The diversity of gender identities and expressions necessitates entirely new ways of thinking and talking about gender. By Genny Beemyn and Sue Rankin A college professor is asked by a female-bodied student after class to use gender-neutral pronouns when referring to “hir.” A student assigned male at birth takes advantage of the ability to have one’s preferred name, rather than one’s legal name, on the institution’s online directory in order …read more

Here’s the speech everyone is talking about today. It’s being heralded as a modern day “I Have a Dream” speech. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the United Nations in Geneva this morning and gave a speech about LGBT human rights in honor of the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Her speech served as a solid statement following the Obama administration’s announcement this morning that it is instructing federal …read more

New Delhi, Nov 20: At least 14 eunuchs were killed and 40 others injured when a major fire swept through a community hall in an east Delhi locality where a congregation of the trans gender community was taking place. The incident took place at around 7 PM when around 1000 eunuchs from across the capital had gathered for a festival. 14 people died in the incident and over 40 were injured and rushed to various hospitals, …read more

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 17 Transgender Day of Action Delivers Demands to District Officials WASHINGTON, D.C. On November 17 at 1:00 PM, a broad coalition of organizations and concerned DC residents will be hand-delivering written goals, demands, and deadlines aimed at stemming the escalation of violent crimes against Transgender people in the nation’s capital. Starting with Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier and U.S. District Attorney for Washington, …read more

On Wednesday, the Internal Revenue Service announced its intent to formally agree, termed a “notice of acquiescence,” with an historic 2010 decision of the U.S. Tax Court that overturned IRS policy disallowing tax deductions for medical care related to gender transition. The case, O’Donnabhain v. Commissioner, was brought by our colleagues at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders on behalf of a transgender woman who was denied the ability to …read more

Sources on the Hill confirmed to The Transadvocate that Barney Frank’s office will announce the hiring of Diego Sanchez today. Sanchez will replace outgoing senior policy adviser, Joe Racalto. Diego Sanchez is used to being labeled “the first transgender,” and he doesn’t mind. He’s happy to pave the way. “If no one is first, then there can’t be a second,” jokes Sanchez, 52, who—yes—is the first transgender person hired for …read more

WARSAW, Poland — A transsexual woman and an openly gay man took seats in Poland’s newly elected parliament Tuesday, historic firsts that reflect profound social change in this traditionally Roman Catholic country. Anna Grodzka, who was born a man but underwent a sex change, entered the assembly hall to warm greetings.  Several men and women shook her hand, while one male lawmaker kissed her on the cheek. She was later …read more

PUBLICRELIGION.ORG Americans have Solid Understanding of Transgender Identity Washington, D.C. – Overwhelming majorities of Americans, across the political and religious spectrum, believe that transgender people should have the same general rights and legal protections as other people, a new survey finds. The August and September Religion and Politics Tracking Surveys were conducted by Public Religion Research Institute and released amid the increased attention towards transgender issues following Chaz Bono’s appearance on ABC’s Dancing with the …read more

Fort Lauderdale, FL: Each November, the worldwide transgender community turns its attention to its family, friends and loved ones lost to violence and prejudice. A tradition inspired by the a vigil for slain transsexual Rita Hester in 1998, this day has become the worldwide rallying point for a community long under siege. This year, on Saturday, November 19th at 6:00pm, the South Florida community will gather at Sunshine Cathedral at …read more

A big problem with social justice movements? Forgetting – and sometimes resisting – to include the people who are the most oppressed in the process. The crew at the Sylvia Rivera Law Project knows the problem first-hand, and stopped by Occupy Wall Street last week to help other protesters understand where they’re coming from. Reina Gossett described trans revolutionaries Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson’s struggles in the 1960s and …read more

Two new documentary specials BEING CHAZ chronicling Chaz Bono and his girlfriend Jennifer Elia as they navigate their lives together post Chaz’s gender transformation surgery, and “I AM JAZZ: A Family in Transition,” following the life of an extraordinary family and their transgendered daughter, will premiere Sunday, November 27 on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. BEING CHAZ will air 8-9 p.m. ET/PT followed by “I AM JAZZ: A Family in Transition” from 9-10 p.m. ET/PT. …read more

By: Kellee Terrell A recent report confirms that they face extreme discrimination and poverty. “Can you imagine what it’s like to see people you work with refuse to walk on the same side of the street with you or sit with you at lunch, or to be told that you are unhirable, just because you are a transgender man?” asks Kylar Broadus, an African-American lawyer and board member of the National …read more

Activists rally for transgender rights at Pride Parade in New York this year. By Pooja Gehi and Lauren Jones, the Sylvia Rivera Law Project Recently the New York Post incited concern over the much-overstated prospect of New York “taxpayers [footing] the bill for transgender residents to get ‘sexual-reassignment surgery.’” The reality is that the proposal by members of the Health Disparities Committee of the New York Medicaid Redesign Team to repeal a …read more

By Dr. Jillian T. Weis There have been a number of different events that have occurred within the trans community recently, and these point to the difficult position that the community is in. While these events may seem unrelated, they demonstrate that the community is in the process of beginning to form a unified opposition to the oppression that we face on a daily basis. Here are some of the news …read more

(and Signs Bullying Bill, Vetoes LGBT Data Bill) by Chris Geidner October 10, 2011 1:10 AM California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed two pro-transgender equality bills into law on Oct. 9. Masen Davis, the executive director of the Transgender Law Center, announced on Twitter that Brown had signed the two bills into law, both of which had been advocated for this session by the organization. From the TLC news release: Governor Brown just signed …read more

When Tracy Bumpus died Friday, the Housing Works family lost a fiery former employee, a warrior for transgender rights, and a woman willing to make personal sacrifice in the name of social justice. “She believed in fighting,” said Daneisha McCoy, Bumpus’ roommate and close friend. “And that’s what I admired about her. She didn’t take any mess.” Bumpus, who turned 45 this month, was known for one fight in particular. …read more

The Transgender Pride flag was designed by Monica Helms, and was first shown at a pride parade in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2000. The flag represents the transgender community and consists of five horizontal stripes, two light blue, two pink, with a white stripe in the center. Monica describes the meaning of the flag as follows. The light blue is the traditional color for baby boys, pink is for girls, and …read more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 29, 2011 Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced plans for transgender inclusion in a critical national health survey. Building on commitments from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, this is an important advancement for transgender people and can help correct the gap in resources for transgender health. The plan includes a clear path by HHS to conduct methodological research and testing on …read more

AIDS Issues Update: C2EA: Features: Trans Actress Goes from AIDS Street Outreach to Indie Darling Formerly homeless actress Harmony Santana is a transgender activist and one of the stars of the new film “Gun Hill Road.” Everybody is talking about her. A year ago, Harmony Santana was 19, living in transitional housing in Harlem, and working as a peer educator at Bronx AIDS Services. She was still living as a …read more