[España]
FELGTB instará Gobierno siga a Francia y deje considerar transexualidad una enfermedad

La Federación seguirá trabajando por ello pese a que la Asociación Americana de Psiquiatría este revisando su DSM y siga sin desclasificar la transexualidad como enfermedad mental

[France]
France de-lists transgenderism as a mental illness

France has become the first country in the world to declassify transgenderism as a mental illness.
Health minister Roselyne Bachelot announced in May last year, before International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO), that the country would move to de-list the condition as a mental illness.
A government decree on Wednesday confirmed the change.
Although France has made the move, the World Health Organisation and the American Psychiatric Association continue to list the condition as a mental illness, rather than a medical condition.

[Italy]
Italy to Open World’s First Jail for Transgendered Prisoners

Excerpt: Laws in Italy do not persecute transgendered people; they maylive and work as members of the gender with which they identify evenwithout having sex reassignment surgery. But neither are transgenderedpeople protected under the nation’s anti-discrimination laws: fouryears ago, an Italian policeman who dressed as a woman when off-dutywas dismissed.
[Blog/Commentary] Transgender Jails in Italy

[Germany] [News/Film]
"Darling" a vivid memorial to long-gone Warhol star

Several of Andy Warhol's stable of performers achieved the 15 minutes of fame promised by their guru, but one of Warhol's pets, the transvestite performer known as Candy Darling, probably achieved a few more than her allotted minutes before fading into obscurity.

[Germany] [News/Film]
"Wolf's Mouth" a bold, deeply felt love story

There's magic and mastery aplenty in "The Wolf's Mouth," a docu-fiction hybrid that represents a breathtakingly impressive debut from Pietro Marcello.

Though running a bare-minimum feature length of 70 minutes, it packs multiple layers and subjects into its densely intricate but enticingly accessible structure. A highly unusual love story between a macho ex-con and a transsexual former drug addict, it's also an exploration and celebration of their home city of Genoa, delicately examining the past's interactions with the present.

[Uganda/USA]
Tulsa minister speaks for gay rights

Tulsa minister Marlin Lavanhar spoke Sunday at a conference in Uganda opposing that nation's proposed tough new law against homosexuality.
Miles de personas se manifiestan en Uganda para que condenen a muerte a homosexuales

[Malawi]
Líderes religiosos de Malawi acusan a Occidente de imponer la aceptación de la homosexualidad y “satanizar” el país

Poco a poco la historia de Steven Monjenza y Tiwonge Chimbalanga, la pareja de Malawi que se enfrenta a una pena de 14 años de cárcel por homosexualidad, alcanza mayor repercusión internacional. El diario estadounidense The New York Times ha publicado este sábado un artículo sobre los sucedido, en el que se hace eco de las acusaciones de líderes religiosos del país africano hacia Occidente, al que acusan de querer “satanizar” en país introduciendo la homosexualidad como una conducta aceptable.

Un hombre de 60 años, nuevo detenido en Malawi acusado de sodomía
Another man arrested in Malawi
Malawi gay activists 'must be more open
Police say man arrested in anti-gay sweep

[Nepal/Russia] [PR/News/Film]

Russians Refuse to Screen Nepali Gay, Transgender Documentary Film at Culture Centre in Kathmandu
“Sexual and gender minorities issues are against Russian Law and Religion” - Russian official

[Indonesia]
Fundamentalistas islámicos condenan la celebración de un concurso de belleza para mujeres transexuales en Aceh

Musulmanes ultraconservadores han criticado duramente la participación de más de 40 jóvenes en el primer concurso de belleza para mujeres transexuales celebrado en Aceh, un territorio de Indonesia en el que rige oficialmente la sharia o ley coránica desde 2005.
[Blog/Commentary] Are Transgender Pageants As Exploitive of Women as 'Regular' Beauty Contests?

[Japan]

Sex-change husband presses justice minister to register son
A 27-year-old man who has legally changed his sexual status due to gender identity disorder called Monday on Justice Minister Keiko Chiba to register his son, born by artificial insemination, as his legitimate child.
The Justice Ministry has been refusing his request.

[USA]

6 Ways Google Buzz's Terrible Privacy Constraints Can Screw the Queers
Debuting last week, Google Buzz is the search giant's new product competing with Twitter and Facebook. With tens of millions of Gmail accounts, Google harnessed its massive user base to create its own real-time feed of status updates, photo uploads, and link shares. It also completely violated Gmail users' privacy. By automatically enrolling them in Buzz, Google turned what you thought were your personal communications and relationships into a bulletin board for all the world wide web to see. Some 72 hours into their experiment, Google finally offered a way to put the kibosh on unintended oversharing. But for many, it was too late.

[USA] [Entertainment]
Glenn Close Returning To Movies As A Crossdresser

Excerpt: What's this role that Close can play twice, 30 years apart? Close's character is apparently a woman living in 19th century Ireland who is forced to disguise herself as a man in order to survive. Close is quoted in Screen Daily saying "I believe in this story and its potential to take everyone on a sensuous, funny, heart-breaking ride." Orlando Bloom, Michael Gambon and Janet McTeer will co-star.

[USA] [Blog/People/Commentary]

Why Is High School Quarterback Kimberly's MTF Transition Such a Captivating Story?
Oprah invited a former high school star quarterback on her television show last week to see how life changes after leaving the fame of being a young athlete. His name is Paul McKerrow. Or it was when Paul was a man. Today, she's Kimberly Reed, and all woman. Not only does this make great television (and great cinema; Reed's film Prodigal Sons chronicles her life), it makes us wonder: Why is this story so enthralling?

[USA] [Blog/Commentary]
Compromise 3 – Analysis of the DSM-V PRs

I have looked at some of the more simple aspects of the PR’s thus far in the first and second parts of this series.
This time around, I will look at the little things in there that are both good and bad, and examine some of the potential impacts socially as a result of the changes. In the last segment, which will follow in a couple days, I will look at three other listings of criteria, and compare and contrast how they are intended to function, how they are likely to function, and some of the issues around them.

[USA] [Blog/Commentary]
What's The Transgender Day Of Visibility?

By now, most people are aware of the Transgender Day of Remembrance that happens every November 20 to memorialize the people we've lost.

Over the years, there have been calls by some trans people to make the TDOR a more happy-happy joy-joy event, to which the founders and others have resisted. TDOR does serve an important function in terms of focusing attention on anti-transgender violence.

Rachel Crandall, the head of Transgender Michigan is one of the people who asked why couldn't the trans community or someone start an event that celebrates who we are?

Then she asked the question that led to the formation of this event, 'Why isn't that someone me?'

[Mexico]
Lamentan “cancelación” del programa de diversidad sexual del CONAPRED

A través de una carta dirigida al presidente del Consejo Nacional para Prevenir la Discriminación (CONAPRED), activistas y organizaciones LGBT manifestaron su desacuerdo con la eliminación del Programa de Diversidad Sexual del organismo.

[Ecuador]
Comienza en Ecuador la campaña “Tacones Blancos” para protestar contras los crímenes de odio por identidad de género
Mujeres transexuales ecuatorianas protestan contra los crímenes de odio cometidos contra el colectivo e inician la campaña “Tacones Blancos”, en el barrio de la Y, en la ciudad de Quito, con la que tratan de visibilizar la realidad a la que se enfrentan las personas trans y sensibilizar acerca de la violencia que sufren.

[Venezuela]
Pedro Zerolo mantiene encuentro organizaciones transexuales y homosexuales venezolanas

El Secretario de Movimientos Sociales del PSOE y activista LGTB Pedro Zerolo mantuvo un encuentro con las organizaciones LGTB de Venezuela durante su reciente visita de trabajo a este país. El encuentro fue impulsado por la activista transexual venezolana y profesora universitaria Tamara Adrián, con la que Zerolo mantiene una estrecha amistad.

[Argentina]
Este jueves se realizara Congreso de personas transexuales en región argentina, Río Cuarto

Este jueves 18 de febrero se realizará en Río Cuarto un Congreso Regional de personas transexuales y travestís organizado la filial local de la Asociación de Travestis, Transexuales y Transgéneros de Argentina (Attta).