[Malta] [Commentary]
No sex in the city
The first thing some parents want to know about their children is their sex. Many want it revealed to them even before the child is born, and once told what the sex is, they immediately start forming their unborn children's identity based on what happens to be forming in between their legs.

[Kuwait]
No sponsor transfer requests processed
Excerpt: Homosexuality and cross-dressing are illegal. The law punishes homosexual behavior between men older than 21 with imprisonment of up to seven years; those engaging in homosexual activity with men younger than 21 may be imprisoned for as long as 10 years. In 2007 the National Assembly approved a law to impose a fine of 1,059 dinars ($3,690) and/or one year's imprisonment for those imitating the appearance of the opposite sex in public. [...] During the year there were more than a dozen reports of police arresting transgender persons at malls and markets, taking them into custody, beating them and shaving their heads, and then releasing them without charges. For example, on March 10, MOI Criminal Investigations Division officers raided a cafe, arresting five men for cross-dressing.

[India]
Not just your vote, but also Re 1, please
If all goes well, Veena S will be the first transgender in Karnataka to contest an election. Veena is all set to contest the election to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) from Okalipuram ward (SC Woman Reserved).
Veena wanted to file her nomination papers on Friday but could not do so due to the delay in getting the caste certificate from tahsildar. “He has tried to avoid giving the certificate to me on one or the other pretext. Finally, he gave it to me when activists of Praja Rajakeeya Vedike gathered at the tahsildar’s Office,’’ says Veena.
Clapping their way into BBMP electoral scene

[USA]
Journey from Steven to Susan captured in new documentary
Susan Stanton doesn't seem much different than any other woman: She struggles with her weight, she tries to balance her career with being a parent, and she worries about her teenage son who is just learning to drive.
But Stanton has been a woman for only about two years.
Steven Stanton: 'Her Name Was Steven' Documentary
Susan Stanton on Larry King tonight to discuss documentary "Her Name Was Steven"
CNN's Cooper Interviews 'Chaz' Bono as Part of Pro-Transgender Publicity
CNN’s ‘Her Name was Steven’ spotlights Lake Worth city manager
[Blog/Commentary] Stanton: Then and Now
[Blog/Commentary] Drinking Game Redux: Stanton Biopic on CNN

[USA]
Disney disregards ex-homosexuals
The Walt Disney Company has declined a motion to add former homosexuals to its sexual orientation and non-discrimination policy and diversity training, a measure that would have meant protections for those who have left that lifestyle.
Disney Won't Add Ex-Gays to Non-Discrimination Policies. And HRC Is Cheering?

[USA]
Two House Democrats Back Gay Housing Protections
Two House Democrats are backing a bill that would outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in the area of housing.
Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, along with Michigan Congressman John Conyers, introduced the measure Thursday at a subcommittee hearing reviewing the efficacy of the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

[USA] [Blog/Commentary]
In Defense of the Town Tranny
There is an implied attitude that "real" transsexuals are stealth, or make every effort to be so.
Not all women are from a cookie cutter mold, neither are all men, but some how nobody is telling super butch women that they should be acting more like the cookie cutter variety of women, and the same is true for the varieties of men, i.e. drag queens, CDs, and effeminate straight men, etc. Yes, I know, straight assholes, who are threatened by gender diversity, do like to make a lot of noise. But when it comes to the transsexual community, why is diversity in transsexual expression ridiculed.

[USA]
Spurned by Nev., transgender woman to wed in Calif
Danielle Pauline Severson takes female hormones, dresses and acts like a woman and plans to have sex reassignment surgery so she physically looks like a woman.
Yet the pre-operative transgender female, who was born Dana Paul Severson, will have to tie the knot to a woman in California.

[DC, USA]
Transgender Activists and Allies March On Capitol Hill
It's not easy being transgender in the United States. Discrimination and bias in the workplace are widespread. 97% of transgender people have experienced some level of harassment on the job, according to a recent survey—26% even said that they were fired because of being transgender. The survey also revealed that they have rates of incomes lower than $10,000 at more than twice the national average.
Transgender People and Families Gather in DC for Employment Rights

[FL, USA]
'I am a boy' insists child born a girl
There's a wiry little 7-year-old in Deltona who can name an impressive number of Major League baseball players, NFL bruisers and NBA stars.
The second-grader also loves reading astronomy books and watching "Jeopardy," and is a political junkie particularly smitten with President Obama.
Maybe it was the burden of lugging around a weighty secret from the age of 3 or 4 that sparked the early maturity.
The child is a girl biologically, but wants nothing to do with anything female.

[NY, USA]
J. Crew accused of discriminating against transgenders
Gay rights supporters rallied Sunday in front of a J. Crew store in Manhattan to protest employment discrimination against transgender job applicants.
Organizers have filed a job-discrimination complaint against J. Crew with the New York State Attorney General’s Office.
"Until J. Crew changes its policies, it can expect more protests," said Karina Claudio-Betancout, organizer at Make the Road New York, which conducted the investigation and organized the event.
Rally planned at NYC J. Crew to protest discrimination against transgender job applicants
'Transgender people need not apply' at J. Crew says Make the Road New York advocacy group
Does J. Crew Have a 'No Hiring Transgender Employees' Problem? It's About To

[OK, USA]
Cimarron Alliance Denounces Oklahoma Bill Allowing “Opt-Out” of Federal Hate Crimes Legislation
The Oklahoma Senate passed legislation that would allow Oklahoma to ignore the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act passed by Congress last year. Our organization stands firmly against this hate-fueled legislation.

[Cuba]
Cuba’s health care now pays for sex changes
“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 undergoing sex change surgery under Cuba’s universal health care system.
Gonzalez is an example of a small but remarkable transformation for the rugged revolution of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and a band of ever-macho, bearded rebels, who long punished gays and transsexuals — but now are paying for sex changes.
[Blog/Commentary] Cuba Pays for Sex-Change Surgeries: Model for Mass. & Obamacare?

[Colombia]
Women seek political place of jailed menfolk
In the week before Sunday’s congressional election here, many articles in the Colombian press expressed concern over the deplorably low rate of women candidates — only 20 percent.
Un transexual postula al Congreso en Colombia
Transexual postula al Congreso en Colombia
Una mujer transexual es candidata al Congreso de Colombia por una región del País