[España]
"Triplemente vulnerabilizadas; Prostitutas, inmigrantes y transexuales" Presentación en Alicante
Este miércoles 5 de mayo tendrá lugar la presentación del Informe Triplemente vulnerabilizadas. Prostitutas, inmigrantes y transexuales.

[España]
Nabai presenta en Parlamento de Navarra proposición Ley para creación Oficina Transexuales y Homosexuales
Esta es la proposición de Ley completa presentada el viernes pasado en el Parlamento de Navarra por el Grupo Nafarroa Bai.

[Turkey]
Transsexuals call for improved rights
A lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT, association in the western province of Bursa has called on the government to start an initiative to institutionally secure the rights of members of this marginalized group.

[USA]
After Criticism from GLAAD, Ticked-Off Trannies Director Promises Change
Movieline just heard from Israel Luna, the director of the suddenly-hot Tribeca fest entry Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives, a “transploitation” revenge thriller attacked by GLAAD last week. Said the organization then: “The film, its title and its marketing misrepresent the lives of transgender women and use grotesque, exploitative depictions of violence against transgender women in ways that make light of the horrific brutality they all too often face.” Luna took issue with that description, though as he told Movieline today, the criticism has convinced him to change the film’s trailer: (...) Here’s the original version of the trailer:



'Ticked-Off Trannies' Draws Wrath Of Gay Group
[Blog/Commentary] A Step In The Right Direction, But More Steps Needed
[Blog/Commentary] Transgender Advocates respond to promised changes to 'Ticked off trannies with knives' trailer
[Blog/Commentary] When Ticked Off Gay Men Attack: Misogyny As A Knife

[USA] [Commentary]
What Transgendered Parents Can Teach Us About Motherhood and Fatherhood
Let me share with you a real-life story involving a transgendered parent. A few years after Michael B. married his wife Barbara in the 1970s, he told her that he preferred wearing women's clothing and that he felt more comfortable thinking of himself as a woman.
The marriage was a rocky one, but it lasted for almost twenty more years. In 1998, the couple divorced and a year later Michael had gender reassignment surgery and changed her name to Monica. After that, Barbara went to court in their home state of Kentucky and successfully got an order prohibiting Monica from contacting any of their four children because she was now living as a woman.
But things soon got even worse for Monica. Barbara eventually remarried and she and her new husband petitioned the court to terminate all of Monica's parental rights so that the new husband could adopt the one child out of the four who was still then a minor.

[USA]
The Heartache of Mike Penner/Christine Daniels
The gender transition and suicide of sportswriter Mike Penner/Christine Daniels was chronicled in an article over the weekend by his former employer, the LA Times. Penner/Daniels became an overnight sensation in 2007 when he announced plans for a gender shift in a column for the Times called "Old Mike, new Christine."

[USA]
ENDA Vote May Be Near
With health care a done deal, Baldwin and Frank say House is poised to move on employment anti-discrimination for LGBT people

[USA]
Chaz Bono asks judge to change name, gender
Chaz Bono is asking a judge to formally change his name and gender.
The 41-year-old writer, activist and reality-TV star, was born a girl to Sonny Bono and Cher. He filed a petition to change his name and gender last week.
Chaz Bono Gender Reassignment Complete
Chaz Bono Turns To Transgender Law Center For Help

[USA] [Blog/Commentary]
Being a Transgender Person is No Longer a Pre-existing Condition
In a historic moment, President Obama signed the health care reform bill into law last week. The law will allow millions of Americans to be able to afford insurance coverage and to access quality health care. In expanding access to health care, the law addresses one of many social justice issues we encounter today in American society.
Transgender people can be rest assured that insurance companies cannot deny or drop coverage to an individual because that individual is transgender. The health care reform law bans insurance companies from dropping or denying coverage to individuals or their dependents because of their pre-existing conditions. Thus, being a transgender person cannot be denied coverage or dropped by an insurance company because the insurance company considers transgender people to have a pre-existing condition. However, we should note that this portion of the health care reform law will not be enforced until 2014.

[CA, USA]
Fighting for a hate-free union
Christine Darosa reports on the fight of a transgender union activist in Service Employees International Union Local 1021 to remove a union supervisor from his position because of his reported prejudice.

[CA, USA]
Transgender Latinas Organize at City College
Andrea Flores recalls getting stares and muffled comments by Latinos when she walked across the City College of San Francisco’s Mission campus.
“They would look at me and they would laugh,” said Flores, a shy, soft spoken, slim transgender woman with long flowing hair.
“They would say, ‘there goes a joto,” she added, describing the derogatory Spanish slang word used to describe a gay man.

[OK, USA]
In Seeking To Strip Gays Of Hate Crimes Protections, Oklahoma Removes Protections For Race And Religion
In October, President Obama signed The Matthew Shepard Act, expanding the reach of the 1969 hate crimes law to “authorize the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute certain bias-motivated crimes based on the victim’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability.” Previously, the law only allowed for the federal prosecution of anyone who “willingly injures, intimidates or interferes with another person, or attempts to do so, by force because of the other person’s race, color, religion or national origin.”
State lawmakers in Oklahoma argued that the Shepard Act would trample on the free speech rights of religious leaders “who preached out against the lifestyle of the victim who was attacked.” On March 10, the Oklahoma state Senate thought it was passing a bill prohibiting “local and state law enforcement agencies from sharing information about hate crimes with federal authorities if the state of Oklahoma did not recognize the crime as a hate crime by its own statutes.” Oklahoma state law does not recognize “sexual orientation or gender identity” as a special class and fails to provide gay and lesbians with hate crimes protections.
Oops! Oklahoma Senate opts out of wrong hate crimes law

[México]
Rebrotan ataques a homosexuales y transexuales en México después de aprobación matrimonio gay
Varias ONG del colectivo lésbico, gay y de personas transgénero y/o transexuales (LGBT) y el Consejo Nacional contra la Discriminación (Conapred) denunciaron hoy un rebrote de la Homofóbia y la Transfóbia en México, desde la aprobación de la ley que permite en la capital del país el matrimonio y la adopción a personas del mismo sexo.

[España]
Revista ultra católica Alba insulta a los transexuales masculinos en un reportaje tendencioso y de -mala fe-
La Revista ultra católica “Alba” ha emitido un reportaje que ha ofendido gratuitamente -y de mala fe- al colectivo de hombres transexuales, llamándolos "mujeres operadas" e informando casi con prevaricación de la transexualidad. Hablan que solo “40” personas transexuales han modificado su nombre y sexo después de la Ley de Modificación del Registro Civil en el 2007.

[España]
¿Y si Barbie fuera transexual?
¿Qué oculta Barbie bajo la ropa? ¿Y si fuera transexual? Una exposición de fotografía y 'performance' en Alicante ofrece una respuesta sin tapujos.
La muestra fotográfica '-In-visibles', organizada por la Asociación Decide-T de Lesbianas, Gays, Bisexuales y Trasnsexuales de Alicante utiliza fotografías de muñecas manipuladas para hace explícito lo que generalmente se oculta y trasgreder la concepción genérica tradicional.
Barbies transexuales en Alicante con la exposición de DecideT "In-visibles: Naturalezas transgresoras"

[UK]
Sex-change killer to wed lesbian murderess in jail
A double killer is getting married behind bars after being switched to a women's jail following a sex swap - and falling for a lesbian murderess.
Strangler Douglas Wakefield, 61, has won permission to get hitched in the prison chapel.
Lags will be guests at the civil partnership ceremony as the beast - who underwent a taxpayer-funded "gender reassignment" and is now called "Tai" - recites vows with mum-of-three Thelma Purchase, 45, a fellow lifer.

[Itália]
Asesinan a cuchilladas a una mujer transexual en Italia de nacionalidad argentina
Una joven transexual, de la que desconocemos su verdadero nombre y sólo conocemos el anterior y que se apellidaba Curi Huansi, con 29 años, ha sido asesinada en Parma, Italia, con heridas de arma blanca en cara, cuello y manos (seguramente mientras se defendía)

[Finland]
Ombudsman: Equality Law to Protect Transsexuals
Equality Ombudsman Pirkko Mäkinen says Finland’s equality law is in need of modernisation, especially in regard to the rights of transsexuals. The issue has been raised following the case of Lutheran minister Marja-Sisko Aalto, who felt forced to leave her job after undergoing gender reassignment surgery.

[Africa]
Africa: Make those homosexuals disappear!
In Uganda, there is a burning desire to send them to the gallows. Woe betide those who dare "marry" in Malawi. In Zimbabwe, President Mugabe and Premier Tsvangirai have surprisingly agreed to refuse to consider their rights in the new constitution, with the former describing them as "pigs" and "dogs". In 38 of the 53 countries on the continent, homosexuals are treated like criminals.

[Zimbabwe]
PM Morgan Tsvangirai rejects gay rights move
Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has joined President Robert Mugabe in dismissing calls to enshrine gay rights in the new constitution.
Morgan Tsvangirai condemns homosexuals in raw terms
Zimbabwe Shrugs Off Gay Rights
Mugabe y Tsvangirai cierran filas contra los derechos de los gays

[Iran]
Actor y hombre transexual iraní regresa a las pantallas después de cirugía reasignación sexo
Un actor iraní -transexual masculino- ha retornado a las pantallas luego de una transición como un hombre. Saman Arastu, anteriormente conocido como Farzaneh, tuvo una carrera importante como mujer en la televisión y en papeles en películas.

[Indonesia]
Activists demand police arrest attackers
Activists have accused the police and several religious groups of breaking the law by shutting down a planned congress on sexual orientation in Surabaya, East Java, and by banning conference participants from speaking to the media.
[Opinion] Hostility, Not Homosexuality, Flies in The Face of True Koranic Teachings
Dems support gay, lesbian congress
[Editorial] The vanishing minorities
Sexuality talks canceled for sake of ‘security’

[USA] [Blog/Commentary]
Now that Health Care Reform Passed, is the ENDA in Sight?
Health care reform. It's the subject on everyone's lips. However, now that the bill has been enacted, attention is turning to the next big topic, such as the economy and immigration reform. For lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans, there are several pieces of legislation that have been waiting on the back-burner that need to be addressed, but perhaps chief among them is the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Well, ENDA's time may finally be near.

[USA] [Blog/Commentary]
Should the U.S. Census Let Trans Americans Mark Something Besides 'Male' Or 'Female'?
We've already seen how the 2010 Census missed a huge opportunity to count America's gays. But what about America's transgender population?

[MI, USA]
Transgender singer tells story at SVSU
Lead singer of the Toronto-based queer band The Cliks visited SVSU for Gender Awareness week to share his experience with gender identity.
Lucas Silveira, an open transgender male, presented to students the struggles to achieve one’s full potential in a world that views gender in two categories: male or female.
(Photo by James Fry - Lucas Silveira, lead singer of the rock band The Cliks, told an audience Wednesday about the difficulties facing people who feel they were born a gender different from their biological sex.)

[NY,USA]
Transgendered woes for Tribeca?
So a movie described as a "campy homage to exploitation films" makes it to the Tribeca film festival, and the GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defammation) group immediately wants to strike up a conversation with the Tribeca Festival producers.
GLAAD turns on "Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives"
[Blog/Commentary] Where will Israel Luna be, on November 20, 2010?
[Blog/Commentaryt] Memo to the Luna-Ticks: We’ve Been Used By Gay Men For Profit Before, So Don’t Expect Us to Shut Up Now

[México]
Red Mexicana de Mujeres Transexuales concluye taller en Jalisco sobre compromisos en prevención del VIH/Sida
La Red Mexicana de Mujeres Trans AC concluye el taller de liderazgo trans en Jalisco se llevó a cabo los días 25 y 26 de marzo. (Foto)

[México]
"Mi experiencia en el Grupo Crisalida: Travestís de México" Por Gina Furlong
Desde hace 14 años el Grupo Crisálida Ha prestado apoyo a hombres que tienen el gusto de vestir con ropa femenina y ¿Cómo ayudamos en el Grupo Crisálida? (Foto)

[México]
Impiden a mujer transexual de México jugar en cancha de fútbol femenino, ella es la directora de TRI GAY
Miranda Salman, en medio de la fotografía, Directora Técnica del TRI GAY, mujer transexual, fue víctima de un acto discriminatorio en una cancha de fútbol rápido propiedad de Roberto Sosa, comentarista de la empresa Televisa, al no permitírsele jugar un partido de la categoría femenil.

[Peru]
Lavan bandera para exigir derechos
Con una singular medida que implicó el lavado de la bandera peruana, la misma que estaba manchada con la sangre de todos los manifestantes, integrantes de la Comunidad Homosexual LTGB (Lesbianas, gays, travestis y bisexuales) protestaron contra los continuos crímenes que vienen sufriendo dichas personas, a nivel del país. (Foto)

[Brasil]
Drag queens curitibanas fazem show para salvar teatro
Teatro Odelair Rodrigues recebe no sábado show especial de grupo de drags de Curitiba

[España]
Jornadas sobre Transexualidad en la Universidad de Sevilla
La Asociación de Transexuales de Andalucía – Sylvia Rivera (ATA) inauguró, el pasado día 23 de marzo, en la Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación sus Jornadas sobre Transexualidad.

[Turkey]
Turkey's transsexuals popular on TV but not at home
Singer Bulent Ersoy is renowned for her elaborate wardrobe, formidable decolletage, countless albums, a stint on Turkey's most popular TV talent show and a spin-off film career. She was also born a man.
The transsexual Ersoy — and a host of other ambiguously sexed entertainers — have achieved success despite the conservatism of Turkish society and the prejudice that faces the country's gay and transgender communities.
(Photo: Bulent Kilic, AFP/Getty Images - Famous Turkish transexual singer Bulent Ersoy walks to the courthouse in Istanbul, on September 24, 2008.)

[Indonesia]
Indonesian Islamists Vow That Gay Conference Will Not Proceed
Pressure from Islamic organizations has finally forced the organizers of the planned International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association (ILGA) conference in Surabaya to cancel the event.
“We have contacted the participants [and told them] that the congress is being cancelled,” said Tan Oey, one of the organizing committee of ILGA’s fourth Asian conference, which was to be held from today until Sunday.

[USA]
GLAAD Protests Film at Tribeca
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is issuing a call to action against the Tribeca Film Festival for screening a film GLAAD is calling offensive.
Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives is about a group of transgender women who are severely beaten and seek revenge on their attackers. According to the festival's description of the film, it is a "hilariously campy homage to the exploitation films of the '70s and '80s."
[Petition] Demand that "Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives" Be Pulled from Tribeca Film Festival Line-up
[Blog/Commentary] GLAAD Calls On Tribeca Film Festival to Pull Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives From Schedule
Tribeca, GLAAD Respond to TrannyGate
[Blog/Commentary] A Tribeca Film Festival Transphobic Failure
[Blog/Commentary] An Insensitive Tribeca Film Festival Pick: Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives
[Blog/Commentary] Appropriation of Trans Women’s Deaths in Cis Gay Film
[Blog/Commentary] Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives
[Blog/Commentary] Ongoing GLAAD Battle



[USA] [Blog/Commentary]
Update: Facebook Ban and Lost Corporation Status of “Ticked-Off Trannies” Film
I recently tried to post an update on Facebook to the story ran on Transadvocate on Monday (March 22, 2010) titled:
Tribeca Film Festival Promotes Exploitation of Transgender People and got the following:



I then was auto-logged out and when I logged back in it said my login had been disabled. Since when is posting about GLAAD’s petition of the movie a violation of Facebook’s TOS? What exactly was reported as abusive? I can’t figure out if the petition itself has been reported as abusive, or the fact that someone *cough* *cough* might have been a tad pissed that my blog post mentioned the producer’s part time escort gig?

[MS, USA]
Trans Student Suspended from Same School in Mississippi That Canceled Prom, Later Hounded Out of Town
Constance McMillen wasn't the first student at Itawamba Agricultural High School to contact the ACLU this year.
Juin Baize was a student at Itawamba Agricultural—for a grand total of four hours.(...)
Things reached a crisis stage over the weekend when the friends-of-friends who had been putting up Bertsinger and her three children told her that Juin would have to leave. Bertsinger called some old friends who live in Pensacola, Florida, and asked if they would take Juin in. Her friends drove to Fulton the same night to pick Juin up. Bertsinger is granting temporary guardianship of her son to her friends until, she says, she can find a job and save enough money to move to Florida with her other two children.(...) (Photo)
[Blog/Commentary] Constance McMillen's High School Also Suspended a Transgender Student. Just 'Cause

[TX, USA]
Surviving life on the streets
Shawn Tripp is a lucky man. He says so himself. He says he’s a survivor and it’s a miracle that he’s still alive. And you have to believe him.
Tripp is one of those people who seems to turn every curse into a blessing and unknowingly inspire everyone else.
“It’s no big deal,” he says. “It is just life.”
Tripp, born on Independence Day in 1988, is now 21. Four years ago, his parents kicked him out of their home in Hurst for being a lesbian. He now identifies as a transgender man.
(Photo: Renee Baker/Dallas Voice - Shawn Tripp lived under the Harry Hines Boulevard bridge over Inwood Road after his parents kicked him out of the house at age 17.)

[Honduras]
Registran nuevo crimen por transfobia en Honduras
Un joven travesti de 19 años fue asesinado la madrugada de hoy por sujetos que a bordo de un automóvil dispararon en varias ocasiones contra un grupo de integrantes del colectivo trans. Familiares ya identificaron el cuerpo.
Ultiman a un homosexual conocido como “Débora”

[UK]
Hate-Crimes Expansion Protects LGBT Scots
An expanded hate-crimes law covering gays and lesbians as well as people with disabilities went into effect Wednesday in Scotland.

[Francia]
Malabarista transexual de Francia cuestiona la identidad de genero desde el arte
A través del juego y dominio de más de un centenar de bolas de hielo, la malabarista transexual francesa Philippe Ménard, trata de demostrar en su espectáculo "PPP" (Posición Paralela al Piso) que cualquier elemento puede ser moldeable y cambiar de estado, cuestionando así la identidad de género. (foto)

[Turkey]
Turkey's transsexuals popular on TV but not at home
Singer Bulent Ersoy is renowned for her elaborate wardrobe, formidable décolletage, countless albums, a stint on Turkey's most popular TV talent show and a spin-off film career. She was also born a man.

[Indonesia]
Indonesia split on sex laws as Islamists rally
Sexual expression, freedom of religion and the direction of Indonesia's biggest mainstream Muslim group are arousing passionate national disputes.
The conservative Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI), a Muslim scholars group set up by former dictator Suharto to monitor religious orthodoxy, succeeded in getting an international gay and lesbian conference banned this week after a quick and nasty campaign.
College Students Rally Against Asian Homosexual Conference In Surabaya

[USA] [Blog/Commentary]
Make Some Noise Against Trans Exploitation at the Tribeca Film Festival
Yesterday, Shaker Eastsidekate sent me the link to (emphatic trigger warning re: transphobia, violence, and exploitation) this piece by Gina at Skip the Makeup about a film set to run at the Tribeca Film Festival titled Ticked Off Trannies With Knives.
Dallas filmmaker Israel Luna takes his ‘Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives!’ to the Tribeca Film Festival — but not without controversy

[USA]
Health passes, ENDA is poised
A bitterly divided U.S. House of Representatives approved the Senate health care reform bill late at night on March 21 - a bill that includes no provisions to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in health care but which promises to provide long-sought health care to millions of Americans.
NCTE explains how new health care reform will affect transgender people
Obama signs health care; reps push for ENDA
Editorial: Finally, health care reform, on to ENDA

[IL, USA]
Remembering Johannah Baker-Johnson, Transgender Advocate: July 26, 1983- March 15, 2010
With the faintest good-natured grin and worried eyes, Johannah would draw out his laptop, shift his chair from side to side, and wait for community meetings to start. Always a little ill at ease, always apologetic in his movements, Johanna Baker-Johnson was the quietest kind of advocate for transgender rights. But she was also the most persistent.

[IL, USA]
Transgender Woman Fights Public Housing Discrimination
Transgender people often face housing discrimination. So the federal government is currently conducting a first-ever study to learn more about it. In Chicago, one woman has faced bias from a tenant. She lives in public housing for seniors. And unlike many other transgender people, she’s speaking up. (Photo: Gloria Allen)

[Honduras]

Asesinan a travesti
Sujetos a bordo de un carro azul marca Nissan Frontier dispararon en varias ocasiones en contra de un grupo de travestis en la madrugada de hoy en el bulevar Morazán de Tegucigalpa que dejó como saldo un joven de 19 años muerto.

[Brasil]
Saúde da população trans é tema de encontro em São Paulo
Especialistas se reúnem na capital paulista para discutir saúde de transexuais e travestis

[Europe]
3rd European Transgender Council 30.Sept - 03.Oct 2010 Malmoe, Sweden
Embracing Diversity. Stretching Boundaries. Demanding Rights
Thursday 6pm, 30th September 2010 – Sunday 2pm, 3rd October 2010

Dear Trans*activists, friends and allies!

Since our last Council 2008 in Berlin, significant developments have evolved all over Europe: The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe published his visionary Issue Paper “Human Rights and Gender Identity”; France announced that it would be the first European country to take steps to de-pathologize Gender Identity Disorder - GID; in the mean time Turkish trans people keep on being exposed to a brutal series of hate crimes, with at least 8 murdered in the last few months.

The European transgender movement has seen incredible growth and is strongly connected with its international counterparts. It is time, to take stock of recent developments and think together about how to maximize human rights for ALL trans people in Europe. We must make our cause inclusive, to ensure that rights and respect are not given to the few. We must not accidentally or greedily exclude the more invisible members of our community.

So, we are delighted to invite you to the

Third European Transgender Council 2010.

This year’s council will be held in Malmo in Sweden from Thursday evening, September 30th till Sunday afternoon, October 3rd. So save the date and join us in Sweden for the biggest European forum for transgender rights and activism!

This year’s Transgender Council ‘s motto will be

Embracing Diversity. Stretching Boundaries. Demanding Rights

As previously the third Council will be open to all trans people, including cross dressers, transgender people, transvestite and travestie, transsexual people and LGBTI human rights activists, friends, allies and spouses.

Traditionally the General Assembly of Transgender Europe is held on Saturday afternoon including the election of board and steering committee of TGEU for 2010 – 2012.

More information on the program, the conference location, accommodation and scholarships and the like will soon be published on our website http://www.blogger.com/www.tgeu.org/council2010 . We will also keep you up to date by e-mail.

In the mean time we invite you to get nostalgic about what was best in the councils you have attended, or to give us a new idea about what the European Transgender Council should be about: At http://www.blogger.com/www.tgeu.org/council2008 you find impressions from the Council held in Berlin.

We are looking forward to see you all in Malmo! (just a 35 minute train journey from Copenhagen Airport)

For TGEU and the Swedish organizing team

Stephen, Julia, Ulrika and Maria

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
ricci12@gmx.net

+32/ 49 38 16 063 (belgian mobile)
+49/ 177/ 65 31 518 (german mobile)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

[UK]
Hate crime law comes into force in Scotland
A new law has come into force to tackle hate crimes against gay or disabled people.
The act puts hate crimes against disabled or lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people on the same footing as racist incidents.
Most Scots gays have been the victim of hate crime
Survey finds most Scottish gay people have experienced hate crime

[Malawi]
Detained gay couple to face trial in Malawi
Two men face up to 14 years in jail in a case that human rights activists say is a test case for gay rights, as well as one that could undermine efforts to curtail Malawi's devastating HIV infection rates.

[Pakistan]
GIA urges govt to help terminally ill office-bearer
Sania Baloch, 22, the transgender general secretary of Gender Interactive Alliance (GIA), is fighting for her life in hospital and seeks financial support from the government. GIA President Bindia Rana said Baloch was suffering from cancer and was taken to the Aga Khan University Hospital, where the administration refused to admit her because she was unable to pay the treatment expenses of Rs 3 million. Rana added that Baloch was on the verge of survival and GIA had requested government institutions to help her, while Baloch’s family has even sold their kitchenware to raise money for her treatment. Baloch’s friends and GIA activists have set up a camp in front of the Karachi Press Club to raise money.

[Indonesia]
Indonesia prohíbe celebración congreso asiático homosexuales y transexuales
El cuarto encuentro asiático de la Asociación Internacional de Lesbianas, Gays, Bisexuales, Transexuales e Intersexuales (ILGA) tenía previsto arrancar el vienes próximo en Surabaya, en la isla de Java, con la asistencia de unas 200 personas de 16 países.
"Hay indicios de que puede haber disturbios sociales, como protestas de grupos musulmanes de Java Oriental, si el acto sigue adelante", explicó Setyo Rahayu, portavoz de la policía municipal.
Association decries police ban on conference
Police ban gay conference in Indonesia
Surabaya Police ban gay rights group conference
Indonesian police ban regional gay conference
Com medo de conservadores do Islã, polícia da Indonésia gonga conferência militante

[Australia/Pakistan]
Transgendered Pakistani woman granted refugee status
A transgendered Pakistani woman has been granted refugee status by the Refugee Review Tribunal. The Tribunal decided the matter on review from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, which found that the applicant was not a refugee.

[Australia]
Norrie ready to do battle with govt
Norrie mAy-welby has complained to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) after NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages cancelled the “sex not specified” certificate it provided in February.
Norrie received the certificate the day before the Mardi Gras parade and the story was picked up by news services around the globe when norrie went public last week.
But norrie received a phone call from Registrar Greg Curry on Tuesday last week, saying the certificate would be cancelled.

[USA] [Blog/Commentary]
Appropriation Tales: Israel Luna and dead trans women
Excerpt: I felt sick. I have seen the lives and even the deaths of trans people appropriated by cis LGB culture before, but I didn’t think anyone would be so crass as to describe in lurid detail the deaths of two trans people (ironic in how quickly many cis gays were to distance Jorge Mercado from any sort of trans identity before) to promote a COMEDY. A drag queen comedy directed by a cissexual gay man. Even more troubling is the pornographic description of their deaths. Do cis people not realize how incredibly triggering and damaging it can be having to read the detailed description of how a trans person was murdered? And then the sickening punch of realizing it was done in the aim of promoting a comedy?

[USA]
Health Care Reform Signed into Law
President Barack Obama today signed into law an historic bill designed to increase access to health care throughout the United States. NCTE applauds the healthcare reform bill's passage into law. Through this act, more people, including transgender people, will be able to afford health insurance, be covered by existing plans, and obtain the care they need.

[USA] [Blog/Commentary]
Transgendered Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna Betrays His Community
For me the most distressing thing—for me personally—about Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna joining with the attorneys general of states like Virginia (!) and Mississippi (!) in suing to block health care reform is this: Rob McKenna doesn't make a big deal about it, but he is the only prominent Republican LGBT elected official in the country.
[Blog/Commentary] Dan Savage's Superfun Transphobic Attack on Washington AG Rob McKenna
[Blog/Commentary] How to squander your credibility as a civil rights advocate

[Puerto Rico]
Complace presentación de proyecto para cambiar el género en certificado de nacimiento
El activista de derechos humanos Pedro Julio Serrano aplaudió la presentación de un proyecto de ley para permitir el cambio en el encasillado de sexo en el certificado de nacimiento de personas transexuales. El Proyecto de la Cámara 2575, radicado ayer por los representantes Carmen “Yulín” Cruz Soto, Albita Rivera y Charlie Hernández, pretende que se autorice enmendar el certificado de nacimiento en el espacio reservado para el género a aquellas personas que se hayan realizado la operación de reasignación de sexo.

[International] [Petition]
Tell The APA: Crossdressing Is Not A disorder!
Please Join Our Call for Reform

[España]
Diversos colectivos y activistas de España piden que se suprima el sexo del DNI
Tras el caso del australiano Norrie May-Welby, el primer ciudadano que no es hombre ni mujer, diversos colectivos piden que se elimine el género del documento de identidad, como ya se hizo con la religión o con el estado civil

[España]
"INTERSEX y PARAFILIA"
Puede haber varias formas de llegar a la transexualidad. Voy a hablar de una aquí, que sería doble, intentando comprender la fuerza de cada una de las dos causas.
Se trataría de las personas que somos transexuales como expresión de una intersexualidad cerebral más una parafilia.

[Spain]
Andalusia Gender Identity, Kim Perez, considers it necessary to establish a neutral sexual gender
She has stated that this case notes that there are men, women and intersexed people, "but the laws have attempted to deny it," so now different partnerships aim to eliminate the sex of personal documents, such as in Spain where there is no difference in rights between different sexes.

[UK]
New survey says most gay people suffer "hate crime"
Most lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have been verbally abused and a third physically attacked, according to a new survey.

[UK]
Man uses sex change to avoid mounting debt
Actress Sarah Thom said she learned of a man in the West Midlands, England, who underwent a sex change in order to hide from debt collectors.

[UK]
The third sex: The truth about gender ambiguity
The greek scholar Diodorus Siculus wrote of the mythical double-sexed Hermaphroditus: "Some say [he] is a god and ... has a body which is beautiful and delicate like that of a woman, but has the masculine quality and vigour of a man. But there are some who declare that such creatures of two sexes are monstrosities, and coming rarely into the world as they do, have the quality of presaging the future, sometimes for evil and sometimes for good."

[Malawi]
Malawian gay couple Steve Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga face jail
Two gay men may be sentenced to up to 14 years in jail with hard labour today for organising a traditional civil marriage ceremony in Malawi, one of Africa’s most conservative states.
Steve Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, are virtually certain to receive custodial sentences at a magistrates’ court in Blantyre, the capital, despite pressure from supporters, who will be protesting outside the London offices of the Commonwealth.
Verdict expected in trial of Malawian gay couple
Malawi gay couple to be tried

[Iran]
Sex-change Iranian actor returns to screens
She earned her acting credentials playing female characters in a host of hit films and television dramas. Now one of Iran's best-known screen actors has ditched her previous persona to embark on a new career playing male roles.
But Saman – formerly Farzaneh – Arastu's gender transformation has little to do with dramatic talents. Instead she has turned into a he by becoming the first known Iranian actor to undergo a sex change operation.
Iranian actor returns to screens after gender reassignment

[Pakistan]
Non-implementation of SC order on trans-sexuals
The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued notices to the National Database Regulatory Authority’s (Nadra) legal adviser, deputy director Passport Office, provincial coordinator of the Social Welfare Department and others in a petition filed by the trans-sexuals, seeking implementation of Supreme Court’s (SC) directives regarding the welfare of their community.

[India]
Transgender candidate Veena gets the hut symbol
The hut is the election symbol of Veena S, the first transgender to contest an election in South India.
Veena is contesting the BBMP election from Okalipuram (ward number 96). She promised that she would try to clean politics and appealed to voters not to sell their votes to cash-rich politicians. She said that she would start canvassing from March 22. She is planning to rope in transgenders and volunteers from the city outskirts for canvassing.

[China]
Don't try this at home
A young man who wants to be a woman took matters into his own hands with scissors in Changsha, Hunan Province on March 16 when he cut off his right testicle.

[New Zealand]
Breach leads to jail term for transgender man
A transgender man will be kept apart from other New Plymouth prison inmates for the length of his six-month prison sentence.
Hina Tutaki, also known as Hendrix Waitere, was sent to jail yesterday after admitting making a break from home detention which was being served at his mother's home.

[Australia/UK]
Le dan género sexual neutro a un británico
El británico Norrie May-Welby no se siente hombre ni mujer y ha conseguido que las autoridades australianas le reconozcan como una persona con género sexual neutro.
Según informó ayer la prensa digital británica, May-Welby, de 48 años, nació hombre pero en 1990 se sometió a una operación de cambio de sexo, aunque no se sintió cómoda como mujer.
Ni hombre, ni mujer, ni transexual, ni intersexual
Une troisième catégorie ?
El derecho al no-género
Animan a personas que no se sienten ni hombres ni mujeres a darse a conocer
Brit expat loses his genderless status
Victory for intersex rights attacked
Australian government withdraws non-specified gender status

[USA]
’Americans for Truth’ Labeled a ’Hate Group’
Anti-gay blog Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH) is rather like a publicity engine for gay and lesbian causes, only in reverse: its constant reporting on gay issues (including the occasional in-depth, undercover reportage from various gay gatherings) are written from the perspective that gays and lesbians are "sinners" who "choose" to embrace the gay "lifestyle."

[USA]
Not the ENDA the Road
Four arrested as Get Equal stages protest in Speaker Pelosi's office to highlight need for employment protections for LGBT workers
With high-profile arrests in front of the White House, a sit-in at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's offices in Washington, D.C., and a coordinated sit-in at her San Francisco offices that both led to arrests and citations, Thursday, March 18, saw some of the most significant direct actions from LGBT activists in recent years.(From left to right: Chastity Kirven, Jay Carmona, Michelle Wright and Samantha Ames - Photo by Todd Franson)

[USA] [Blog/Commentary]
Hate 101: Gay and Lesbian Transphobia – Introduction
I’m not sure what one reason suddenly spurred me to write this article.
Perhaps it was more than one. Like when I read Maureen Dowd’s Op-Ed piece in the New York Times about how Ted Olson claimed he has been named an honorary lesbian by a large lesbian group.
Maybe it was David Letterman’s latest transphobic skit, intended to insult and degrade the newly appointed Senior Technical Adviser to the Commerce Department, which wasn’t long after Letterman’s slam at Thomas Beattie, referring to the then pregnant transman as “an androgynous freak show.” While the response from HRC and GLADD was swift and clear regarding Simpson (I believe because she is an Obama appointee, and for no other reason), the silence surrounding Letterman’s remarks about Beattie was deafening. Even then, many gay and lesbian blog sites insisted we who fall under the umbrella term “transgender” should get over it, after all it was only a joke, right?
[Blog/Commentary] Hate 101: Gay and Lesbian Transphobia – Historical
[Blog/Commentary] Hate 101: Gay and Lesbian Transphobia – The Consequences

[AZ, USA]
Candlelight vigil honors hate crime victim
Police are still searching for the person that killed a man four years ago in an alleged hate crime.
Another year, another candlelight vigil for 22-year-old Maurice Green, but there still has not been any arrest for his murder.

[CA, USA]
$50K reward offered for info leading to capture of Transgender’s killer
Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles police increased the reward earlier this month for the capture and conviction of the murderer who killed a transgender woman named Pauline Ibarra 30 months ago.

[TX,USA]
2nd officer fired over alleged misconduct
A day after authorities confirmed a San Antonio police officer had been fired for having sex in the back of his patrol car, another embattled officer — this one accused of sexually assaulting a transgendered woman — was told he also was being terminated, officials said.

[México]
Instituciones México son acusadas Derechos Humanos por quitar hija a una mujer transexual
El DIF Jalisco, el Consejo Estatal de Familia y su titular, el Ayuntamiento de Tala y una agente del Ministerio Público fueron acusados y señalados por la Comisión Estatal de Derechos Humanos de Jalisco (CEDHJ) por una serie larga de violaciones a los derechos de Alondra, la mujer transexual que en 2006 denunció que las autoridades le quitaron a Rosa Isela, la niña que crió desde bebé; la propia menor de edad, separada de cualquier núcleo familiar; y la madre biológica, quien no recibió el trato legal que merecía pese a que “regaló” a su hija. (Foto)

[Argentina/Chile]
Es transexual, se operó y pide el cambio de nombre
A los 13 años decidió que sería una chica en el cuerpo de un chico; a los 20, se realizó una operación de implante mamario y en 2009 se cambió de sexo en Chile.
En su DNI figura el nombre con el cual lo anotaron en el Registro Civil: José Martínez, pero quiere que la reconozcan como María Julieta, y poder adoptar hijos.
Después de la operación, los papeles

[Argentina]
Guerra judicial en Argentina, fiscales vuelven a apelar porque creen que asesinaron a la transexual Pequeña P
Los fiscales Guilermo Biré y Lisandro Beherán apelaron la decisión del juez Eduardo García Jurado, quien concluyó que Pequeña Pe se suicidó. Apuntan al remisero que era pareja de la chica transexual, como el posible asesino.

[Argentina]
Cooperativa de Trabajo de transexuales argentinas lanzan a la venta su primera producción
La cooperativa de trabajo "Nadia Echazú", creada, gestionada y sostenida por travestís y transexuales para generar una alternativa democrática e inclusiva de trabajo para todas y todos, se complace en informar que a partir de este mes de Marzo de 2010, lanza a la venta su primera producción, después de tres años de preparación y formación en su sede de Avellaneda. En esta primera etapa, ofrecemos sábanas de confección simple.

[International] [Blog/News]
Trans Murder Monitoring Project: 333 cases of reported murders of trans people in the last 2 years
The Trans Murder Monitoring Project (TMM), whose press release last November linked to the results of its research posted on the TGEU website, has now launched its official website, Transrespect versus Transphobia Worldwide (TvT).

[International] [Blog/News]
Inclusive Human Rights Reports Highlight Anti-Trans Abuses Worldwide
NCTE commends the US State Department’s annual human rights reports to Congress for highlighting severe and growing abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people worldwide. The reports, which summarize human rights conditions in every country besides the US, are a critical tool for understanding and addressing the dire threats facing LGBT people in their daily lives in many parts of the world.

[UK]
'Transexual countess' waits on benefit fraud trial verdict
A transexual community worker who allegedly swindled hundreds of thousands of pounds in benefits using two identities is awaiting a verdict in her trial.

[Finland]
Transgender vicar to resign over loss of parishioners' confidence
A loss of confidence among parishioners has caused the transgender Imatra vicar Marja-Sisko Aalto to leave her position.

[Australia]
Australia reverses landmark no-sex ruling
An Australian who made world headlines by being officially declared neuter vowed Thursday not to surrender the "sex not specified" identification document authorities in Sydney now claim they issued in error. The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages said the certificate was invalid because new legal advice was that the registrar may "only issue a recognized detail certificate or a new birth certificate following a change of sex in either male or female gender."
Brit Declared Genderless After Sex-Change Snafu
Las autoridades australianas dan marcha atrás en el reconocimiento del derecho a no ver especificado el sexo registral

[Malawi]
Malawi church leaders meet on gay rights
Church leaders say they have met in this fiercely conservative southern African nation to "understand the phenomenon" of same sex partners days ahead of a court verdict that could send two gay men to jail for up to 14 years.
Malawi Church Leaders to Condemn Homosexual Behavior

[Malawi]
La pareja de Malawi se enfrentará a un nuevo juicio en abril
Finalmente, el tribunal que ha juzgado a Steven Monjenza y Tiwonge Chimbalanga, la pareja de Malawi detenida a finales de diciembre tras celebrar una boda por el rito tradicional de su país, y que se enfrenta a una posible pena de 14 años de cárcel por homosexualidad y escándalo público, ha decidido que sea un nuevo juicio el que decida la suerte de los jóvenes.

[Iran]
Iranian actor returns to screens after gender reassignment
An Iranian actor has returned to screens as a man after transitioning.
Saman Arastu, who was previously known as Farzaneh, had a strong career as a woman, playing television and film roles.
Now, the 42-year-old has taken advantage of Iran's liberal laws on gender reassignment after years of counselling and has returned to acting.

[India]
An evolution in gender politics: A transsexual contests BBMP elections in Karnataka
Veena S a Dalit and transsexual, who is a part of various social movements fighting for the rights of minorities, sexual minorities, sex workers & women.will now be contesting the BBMP election.
Praja Rajakiya Vedike (PRV), a forum for city-based activists, has nominated two of their candidates for the upcoming BBMP elections: Veena S. from Okalipuram ward and A. Derick Anil from Hebbala ward.
(Photo: Veena S. is a transsexual and Dalit, and wants to bring about a change in society is contesting BBMP elections.)

[India]
Transgenders say they still face ‘harassment’ in city
The Delhi High Court’s judgment decriminalising homosexuality has hardly made any difference to the rate of gay hate crimes in the city, it was revealed at the State Consultation for MSM (Men who have Sex with Men) and Transgenders organised by MANAS Bangla in Science City today.

[New Zealand]
Breach leads to jail term for transgender man
A transgender man will be kept apart from other New Plymouth prison inmates for the length of his six-month prison sentence.
Hina Tutaki, also known as Hendrix Waitere, was sent to jail yesterday after admitting making a break from home detention which was being served at his mother's home.
Tutaki was last year given a sentence of home detention on a raft of mostly fraud-related offences. At the time, the home detention was allowed, mostly because of the tormenting the effeminate man would likely face in prison.

[Canada]
Tanya Bloomfield to run Bluenose Marathon barefooted
Tanya Bloomfield plans to raise money for Halifax's LGBTQ community by ticking off one thing on her bucket list: running a marathon, barefoot. Bloomfield, sponsorship coordinator for Halifax Pride, hopes to raise $10,000 for Safe Harbour Metropolitan Community Church when she runs the Bluenose Marathon this May.
Safe Harbour (3115 Veith Street) is a Christian organization, embracing the "Rainbow Community." Though not religious, Bloomfield, a transgendered woman herself, is impressed by the church's inclusiveness.

[Canada] [Blog/Commentary]
Patent Pending: Transgender vs. Transsexual
What is the difference between a transgender person and a transsexual person, I've been asked recently by two people.
You'd think it would be an easy question to answer. Ask 10 people, and you probably will get 10 different answers. I think a lot of it is personal interpretation. But before I give my opinion, let's see what GLAAD has to say in their Media Reference Guide (link listed under Sites I Like):

[USA] [Blog/Commentary]
Fighting a hate crime bill with hate
You gotta love it: An extremist political group is campaigning against a hate crimes bill with a hateful undercover video that only proves the need for just such a measure. Mass Resistance, a "pro-family action center" in Massachusetts, recently went undercover with a video camera at a transgender conference with the intention of documenting the horrors that would allegedly be introduced with the passage of a state bill outlawing gender-based discrimination and hate crimes. The supposedly damning evidence: Footage of transgender women using the ladies' restroom.
[Blog/Commentary] Mass Resistance made me mad enough to vomit

[USA]
ENDA sit-ins take place at Pelosi's offices
Gay-rights activists staged sit-ins at the Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, Calif., offices of U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi March 18, demanding that voting on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act ( ENDA ) take place on the House floor by the end of this month, according to Advocate.com.
Gay-Rights Protesters Stage Sit-In at Nancy Pelosi's Office: Leaders Stand Ready to Bail Out Activists(Photo: Joel Silberman via getEqual - Activists are arrested after protesting outside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office on March 18.)
VIDEO: Big day for GetEQUAL; San Diegans protest DADT, arrests of activists
The DC Pelosi ENDA 8 - GetEQUAL heroes arrested after sit-in at Speaker's office
Four arrested in ENDA protest on Capitol Hill

[DC, USA]
The State of Transgender Hate Crimes in D.C.
Last month, D.C. police released a report breaking down every hate crime reported in D.C. [PDF] over the past five years. In 2007, changes to the D.C. Human Rights Act required police to begin recording hate-bias crimes motivated by the victim’s “gender identity or expression”—in other words, crimes that specifically target transgender victims. Since then, crimes against the transgender community have been the second most frequently recorded type of hate crime committed in D.C., after sexual orientation.

[LA,USA]
Alexandria Police: Two men shot at prostitute when they found out 'she' was really a 'he'
Alexandria Police officers arrested two men who shot at an Alexandria man early Wednesday morning after they discovered that the victim, who was dressed as a woman and had just performed sexual acts on both men, really was a man, authorities reported.
The victim told police that the shooters became angry when they discovered he was a man and not a woman. The victim was not injured.

[MD, USA]
Montgomery transgender aide sues county for $5 million
A transgender aide to a Montgomery County councilwoman is suing the county for $5 million, saying it broke the anti-discrimination law she helped write.
Dr. Dana Beyer, a senior policy adviser for Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg, D-at large, helped draft and guide a 2007 bill through the County Council that outlawed discrimination based on gender identity. The transgender law passed the council unanimously. (photo courtesy danabeyer.com)
Transgender Woman Sues Under Law She Helped Write
Transgender woman sues under law she helped write
Council aide sues Montgomery for $5 million

[TX, USA]
SAPD officer suspended indefinitely
A San Antonio police officer has been placed on indefinite suspension after being accused of a string of misconduct, including, most recently, that he had sex with a woman in the back of his patrol car while on duty, according to city documents.
Officer Christopher Martinez, 35, is the second officer accused of engaging in sexual transgressions this year while in uniform.

[Puerto Rico]
Soraya defiende el cambio de sexo de Verona
Para Soraya, una reconocida empresaria de Carolina que hace 37 años se sometió a una operación de reasignación de sexo, “es preferible una vagina funcional a un miembro viril que se desperdicia”.
Por tal razón, defendió en entrevista radial (WKAQ) el paso que dio la diseñadora de moda, Verona Disdier, para convertirse en toda una mujer.

[Mexico]
Neonazis en Puebla buscan terminar con homosexuales
En diversos estados ya se conoce de jóvenes que se hacen llamar nacionalsocialistas mexicanos que reclaman para sí un país libre de gays, pero como son pocos y carecen de poder, recurren a palizas esporádicas en zonas donde existen antros de ambiente.

[Cuba]
Cuba once persecuted homosexuals, transsexuals, now quietly pays for sex-change operations
Looking in the mirror used to make Yiliam Gonzalez sick to her stomach.
"I would see myself, and my body didn't match who I was," said the 28-year-old wedding pianist, who went by William before receiving a sex change under Cuba's universal health care system. (Photo: The Associated Press/Javier Galeano - Yiliam Gonzalez, left, speaks with her mother Janeth Anchia as they clean dishes in a friend's home in Havana. Gonzalez is one of eight transsexuals to undergo a sex change under Cuba's universal health care system.)

[Argentina]
El Partido Socialista crea un espacio para gays, lesbianas, bisexuales y trans
Con la creación del Espacio Nacional LGBT durante su 3er. Congreso Nacional Ordinario, 2° Época, el Partido Socialista se convirtió en el primer partido político que en el nivel nacional institucionalizó la participación de lesbianas, gays, bisexuales y trans en su seno.

[Argentina]
Juez otorga custodia de dos niños a un travesti en Argentina
Se trata de dos hermanos que el hombre cuidaba desde bebés, en la localidad de Holmberg.
El travesti María Belén Ochoa tenía desde 2006 la custodia de los hermanos, una niña y un niño ahora de 4 y 7 años, debido a los malos tratos que recibían de sus padres, y el juez José Varela Geuma le otorgó el cuidado definitivo.

Conferência: "MUDANÇA DE SEXO na clínica, no bloco, na pessoa" – A crónica

...E assim lá nos dirigimos calmamente para o Anfiteatro III da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Nova, no Campo dos Mártires da Pátria em Lisboa. A tarde deste dia 18 de Março estava agradável, o trânsito caótico como sempre e estacionamento nem vê-lo.

Depois de várias voltas infrutíferas para encontrar um local para estacionar, e como se aproximavam as 17h, hora marcada para o início da conferência, decidimos prosseguir para o estacionamento subterrâneo para não se perder mais tempo.

À porta da universidade ainda fumámos um cigarro, pois antevia-se que se estaria algum tempo sem o podermos fazer. Depois... anfiteatro III.

Teve uma boa assistência, muito mais do que a própria organização esperava, estava bem organizado e não fosse o atraso de um dos oradores, teria começado à hora marcada. Uma aposta ganha pela organização pela qualidade de trabalho demonstrado e pela afluência.

Presentes estiveram muitos futuros médicos, alguns activistas de organizações pró LGBTTI, como Sérgio Vitorino, das Panteras Rosa e João Paulo do PortugalGay.pt. Sei que estiveram mais presentes mas como não sei os nomes fico-me por aqui.

Presenças transexuais, além de mim própria e de Filipe Salema do GRIT na mesa, estiveram presentes Lara Crespo, Jó Bernardo, a Rafaela e mais uns dois ou três dos quais não me recordo dos nomes, aliás, nem sequer sei os nomes de toda a gente.

Depois de alguns minutos de espera, foi a Dr.ª Iris Monteiro (Psicóloga) que iniciou a conferência. Explanou o caminho que qualquer pessoa transexual tem de percorrer até finalizar o seu processo, e da sua oratória ressalva-se isto: uma continuada visão da pessoa transexual como doente mental, continuando assim a estigmatizar este segmento da sociedade, e uma abusiva associação da pessoa transexual à Cirurgia de Redesignação de Sexo (CRS).

Como disse, qualquer pessoa pode parar o seu processo em qualquer parte dele, e que as pessoas até podiam ter outros diagnósticos, como travestismo, por exemplo e não desejarem submeter-se à CRS.

Os problemas desta posição são que, para se ser uma mulher transexual tem-se forçosamente que desejar a CRS, ignorando os casos de pessoas transexuais, portanto com uma identidade de género (IG) oposta à genitália, mas que não rejeitam total ou parcialmente essa mesma genitália. Ou ainda, mais filosoficamente, abstraindo-se de que, quer a pessoa em causa faça a CRS ou não, a pessoa continua a mesma, pensa da mesma maneira, sente da mesma maneira e principalmente sente-se do mesmo género psicosexual que a levou a iniciar o seu processo.

Há que acrescentar que a vontade de se submeter a uma CRS É UMA CONSEQUÊNCIA da transexualidade, não uma causa, e muitos dos médicos que nos “tratam” ainda pensam em termos de “tem pauzinho é homem, tem buraquinho é mulher”, posição que relega a IG para segundo plano e que é comumente usada pelos detractores da comunidade transexual. A ser assim, não se justificava proceder-se a nenhuma CRS mas sim a terapias de reconversão há muito abandonadas pela maioia dos médicos dada a sua completa ineficácia, e unicamente advogadas pelos mais preconceituosos e transfóbicos (sim, também os há) dentro da comunidade médica.

Se por um lado temos médicos que advogam “faça-se a CRS”, logo implicando que “determinada pessoa apesar de ter genitália feminina/masculina é um homem/mulher”, a seguir dizem que “calma, para se ser homem tem que se ter pauzinho e para se ser mulher tem que se ter buraquinho”. A meu ver ou é a IG que determina qualquer futura acção, ou é a genitália. As duas simultaneamente é que não.

Também a exigência de duas avaliações me parece abusiva e exagerada, considerando que conheço pelo menos dois casos em que, um com uma única consulta e outro com duas, obtiveram logo a apreciação positiva. Quer-se dizer, para a segunda avaliação o normal são três ou quatro consultas. Depois fica-se à espera da avaliação. Ora bem, se três ou quatro consultas chegam para se fazer uma avaliação, como justificar então que se tenha de esperar dois ou mais anos em consultas (há casos que chegaram a dez anos) para que o processo siga para a Ordem dos Médicos (OM)? Ou então se são precisos anos em consultas para se obter um diagnóstico positivo, como explicar um segundo diagnóstico em quatro consultas ou menos? No mínimo acho incongruente.

De seguida discursou o Dr. Pedro Freitas (Sexologista clínico), que voltou a bater na mesma tecla, ou seja, a CRS, e que afirmou que a retirada da transexualidade do DSM é um erro. E nisto concordo em absoluto com ele, é um erro Crasso. Só quem não conheça a realidade portuguesa e os preconceitos ainda existentes em relação à transexualidade e às pessoas transexuais é que pode acreditar que essa medida não acarreta uma total e completa cessação dos apoios estatais. Quem não acreditar nisto está a ser naive.

Onde não se pode concordar com o Dr. Pedro é na continuação da transexualidade como “doença mental”. Já o termo “doença” não me agrada nada, mas aceito-o na medida em que fornece uma forte base para os apoios estatais. Agora “doença mental”, quer dizer, não acredito que nenhum psiquiatra, psicólogo ou cirurgião que já tenha tido contacto com pessoas transexuais nos veja como “doentes mentais”. E os que existirem que o façam não tenho a mínima dúvida de que é mais o preconceito e a transfobia a falarem do que a ciência.

O Dr. também mencionou que algumas pessoas transexuais lhe aparecem já a fazer algum tipo de terapia hormonal, e referiu um caso de uma que tomava uma caixa inteira de Diane 35 por dia. Obviamente que esta pessoa estava muito mal informada. Eu própria iniciei o meu tratamento hormonal antes de me dirigir ao SNS e nunca na vida cometi uma asneirada tão grosseira. Mas um facto é este, muita gente demora algum tempo a dirigir-se ao SNS, muito por culpa dos profissionais, que em vez de serem céleres às vezes parece que ainda nos metem entraves e mais entraves nos processos.

Uma conhecida minha, ao fim de 5 anos de processo, ainda não tinha autorização para iniciar a terapia hormonal. E isto é só um caso. Muitos mais haverá, pois como a dr.ª Iris afirmou, o processo só avança quando todos os profissionais envolvidos não tiverem a mínima dúvida da vontade de nos submeter-mos à CRS. Porque no fundo só se trata disto, da CRS. Tanto que na autorização da OM unicamente vem referido que fulano de tal tem autorização para proceder à cirurgia. Nem uma palavra sobre se essa pessoa é transexual, se nasceu homem ou mulher com a genitália oposta ou nem uma menção à IG da pessoa. Ora bem, se uma pessoa souber que é mulher mas sem que a sua genitália lhe cause um desconforto tal que a possa levar a cometer alguns actos desesperados, então essa pessoa não é transexual, de acordo com esta linha de pensamento.

O problema resolve-se se se adoptar a Lei de Identidade de Género (LIG) espanhola, em que, mediante um diagnóstico em que se afirma que a IG de uma pessoa é masculina ou feminina, independentemente de ter-se submetido ou não e desejar ou não ainda vir a submeter-se a uma CRS, fica tudo resolvido.

O que me espanta é como é que um profissional de saúde com opiniões próprias nestes assuntos, que advoga que uma pessoa só é transexual se desejar submeter-se a uma CRS venha defender uma LIG igual à espanhola. A mim parece-me incoerente.

Também concordo com a sua posição relativamente à abusiva autorização exigida e dada pela OM para se poder proceder à CRS.

Primeiro, e em termos simples, uma das exigências é que a pessoa em causa não seja casada. Esta posição, a partir do momento em que existam casamentos legais entre pessoas do mesmo sexo deverá ser retirada pois deixa de ter razão para existir. Mas o mais grave é que a OM NÃO TEM QUE DITAR SOBRE SE UMA PESSOA É CASADA OU NÃO. O casamento não tem nada a ver com a medicina. O casamento é uma cerimónia social e/ou religiosa e a OM não tem que opinar ou deixar de opinar nesse assunto. Só tem de falar sobre a parte médica/clínica, não social. Cada médico, como pessoa, terá a sua opinião e as suas convicções sobre este assunto, mas somente como pessoa, nunca como médico. E muito menos a OM.

Segundo, constatando-se que unicamente seguem para a Ordem os processos em que duas avaliações são positivas, ou seja, duas equipas independentes atestam que a pesoa é transexual e que a autorização é dada sem contacto com a pessoa, unicamente baseada nos dois relatórios, a Ordem nada mais faz que ver se estão presentes todos os documentos exigidos. Isso, ver se estão presentes todos os documentos exigidos, qualquer funcionário público pode fazer, não se precisa de ser médico.

Assim a autorização da Ordem nada mais é que um exercício abusivo de poder, no meu parecer ilegal, pelo menos na parte do estado civil da pessoa, e completamente insustentável, podendo levar a situações como a de há uns anos em que um bastonário da Ordem teve a atitude completamente transfóbica e lesiva de parar com as CRS por considerar a transexualidade como doença mental e ser apoiante das teorias de reconversão, a exemplo do mal afamado Dr. Zucker.

E que dizer da posição, de todos os representantes da parte médica e psiquiatra da mesa em ralação a Thomas Beatie, quando afirmaram que não era transexual? Como podem sustentar esta posição? Simples, para se ser transexual, tem que se querer fazer a CRS. E disto já falei atrás.

Mas o mais grave é a não aceitação de que um homem, se tivesse hipótese de engravidar, não o faria, pois é homem. O curioso é que estes homens são os primeiros a divorciarem-se de uma mulher se ela não puder ter filhos. Não sei se esta posição ainda é causa justa para o divórcio, mas pelo menos era. Se isto não é vontade de ter filhos, não sei o que será. Além de que a geração de descendência faz parte dos mais primordiais instintos do ser humano. Uma posição absurda da parte da mesa que fica aqui notada. Thomas Beatie É UM HOMEM, enquanto assim se considerar. E não serão terceiros a dizer a uma pessoa quem ela é ou quem deixa de ser.

Quando foi perguntado à assistência se algum homem da sala quereria ter filhos, não foi só um braço que se levantou, e uma salva de palmas explodiu espontâneamente pelo auditório, pelo que o Dr. Pedro bem arrependido deve estar de ter feito essa pergunta.

Pena foi também que nem a Dr.ª Iris Monteiro nem o Dr. Pedro Freitas tenham notado que, entre outras coisas, a falta de apoios estatais para terapias de eliminação da pilosidade corporal, especialmente a facial põe imensos problemas às transexuais femininas (obviamente os masculinos não têm este problema) e à incoerência existente entre a aceitação legal de uma pessoa como pertencente ao sexo feminino por se ter submetido a uma CRS, INDEPENDENTEMENTE DE PODER TER UMA AGRESSIVA PILOSIDADE FACIAL. Por outras palavras, a falta de apoios estatais para este fim provoca que se estejam a potenciar mulheres barbudas para freak shows. Considerando o poder económico que detemos relativamente ao custo das terapias existentes, isto parece-me uma lacuna bastante agressiva. Mais ainda se se pensar que a nossa face é das poucas partes do nosso corpo constantemente expostas ao escrutínio de toda a gente, provocando muitos problemas às pessoas transexuais femininas a partir do momento que que nos assumimos publicamente. O mais tardar a partir do Real Life Test, parte do processo de transexualidade como explicado pela Dr.ª Iris, se não for anterior.

Continuando, de seguida falou o Dr. João Décio Ferreira (cirurgião), na minha opinião a melhor intervenção deste final de tarde. Falou sobre as várias tecnicas existentes, explanou bem a sua, que recentemente foi apresentada num encontro mundial, e mais importante, explicou porque fazia o que fazia e porque não usava outras técnicas.

De ressalvar a sua tentativa de encontrar seguidores para as suas técnicas, pois, como disse, já não deve poder estar no activo muito mais tempo. E espero sinceramente que alguém tenha ficado com o bichinho para poder continuar e até melhorar este tipo de intervenções. Neste momento encontra-se sem discípulos, o que até talvez a curto prazo, certamente a médio prazo nos virá impôr mais problemas. É que, se uma pessoa que deseje ter genitália feminina tem de passar por estas cirurgias tão invasivas, pelo menos que o resultado fique o melhor que se puder, e pela apresentação parece-me um trabalho de boa qualidade.

A terminar, falou Filipe Salema (activista do GRIT), que discursou sobre a sua vivencia pessoal. Foi uma boa intervenção, tendo como únicas notas negativas a falta de rodagem no discurso, coisa que se ganha com o tempo, e a continuação da estigmatização auto-imposta de vergonha, ou seja, em vez de se lutar pela aceitação das pessoas transexuais e contra a discriminação e transfobia existentes em demasiados sectores da nossa sociedade, assume-se um discurso que quase promove o medo de se ser transexual.

E digo isto porquê? Porque, abrigando-se no direito que as pessoas têm de não revelarem quem são, pois ninguém tem a ver com isso, existem já demasiadas pessoas que têm vergonha de serem transexuais e/ou que têm medo de se revelarem e lutarem convenientemente pelos seus direitos. Faz lembrar uma altura em que as pessoas em Portugal tinham medo de falar e de lutarem contra a ditadura existente. Pelo menos é o que me vem à ideia. Se por um lado toda a gente tem o inegável direito de não divulgar que é transexual, por outro esse direito está a ser corrompido por pessoas cobardes demais para tentarem sequer fazer valer os seus direitos e argumentos, mas que às escondidas na internet não se cansam de barafustar.

Aliás, Filipe Salema já tinha sido avisado pela deputada do Bloco de Esquerda Helena Pinto no dia 11 de Fevereiro no Ácerca da Noite, em Almada, que “quem não aparece não existe”. Portanto não me parece muito íntegro um discurso que não procura motivar as pessoas a deixarem de ter medo de serem quem são e a assumirem frontalmente que nasceram assim e que não há que se ter nem vergonha nem orgulho disso. E principalmente não se ter medo de lutar por aquilo que se considera justo. O discurso da vergonha já está a mais. E já nem convence ninguém, salvo aqueles que desejam esconder a sua própria cobardia.

Finalizada a parte da oratória, iniciou-se a parte final, a das perguntas da audiência. Foram feitas algumas perguntas pelos futuros médicos, aqueles a quem esta iniciativa era mais dedicada, a mesa respondeu, e a confusão começou quando Jó Bernardo interpelou a mesa trazendo a questão da despsiquiatrização à baila.

Tirando o facto de não ser ali o sítio que eu consideraria mais indicado para questões politicas e que nem sequer reúnem o consenso da população transexual nacional, a questão era legítima e infelizente pude constatar que o dr. Pedro continua a interromper as pessoas, não as deixando falar, o que também já me tinha feito, e que considero ser bastante rude e indelicado da parte de um médico tão qualificado, também, me parece demonstrar uma certa arrogância e desprezo por quem não comungue das suas opiniões. Neste ponto uma nota bastante negativa para o Dr. Pedro, e que espero que em próximas ocasiões não dê azo a que se lhe apontem o dedo neste aspecto. Não lhe fica nada bem.

Sérgio Vitorino também falou, realçando o trabalho das pessoas da mesa em prol da discussão destas matérias e oferecendo a sua ajuda,o que inexplicavelmente foi, mais uma vez, rudemente rejeitado pelo referido Dr., aliás de uma forma mesmo agressiva. Só vim a compreender no final, depois da conferência ter terminado, quando fui à mesa falar com a Dr.ª Iris sobre um assunto pessoal, e ter apanhado meio no ar outra conversa que decorria paralelamente à minha. Mas como isto não se deu comigo, não vou falar disto.

Só umas notas finais: Não tenho concordado com as posições defendidas tanto por Jó bernardo como por Sérgio Vitorino em relação à transexualidade, nomeadamente em relação à campanha STOP Trans Pathologization 2012, mas espero que ninguém tenha a mínima dúvida que, se hoje se fala e se discute a transexualidade da forma que se discute, em grande parte é devido ao trabalho destes dois e às Panteras Rosa. O seu a seu dono, nem ILGA Portugal, nem Opusgay, nem Bloco de Esquerda (com aquela tirada fantástica a desacreditar o deputado José Soeiro quando Francisco Louçã afirmou que uma LIG não era uma prioridade do Bloco), nem Miguel Vale de Almeida alguma vez fizeram um quarto pela causa transexual do que estas pessoas fizeram. E isso ninguém lhes pode tirar, apesar de parecer que andam a querer impôr outra versão dos acontecimentos (falsa, obviamente).

Em relação a uma tirada de Sérgio Vitorino, em que explanou como há alguns anos atrás faziam-se lobotomias e tratava-se a homossexualidade com choques electricos, esta dita tirada põs-me a pensar num episódio de uma série de TV que focava um caso destes com uma suposta lésbica.

Ao fim de 5 minutos já eu comentava, “mas isto não é nada lésbica, é mas é um trans masculino. Nessa época transexuais, andróginos, alguns intersexuais, travestis e afins estavam todos metidos no mesmo saco: eram homossexuais, ponto. E durante todo o episódio ele era retratado comos se fosse uma lésbica.

E desde então tenho pensado nisto: visto não existirem estudos credíveis sobre a quem eram administrados estes “tratamentos”, quantos dos supostos homossexuais não seriam de facto transexuais e transgéneros?

Boa questão para terminar aqui esta crónica.