[Portugal]
Filmes brasileiros estão em festival de cinema gay em Lisboa
O 13º Festival de Cinema Gay Queer Lisboa exibe filmes de temática homossexual originários dos cinco continentes -- muitos dos quais não chegam ao circuito comercial -- e desperta a atenção de exibidores e representantes de distribuidoras.

[Brasil]
Ela ou ele? Transexuais que participam de programas populares falam sobre preconceito e estigmas
Não é de hoje que programas populares investem na imagem de travestis e transexuais em seus quadros, seja para performances musicais, brincadeiras ou pegadinhas. Mas será que tal participação contribui para a quebra de preconceitos ou reforça o estigma da chacota?

[Brasil]
Parada de Curitiba reúne público recorde promovendo direitos humanos.
Mesmo com o céu anunciando chuva, a Parada da Diversidade de Curitiba foi realizada neste domingo, 27. Segundo a organização, cerca de 150 mil pessoas participaram do evento. O número é o maior já registrado nos 12 anos da Parada curitibana. (Foto Allan Johan)

[Brasil]
Parada Gay de Belém pede tolerância às minorias
A Parada Gay de Belém rolou neste domingo, 27, reunindo entre 80 mil e 100 mil pessoas, segundo a Polícia Militar. O tema do evento este ano chamava atenção para a importância do combate a todas as formas de discriminação.

[España]
Se pone en huelga de hambre por cirugía de cambio de sexo
Aunque ya concretó una reunión con el viceconsejero de Sanidad, en el País Vasco, una mujer transgénero no terminará su huelga de hambre “parcial” hasta que le practiquen una reasignación sexual.

[Norway]
Petition: Help us end GID-monopoly in Norway!
We demand that the Norwegian government must end Rikshospitalet’s monopoly on deciding who can get gender reassignment (diagnosing Gender Identity Disorders (GIDs)). This means a) that professionals outside of Rikshospitalet must be allowed to diagnose GIDs b) that Rikshospitalet must be obligated to treat patients who get diagnosed elsewhere

Today, Rikshospitalet in Oslo has a monopoly on diagnosing GID in Norway. The monopoly does great harm to a lot of transgender people who need treatment. This group has no right to a second opinion, like other patient groups in Norway have. Several professionals across the country are competent to diagnose GIDs.

The situation in Norway has upset activists all over the world, after the news of a woman who cut off her testicles when she did not get the right GID diagnosis (ICD-code F64.0) at Rikshospitalet.

The petition is supported by LLH - the Norwegian organisation for LGBT rights and Queer Youth.
Please sign the petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/TranshealthNorway/

Best regards,
Tarald Stein
transgender co-ordinator
LLH - the Norwegian organisation for LGBT rights

[Turkie]
ISTANBUL POLICE IS HUNTING TRANNIES AND TRANSSEXUALS FOR EARNING BONUS !
Trannies became a bonus object for Istanbul Police. Ebru Kiranci and Demet Demir now are walking fearfully along Istiklal Street. Because the cops around may fine them any moment for being a “man wearing female clothes".

“One time I was in a hairdresser and they got me out and took to the police station. They fined me for disturbing the people as 35€ according to the new Turkish Misdemeanor Law. Another time, I had bought meat and bread and was walking to my home, and they fined me again ! And last week, I got 2 fines in one single day. I did not sign some of the fines and signed some. I am really scared from them. They use violence and threaten me to inform our families about our situation. Now we are afraid of getting out.”

A tranny is describing her fears and the pressure upon her as above. And what’s more, she is not the only one who is under oppression. Trannies and transsexuals are worried and terrified. For the last two months, especially in Beyoglu and Sisli districts the trannies are even fined in daily living environments; while getting out from the bakery, while going to the grocery, at the hairdresser's and etc.

The Non-Profit Social Society Organization of Istanbul Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexual and Trannies (LGBTT) is preparing to file a criminal complaint against the courts. The Association also alleges that the new system in Istanbul Police Department of “earning Point (scores) per issued fine and the number of lawbreaker being caught” increases Istanbul Police’s violence against the trannies to get more “Bonus”. This bonus system has begun with the assignment of Mr. Huseyin Capkin as the Director of Istanbul Police Department by Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

‘We are scared to get out the streets ”
Clearing up Izmir and being promoted to Istanbul after Mr.Cerrah (the previous Istanbul Police Director) was sent to another city as a Governor (although he was very poor in his job), the Chief Police Officer of Istanbul Mr.Huseyin Capkin has already made quite a name for himself in his new town with this extraordinary bonus system.

A list of Capkin’s talented success during his time in Izmir is what is next in our agenda and we will discuss them later on...

However, we should give you some tips about him for now. Sir Capkin was an intolerant Turkish “battle hero” especially against Kurds and trannies who himself had sworn to clear Izmir from this pile of “shit”. By the way, Capkin means “Playboy/Womanizer” in Turkish.

In his period, Izmir Police were reaching for their guns and opening fire whenever they want and either were killing or injuring people. I hope you do not think that Cerrah was sent and a better Chief Police Officer was appointed for Istanbul who is more sensitive about human rights and has a modern personality. Or do you ?

Capkin’s bonus system that is based on performance of Istanbul Police as writing fines and catching everyone around as a potential criminal turned into a psychological violence against trannies and transsexuals. The number of people who got fines according to the 37th article of Misdemeanour Act of Turkish Criminal Laws which is “disturbing others in the streets for selling goods or services” is increasing day by day.

We already know that Mr. Capkin is very successful indeed to suppress the trannies and transsexuals in Izmir. Now Istanbul Police will get extra incentives besides their salary each month for the each fine he issues against the trannies. This is surely increasing the homophobia in the society.
The aim is to isolate the trannies from the rest of the people and make their lives miserable. To exile them from the daily life…We surely know this type of brutality shown against the minorities from the past and current wild Fascist regimes.

Ebru Kıranci from LGBTT Society is saying that trannies and transsexuals are ruthlessly seen by Istanbul Police as a bonus for themselves after the “Point Winning” implementation initiated by Mr. Capkin and she asserts some impressive claims such as below ;
“Most recently, they took out a friend of us from the grocer’s. In the past, they used to take us when we hitchhike at nights on the main roads as per the famous Misdemeanour Law forbids. But now they take us into custody in our daily lives. Our right of living is permanently taken away from us. Now we are scared totally to go out in the streets even in daytime. We try to change our way on the streets when we see the cops ahead. They fine us as per the 37th article, but our trannies do not walk in the streets in daytime with the clothes they work at night. Many of our friends are taken from side and back streets, but police officers write the name of Main Street on the fine as if they caught us at the main street. These fines were used to be issued at night while we are hitchhiking. “

http://vod.cnnturk.com/cnnturk/haber/24.02.2009/taksiciler_eylem_kavga.wmv

Nine fines to a person
It didn’t use to happen daytime like now. Most of our friends do not have any social security. Nor they have money... I know a person who was fined for nine times. I am wearing a long sleeve shirt at this hell hot weather. I cannot wear a short sleeve or a strappy blouse because of my fear from the cops.”
Demet Demir from the same Organization is claiming that the cops were telling them (while writing their fines) “Soon, you will not be able to walk even on this Istiklal Street” which is a main shopping and closed to traffic street in the district of Taksim known for preserving more free lifestyles compared to our parts of Istanbul.

“Many friends are psychologically sick. They are now imprisoned at home. Is walking on the street or shopping a crime in a free world ? One day, they have fined two friends. And the cops have written on the fine as describing the crime “men wearing female clothes.” After our Ramadan holiday is over (ending on Sep 23), we will file a criminal complaint to the Attorneys General (Prosecution Office) about both Capkin and the police officers who issued us fines.

They are threatening
One of the trannies who got a fine is a 51 year old Ebru who lives in Beyoglu.

She is describing her experiences with this nickname because she is still scared :
“One time I was in a hairdresser and they got me out and took to the police station. They fined me for disturbing the society as 35€ according to the Misdemeanor Law. Another time, I had bought meat and bread and was walking, they fined me again. At some occasions, they even fined me twice in a day. I did not sign some of the fines and signed some. They terrified me. They use violence and threaten to inform our families about our situation. Now we are afraid of getting out. We do not disturb the people, on the contrary, the police do.”

Çapkın and the ones like him do not want to see them. Do you think a happier and more humanly life is waiting for us when they remove those people from the streets and we are left alone as isolated from those colours of life ?

[South Africa] [Commentary]
Not black and white, nor pink and blue
Caster Semenya burst onto the international stage two months ago with a track-and-field victory that should have been an inspirational success story. Instead, the 18-year-old phenom from rural South Africa has become the subject of a public debacle -- and the target of crude jokes, misinformed speculation and downright cruel personal attacks -- all because she is a woman who doesn't measure up to some people's definition of what it means to be female.

[Singapore] [News/Health]
Woman-to-man sex change surgery more complicated, costlier
WOMEN who have a persistent wish to be male are less common here than men wanting to be women.
Mr Daniel Kaw, 37, the founder of SgButterfly, said when people talk about transsexuals, 'they immediately think about Changi Village and about Thailand's transsexual cabaret shows'.

[Australia] [People/Entertainment]
How the other half lives
Vanessa Van Durme began life as a man, became one of Belgium's first post-operative transsexuals and is now wowing audiences with the stage version of her tale. Stephanie Bunbury reports.

[USA]
Transgender Latina Stabbed to Death in Los Angeles: Story of Injustice
Paulina Ibarra, transgender Latina, was found stabbed to death in her apartment in East Los Angeles on August 28. The transgender community quickly moved to help the LAPD identify a “person of interest,” 24-year-old Jesus Catalan, who is wanted for jumping parole. (Photo)

[UT, USA]
Forum discusses LGBT meanings and modes
A transsexual who was a woman but is now a man is attracted to women. What is his sexual orientation?
After a small pause, one of the nearly two dozen people listening to Cynthia Martinez speak about the modern lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement shouted "heterosexual."
"Right," said Martinez, the director of the University of Utah's LGBT Resource Center.
(Photo: Scott Sommerdorf / The Salt Lake Tribune - Cathy Martinez, of the U. of U. LGBT Resource Center, speaks about "The Modern Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Movement" held at the Salt Lake City Main Library on Saturday.)

[Chile]
Ni privilegios ni segregación: comunidad gay quiere igualdad
Ayer se realizó la cuarta marcha por el orgullo gay, la cual por primera vez recorrió el centro de Chillán.
La prepararon por semanas. Cada detalle, cada traje, cada show. La cuarta marcha por el Orgullo Gay llevada a cabo ayer en Chillán fue quizás la más especial. Primero, porque viene a coronar un año de logros para la comunidad homosexual local: se aprobó la ordenanza municipal contra la discriminación, y a través del Club Social Frida Kahlo, las actividades de este sector se abrieron a la comunidad, llegando incluso hasta el Teatro Municipal. (Foto)
Marcha gay termina con reconocimiento póstumo a Gabriela Mistral

[Chile - Uruguay]
En Chile y Uruguay miles marcharon por la Diversidad Sexual
Este fin de semana, en Santiago y Montevideo se realizaron marchas por la diversidad sexual. En Chile se trató de la IX Marcha del Orgullo, mientras en Uruguay se celebró 5 años de avances en legislacion a favor de gays, lesbianas, bisexuales y personas trans.
(Foto: Diversidad Uruguay)