presence for the local Bisexual Community and Transgender Community.

As we look to the future, there is of course, some uncertainty. We expect that we will need to relocate to a new physical space before the end of 2012.

I can't tell you where or when we will move in 2012, but what I do know for sure is that with your continued support the DC Center will continue to grow and thrive. Your support makes this work possible.

During this holiday season, I hope you will consider financially supporting the DC Center:

Sincerely,

David Mariner
Executive Director
The DC Center

DCTC Files Brief Urging Respect for Trans Inmates’ Constitutional Rights

DC Trans Coalition reports:

On Friday, December 16, 2011, DCTC filed a friend of the court brief in the case of De’Lonta v. Johnson urging the Richmond-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to find that the Virginia Department of Correction’s housing policy for transgender inmates violates the Equal Protection, Due Process and Cruel and Unusual Punishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution. VDOC’s current policy is to assign inmates to male or female facilities based solely on their genitals, without taking into consideration where they would be safest. The failure to treat transgender women in the same way that non-transgender women are treated is discriminatory, the brief argues. Further, the brief alleges that automatic placement of transgender women into facilities where they are at high risk of being sexually abused is cruel and unusual punishment and the lack of availability of an appeal procedure deprives inmates of due process. Many jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia, have implemented policies that are more flexible and sensitive to the needs of transgender inmates, according to DCTC’s brief. The federal Bureau of Prisons is expected to follow DC’s lead by mandating individualized determinations of where to house transgender inmates and detainees when Department of Justice regulations implementing the Prison Rape Elimination Act are finalized.

Bravo to DCTC. Follow the link above to read the brief in full.

Manning's lawyers raise red herring of gender identity disorder

Lou Chibbaro reports in the Blade:

Attorneys representing Pfc. Bradley Manning, a 24-year-old Army private previously identified as gay, startled observers at a pre-court martial hearing on Saturday by saying allegations that Manning leaked classified U.S. intelligence information could be linked to a personal struggle over his gender identity.

Revelations that Manning created a Facebook page under the name Breanna Manning, that he dressed in women’s clothes, and he told an Army supervisor that he was suffering from gender identity disorder surfaced on the second day of a military proceeding known as an Article 32 hearing at Fort Meade, Md.

The key passage in the article, though, is this:

Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said she is concerned that revelations about Manning’s gender identity could be incorrectly interpreted as the cause for his alleged wrong-doing.

“It’s totally unrelated,” she said. “I don’t know him and all I know about this is what I’ve read in the papers. But whether he’s trans or not has absolutely nothing to do with whether he committed treason or whatever he’s accusing of doing.”

Amen, Mara.

Update: Dan Choi has been barred from the Manning hearing. Oh, the humanity!

On Kickstarter: "The Joneses" Full-Length Documentary

 
Nearly two years ago, THE JONESES was created as a documentary short for UK's Channel 4 / Britdocs and screened at a handful of film festivals, before British Director Moby Longinotto ("Smalltown Boy") decided a feature documentary would be needed to tell the intricate story of this unique family.

Now, they have emerged with a Kickstarter page to raise the necessary funds to proceed with the production of the full-length feature documentary.

From their Kickstarter page.

"WHAT’S THE PROJECT ABOUT?

The feature documentary follows The Joneses family along their courageous pursuit of love.  Trevor is a 34 year old virgin, Brad was born with brain damage, and Jheri Rae Jones was formerly their father. Now, as three single adults living under one trailer park roof in small town Mississippi, they are each ready to embark on a journey to find love outside this reunited, close-knit family unit.

Spitfire and matriarch Jheri Rae Jones is searching for a man who will love her in the autumn of her life. Finding a good man in the rural American south is hard enough, but Jheri’s problem is finding one who accepts her past. Formerly known as Jerry, Jheri changed her name when she had gender reassignment surgery a few years prior.  Now 70, Jheri has an active dating life and feels ready for love more than ever before. Yet Jheri has found it a difficult search in a place where transexuality is still largely unaccepted."

===

As of this blog post, THE JONESES needs to raise around $20,000 in 32 days. They are accepting donations as little as $5. Here's the reel...

 

 

http://www.facebook.com/TheJonesesDoc

Gay Baby

This short film doesn't strike me as terribly brilliant, but see what you think.

Labor Secretary Solis on TDOR

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis issued the following statement on November 18 in advance of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which was held on November 20:

The Transgender Day of Remembrance will be commemorated this Sunday, Nov. 20. I am proud to stand and be counted as an ally to the transgender community and to every person and family impacted by anti-transgender violence.

What began as an online project in 1999 to memorialize the murder of a transgender person will this year include hundreds of vigils and events throughout the country and around the world. I hope that this year’s commemoration will serve as an opportunity to shine a brighter light on both progress made and the challenges ahead.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality recently joined me at the U.S. Department of Labor to present a comprehensive study on the experiences of transgender people in America. More than 90 percent of transgender people experience harassment and mistreatment in the workplace, with nearly half being fired or denied a promotion. This is unacceptable.

And while my department focuses on the nation’s workforce, I am equally troubled by the experiences of transgender people in their homes and in our schools and hospitals that promise to shelter, educate and heal.

This administration has taken specific steps to protect our transgender citizens. In 2009, the president signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, expanding the 1969 United States federal hate crimes law to include crimes motivated by a victim’s gender identity. The following year, our federal government updated its nondiscrimination policy on USA Jobs to explicitly include protection on the basis of gender identity.

Lanier gets snarky with activists on Transgender Day of Action

(Protesters outside U.S. Attorney's office. Photo by John Riley/Metro Weekly)

About three dozen LGBT activists held protests Thursday afternoon outside police headquarters and the U.S. Attorney's Office as part of Trans Awareness Week. Metro Weekly reports:

Event organizers also issued a list of demands and goals, which they submitted to the offices of MPD Chief Cathy Lanier, U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Ronald Machen, and the 13 members of the City Council.

The list includes requiring LGBT sensitivity training for all MPD officers; closing what activists call a disparity gap between the clearance, or closure, rate of crimes against the transgender community and crimes overall; harsher disciplinary standards for officers failing to uphold the D.C. Human Rights Law; and better tracking and reporting procedures of cases involving transgender people, including referring to them by their preferred name and presenting gender.

The activists also called for the elimination of ''prostitution free zones,'' which they believe to be unconstitutional and say encourages police to engage in discriminatory profiling. A recently introduced City Council bill, submitted by Councilmember Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7), would make such zones permanent.

In response, Police Chief Cathy Lanier reverted to blaming the customer, complaining that no LGBT community members showed up at a GLLU open house she held on Wednesday night. Charles Butler of GetEqual tartly replied, "We had 30 people show up at our event. You had none. Next time, if you contact us, we'll help you with your P.R."

Nov 17 and 20 - Transgender Day of Action / Day of Remembrance

GLAA, along with several other local LGBT organizations and concerned residents, recently mobilized to shine a brighter spotlight on a matter that is uniquely devastating to the District’s transgender community: anti-transgender hatred or prejudice at the hands of law enforcement.

The coalition, called TLGB Police Watch (TLGB), was formed to support the current efforts of our leaders and allies, who – though working to bring about necessary change – have witnessed one of the most violent periods for the trans community in the District’s history. We acknowledge steps recently taken by our city officials to address these problems, and pledge continued efforts to advance our individual legislative and policy reform goals. As TLGB, we protest because there are urgent (life or death) matters that call for urgent action. At the Day of Action, TLGB shall deliver to DC officials its list of urgent demands. The trans community can't afford to wait.

Transgender Day of Action

WHEN: Thursday, November 17, 2011, 1 PM

WHERE: Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters, (300 Indiana Avenue, NW), to the US Attorney’s Office (555 4th Street NW) and the John A. Wilson building (1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW).

[1PM MEET at the corner of 4^th and Indiana, 1 block south of Judiciary Square Metro.]

WHAT: To promote the “fair and impartial administration of justice,” please join our march from MPD HQ, to the US Attorney’s office, ending at the John A. Wilson Building, home of the city government. Bring protest signs. Wear comfy shoes and warm clothes.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

WHEN: Sunday, November 20, 2011, 5 PM

WHERE: Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, DC, 474 Ridge Street, NW

MORE INFO: Here.

 

Volunteer to participate at http://TLGBpolicewatch.tumblr.com.

 

TLGB POLICE WATCH COALITION

GetEQUAL DC

DC Trans Coalition (DCTC)

Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS)

Transgender Health Empowerment

Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance (GLAA)

International Socialist Organization (ISO)

Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance

Cedar Lane UU Church LGBT Task Force

Rainbow Response

Gender Rights Maryland

VenusPlusX

 

illustration: Tyler Grigsby

protest poster

Gray administration launches pilot program for transgender employment

(Transgender women receive job training from D.C.'s Project Empowerment program. Photo by Armando Trull)

Armando Trull at WAMU reports:

The District of Columbia has launched the first program in the country to help transgendered women and men overcome workplace discrimination.

It's been a violent year for transgendered women in D.C. with one murder and multiple assaults. It's no surprise for Latisa Mormon, who 's been a sex worker in the District.

"I've been brutally beat on my head with seven baseball bats, left me unconscious," she says. "I've been stabbed in my face as you can see. I've been a victim of a gunshot."

A total of 21 transgendered people, including Jamie Gunner, are participating in Project Empowerment's pilot program to help them escape unemployment and, in some cases, the mean streets of D.C.

"I want to be a productive citizen of society," says Gunner. "I want to get back into the workforce."

Entering the workforce isn' t easy, explains Gunner: "Sometimes you can over-qualify for the job and when you get there and they see that you're transgendered, they don't hire you."

When I joined several transgender activists in a meeting with Mayor Vincent Gray on August 4 dealing with transgender employment issues, the Mayor made it clear he wanted action items and not just a pleasant conversation. This is the first step. The employment barriers faced by transgender people are daunting, and require a persistent, proactive approach by public officials to combat. Thanks to the Mayor for making a start. We never even got a meeting with his predecessor.

Fox throwdown: Van Susteren vs. Carlson

Let's watch them fight. My question: Why should anyone be interested in Mike Tyson's opinion on any subject, ever? Not only is he a convicted rapist, he bit off an opponents' ear during a prize fight, and now jokes about it. No one is more deserving of a media blackout. As to this clip, it reminds me that Greta is unwatchable. Not that I am a fan of Tucker either. His claim that his motivation in reporting Tyson's comments about Sarah Palin is that the world needs to hear the filth he was spouting. Why, for goodness' sake?

Five-year sentence in anti-trans attack at Baltimore McDonald's

The Baltimore Sun reports:

After a teenage girl was sentenced Tuesday to five years in prison for beating a transgender woman at a McDonald's in Rosedale, some advocates for transgender people called the sentence too lenient.

"The whole incident is unfortunate and demonstrates the lack of knowledge and understanding, and discrimination against transgender people," said Patrick Wojahn, board president of the Equality Maryland Foundation. "If anything, five years may have been too short of an amount of time for the attack and the amount of hatred that was shown in the incident."

Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk agreed. "Five years is not enough for what she did. It was really horrible — nobody should do something like that to another human being," said Pena-Melnyk, who represents parts of Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties. She proposed legislation to prevent employers, creditors and others from discriminating against transgender people, but the measure failed in the 2011 General Assembly.

As the video below shows, Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger said he was pleased with the sentence.

 

Officer held without bond in off-duty shooting

View more videos at: http://nbcwashington.com.

NBC Washington reports:

D.C. police Officer Kenneth Furr acted recklessly and dangerously when he allegedly fired five shots at a group of people at close range, prosecutors said. (Courtroom sketches by Bill Hennessy.)

Some of the people shot by Officer Furr are transgender. A rally was held a few weeks ago at the scene of the crime at First and Pierce Streets, NW. Thanks to the police and prosecutors for their efforts in this case.

In another transgender-related story, a D.C. corrections officer is accused of making death threats against two women, including a transgender inmate. Armando Trull of WAMU reports.

Another transgender-related shooting is reported by the DC Center here.

Police seek community assistance to identify victim in Columbia Heights

John Riley reports in Metro Weekly:

Metropolitan Police Department officials held a news conference Monday afternoon, Sept. 12, to ask the press and public for help in the death investigation of an unidentified victim found in the 2600 block of 11th Street NW on Sept. 10.

Assistant Police Chief Peter J. Newsham told reporters that the deceased was found by a passerby at around 5:20 a.m. Officers responded to the scene, and the victim was taken to a local hospital, pronounced dead and taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy....

In the briefing, Newsham described the victim as a ''Hispanic or Middle Eastern male; approximately between the ages of 25 and 30; 5 foot, 8 inches with dark, wavy hair about 3 inches long,'' prompting a raised eyebrow from transgender activist Ruby Corado, who was standing next to him. Newsham said police didn't have enough information to classify the dead individual as transgender.

Newsham said the deceased had been wearing makeup and a black and purple jacket, a gray shirt made of sweatshirt-like material that had been cut like a camisole, with a plunging neckline and slits on the sides, blue shorts and carrying tan or gold high-heel shoes.

Capt. Michael Farish of the MPD's Homicide Unit ... said there has been no evidence to believe that the [LaShay] Mclean murder and some of the other incidents are hate crimes.

Later, Corado pushed back against that claim, saying, in her opinion, the crimes were hate crimes.

''It is hatred, it is transphobia, it is homophobia and unfortunately, as a society, we have let it go on for too long.''

The final quote by Ruby Corado appears to be stated as an article of faith, regardless of the evidence. This is not helpful to the police in their crime investigation or to the prosecutor. If we are unhappy with police investigations and prosecutions (or lack thereof), we undercut ourselves if we talk as if we already know the answer in particular cases that we didn't witness. Our suspicions are not admissible as evidence in court. Our goal must be apprehensions of culprits and successful prosecutions, not just venting our feelings with facile statements.

As to the dispute over the Columbia Heights victim being initially described by Newsham as male: there has been plenty of discussion over the years about the fact that every person born a male who puts on makeup and a dress is not necessarily transgender. When a victim is found that way, of course it raises a question; but if we are going to insist that police simply assume that all such persons are transgender, we can save the trouble and expense of having them investigate. I'm sure that's not what we want. One transgender activist with whom I spoke, and who had talked with police, said that from the information she had seen, she was not ready to make a conclusion either.

The crime rate against transgenders is unacceptable, the case closure rate is disturbingly low, and the frustration and anger are entirely legitimate; but it is counterproductive to respond to the situation with emotional hostage-taking. Our anger does not create facts in particular cases when they have not been established as facts. Coalition work is not easy, especially when lives are at stake, but creating durable change requires discipline and honesty.

(Photo of unidentified victim courtesy MPD)

Bigotry in Charlotte

Right Wing Watch shares an amazingly vicious piece on Charlotte Pride from an anti-gay activist named Michael Brown (no relation to the LGBT-friendly D.C. Council member), published by the American Family Association. I don't care to quote from it, but follow the link if you want to see how many bigoted bells Brown manages to ring. He even manages to treat an HIV testing truck as disreputable. Brown himself (and I know this will come as a shock) looks gay.

LGBT Asylum News roundup

Here are the latest international news items from Paul Canning at LGBT Asylum News:

• Video: Problems encountered by LGBT refugee claims in Canada

• Video: powerful new Swiss film looks at failed asylum seekers - and what happens after return

• What happens if Uganda does pass the 'Kill gays' bill?

• Action alert: US authorities won't release recognised gay Honduran refugee

• Dutch launch massive, world-first HIV/Aids program aimed at world's marginalised

• In Albania, violent attack on trans woman by police

• Resource: Right to work for asylum seekers and refugees

• In Cameroon, arrested gays 'tortured into confessing homosexuality'

• Video: More problems for Australia's 'Malaysia deal' on asylum 'boat people'; detainees 'digging their own graves'

• In UK, Border Agency mistakes costing government millions

• In Jamaica, a call for 'tolerance' finds no home on TV

• In US, new legal resource covers trans detainees

(Photo from Honduras)

Meeting with Chief Lanier

Thirteen LGBT activists met with D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier and several other police officials on Tuesday afternoon, August 16. We spent nearly two and a half hours discussing a wide range of topics, but with the main focus on transgender-related issues. The DC Trans Coalition summarizes the meeting here. Metro Weekly reports here (and note the comments below the article).

I thought it was a productive meeting in which a lot of information and ideas were exchanged. The Chief was not defensive as she was at the hearing in early July held by Councilmember Phil Mendelson. I thought it was useful to get her perspective on a lot of things. No, the Chief does not agree with us on everything; for example, she is not going to discontinue her Prostitution Free Zones, which we think facilitate anti-trans profiling. It should be kept in mind that a lot of other citizens support those zones. (My point being NOT that we should surrender to such political realities, but that we need to take them into account.) But it appears that Lanier is going to continue as Chief for some time, so we need to do our best to work with her and her staff. There is to be a follow-up meeting in two months.

Confronting Biased Policing

My column this week looks at the challenges we face in getting accountability for misconduct by some police officers in D.C. toward LGBT citizens:

[R]ecent crimes have exposed a gulf between policy and practice in the protection of LGBT citizens. Two shootings aimed at transgender women, one of them fatal, near D.C.’s eastern edge were a grim reminder of years of unsolved anti-trans murders. And the initial refusal by police to take a crime report or arrest a culprit after a hate-driven assault against five lesbians in the city’s heart showed the need for a more active role by GLLU.

One assailant in the anti-lesbian assault on July 30 was arrested last week after a Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit officer became involved. Police Chief Cathy Lanier ordered an investigation into the inaction of the officers who initially responded. Lanier is also meeting with several activists who work on public safety issues. Her responsiveness is encouraging.

MPD has a ten-page General Order on "Handling Interactions with Transgender Individuals" dated October 16, 2007. It includes this: "Members shall not solely construe gender expression or presentation as reasonable suspicion or prima facie evidence that an individual is or has engaged in prostitution or any other crime." Yet one activist’s recent acquittal following an arrest for solicitation suggests that transgender women are still targeted for entrapment. The Chief’s Prostitution Free Zones facilitate anti-trans profiling.

Read the whole thing here.

On Tuesday afternoon I will join several LGBT activists in meeting with Chief Lanier to discuss our concerns. We'll let you know how it goes.

WAMU: After Rash Of Crimes, LGBT Community Calls For Police Action

Armando Trull of public radio station WAMU attended GLAA's meeting last night and interviewed transgender activist Jeri Hughes and me about problems with D.C. police handling of anti-LGBT crimes:

D.C.'s gay, lesbian, and transgender activists are upset by a series of attacks, one of them deadly, that seem to target members of their community. Some say police response to the crimes has been disappointing, and even biased.

During a two-week period in July, a transgender sex worker was shot to death in Northeast D.C, and another transgender woman was shot and wounded just one block away. The mayor and police chief promised swift action, but activist Jeri Hughes says little has been done....

Gay advocates also point to a July 30 incident where five lesbians were attacked by two men near the Columbia Heights Metro station. The women say police officers refused to file a report or arrest the men....

The activists want Lanier to set up a board to examine cases of bias policing, similar to one that existed prior to her tenure as chief. They say Lanier dissolved the bias policing board after assuming her post.

You can listen to Trull's report (including Jeri's and my comments) here.

(Hat tip: Miguel Tuason)

Update: Mike DeBonis at WaPo has an interesting piece on "The Battle to Define Cathy Lanier." Also, police have finally arrested a man in connection with the July 20 assault on five lesbians in Columbia Heights. Thanks to the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit for taking a report on the case a few days after the officers at the crime scene refused. Lanier has said that those officers are being investigated and could face disciplinary action, though she called it "lazy policing" rather than "biased policing."

The Blade reports.

Seventh Circuit upholds rights of transgender prisoners

HRC Back Story reports on a federal appeals court decision that upholds a lower court ruling that denying hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery to transgender prisoners violates the U.S. Constitution’s Eighth Amendment prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment.

Mayor Gray charts steps to overcome anti-transgender employment barriers

I blogged previously about several activists's Aug. 4 meeting with Mayor Vincent Gray on transgender employment issues. Here is a meeting summary. Mayor Gray committed to several efforts to decrease employment barriers and increase access to jobs for transgender persons:

1. Expand cultural diversity training across District Government with a focus on LGBT and specifically transgender cultural competency. The D.C. Department of Human Resources (DHR), the Office of Human Rights (OHR), and the Office of GLBT Affairs will develop a training module for all District government employees by October 1.

2. The Department of Employment Services (DOES) will pilot a transitional employment program targeting transgender community members, to include six weeks of training coupled with subsidized paid employment.

3. DHR will explore the legal issues around use of a ranking factor (requiring agency staff expertise on transgender issues) and implementing a policy similar to the federal Schedule A (which gives agencies authority to make non-competitive appointments of persons with disabilities).

The group that met on August 4 will reconvene in September to assess progress and discuss next steps. The Office of GLBT Affairs will be the primary point of contact.

This is a good beginning. It depends upon follow-through on the specified action items. Thanks to Jeri Hughes for her leadership on this issue, and to GLBT Affairs Director Jeff Richardson for riding herd on the administration's efforts.

Update: Yusef Najafi at Metro Weekly reports.

The right stuff

(In Wilson Building lobby: Rick Rosendall, Ruby Corado, Julius Agers, Jeri Hughes. Photo by Denise Leclair)

LGBT activists met with Mayor Vincent Gray and several other government officials on August 4 to discuss steps to increase hiring of transgender people in the District of Columbia Government. Activist Jeri Hughes, who works for Transgender Health Empowerment and is a member of GLAA, requested the meeting.

(Outside Mayor Gray's office: Rick Rosendall, Jeri Hughes, Denise Leclair, Ruby Corado. Photo taken by Julius Agers)

Update: The absence of an African American transgender person from these photos has been noted. It would warm my heart if the people looking for something to complain about made it clear that they realize it is overwhelmingly unlikely that nobody cared and no efforts were made to avert such an absence. Alas, it is easier to gripe than help. In fact, D.C. LGBT Affairs Director Jeff Richardson (who is African American) strove mightily to ensure participation by a black transgender person in the Mayor's meeting yesterday. Alas, one prominent activist, who has been dealing with health issues and has done far more than her share, said she simply could not attend every meeting. Another was set to attend but had to pull out at the last minute due to a family emergency. But hey, if you think it's useful to blame the people who stepped up for those who didn't or couldn't, be our guest. Do us a favor, though: consider the possibility that there are actually people in this town who have worked for years and years for the rights of people who do not look like themselves. But to the jealous, mistrustful few who cannot see past our differences: please tell me what you were doing in the spring and summer of 1999 when I was gathering petition signatures demanding justice in the death of a black transgender woman due to discrimination by city employees. (Then-Mayor Anthony Williams agreed with us and ordered the city's lawyers to settle with Tyra Hunter's mother; they reached a settlement the following year.) As it happens, August 7 marks the 16th anniversary of Tyra's death. She and so many others who were killed by hatred and who work the streets because they have no alternative deserve our best efforts and our mutual respect and cooperation, not sniping and mistrust. In any case, we struggle forward. Lives are at stake.

AP: TSA at LAX get transgender training

AP reports:

The Transportation Security Administration said Thursday that its managers at Los Angeles International Airport are undergoing mandatory sensitivity training after a transgender employee alleged she was ordered to dress like a man, pat down male passengers and use the men's restroom.

Ashley Yang, 29, who spent two years as a security checkpoint screener at LAX, was fired last summer after co-workers observed her using the women's room, according to a copy of her termination letter obtained by The Associated Press. She contested the firing, resulting in a settlement that mandated the training.

"Ashley lives her life as a woman. Her co-workers recognized her as a woman. Passengers recognized her as a woman. But her employer didn't," said attorney Kristina Wertz of the San Francisco-based Transgender Law Center, which helped her file a civil rights complaint. "She was asked to hide who she was just in order to earn a living."

We stumble fitfully forward.

D.C. police investigate attacks on transgenders

June Q. Wu at WaPo reports on another anti-trans attack on Dix Street NE, this one non-fatal but only a block away from the one that killed Lashai McLean:

District police are investigating possible links between two recent attacks, one which was fatal, against transgender persons in Northeast, police said Tuesday.

Around 2:45 a.m. on Sunday, a man approached a transgender person in the 6200 block of Dix Street NE and asked for change, police said.

Before the person could answer, the man pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and shot at the victim. The victim was not hit, police said.

The attack may be linked to the killing of a 23-year-old transgender person in Northeast last month under similar circumstances, police said....

Police are investigating the attacks as a "potential emerging pattern," given the nature and location of the crimes, according to Officer Tisha Gant, a Metropolitan Police Department spokeswoman.

Lou Chibbaro at the Blade reports:

“The Metropolitan Police Department’s Sixth District, the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit (GLLU), and Prince George’s County Police Department have teamed together to enhance patrol efforts in the area where the crimes have occurred,” the police statement says. “The GLLU is focusing on making contact with people in the area. We will ensure that flyers are distributed on both crimes.”

The statement says D.C. police are also enlisting the support of community groups such as T.H.E. and other members of the transgender community to distribute safety messages to those who hang out in that location.

“Do not walk alone,” says one of the messages. The other says, “Report suspicious persons and activities immediately to us.”

In a related story, Chibbaro reports on a mass walkout at Lashai McLean's funeral after disrespectful remarks by a pastor and a deacon.

Mourners challenge pastor's bigotry at Lashai McLean funeral

D.C. comedian and writer Sampson McCormick posted messages on Facebook on Wednesday (July 27) concerning disrespect shown toward LaShai McLean from the pulpit at her funeral on Wednesday (which I unfortunately missed due to a work conflict):

Is this pastor really preaching a 'wages of sin' sermon at this transgender woman's funeral??? #ohhellno

The family is affirming, but the pastor isn't. There was a MASS EXIT when he got up there. Everybody else got quiet.

It was a mess, they kept calling her 'him' and then the congregation would get up and correct with 'SHE'. you would think it waa in the south, but it was right in tge heart if DC. The man who preached, looked like a black, colonel Sanders, and kept saying 'this death is the consequence of living this lifestyle'

... You know some people were objecting, but they weren't standing up saying 'Not my Jesus', they wete getting up saying 'Fuck that.' In long lines leaving. It was crazy. Never seen anything like it.

It was SAD! But u know those queens in there, read his ass for the blood of the saints, honey!!! His name is Pastor A.W. Montgomery, Sr. insensitive, trans-homophobic, disrespectful old man, who looks like THE COLONEL from KFC.

Thanks to Sampson for documenting this, and bless the people who challenged the bigoted pastor and walked out. We cannot change the world or people's minds all at once, but we sure can make it clear that we will not silently accept that kind of disrespect at a funeral.

Also, I have an update to my blog post from yesterday. The Blade this morning (July 29) updated Lou Chibbaro's July 25 story with additional information that he provided after he was accused of speculation and anti-trans bias by the DC Trans Coalition:

Court records show that Mclean was arrested on a charge of “inviting for purposes of prostitution” on Aug. 5, 2010 at 4:45 a.m. on the unit block of K Street, N.E. as part of a sting operation conducted by undercover male D.C. police officers.

Records filed in D.C. Superior Court show that Mclean accepted an offer by the U.S. Attorney’s office to enroll in a court diversion program operated by the local group Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS). The program called for Mclean to successfully complete eight sessions of HIPS’ Trans-In-Formation program, a counseling and self-help program that HIPS created under a federal grant to enable transgender sex workers avoid prosecution when arrested on solicitation related charges and become productive citizens.

Court records show Mclean successfully completed the program and the U.S. Attorney’s office dismissed the charge against her on May 9 of this year.

HIPS Executive Director Cyndee Clay said Mclean worked well in the program and the group was pleased to help her. At the vigil on Saturday, HIPS Outreach Manager Jenna Mellor told the gathering she was honored to have known Mclean.

“Every time you talked to Shai you really knew how strong she is,” Mellor said. “And it’s an inspiration to see someone live that strongly every day.”

Telling Lashai's story without censoring the unpleasant bits does not have to be seen as disrespectful — it can help others. Speaking of HIPS’ Trans-In-Formation program, Chibbaro tells me that their federal grant was not renewed. That is most unfortunate. These marginalized women need a lot of help to escape their circumstances and build a better life for themselves. They need us to speak up for them.

Anti-trans murders, news reporting, and the police

Lou Chibbaro's July 25 story on the July 23 vigil for murdered transwoman Lashai McLean has provoked some angry responses from the transgender community. The DC Trans Coalition has posted a strongly-worded attack on what they call "the Blade’s egregious speculation" in response to this passage, which begins with Chibbaro's reference to remarks at the vigil by former Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit leader, openly gay Sgt. Brett Parson:

Parson now works as a patrol supervisor in the Six District, where the incident occurred.

“I know that many of you are hurting right now,” he said. “I know that many of you are angry. And you have a right to be because any time a member of our family is taken from us in such a violent way it should make our entire community angry,” he said.

“I want you to know that we get it. We understand that the anger is not just that Lashai was gunned down senselessly,” he said. “But it’s that Lashai was forced to be in a place and time to be ripe for victimization and that those circumstances have to change.”

Although Parson did not say so directly, he may have been referring to the fact that Mclean was shot shortly after 4 a.m. in an alley near the corner of 61st and Dix Streets, N.E., which is a location well known as a gathering place for transgender prostitutes and the men that patronize their services.

Groomes said police could not immediately determine whether the incident was prostitution related but said investigators were looking into that as a possibility.

The trouble with DCTC's objection is that Lou was not speculating. He had investigated the matter and was reporting. That is his job. The attack by DCTC will probably force him to report details from Lashai's arrest record that he chose out of delicacy to avoid mentioning. Hasty charges of anti-trans bias are unjust and counterproductive.

If you scroll down to the bottom of the Blade article, you can read the comments, to which I contributed. I know this is painful and that there is a lot of justifiable anger at the continued murderous violence against transgender people in this city. There is also legitimate frustration with the Metropolitan Police Department. Some of us are going to meet with Chief Lanier next month to try to press ahead. But addressing the problem requires restraint, respect, and channeling our anger productively. It is mightily difficult to talk about ongoing injustices in a way that promotes needed discussions rather than shutting them down; but we have to try.

Vigil held for Lashay McLean

The early morning hours last Wednesday saw the latest murder of one of our transgender sisters, Lashay McLean. At 7 pm yesterday, several dozen people braved the extreme heat and humidity to gather at 61st and Dix Streets NE, the site of the murder, for a vigil in Lashay’s memory. We were joined by several members of her family as well as police officials, representatives of the mayor, and activists who continue to work for our safety.

Adding sadness upon sadness, Lashay’s mother, overcome by grief, appeared to have a seizure as the vigil ended. Our thoughts and prayers go to her for her recovery and to all of Shay’s family and friends, including the good folks at Transgender Health Empowerment who have served Shay and so many others and have had to mourn far too many of them.

Words come to mind from Duke Ellington’s song “Come Sunday”: “God of love, please look down and see my people through.” Here is a rendition by Mahalia Jackson from the Newport Jazz Fest from 53 years ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOpb7wZmEUk

Update: Metro Weekly reports on the vigil.

July 23 - Vigil for Lashai Mclean, 7 pm

DC Trans Coalition announces:

Today, we have sad news. Another trans sister has been taken from us. See here for the news article about the events, and read our press release below (also available as a PDF). Please share this statement, and come to the vigil this Saturday, July 23rd at 7pm on the 6100 block of Dix Street NE.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2011
Contact: Vanessa Crowley
202.681.3282 / dctc@dctranscoalition.org

DC Trans Coalition Grieves After Violence Claims Yet Another Transgender Woman’s Life
Group Calls for Solidarity in Response to Violence in Our Communities
Washington, DC – In the early hours of Wednesday, July 20th, 2011, Lashai Mclean, a 23 year old transgender woman, was murdered in Northeast DC. The murder took place near the Wanda Alston House, a housing program for homeless LGBTQ youth operated by Transgender Health Empowerment (T.H.E.). Another trans woman was present during the attack and, thankfully, escaped. The Metropolitan Police Department has no leads or possible motives, and has not classified Lashai’s murder as a hate crime.

Lashai was a friend to many people in the community – including several DC Trans Coalition (DCTC) organizers who offer our sincerest condolences to those grieving this loss. We must stress once again the absolute necessity for the police and media to respect Lashai’s gender identity. The least we can do to honor her memory is to respect her chosen, lived identity.

While nothing can bring back those we have lost or undo the suffering we share, we can and should confront the daily terror and anxiety that trans and gender non-conforming people face. We can do this by building networks of mutual support and solidarity that sustain our efforts to feel safe and make change. Together, we must challenge institutional racism, poverty, transphobic attitudes, lack of social services, criminalization of sex work, and other policies that jeopardize our security.

We demand that MPD make finding Lashai’s killer a top priority, lest she become a repeat of the unsolved 2009 lethal stabbing of Tyli’a “NaNa Boo” Mack in broad daylight, or the 2010 assault of Chloe Moore by an off-duty MPD officer who has not been charged in the case. “Lashai’s murder is yet another visceral reminder that transgender women are consistently placed in dangerous situations. These acts of violence are not isolated incidents. The recent findings of the DC Trans Needs Assessment show trans communities in DC have overwhelming concern for our physical safety,” said Sadie Vashti, a DCTC organizer who knew Lashai. “Regardless of the individual motive in this case, our lives are institutionally marginalized and regarded as expendable. This makes trans women – especially women of color and those involved, or presumed to be involved, in the sex industry – far more susceptible to violence.”

We continue to hope for a future where there are no more senseless and violent deaths in our communities. Lashai’s memory will strengthen our resolve to continue surviving, supporting one another, and struggling for a better world. There will be a vigil July 23rd at 7pm on the 6100 block of Dix Street NE, the site where Lashai was killed.

BTW, I have seen two different spellings of Mclean's first name. I don't know which is correct.

Transgender woman shot to death in Northeast D.C.

Yusef Najafi reports the awful news at Metro Weekly:

A transgender woman was shot and killed in Northeast D.C. during the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 20. The Metropolitan Police Department has little information about the suspects other than that they are ''two black males,'' according to MPD Public Information Officer Gwen Crump.

The victim has been identified as 23-year-old Lashay Mclean of Northeast. The homicide took place on the 6100 block of Dix Street NE, in the same neighborhood as the Wanda Alston House, the home for LGBT youth that is a project of Transgender Health Empowerment (THE).

If you have information that might help the police investigation into Lashay's murder, call MPD's toll-free crime tip line at 1-888-919-CRIME.

Sigh. Just this morning, in my written testimony for the hate crimes hearing that was held on July 6, I wrote about transgender people being the highest-risk members of our community. We could have done without this confirmation. May Lashay rest in peace, and may her killers be found and prosecuted. We have to stop the hate. And we have to give our transgender sisters better options so that they aren't on the streets "during the early morning hours" when they are more vulnerable. This is senseless. Lashay was a client of THE. Our condolences to them and to her friends.

(Photo of Lashay Mclean)

International LGBT news roundup

Paul Canning at LGBT Asylum News shares these news items:

• In Malawi, more scapegoating of LGBT as riots erupt

• Breakthrough: UK to record sexuality-based asylum claims

• Video: Landmark documentary on intersex people

• In Kenya, arrests for gay sex

• Video: Sudanese LGBT produce first video

• Small gain as Hong Kong extends relationship visas to LGBT families

• In Dominica, one gay man speaks out

And check out this action alert from the National Immigrant Justice Center:

• Tell President Obama and DHS to End Abuse of LGBT Immigrants in Detention

70 Percent of Anti-LGBT Murder Victims Are People of Color

Michael Lavers reports at ColorLines:

It’s an all too common, if shocking story: A transgender Latina woman with HIV is attacked on a street close to her home in a low-income neighborhood in the Bay Area. Making a bad situation worse, police officers literally drag her from her bed at 6 a.m. because they think she committed the crime herself.

“They kept telling her she wasn’t who she was, and that she was a man,” explained María Carolina Morales of the San Francisco-based Communities United Against Violence as she recounted the incident to Colorlines. “She was arrested. She was taken to the station. She wasn’t listened to. She spent the weekend in jail.”

The woman went to court a month after her arrest, but disappeared shortly after her court date.

“She was somebody who was unemployed, who didn’t have a safety net,” noted Morales. “We don’t know if she ran away, if she ended up in jail or [was] transferred to another place, another city. Her phone was disconnected the day after court. We just don’t know—don’t know what happened.”

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs released its annual report on hate violence motivated by sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and HIV status last week. The report documents 27 anti-LGBT murders in 2010, which is the second highest annual total recorded since 1996. A whopping 70 percent of these 27 victims were people of color; 44 percent of them were transgender women.

(Hat tip: Mark Thompson)

DC Trans Coalition releases Needs Assessment Findings

Metro Weekly reports that the DC Trans Coaliton has issued areport on phase one of its Needs Assessment Project.  Phase one of of the assessment had three primary sections: map-­‐making, discussion, and needs/survey questions. Participants drew maps of DC that showed how they see themselves living and working in the city. This led to a discussion of how participant view their needs are ot being met and of questions that should be included in a broader community survey.

[Phase one found that] nearly all those participating in this project placed issues of safety and security as top concerns. This included physical safety and harassment (from the general population and from police), self-­‐esteem and emotional safety, housing stability, joblessness, lack of employment opportunities and job security, accurate personal documentation (including for those currently lacking i mmigration status), and a lack of secure access to medical/mental health resources.

The Needs Assessment project will continue in three more phases:  paper and online surveys of 500 - 1,000 community members;  analysis of roundtable and survey results and distribution of findings; and the creation of a  task force to implement recommendations in DC law, policy and community projects.  GLAA is pleased to be a supporter of the Needs Assessment Project.

(via DCGayEtc)