19 September 2018

18 September 2018

lead story - Barriers for transgender voters ahead of the 2018 midterm elections

Timothy R. Bussey
The Conversation


Credit:  http://pattyebenson.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/hands-vote.jpg

please press:  theconversation.com

ezs note:  Here in Connecticut (and, in general, New England) have an easier go of it.  However, in some states, life can be a bit (or a lot) more difficult in going to vote.  If possible, go now to talk to the Registrars of Voters.  It might be a bit anal, but put a tape recorder in your pocket.  If you cannot make it down, don't type an e-mail - use a registered letter instead.  That way, they won't be able to say a letter was 'lost in the mail'.  On the day you vote,  be certain you carry two (at least) official forms of ID.

In the long term, invite the Registrars of Voters, the mayor, the board, et cetera for an informal coffee or barbecue.  As much as possible, keep things relaxing and enjoyable They might not fully understand your views, but it's a hell of a lot better to treat each other as neighbors than cross swords.

Good luck! 

Happy birthday to, well, me!

  
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17 September 2018

China - Thousands of Chinese activists renew push for same-sex marriage

Press
NBC


Beijing, China

Credit:  ttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Tianning_Temple_Pagoda.jpg

please press:  www.nbcnews.com

Thousands of Chinese activists renew push for same-sex marriage

Thousands of Chinese activists renew push for same-sex marriage

civil rights - Laverne Cox & Angelica Ross React To Cardi B's Transphobic Meme Controversy: 'Black Trans Women Are Being Killed'

Patrick Crowley
Billboard


Cardi B

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Cardi_B_2016.jpg

please press:  www.billboard.com

Kansas - What’s Right with Kansas

Sarah Kaplan
Stanford Social Innovation Review


Kalvesta, KS

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please press:  ssir.org

lead story - Drawing on her own experience, Nagoya doctor offers transgender counseling

Chunichi Shimbun
The Japan Times


Nagoya, Japan

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Nagoya_University_dk4591.jpg

please press:  www.japantimes.co.jp

16 September 2018

Why your vote matters - now, more than ever


Credit:  https://ocracokeobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/be-informed-and-vote-wisely.png

ezs note:  By now, just about all of the hopeful candidates have been winnowed away for the final vote on November 6.  Many of you are pleased.  But many of you are not pleased.  So, what do we do?  

In virtually every race, I would have said that you should vote your conscience.  Hell, in some races I voted for the Green Party.  I had the luxury of a near-certain win by Barack Obama, but if he lost, I would have grumbled a bit, but life would have gone on.

Not this time. Not with Donald Trump.  Others would have simply been wrongheaded.  Donald Trump is evil, pure evil.  I know, I know, it sounds overly dramatic.  But look at the entries headed over 'Donald Trump'.  Yeah, some of these are 'the usual suspects'.  But George Will? George Conway?  Come on, please.

It's so simple, really.  First, make sure you can vote.  Second, on Election Day, make sure you do vote. 

Let's send this cretin bawling.

Donald Trump - George Conway rips Trump over tweet about Obama's '57 states' gaffe

John Bowden
The Hill


Kellyanne Conway 

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please press:  thehill.com

Uganda - Why Uganda hates homosexuality so much that it wants to ban a popular festival

Mildred Europa Taylor
Face 2 Face Africa


Kampala, Uganda

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/KampalaRd_Uganda_house_Kampala.JPG

please press:  face2faceafrica.com

civil rights - 'A Bully and a Bigot.' Trump Draws Fire From Democrats at Annual LGBT Dinner

Abby Vesoulis
Time


HRC headquarters
Washington DC

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Human_Right_Campaign_headquarters.JPG

please press:  time.com

California - Gov. Brown Signs Landmark Bill Ensuring Medical Care, Counseling, Surgery For Transgender Youth In Foster Care

Press
CBS Los Angeles


California State Capitol
Sacramento, CA

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Sacramento%2C-California---State-Capitol.jpg

please press:  losangeles.cbslocal.com

lead story - The Gender Guardian is giving Lahore’s transgender community the skills to pay their bills

Humna Iqbal
Samaa


Lahore, Pakistan

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Data_Durbar_as_more_then_one_decade_before_by_Usman_Ghani.jpg

please press:  www.samaa.tv

VIDEO - Matt Baume - Frasier's Coded Gay References in "The Matchmaker"


Credit:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o65Oia-j5I


15 September 2018

Donald Trump - Trump launches first broadside at Mueller after Manafort plea deal

Quint Forgey
Politico


ezs note:  I saw an infant today, less than a week old. Too bad Trump isn't as thoughtful and intelligent...

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please press:  www.politico.com  

Trinidad and Tobago - Does conversion therapy work?

Press
Newsday


Trinidad and Tobago

Credit:  https://wikitravel.org/upload/en/a/a5/DCP_6075.JPG

please press:  newsday.co.tt

civil rights - Transgender Ex-Student Sues Alabama School Over Mistreatment

Press
US News & World Report


Huntsville, AL

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please press:  www.usnews.com

New Mexico - Protesters Block Albuquerque Streets Over Transgender Death

Press
US News & World Report


Albuquerque, NM

Credit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Rio_Grande_looking_south%2C_west_of_ABQ.jpg

please press:  www.usnews.com 

lead story - Unique Alberta transgender clinic is saving lives but says funding help is critical

Jill Croteau
Global News


Calgary, AB (Canada)

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Dilmaghanian00711.JPG

please press:  globalnews.ca

ezs note:  You can help our friends in Alberta by giving to the Skipping Stone Foundation! 

14 September 2018

Donald Trump - Eric Trump Gets Humiliatingly Fact-Checked By Fox News Podcast Over Economy Lie

Lee Moran
HuffPost

 

Credit:  https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7yy-sUflePqF1Frk2HLgcHSvUAM3aGoGyEz824CylQ-o302_4R4Mkgpy0M8-jY62nUNanzIKkScAl1_o6Pj6Txpk-s8Slp2rii7mpro0-n_bpUwEHr5w1Q4ilELC_Fc69Z32ePACOc6MK/s1600/sylvester-liar-wish-icoulduseadeal-com2.jpg

please press:  www.huffingtonpost.com

ezs note:  Eric Trump lied. On FOX News.  Incredible...

Vietnam - The loneliness of Vietnam’s LGBT community

Sen
VN Express


Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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please press:  e.vnexpress.net

civil rights - Women’s shelter challenges Anchorage’s non-discrimination law

Jill Burke
KTUU


Anchorage, AK

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please press:  http://www.ktuu.com

Michigan - LGBT Aging Initiative begins in region

Press
Midland Daily News


Midland Center For The Arts
Midland, MI

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Midland-Center-For-The-Arts.jpg

please press:  www.ourmidland.com

lead story - Suicide Attempts Among Transgender Teenage Boys Happen At An Alarming Rate, A New Study Says

Mehreen Kasana
Bustle


Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps, The Suicide  (ca. 1836)

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Alexandre-Gabriel_Decamps_-_The_Suicide_-_Walters_3742.jpg

please press:  www.bustle.com

ezs note

National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 1-800-273-8255

VIDEO - Matt Baume - Major US Election is Just Weeks Away


Credit:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2xc4gxYl6c&t=18s


13 September 2018

Donald Trump - House GOP 'screwed' as bad political numbers pile on Trump

Jonathan Allen
NBC


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please press:  www.nbcnews.com

Timor-Leste - A Luta Continua: LGBTI Rights in Timor-Leste

Bardia Rahman
The Diplomat


Dili, Timor-Leste

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Palacio_do_Governo_2011.jpg

please press:  thediplomat.com

civil rights - Pittsfield Council Voices Support For Transgender Community

Andy McKeever
iBerkshires.com


Pittsfield, MA

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please press:  www.iberkshires.com

New Hampshire - NH Cub Scouts officially opens doors to girls, but individual dens will be single gender

Mark Hayward
New Hampshire Union Leader


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please press:  www.unionleader.com

lead story - Trump State Department Just Made an Ominous Passport Change for Transgender Americans

Samantha Allen
Daily Beast


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please press:  www.thedailybeast.com

VIDEO - Beto O'Rourke | Can Small-Donor Progressives Win Local Elections?


Credit:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnZ8y0q2C5Q

12 September 2018

civil rights - Hey, President Trump, ‘Getting Clipped’ Is the Worst Description For My Life-Giving Trans Surgery

Samantha Allen
Daily Beast


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please press:  www.thedailybeast.com

New York - This Stunning New York Fashion Week Show Featured 34 Transgender Models

Curtis M. Wong
HuffPost


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please press:  www.huffingtonpost.com

lead story - Springfield transgender woman speaks out about knife attack from man she met on dating app

Gregory J. Holman
Springfield News-Leader


Springfield, MO

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Springfield%2C_Missouri_skyline%2C_lightning.jpg

please press:  www.news-leader.com

11 September 2018

Donald Trump - Donald Trump Falsely Boasted About Having Tallest Building In 9/11 Aftermath

Lee Moran
HuffPost


Aw, don't feel too bad, Donald.  I'm sure you and Kim Il-Sung are friends. (I think...)

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please press:  www.huffingtonpost.com

Montserrat - Police investigate killing in Potters

Theresa Goodwin
The Montserrat Reporter

Plymouth, Montserrat

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Plymouth_City_%26_Volcano.jpg


civil rights - Kansas Attorney General Says Transgender Case Is About 'Reducing Cost'

Dan Margolies
NPR


Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Top_ten_military_expenditures_in_US%24_Bn._in_2014%2C_according_to_the_International_Institute_for_Strategic_Studies.PNG

please press:  www.kcur.org

ezs note:  Let's do a little math for you.  In 2014, the United States spent 581.0 billion dollars on defense spending.  In China, during the same period, they spent 129.4 billion dollars. What this means is even if we spent the equivalent of the entire Chinese amount on transgender operations rather than defense spending,  we would still have almost double what the Chinese spend. (451.6)

Nebraska - Kelly: Lynne Bacon and transgender spouse Meredith Bacon shared 50 years of 'mutual devotion'

Michael Kelly
Omaha World-Herald


Omaha, NE

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please press:  www.omaha.com

lead story - DONALD TRUMP CALLED TRANSGENDER SURGERY ‘GETTING CLIPPED’ TO STEVE BANNON, ACCORDING TO WOODWARD BOOK

Greg Price
Newsweek


Hint:  Uh, if you don't know what this is, you're the a&&hole...

Credit:  http://sailinganarchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/orange-asshole.jpg

please press:  www.newsweek.com

10 September 2018

Nigeria - She Called Me Woman: Nigerian queer women speak

Sabo Kpade
The Guardian Nigeria


Lagos, Nigeria
(Victoria Island)

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/1004_Flats%2C_Victoria_Island.jpg

please press:  guardian.ng

civil rights - Transgender rights groups outspend opponents in Massachusetts ballot question fight

Shira Schoenberg
MassLive


Adams, MA

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please press:  www.masslive.com

Wisconsin - In A Reversal, Wisconsin To Cover State Workers Seeking Transgender Treatment

Emmarie Huetteman
NPR


Madison, WI

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Madison_Wisconsin_img_1196.jpg

please press:  www.npr.org

lead story - Schools warned over new ‘harmful’ Transgender Trend stickers

Alix Robertson
Schools Week


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please press:  schoolsweek.co.uk

09 September 2018

Overland Park, Kansas


estimated transgender population:  1096*
(rounded down)

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/DwntwnOPKS.png

Overland Park, Kansas is a mushrooming city - it went from a mere 21,110 in 1960 to a gigantic 188,966 in 2016  - and it's still growing!


Donald Trump - Fear review: Bob Woodward's dragnet descends on Donald Trump

Lloyd Green
The Guardian


Credit:  http://i.imgur.com/aMBm3Hg.png

please press:  www.theguardian.com

Japan - LGBT hospitality house to be established for 2020 Tokyo Games

Sarah Suk
The Japan Times


Tokyo, Japan
(site of 2020 Tokyo Olympics)

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Tokyo_Big_Sight_at_Night.jpg

please press:  www.japantimes.co.jp

civil rights - If Democrats Take the House, Here's What Awaits Betsy DeVos, Civil Rights, and ESSA

Andrew Ujifusa
Education Week


Credit:  http://lacoastpost.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/politicsvscience.jpg

please press:  blogs.edweek.org

Indiana - Bangert: 'Why not Indiana?' Lafayette Sen. Ron Alting will carry hate crime bill

Dave Bangert
Journal & Courier


Cloverdale, IN

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Cloverdale%2C_Indiana.jpg

please press:  www.jconline.com/

ezs note:  Indiana residents -  You have to look hard for it, but the original bill (SB 418) would have included gender identification or sexual orientation.  Whether that remains in the final bill (if it passes) remains to be seen.

lead story - Transgender in Pakistan Set on Fire, Killed by Four Men for Resisting Sexual Assault

Press
News18


Lahore, Pakistan

Credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Neevin_Masjid_4_%28WCLA%29.jpg

please press:  www.news18.com


VIDEO - Matt Baume - New Gender Option on Drivers Licenses


Credit:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHmayxN_Xlo