Obama on gay pride (phillymag)

(more above)

Beware the Lily Law (passport magazine)

(more above)

How to deal with bullies... at any age

  There has been a lot of talk lately on how to deal with bullies.  In  particular, the bullies who have been dealt with have been ages five to eighteen.  Needless to say, I am very glad such a bold move has been taken by the President, cabinet officers, people below them, and ordinary people across America.

I just wish the same people gained the same attention once the clock turned nineteen.

I  also wish the same attention was paid to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and (with particular attention from this blog) transgenders.

I also wish couples - all couples - could live their lives  in the workplace first and retirement second.

I also wish disabled Americans - all disabled Americans - could go to the bathroom in peace.

Recently there was an article about how some older Americans were bullying their peers.  I will put this as plainly as possible - this is not right, fair, or legal!!  Not to gays.  Not to lesbians.  Not to bisexuals.  Not to transgender people.  And not to straight people who live their lives peaceably with others.

So there.

US office of personnel management issues guidance on transgender employees (blogout)

(more above)

An RX for better treatment of LGBT patients (Huffington Post)

(more above)

OPM: treat transgender employees with respect (Federal Times)

(more above)

Texas judge decides transgender marriage was illegal (care2)

(more above)

Hello!

Well, my 'puter was a little batty yesterday - but it's better now! Here's the results... Toronto, Ontario, Canada... Fontana, California... Salem, Oregon...  Holtsville, New York... North Hollywood, California... Groet, Noord-Holland, Netherlands... Doylestown, Pennsylvania... Boston, Massachusetts... London, England, UK... Oakland, California... Charlotte, North Carolina... Terre Haute, Indiana... USAF Academy, Colorado... Mountlake Terrace, Washington... Valladolid, Castilla y Leon, Spain... Washington, DC... Kingston Upon Thames, England, UK... Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir, India... Philadelphia, Pennsylvania... Portland, Oregon... Bronx, New York... Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina... Harwich, Massachusetts... Dusseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.... Gateshead, England, UK... Tulsa, Oklahoma... Centreville, Virginia... Milan, Lombardia, Italy... Cedar Falls, Iowa... Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK... Chicago, Illinois... Durant, Iowa... Lincolnton, North Carolina... Dallas, Oregon... it's been a few months now, but our friends in Japan could use our help. Here's where you could send your money:

American Red Cross
www.redcross.org

International Red Cross/Red Crescent
www.ifrc.org

Doctors Without Borders
www.doctorswithoutborders.org

Rainbow Fund
www.rainbowfund.org

Nevada gov signs trans protection bill (care2)

(more above)

She is a she (Fredricksburg)

(more above)

Bill seeking to expand transgender rights could harmful to the state (Stamford Patch)

(more above)
ezs note: this article does not represent my views. This is a letter to the editor which represents neither my views nor that of that of the paper.

Philippines gays hit pacmom over transgender slur, reproductive health (bulatlat)

(more above)

Don't tolerate homophobia (Vindy)

(more above)

Homophobic, transphobic bullying rampant in schools (Vancouver Sun [Canada])

(more above)

Hello!

Finally, a bit of sun!  Here's who came by... Sodertalje, Stockholms Lan, Sweden... Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada... Woodland Hills, California... San Francisco, California... Kingston-upon-Thames, England, UK... Dallas, Texas... Minneapolis, Minnesota... Coffeyville, Kansas... Buc, Ile-de-France, France... Oakville, Ontario, Canada... Oklahoma City, Oklahoma... Provin, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France... Montpelier, Vermont... Hospitalet De Llobregat, Cataluna, Spain...  London, England, UK... Burlington,Ontario, Canada... Flensburg, Schleiswig-Holstein, Germany... Reading, England, UK... Central Point, Oregon... Recklinghausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany... Chicago, Illinois... Warrington, England, UK... Hamburg, Germany... Elmhurst, New York... Key West, Florida... Vancouver, Washington... Glouster, Massachusetts... Boston, Massachusetts... Dublin, Ireland... Woburn, Massachusetts... Cork, Ireland... Effingham, Illinois... Harpers Ferry, West Virginia... Nicosia, Cyprus... Saint Cloud, Minnesota... Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK... Dallas, Oregon... and Providence, Utah... please, help our friends in Japan:

American Red Cross
www.redcross.org

International Red Cross/Red Crescent
www.ifrc.org

Doctors Without Borders
www.doctorswithoutborders.org

Rainbow Fund
www.rainbowfund.org

Lawmakers pass bill outlawing transgender discrimination (NBC)

(more above)

people.com comes out as transgender in Marie Clarie (justout)

(more above)

FOX news "medical" team calls transgender Chaz Bono psychotic, delusional (unicornbooty)

(more above) ,

Transgender comics artist and fantasy illustrator Jeffery Catherine Jones dies at 67 (Miami Herald)

(more above)

Sexual minority: the invisible diabetes disparity (Diabetes Health)

(more above)
ezs note:  I know it's tough, but you can  live a healthier, longer lifestyle.  Quit smoking, eat less (or no) processed foods in place of fresh fruits and vegetables, and, if depressed, see a competent psychologist/psychiatrist.  You can live a happier life!

Burnaby parents intensify efforts against school policy (The Vancouver Sun [Canada])

(more above)

ADL welcomes hate crime charges in transgender attack (PRnewswire)

(more above)

O'Malley calls for actions to protect transgender people (Washington Post)

(more above)

More than a bully pulpit (Center for American Progress)

(more above)

Buzek urges EU to unite against gay and lesbian prejudice ahead of International Day of Action (istockanalyst)

(more above)

Transgender employment protections pass Nevada senate (blogout)

(more above)

Hate crime in Maryland McDonalds beating (AP)

(more above)

Leftist lawmaker urges colleagues to pass upholding gay rights (allvoices [Philippines]))

(more above)

How transgender United Church minister Ruth Wood came out to her parishioners (The Star [Canada])

(Leslie Scrivener)  Sunday morning at Calvary United...(more above)

Seattle mayor: City should cover surgeries for trans employees (justout)

(Erin Rook)
The Seattle LGBT Commission thinks...
(more above)

Hello!

Please help - save a troubled tree!  It will make YOU feel better!  Here's the list:  Centerville, Massachusetts... London, Ontario, Canada... Lakeland, Florida... Coffeyville, Kansas... Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada... Jiddah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia... Reading, Massachusetts... Colorado Springs, Colorado... Brighton, Massachusetts... Chapel Hill, North Carolina... Wellington, New Zealand... Oakville, Ontario, Canada... Sacramento, California... Harriman, Tennessee... Harpers Ferry, West Virginia... Glen Ellyn, Illinois... Marl, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany... Happy Valley, Oregon... San Fransisco, California...  Washington, DC... Barcelona, Cataluna, Spain... Dallas, Texas... Bethel Park, Pennsylvania... Dublin, California... Louisville, Kentucky... Woodstock, Illinois... Clifton Park, New York... Minneapolis, Minnesota... Baton Rouge, Louisiana... Corona, New York... Woburn, Massachusetts... San Antonio, Texas... Cork, Ireland... Ypsilanti, Michigan... Los Angeles, California... Thiruvananthpuram, Kerala, India... Hoffman Estates, Illinois... Orlando, Florida... remember our good friends in Japan. Here's the list of funds:

American Red Cross
www.redcross.org

International Red Cross/Red Crescent
www.ifrc.org

Doctors Without Borders
www.doctorwithoutborders.org

Rainbow Fund
www.rainbowfund.org

Thank you!

Harvard (!) law man denied rights to serve his country : reason is a sham (Daily News Pulse)

(Alex Warne) Despite his past military service...(more above)

Progress is slow for Korea's transgenders (JoongAng Daily {South Korea})

(Sung So-Young) The camera zooms in on...(more above)

Church to host transgender cabaret show (mysuburbanlife)

(Staff) Renowned transgender entertainer Honey West... (more above)

Transgender people get their day in the sun in Albany (nymag)

(Chris Rozvar) During the Equality and Justice day...  (more above)

Protecting transgender people (LVRJ)

(Dane S. Claussen)Las Vegas is renowned for...  (more above)

Hawaii governor signs transgender workplace protections bill into law (lgbtqnation)

(?)Hawaii's Gov. Neil Abercrombie on... (more above)

Becoming Katie (Tulsa World)

(Cary Aspinwall) Luke Hill is now just... (more above)

The difference between gender identity and gender expression (Gayapolis)

(Autumn Sandeen)Within trans community, there is... (more above)

Hello!

Happy May Day!  Here's the list... Coffeyville, Kansas...  Harwich, Massachusetts... Mosjoen, Nordland, Sweden... El Paso, Texas... Corona, New York... Vicenza, Veneto, Italy... Burlington, Ontario, Canada...  Karlsruhe, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany... Soest, Utrecht, Netherlands... Petah Tiqvah, HaMerkaz, Israel... Penang, Pulau Penang, Malaysia.... Arlington, Virginia... Swarthmore, Pennsylvania... Sacramento, California... Mesa, Arizona... Santa Barbara, California... Boston, Massachusetts... Ashburn, Virginia... Woodland Hills, California... Idar-oberstein, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany... Hialeah, Florida... Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK... Willingboro, New Jersey... London, Ontario, Canada... Copenhagen, Denmark... Swidnik, Lubelskie, Poland... Chicago, Illinois... Medford, New Jersey... Dremt, Gelderland, Netherlands... New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada... Birmingham, England, UK... Doncaster, England, UK... Lotus, California... Columbia, South Carolina... Ringwood, New Jersey... Terre Haute, Indiana... Wilmette, Illinois... give our friends in Japan a helping hand; these are some decent funds you can give to:

American Red Cross
www.redcross.org

International Red Cross / Red Crescent
www.ifrc.org

Doctors Without Borders
www.doctorswithoutborders.org

Rainbow Fund
www.rainbowfund.org

Joy and pain as transgender Indians wed Hindu god (Globe and Mail [South Africa])

(Ammu Kannampilly)  Jyoti, a 62-year-old transgender Indian... (more above)

Of Golf and Gays: LPGA settles transgender lawsuit; Trump compares gay marriage to ugly putters (Metroweekly)

(duy) Statement from the Ladies'... (more above)

State Baptist convention gathers in Stamford (Stamford Advocate)

(Teke Wiggin) A Baptist organization claiming to...   (more above)

Give it a rest (pridesource)

(Gwendolyn Ann Smith) Chrissy Lee Polis, a 22-year-old...(more above)

OK trans prof denied tenure despite faculty backing (outqnews)

(Kurt Gwartney) A transgender professor at a... (more above)

Knight at the movies: Becoming Chaz (Windy City Media Group)

(more in blue/above)

Salinas police investigate transgender stabbing (Mercury News)

'Treat hijras like normal human beings' (The Times of India)

(more in blue/above)

South Africa: no arrests in lesbian murder case (vadvert)

(more in blue/above)

My screed...

This topic goes astray a little, but I feel it is one which is of vital importance.  My friend (and she does remain my friend, despite her maddening views)  is one who is against improved busway service. She says it will increase taxation, even though it was proposed two administrations ago.  Never mind.  She's 'agin it.

But let's consider the tax rate the governor is proposing.  He is not proposing a 10 percent sales tax rate.  Nor a 9 percent rate. Nor even an 8 percent rate. He is proposing going from a 7  to a 7.25 taxation rate... heavens to Betsy, what an extortionist...

 I have some news for you... disturbing, but true.  The fantasyland "perfect" taxation rate never existed in the past, does not exist in the present, nor will it exist in the future.  IT DOESN'T EXIST.


What we do try to do, however, in our imperfect microcosm of  a world, is to  make life a tad better for those who are less fortunate. Like those who are blind.  Like those who have had a stroke.  Like those who are less fortunate and looking for a job.  Those who have a job, but who can't afford a car. And, increasingly so, those who can afford a car today but who can't afford one tomorrow.

In other words, you.