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Tennessee Vals
Newsletter NOVEMBER 2001
Upcoming
Group Meetings
In This Issue:
The Queens Throne by Marisa
Richmond
marisaval@aol.com
As-salaam-alaikum (Peace be unto you)
Here we are trying to get back to our normal lives--downloading photos of Anna Kournikova while listening to “insensitive” songs like Ob-la-di Ob-la-da, A World Without Love, or Imagine (at least 29 of which are in my record collection....)–while wondering how people can justify some many acts of hatred and violence towards others. These include not just the recent terrorist attacks by suicide hijackers, but the anthrax mailings and the attacks upon people who are perceived to be Arab or Muslim. It is worth noting that homo sapiens seems to be the only species capable of such acts towards others. So you cannot really say these people are acting like animals. My cats are certainly no threat to other cats....only to recently upholstered furniture.
Actually, I think other animals species are often nicer than humans. If nothing else, my cats are definitely a lot smarter than either Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson, or all those who feel that the only good American is one who ignores the First Amendment mandated separation of church and state.
Those attacks on the United States nearly overshadowed the annual Southern Comfort Conference, which began the very next week. All of us who were involved in organizing and planning the event were uncertain what effect it would have, but we quickly agreed that we had to go forward. Not only did the President of the United States point out that we needed to resume our normal lives as quickly as possible to show terrorists that they cannot stop the affairs of the country, but the transgender community has long insisted that we will not cower or live in fear. This made the decision to move forward a real no-brainer. And I think I speak for all who worked or attended that we made the right decision.
When I drove down on Monday afternoon, the hotel was quieter than I had ever seen it, but attendees were already starting to arrive. I estimate that there must have been about 20 people hanging around the bar that evening. It picked up quickly over the next couple of days, until we had approximately 400 in attendance on Thursday, and concluded with 600 on Saturday!
Because of my role as Co-Chair this year, I spent a lot of time running around checking on rooms and making sure equipment had been delivered to the right place. I did have a few minor glitches, however, I managed to get most issues resolved quickly. But as a result, I found myself spending much less time socializing in the bar than in previous years because I was simply too worn out.
We did have our share of cancellations, which was to be expected, but overall, the mood was a very positive one. Despite the somber mood in the rest of the country, not one person there said The Thrill is Gone. Many first timers told me how excited they were to be there, having heard about it from others. While veterans, who make SCC a highlight of their annual schedules, seemed equally glad we were meeting. Not surprisingly, the hotel was delighted just to have business again. In fact, the best comment about the convention came from the hotel management: “Your people really know how to drink.” Actually, we did tell them that beforehand, but until you see 400 transies slugging cocktails with your own eyes, no amount of warning can prepare you for it.
One person did remark that the mood this year was a bit more relaxed and subdued than in previous years. This was, undoubtedly, due to the events in the news, which made personal problems seem insignificant in comparison. It was incredibly positive. Unfortunately, we still had our share of folks who were determined to be miserable and complain. I was astounded to hear that some were vocally upset that we had the audacity to serve fish at one luncheon. With five major meals being planned, we tried to provide variety with beef, chicken, and pork all being served in addition to fish. You cannot please all of the people all of the time, but for anyone to throw a childish tantrum over one meal is just downright immature. Those folks need to grow up.
Overall, it was a very positive experience. I am quite glad I was a part of it and I owe a deep debt of gratitude to all those who worked with me over the past few months to make it happen. But next year, the headaches belong to someone else. You can expect to find me at the bar at closing time....wondering why Clear Channel Communications decided that Ragg Mopp was a culturally sensitive song.
Finally, we understand that some new inquiries have had trouble reaching us by e-mail. Just remember, besides the generic e-mail address, you can send a letter to our P.O. Box, call our voice mail, or e-mail any of the board members (who are listed on the web site) directly. If you find yourself waiting more than 48 hours for a response, take some initiative and use one of these other methods. We do make every effort to respond quickly, but sometimes the individual responsible for maintaining one or another of these resources gets backlogged for other reasons.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving. And this year, Eat Fish! Wa-alaikum-salaam (and unto you be peace).
an Editorial Commentary by Pamela DeGroff
I’m not even going to try and add any more brave words or heartfelt sentiments to what has already been written concerning the events of September 11th. Many others, both professional journalists and just plain folks writing from their heart, have done a better job than I can. What happened that day will always mark the beginning of the 21st century as the day America changed-perhaps forever.
Do these changes that are beginning to become part of our live have much bearing on the transgender community? It’s hard to say at this early date, as the government begins to take steps to deal with this tragedy. Already, the “Internet activists” are flooding cyberspace with a hodgepodge of speculation and pseudo-conspiracy theories regarding how many of our civil liberties we’ll have to give up in order to live in peace and safety.
We’ve seen an example of this locally here at the Nashville Airport when a businessman was arrested for having an automatic rifle in the trunk of his car. Any vehicle within 300 feet of the terminal is subject to search and this gentleman, who has no prior record and owns the weapon legally, according to various news sources, simply forgot it was there.
To the transgendered individual who is working hard to pass in public, such incidents are a real wake up call to what we might be facing. In the struggle for transgender rights, national trans activists groups have realized that much of their work will be harder to do on the national level. Vanessa Edwards-Foster of NTAC (the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition) recently circulated a memo that addressed these concerns. In it, she points out that access to our Congressional representatives in Washington DC will probably be somewhat difficult to arrange, at least for a while. The practice of “dropping by” an office without an appointment will probably be a thing of the past. It will give the office staff an easier excuse not to see a representative of the gender community.
There will be logistical complications to the lobbying process such as very increased on-site security measures. Your picture ID had better match your physical appearance, and even if it does, you will probably be searched thoroughly. This is going to bring about many embarrassing situations that even the seasoned lobbyist won’t want to deal with.
Cell phone communication with other lobbyists while in DC could be restricted, or curtailed altogether. Other means of communication such as e-mail could even be stopped, or so bogged down as to be virtually useless.
“These new complications may require us to move our emphasis from the national arena to the local offices,” she said in the memo. “How the security problems may increase local office logistics is unknown, but certainly will be much less complicated than national.”
Nonetheless, the work will go on. Perhaps only the old guard diehards will manage to get any really constructive work done for gender rights. If this happens, a lot of potentially capable young activists will be intimidated to even try.
Then again, with the resilience that the trans community has always shown in the face of trouble and even despair at times, we’ll get through this. We’ve come too far to not keep going. We’re Americans who only want what is rightfully ours: to live and work and partake of--and give back to--our country.
In the October issue of Transgender Community News, there was this short message that was inserted with the magazine. Written by Terry McCorkell, Chair of the Renaissance Board of Directors, it sums up honestly where we should focus our energy during this time:
A
Blonde, Brunette AND Redhead
byJulie
Phillips FabulBabe@aol.com
Finally, I’ve Stopped Sweating
Some girls just love the summer. The combination of heat and sunshine is everything they love. It means they can parade around pools and parks in their short tops, sharing their bellybutton and size 28 waists with the whole world. Yeah, yeah, yeah—whatever.
Then there’s me.
Being a non-lover of perspiration and running makeup, a girl who refuses to do 200 sit-ups a night, a femme fatale who gets grumpy in hot weather, I couldn’t be happier that cooler weather has finally arrived.
Autumn is a bit of a trade-off, though. For everything that’s great about the coolness, there’s a ‘yang’ to it. For while the leaves may deliver a brilliant display of color and beauty, then eventually start to fall and end up on the ground. Come to think of it, that pretty well describes me on various Saturday nights, though mine’s not a seasonal occurrence.
Cool weather means many so many more wardrobe options: I can wear jeans all I want with no pesky chafing; I can wear gowns as often as I want with no perspiration; I can wear short dresses simply by layering on the pantyhose (an old football player’s trick); I can wear leather jackets and faux-fur coats and wool sweaters—all things that hot weather rules out. And sit-ups are not necessary to look good in any of them.
Sure, I’m the same girl who whined constantly about the cold weather all last year. My annual It’s Too Damned Cold column will rear it’s ugly head soon enough. Here and now, though, I’ve forgotten exactly how cold COLD can be. Heat, perspiration and pesky chafing are fresh in the mind, so I‘m delighted about chilly days and cold nights and the new, fashionable wardrobe opportunities they offer.
Note to Mr. Wonderful: Please lock up our credit cards now.
My Closet by Leslie Louise DuPaix lldupaix@hotmail.com
Last month's column where I touched on the subject of reincarnation triggered some responses from my readership. (Actually the responses were less than 2, but compared with the normal feedback from most of my columns, the feed back was significant and greatly appreciated). The reincarnation thing is something I have come to take very seriously and have found to make wonderful connections between seemingly disconnected and confusing areas of my life.
The question was asked, "If everyone has had both male and female lives, why isn't everyone transgendered?" And I think a perfectly good answer might well be, "Everyone is." The rub is that everyone just doesn't know it, or represses it. Early huperson (I AM trying to be politically correct and offend none . . . really) in his/her attempts to make sense of the world made coarse sorts. An obvious coarse sort is male/female.
There are some advantages (sort of) to this sort of sort in terms of stability and even survivability. It wold follow that in the interest of uniformity of the tribe/culture such distinctions would be reinforced and given great importance. Sometimes too much importance, perhaps, but everyone would have got the message by the time they attained adulthood and certain social aspects would have less surprises and there would be some control over procreation. My point is that tribes/cultures worry about things that are seen as real and relevant. That so many cultures have gone to great lengths to define gender roles and expectations tells me that the blurring of gender roles and behavior is a natural tendency.
T-ness may well be something so natural and likely that the society and culture must worry about and define what is "correct" lest people naturally do something else. Dr. Esther Villar in her book The Manipulated Man talks about how organized religion controls by identifying something pleasurable, making it a sin, and then playing off of the resulting guilt. Organized religion is merely a sub-set of culture and society, so controlling fun is a good tool in general and not limited to organized religion. Now a lot of this gender distinction has to do with other things that a modern T person really doesn't care about, and T-phobia and control does not pretend to explain everything.
I think T-ness is probably a universal. The stats that show that some small proportion of society is "T" really are saying "the proportion of folks that can acknowledge humankind's natural tendency and reject society's conditioning to the point that society becomes so concerned about their behavior that it is willing to pay me to count them is very small."
Going back to the reincarnation thing, I think (and this is pretty much in line with general consensus of folks who think about such) that if you are reading this column you are a reasonably advanced soul and this is NOT your first time doing the earth trip thing. You have probably had many lives, and probably close to a 50/50 split M/F. You also have had lives as a warrior, a mother, a peasant and all sorts of other things. This time around you have chosen to play off of some of that past experience, spin it, and learn from it.
Think about some natural ability or interest you have that has no real obvious reason or explanation. It may well be from a past life and in this one you have chosen to re-visit it at a new level. This time around, we T folks have chosen to experience the gender/sexual thing from a new position.
Like someone said, "Sex is wonderful. Everyone ought to have at least one." This time around we get to have at least two. Is that something to grab your attention? Don't know ‘bout you, but it sure has mine. Sometimes more than I really want to give it. Am I learning a lot of things I would never even know about? You bet. Am I becoming an advanced soul? I am sure of it. There is so much past experience a soul can draw from, that it must pick and choose. Everyone is, I think, potentially T. Most choose to not deal with that, or at least not put it at the top of their list. Some choose to be musicians, or artists. Maybe next time they will not be handicapped with just one gender or sex.
A hot book of late is Neal Walsch's Conversations with God. A basic theme he develops is that one of the purpose of life is to experience all the possibilities in creation. That is what we are all doing, experiencing a different part of The Great Oz's creation. And we twin-spirited folk get to double our experience and hopefully our pleasure this time around.
Next time around the gender/sex thing may be on my back burner and I may be "normal" although with my luck, by then, the T thing will be normal and I will be a strange minority again. Can I learn from that? You bet, if I have to. Having done it at least once, the next time will be a snap.
Left
of Center by Pamela DeGroff
(Author's Note:Working for the Health Department, invariably I come across information that can have some bearing on the Transgender community. One of our supervisors, who knows about me, recently gave me a copy of a journal entitled the Psychology and Aids Exchange (summer 2001/issue 30), which is published by the American Psychological Association. The focus of this particular issue deals with HIV/AIDS in the Transgender community. Some very familiar names, people I’ve interviewed for other projects, were listed as authors of several of the journals articles. Dallas Denny of AEGIS co-authored the lead article with Carol D. Denniston, PhD. Jessica Xavier of Gender Education Advocacy has two articles published in this issue. These are people who are part of the “old guard” of our community, people who have been activists for years and know first hand the discrimination on all levels many transgendered persons face.)
A Brief Overview of Transgender Identity: Historical and Mental Health Perspectives-the lead article co-authored by Dallas Denny and Carol D. Denniston, PhD, contains good background information regarding just who transgendered people are. It also, although briefly because of space limitations, calls attention to the fact that sexual orientation and gender identity are entirely separate considerations.
There are many references to the work of other scholars regarding the history of gender expression and transsexualism, In recognizing and calling attention to the existence of the transgendered experience, the article discusses the discrimination and consequences thereof that TG individuals can experience.
“Today a large community exists, consisting of crossdressers, transsexuals, and transgenderists, most of whom are from the middle and upper classes...there is a second and largely underground group of trans. people with incomes below the poverty level. This group does not enjoy the same access to health care as the first, and faces a variety of health risks, including HIV.” (P.5,6)
Because of the difficulty and discrimination some TG people face in getting and/or keeping a job, the risk of HIV increases when some turn to sex work and black market hormones, which often involves needle sharing. The prevalence of HIV among Trans sex workers can range up to 68%, depending upon which geographic area of the country the data comes from. Although such information is becoming widely known, very little is being done, (from both ends of the problem) to help reduce these risks.
“It is difficult to assess accurately the impact HIV has had on the Transgender community...there are very few studies on rates of HIV infection among Transgendered individuals who do not work in the sex industry. Finally, there is very little in the way of research addressing HIV and FTM individuals.” (P.8)
In one of the two articles authored by Jessica Xavier, entitled Transgendered People and Public Health Policy, she discusses prevailing attitudes of health care providers towards the transgendered patient.. In this article, she mentions the U.S. Public Health Service’s release of a document called Healthy People which is a blueprint of sorts for funding and research priorities for federal health care agencies. In the Healthy People 2010 update, sexual orientation was hardly mentioned, and Transgender appears only once, in the substance abuse chapter.
This exclusion was vigorously protested by the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, and eventually a companion document regarding Trans issues was released. This was partly in response to the CDC’s insistence to include Trans people of either gender with the Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) category.
“However, there are more than enough factors to warrant their separation,” Ms. Xavier writes. “These factors include the impact of higher per capata rates of discrimination and violence...transphobia and trans-ignorance as barriers to health care access...the impact of negative body issues on safer sex practices, increased substance abuse rates...the invisibility of FTM’s and female bodied transgendered people; and the effects of gender identity issues on HIV prevention and education. (P.19)
The dire need for education concerning Transgendered issues is evident, not only for the public, but for health care professionals as well.
“Without such advocacy and assistance,” Ms. Xavier concludes in this article, “improving the health and well being of Transgendered people will remain very problematic.” (P.22)
The second article by Jessica Xavier, HIV/AIDS In Transgender Populations, addresses some of the reasons why the need for education exists.
There is a basic lack of research aimed primarily at transgendered populations. This is due in part to the social stigmatization felt by many Trans individuals who fear being outed because of job and/or family concerns. Also, compared to the Gay and Lesbian communities, the numbers of people who identify as Transgender are relatively small. In many cases, Trans people are rendered almost invisible. Female to male transsexuals have almost become an entirely undocumented group.
“Studies of other at risk populations,” Ms. Xavier writes, “have repeatedly demonstrated that a clear understanding of the cultural complexities of a given population is a key factor in developing effective, targeted HIV education and prevention materials.” (P. 4, 16)
In June, 2001, the CDC mentioned transgendered people by name in a Progress Announcement focusing on Young Men of Color Who Have Sex With Men—a first for the CDC.
This is a step in the right direction, albeit a small one. One of the realities of the Transgender population in any sizable metropolitan area is the desperation some individuals use to rationalize their entrance into the sex trade. This desperation sometimes give rise to unprotected sex and rampant substance abuse. As mentioned before, needle sharing is common place, not only for street drugs but for the use of black market hormones as well.
Many Trans sex workers, of both genders, perceive themselves to be a low risk for HIV. Also, may will not bother getting tested because of the lack of sensitivity and awareness by medical providers, as well as fear that their Transgender status will be revealed to family, friends, and co-workers who might not know.
The last several years have seen an increase in positive portrayals of TG individuals in movies and television, although not nearly frequent enough to change some popular misconceptions. It’s sad that it has taken a devastating epidemic such as HIV/AIDS to bring the Transgender community to the attention of health care professionals. At the same time, however, it is encouraging that the needs of our community, (which encompass the spiritual and psychological, as well as the physical) are beginning to be understood for what they truly are-legitimate needs of real people who live, work, play, and strive to belong and take part in what society has to offer. Trans inclusion means more than just the politics of civil rights. It also means access to proper health care and consoling.
(Note: Locally, for STD and HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, feel free to contact either:
Nashville Cares: P.O. Box 25107 700 Craighead Street, Suite 200 Nashville, TN 37202 Phone: 615/259-4866 or 1-800/845-4266
Metro-Davidson County Health Department: Lentz Health Center 311 23rd Avenue North Nashville, TN 37203 Phone: 615/340-5647
Toll free hotline numbers: In Tennessee: 1-800/524-2437 Nationally: 1-800/342-2437
For copies of the Exchange Journal, contact the American Psychological Association: Phone: 1-800/374-2721 Website: www.apa.org/books/4312320.html)
.
NEWS TRANS-missions
news, media mentions, etc...
NTAC Cheers Summer of TG Advances
A host of recent advances in transgender inclusion to non-discrimination and hate crimes law prompts NTAC, the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition, to praise the bravery and dedication of workers around the country. Rhode Island, Houston, Pennsylvania, and others have recognized the need to pass trans-inclusive legislation and have embraced the challenge of enacting such laws.
RI TAKES THE
LEAD
Rhode Island became the second state
in the nation (after Minnesota in 1993) to adopt a statewide non-discrimination
law that clearly prohibits discrimination against transgender people in
employment, housing, credit and public accommodations. The law, passed July
17, 2001 amends all of the state's non-discrimination laws to ensure that
transgender people who face discrimination may seek redress...
The statute adds the phrase "gender
identity or expression" to Rhode Island's non-discrimination laws and defines
gender identity and expression in broad, inclusive terms...
NTAC lauds the efforts of RIALGCR and GLAD in their commitment to ending discrimination and ability to forge coalition and consensus.
HOUSTON IN THE
PINK
Houston's city council recently
approved an ordinance that protects city employees based on sexual orientation,
or gender identity. The July 25 vote was historic in one sense: it is the
first legislative protections covering "gender identity" anywhere in the
state of Texas. It was also the first transgender rights victory in which
NTAC was actively involved.
In 1998, Mayor Lee Brown enacted an executive order, which defined sexual identity in a manner that covered transgenders similar to Minnesota's more subtle language on non-discrimination. Two months later, that executive order was subsequently forced into legal limbo from a suit filed by opposing city council member Rob Todd.
This time, however, there was no guesswork involved. City Council passed the amendment to the city employment non-discrimination ordinance by a 10-4 vote, with one absence. The newly amended city employment ordinance now adds "sexual orientation and gender identity" to the other categories in which discrimination will not be tolerated...
"The Constitution guarantees that we all have the same opportunities, the same rights," Mayor Brown stated during a press conference after the historic vote. The non-discrim-ination ordinance, he added, was "the right thing to do."
"I'm proud to be a Houstonian, and I'm very proud of my city right now!" gushed an ebullient council member, Annise Parker. "And I'm proud of the courage that the mayor and at least most of my colleagues exhibited in voting for what was right." Parker, the catalyst for the GLBT non-discrimination push, has been unwavering in her support for inclusion in her work on city council.
NTAC highly praises the heroic efforts of Mayor Lee Brown, Council Member Annise Parker, and the People for a Fair Houston Committee.
VICTORY IN PENNSYLVANIA STATE
SENATE:
The Pennsylvania Senate passed fully
inclusive hate crimes legislation in a stunning and unexpectedly strong vote
of 32 to 15. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives will vote on the issue
in the next legislative session.
Individual members of SPARC (the Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition) worked with PAGALA (the Pennsylvania Gay and Lesbian Alliance for Political Action) to pass, in one legislative house, historic pro-active legislation protecting the rights of its lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens. Importantly, the bill contains what may be the most inclusive language of any hate crimes bill in the country. Bill 1493 adds "actual or perceived ancestry, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity" to the existing Ethnic Intimidation Act, broadening protection beyond the basis of "race, color, religion, or national origin".
The victory is particularly sweet because many individuals and elected officials contributed to this extraordinary effort... All twenty Democrats and twelve of thirty Republicans joined together in a bipartisan effort...
NTAC congratulates SPARC, PAGALA and WGTE on their inspirational work and their historic success.
Nationally the transgender community has enjoyed a number of successes, and work continues in other locales, which may provide even more victories. In light of the tragedies of September 11, 2001, however, there have been questions about whether any future rights attainment, or indeed the basic civil rights we already enjoy, will take a back seat to the nation's concerns for security.
Underscoring those concerns, a number of politically religious leaders have attempted to exploit the nation's emotional distress by trying to affix blame to the GLBT community, among others, for incurring the wrath of God.
The efforts to incite negativity and hatred toward us continue to escalate. While supporting the national efforts at unity, we must remain vigilant of those who might take advantage of this opportunity to halt or erode our civil rights. As our country prepares to battle terrorism from abroad, we must also prepare to battle those who would oppress or terrorize their own citizens from within.
Source: NTAC press release 10/01 .
.
New Zealand's TS Politician Changes Her Mind
Georgina Beyer, New Zealand's first transgendered MP, said she has changed her mind and will run again for parliament. Beyer, a former male stripper, was elected to a Labour seat in a traditionally conservative rural area. Labour Party whip Chris Carter said: "Georgina is a very capable and effective politician. The fact that a transsexual, a former sex worker and a Labour candidate could win the historically centre-right electorate of Wairarapa says a great deal about how far New Zealand has come in accepting people for their own worth."
Source: via GAIN 10/01
The Boy Who Would Be (Homecoming) Queen
A 21-year-old man said his short
reign as homecoming queen at the University of Minnesota, Morris, was both
exciting and scary. "I had to have that tiara," joked Patrick Woods, who
reigned for two days last weekend, adding that it was "the best and worst
experience of my life. "He said he wasn't trying to make a
political statement about gender roles, although
he said he thought homecoming was a somewhat outdated event. "And since the
student body elected me, lots of them must agree," he said. Students chose
Woods to preside over homecoming festivities with king Ryan Brux. Woods received
thunderous applause at the three big homecoming events--the coronation, parade,
and football game--but his experience also had a darker side. The men's wrestling
team boycotted some homecoming activities, and this week Woods has found
himself the target of threats that have made him "feel more afraid than I
ever have in my life.... I can't believe how seriously people take this,"
he said. "I mean, homecoming is just a two-day event. It's not like I'm going
to be out cutting ribbons at Wal-Marts or something. "Woods was nominated
by E-Quality (the school's gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender student
organization), the Women's Resource Center, and his rock-climbing club. "I'm
a pretty social guy, but now I don't feel like I can go anywhere alone and
be safe," he said. "I wish life could just go back to normal. But it's not."
source: The University Register and Reuters 10/04/01
Former Cop Has a Change of Story- and Gender
Former Florida City Capt. Scott Cote swore under oath last year that his wife Janet, a Miami-Dade County police dispatcher, got hurt on the job and had a legitimate disability claim. But since then, Scott has had a change of heart -- and gender. Amid a messy divorce, he admitted lying. He now tells prosecutors that Janet staged her accident. Scott, however, is now Stacey Cote. Sex change.
"He had to come forward and be truthful," says Stacey's lawyer, Norliza Batts. As for his gender, "He had to be true to himself."
Says Stacey: ``Since I was 6, I knew I was a female -- but you overcompensate on the macho stuff." She has shelled out...for the gender change -- hormone treatments, hair removal by laser and electrolysis, breast implants. ``I've got one more surgery to go.'' Vaginoplasty, scheduled for June 3. He says he is finally happy. ``I love what I see now.''
Charged with insurance fraud, perjury and grand theft, Janet Cote, 37, is set to go to trial Oct. 22. She faces up to 15 years in prison. Her lawyer, Douglas Hartman, calls Scott/Stacey, 44, a ``disgruntled ex-husband to be.''
Janet's case began in September 1999, when she supposedly tripped over a chair at work...
Skeptical about her injuries, the county hired private eye Keith Muller to follow her -- with a video camera... Police and prosecutors were delighted when Scott agreed to testify against her in the criminal trial. But when he showed up for a sworn statement on June 14 at the state attorney's office, he was wearing a pantsuit with a midriff top, heels, makeup and perfume. Janet intended to fake the trip and fall, he told prosecutor William Altfield. And not only did she work with him at their Pool Depot, she also moonlighted for an escort service, traveling to Washington, D.C., in December 1999 for a job. They advertised in an adult magazine, he said, ``as a . . . couple looking to swing with single men.''
Scott got into trouble in October 2000 at Greynolds Park. Miami-Dade police Officer Alex Eugene, working undercover, charged him with misdemeanor battery for grabbing his privates. Scott denies it: ``Went into the boys room. He thought I was a girl. I scared him.'' The state declined to prosecute the case July 24 after Scott completed a pretrial intervention program.
When Scott takes the stand against Janet, it will be as Stacey. "He's had a legal name change," Batts says. But not when it comes to the couple's two teenagers. "The world sees me as a female, but my kids just see me as Dad."
Source: GAIN via UKPFC-NEWS
The Feb. 20 trial date, set following a preliminary hearing in September by County Court Judge Christopher Leroi, was vacated due to the fact Murphy had not yet entered a plea.
Murphy, 18, of Farmington, is accused of brutally beating 16-year-old Fred Martinez Jr., who was a gay or transgendered Navajo teen. Martinez’s badly decomposed body was found June 21 south of Cortez in an area called the Pits. Several tips to a Crimestoppers hotline resulted in Murphy’s July 4 arrest.
During the preliminary hearing, Murphy’s defense attorney, Pamela Brown, told the court that her client did not deny fighting with Martinez and striking him in the head with a rock the night of June 16. However, she contended Murphy was only fighting back in self-defense and that Martinez was alive when the two parted.
Although there has been extensive speculation that Murphy might have been motivated by bias because of Martinez’s sexuality, very little has been mentioned during court proceedings thus far.
During the 4 1/2-hour preliminary hearing in September, the lead detective on the case, Steve Harmon, and attorney general’s investigator Kelly Elliassen relayed the details of several witness interviews.
Most of the hearsay testimony focussed on two key witnesses who were in Murphy’s company the night of the alleged murder — Melissa Scharnhorst of Cortez and Clint Sanchez of Farmington.
According to an arrest affidavit, Sanchez disposed of Murphy’s bloodied clothes and Scharnhorst washed the blood-soaked jeans allegedly worn in the attack.
Neither has been charged in relation to the murder, although Sanchez is currently in jail for a parole violation.
While neither witness appeared in the courtroom at the preliminary hearing, Harmon told the court of Sanchez’s claims that Murphy returned from the alleged fight covered in blood, breathing heavily and claiming to have "bug-smashed a ‘hoto’ " — a term Sanchez reportedly told authorities is a derogatory Spanish slang term for a homosexual. In a later interview, Sanchez told police Murphy had claimed to have beaten up two people and robbed them both of $20.
Scharnhorst has reportedly made similar claims in interviews with police.
Harmon told the court that Murphy’s story had changed in different interviews: First he was attacked from behind by two males; then there was only one guy who "jumped" him; finally, Murphy told authorities he and Martinez had gone to the Pits to smoke a joint, was attacked by Martinez, and struck him with a rock only to defend himself.
Brown also advised the court Thursday that potential witnesses at the trial pose a conflict of interest for the public defender’s office and will likely require that a new attorney be assigned to Murphy’s case.
An omnibus hearing to address the possibility of reassigning the case was set for Dec. 5 at 3 p.m. before District Court judge Sharon Hansen.
Although there has not yet been a motion for change of venue, there is still a strong likelihood that the defense will seek to move the trial to another location because of the high-profile status the murder has taken in the Cortez community.
"That’s an entirely separate issue," Brown told the Journal Thursday.
Source: by Aspen C. Emmett Cortez Journal 10/20/01
Commission Rules
TG's Protected in MA
The Massachusetts Commission Against
Discrimination ruled that transgender people are protected under Massachusetts
state laws prohibiting sex and disability discrimination.
It reverses an early decision in which transgender people were excluded from the civil rights protections.
Jennifer Levi, a staff attorney for Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders called it a "tremendously important decision for transgender people." Levi said the decision acknowledges " there is no principled reason, legal or otherwise, to graft an exclusion onto non-discrimination laws for transgender people."
The Commission based its decision on a 1989 United States Supreme Court case, Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, in which Ann Hopkins, an accounting firm associate was denied partnership because many of the partners thought she was too masculine, macho, and aggressive. In its decision, the Supreme Court explained that enforcing sex stereotypes is a form of sex discrimination.
The Commission's decision also made it clear that, unlike the federal disability laws, Massachusetts' disability law does not exclude transgender people from protection.
Source: by Beth Shapiro 365gay.com 10/23/01
KY Activist Donates
Personal Papers
It is said in the black community that "that the greatest gift that one can possess is the gift not be afraid to ask the question ‘why'. It is education that is the key to a person's self understanding.” That is the reason that Dawn Wilson, the founder and former president of BGB recently donated a third of her personal collection of transgender articles and papers to the University of Louisville's Williams – Nichols Archives on Oct 12th her birthday. It is dedicated to the preservation of Kentucky's GLBT history as well as the historical concerns of all GLBT persons in the United States.
The archive is held in the Special Collections Section of the library and is open to the public.
Ms. Wilson is a trailblazing African-American transgender activist who has been involved in the successful efforts to get transgendered persons included in civil rights legislation at all levels of the Kentucky GLBT community.
"I felt it was necessary to give something back to a community that has nurtured me. I wanted to make something available to the next generation so that they don't have to search the Internet or travel to a large city to seek out information that is necessary for their survival," Ms Wilson said.
Ms Wilson continued, "Carter G. Woodson once said, ‘Real education means to inspire people to live more abundantly, to learn to begin with life as they find it and make it better.' That's what I'm trying to do for all Kentucky transgendered people. I want them to have a life that's better than one that they could currently find in a large metro area by providing easy access to the information that they require to be successful contributing members of society."
Ms. Wilson is speaking with the past and present BGB leadership and will be encouraging them to donate their papers to the Williams-Nichols Archives as well.
source: by Michael Avalear Salon.com 08/01/01