15 December 2012

unspeakable... unspeakable...

Normally, I've been requesting that you send an e-letter to full rights for LGBT people.  Sadly, these are not normal times.

Twenty children were murdered in Newtown, Connecticut.

Six adults were also murdered.

It took about twenty minutes.

I wrote my Congressperson, John Larson who has failed to write me back... (ahem...) when the last slaying took place in Aurora, Colorado, and I wrote saying that this is of the utmost importance: Congress must ban automatic and semiautomatic weapons.

Whether it's one person or fifty who is slain, we can stop this wholesale slaughter.  But only if you e-write. Please.

Sunnyvale, California - Anna Eshoo (D) - CA14
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Robert Brady (D) - PA1
Monroe Township, New Jersey - Rush Holt (D) - NJ12
River Forest, Illinois - Danny Davis (D) - IL7
Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts - Bill Keating (D) - MA10
Anaheim, California - Gary Miller (R) - CA42
West Jordan, Utah - Jason Chaffetz (R) UT3
Charlotte, North Carolina - Mel Watt (D) - NC12
Hebron, Kentucky- Thomas Massie (R) - KY4
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania - Jim Gerlach (R) - PA6

The preceding places were picked at random using the Internet.  To find out your representative is, go to www.house.gov and enter your ZIP code.

To those in Newtown, please know that we are thinking of you.

08 December 2012

Orlando, Florida

Credit:  allposters.com

Hello!

Saw Lincoln today... quite moving... here's what's happening... Orlando, Florida... Needham, Massachusetts... Norwalk, Connecticut... San Diego, California... Saugerties, New York... Humansville, Missouri...  Napa, California... Colchester, Essex, England, UK... San Francisco, California... New York, New York...  Amarillo, Texas... Concord, North Carolina... Quezon, Nueva Ecija, Philippines... Zephyrhills, Florida... Guelph, Ontario, Canada... Lynnwood, Washington...  Rochester, New Hampshire...  Zaventem, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium... Villas, New Jersey... Erkner, Brandenburg, Germany...  Toronto, Ontario, Canada... Arlington Heights, Illinois... Taoyuan, Hunan, China... Valencia, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain... Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India... Torrance, California... Berlin, Germany... Kingston, Saint Andrew, Jamaica...  New Haven, Connecticut... APO, Armed Forces Europe, Spring, Texas... Terre Haute, Indiana...

Hey, if both Barack Obama and Chris Christie both endorse something, it must be good!  Support the American Red Cross and lessen the impact of Hurricane Sandy!

www.redcross.org 

02 December 2012

Massillon, Ohio

Credit:  playle.com

Hello!

Darkest month of the year!  Here's what's happening... Massillon, Ohio....  Austin, Texas...  London, England, UK... Andover, Hampshire, England, UK... Westlake, Ohio... Pembroke, Ontario, Canada... North Charleston, South Carolina... Pickering, North Yorkshire... Richmond, Virginia... San Francisco, California... Grosse Pointe, Michigan... Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India... Kottayam, Kerala, India... Lincoln, Nebraska... Berlin, Germany... Mountain View, California... North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia... Sunnyvale, California... Moorestown, New Jersey... Los Angeles, California... Incheon, Inch'on-jikhalsi, South Korea... Monroe Township, New Jersey... River Forest, Illinois... Edinburgh, Scotland, UK...  Concord, North Carolina... Mexico, Distrito Federal, Mexico... Nagpur, Maharashtra, India... Boynton Beach, Florida... Makati, Manila, Philippines... Memphis, Tennessee... Harrison, Arkansas... Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada... Louisville, Kentucky... Mesa, Arizona... Wales, Wisconsin...

Hey, lend a hand!
www.redcross.com

30 November 2012

From sea to shining sea... and north to the Arctic!

In Canada, things are generally better for LGBT folks than here than in the US.  (In states such as South Carolina, Mississippi, and Alabama, they're way better.)   But there are irksome spots.  What Canadian LGBTs want to do is to amend their constitution.

Jillian Page, who writes for the Montreal Gazette, has graciously allowed me to put in Canadian Members of Parliament along with US House of Representatives.

But now it's your turn!  Whatever side of the line you are on, it's your responsibility to let these people know that you expect respect, and it should be written into the constitution.

Lincoln, Nebraska - Jeff Fortenberry (R) - 1NE

Mountain View, California - Anna Eshoo (D) - 14CA

Moorestown, New Jersey - Jon Runyan (R) - 3NJ

Los Angeles, California - Linda Sanchez (D) - 39CA

Grosse Pointe, Michigan - Hansen Clarke (D) - 13MI

San Francisco, California - Nancy Pelosi (D) - 8CA

Moreno Valley, California - Mary Bono Mack (R) - 45CA

Corner Brook, Newfoundland(CAN) - Gerry Byrne (Liberal) - Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte

Harrison, Arkansas - Steve Womack (R) - 3AR

The representatives/MPs shown above are the product of the Internet.  To find out who the representative is go to www.house.gov.  If you are from Canada, go to www.gc.ca.


28 November 2012

26 November 2012

It's time to send Nutcase Norquist to bed... or the looney bin

Nutcase Norquist has been around for a long, long time, mostly in the shadows. I think, though, that his coming-out party has proved to be a giant dud.  And so much the better.

For those of you who aren't in the know, his premise is quite simple. No money should be added to the federal budget, ever, ever, ever.  Sounds good, right?  On the surface,yes, it does.  But then, things happen.  Buildings fly into skyscrapers.  Roads and bridges fall into disrepair. A little virus named AIDS comes to call.  Hurricane Sandy does her thing directly over New York City. And on.  And on.

What does this have to do with us transgender folks? Damn plenty.  As long as goobers walk the streets, a policeman around can definitely make you feel safer.  And you should feel safe. I'm not saying that a policeman should be at every corner, twenty-four hours a day, 365 a year.  What I am saying, though, is when suspicious folks are are around and about, she or he will warn them that if they try anything, they will go to jail.  Period.

But not if Nutcase Norquist has his way.  It doesn't matter if all you transgenders are killed.  Or tortured. Or raped. He has his precious greenbacks to line his pockets.

It's time to tell him to fuck off.

Understanding Transgender Communities and Equal Rights in Newton - Melanie Graham - http://newton.patch.com

24 November 2012

MAINE JUDGE TOSSES TRANSGENDER STUDENT'S BATHROOM SUIT - ANDREW BELONSKY - http://www.towleroad.com

Hamburg, New York

Credit: www.tactical-life.com

Hello!

Uhhhhh... too much turkey... here's the latest... Hamburg, New York... Mountain View, California... Wilmington, Delaware... Marl, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany... Vincennes, Indiana... Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa... Norwalk, Connecticut... Birmensdorf, Zurich, Switzerland... Davenport, Iowa...  Hull, Kingston upon Hull, England, UK... Evanston, Illinois... Zephyrhills, Florida... Moreno Valley, California... West Point, Virginia... West Point, Virginia... Dallas, Texas... Orël, Orel, Russia... Strømmen, Akershus, Sweden... London, England, UK... Kingston, New York... Berlin, Germany... Utrecht, Netherlands...  Alexandria, Virginia... Epsom, Surrey, England, UK... Wonju, Kangwon-do, South Korea... Vancouver, British Columbia... Columbus, Ohio... Taoyuan, Hunan, China... Belmar, New Jersey... Moorestown, New Jersey... Warren, Ohio... Chicago, Illinois.... Roselle, Illinois... Philadelphia, Pennsylvania... Quezaltepeque, La Libertad, El Salvador...  Zaventem, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium...

Hey, give a neighbor a hand!
www.redcross.org 

Once more - it's time!

I know, I know -- I'm beginning to sound like an ole broken record.  But the thing is, it's important. You may live in one of those fortunate states, but the thing is, there are those states that are not nearly as fortunate.  We need LGBT rights to be universal rights, not some crazyquilt map that you need to check every time you cross a state border.

Zephyrhills, Florida - Richard Nugent (R) - FL5
Moreno Valley, California - Mary Bono Mack (R) - CA45
West Point, Virginia - Richard Wittman (R) - VA1
Dallas, Texas - Pete Sessions (D) - TX32
Mountain View, California - Anna Eshoo (D) - CA14
Kingston, New York - Maurice Hinchey (D) - NY22
Houston, Texas - Al Green (D) - TX9
Columbus, Ohio - Steve Stivers (R) - OH15
Belmar, New Jersey - Frank Pallone (D) - NJ6
Moorestown, New Jersey - Jon Runyan (R) - NJ3

The preceding representatives are random selections from the Internet.   To find which representative is yours, go to www.house.gov and enter your five digit ZIP code.  

23 November 2012

FW woman alleges she was kicked out of Dollar General store for being transgender - ANNA WAUGH - http://www.dallasvoice.com

Transgender students push for unisex bathrooms at Oakland University - KEVIN GRAHAM - http://www.theoaklandpress.com

Gray, Ellerbe attend Transgender Day of Remembrance event - Michael K. Lavers -www.washingtonblade.com

Chaz Bono drops by 'Degrassi' to boost ground-breaking transgender storyline - CASSANDRA SZKLARSKI - http://www.vancouversun.com (Canada)

21 November 2012

2012 Transgender Day of Remembrance observation held in Hagerstown - SHANNON WEBSTER - http://www.examiner.com

Transgender Woman Speaks Out After Name Change Battle - Michael Konopasek - http://www.news9.com/

Remembering transgender voices - Becky Garrison - http://www.washingtonpost.com

Former Church Member Says He Was Stalked By Team - Mitch Weiss - http://www.pridesource.com