[UK] [Commentary]
Misuse of “LGBT” by activists and reporters
I have seen some misreporting by LGBT activists over the last few days which I felt I should point out, stemming from the fact that people are typing “LGBT” without thinking. Please consider when reporting on things that a win for LGB folk does not necessarily help Trans people.

[Turkey]
Turkey: Dismiss Charges Against Transgender Activists
Prosecutors must investigate the second arbitrary arrest of transgender rights defenders in Ankara in as many months and drop all charges against the women, three human rights organizations said today. In a letter to the Turkish Interior and Justice Ministries, the rights organizations called for an end to police harassment of transgender people and expressed concern over the possible targeting of members of the organization Pembe Hayat LGBTT Dayanışma Derneği.

[Kenya]
The Fight for LGBT Rights in Kenya
On Sunday, November 28, at a public rally in Nairobi, Kenyan prime minister Raila Odinga was widely quoted in the press as calling for the police to arrest those found engaging in homosexuality. On November 29, after a strong civil society reaction demanding that the prime minister ensure that the human rights of all Kenyans be protected, including LGBT people, the prime minister's office issued a clarifying statement that he had been misunderstood. He was not calling for the arrest of LGBT people, claimed his office, but only wanted to make clear that the new Kenyan Constitution did not legalize same-sex marriage.

[South Africa]
Gender Confusion
A baby boy turned out to be a girl one month after being born to a couple in South Africa.

[Mongolia]
LGBT Activists Cheered by Potential Gay Rights Gain
Excerpt: Attempts to bring LGBT issues out into the open have had severe repercussions for some activists. In a LGBT Centre production called The Lies of Liberty, posted on the video-sharing site YouTube, a transgender girl who declined to keep her identity hidden described the harrowing details of her abduction and sexual assault with two other transgender friends. Naming an ultra-nationalist group as perpetrators of the crime, the transgender girl felt compelled to seek asylum abroad after the documentary was broadcast on local television.

[Pakistan]
13-year-old becomes a boy after sex change operation
A 13-year-old girl turned into a boy on Wednesday after a successful operation at the district headquarters (DHQ) hospital in Hafizabad.
The family have named the boy Usman (his name before the operation was Aisha).
The girl had been brought to the DHQ hospital complaining of chronic pain in her stomach. Dr Zahoor Ahmed, a urologist, examined her and told the family that her physiology was that of a male and not a female. He recommended a sex re-assignment surgery.

[Thailand] [Film]
Thailand bans film about transgender father after director refuses to cut 'immoral' scenes
Thailand's film board has banned a movie about a transgender father struggling to raise two children, a move the director says highlights the conservative side of Thai society despite its freewheeling reputation.
Thailand bans film about transgender father

[USA] [Film]
DiCaprio Won't Don Drag as Hoover
Leonardo DiCaprio has a new male love interest in his forthcoming biopic of FBI honcho J. Edgar Hoover, but don't expect him to indulge in Hoover's alleged cross-dressing, reports Michael Musto on his Village Voice blog.

[USA]
Long Drivers’ response to Lawless lawsuit: Women need not apply
Some three weeks after the LPGA responded to Lana Lawless’ discrimination lawsuit by offering membership to transgender women, Long Drivers of America said it would abide by LPGA rules, with one minor exception. LDA said it would continue banning women from competing in a separate division.

[CA, USA]
San Francisco fomenta desarrollo laboral de transexuales
Antes de que Goodwill Industries abriera su nuevo establecimiento aquí, nadie hubiera podido decir que a San Francisco le hacían falta tiendas de segunda mano para su sofisticada población partidaria del reciclaje. Lo que sí le hacía falta a la ciudad eran suficientes empleos para su población transexual, un grupo con una tasa de desempleo calculada en el doble del promedio en California.

[NY, USA]
Cross-dressing cop and accused runner earn big promotions at NYPD ceremony
Two cops who weathered blows to their reputations - one a cross-dresser and the other accused of running during a gun battle - were promoted Thursday with full honors.
Michael Pilecki, a 27-year NYPD veteran, was promoted to full inspector in a ceremony at Police Headquarters. He was praised among dozens of others for dedication to duty.