LGBT Groups Respond to Petition Asking to 'Drop the T'

The 850 people who signed a petition on Change.org asking several major LGBT organizations and publications, including The Advocate, to cut ties with trans people and issues, now have their response from two of the country’s most prominent LGBT groups. 

“GLAAD stands firmly with the transgender community and unequivocally rejects the outrageous and destructive idea that the ‘T’ be removed from LGBT,” said GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement. “For decades, transgender people have worked alongside lesbian, gay, and bisexual people to advance equality for everyone, often leading the way in the movement for full equality and acceptance. Many trans people are also lesbian, gay, and bisexual — they are an inextricable and invaluable part of the LGB community. At a time when anti-LGBT activists continue to attack the basic rights and protections essential to all of our lives, we must stand together, rather than succumb to the ruin of divisiveness.”

Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin was equally direct in his response: 

“This is unequivocally wrong. The hate that killed Matthew Shepard killed Zella Ziona. The bullies at school aren’t just harassing the gay kids, they’re harassing the transgender kids. The parents who could provide loving homes for the 400,000 children in foster care aren’t only lesbian parents, or gay parents, they’re bisexual parents and transgender parents. This idea that we are somehow separate and apart is patently untrue. We are one movement, stronger in our unity. We are one community, period. And the Human Rights Campaign will not be done working until equality reaches every single one of us.”

The petition, authored by an anonymous avatar simply identified on Change.org as “Drop the T,” recycles several anti-trans arguments often advanced by so-called Trans-Exclusive Radical Feminists, or TERFs. The petition claims to come from “a group of gay/bisexual men and women who have come to the conclusion that the transgender community needs to be disassociated from the larger LGB community.”

After arguing that trans people do not belong in a movement of LGB people because “LGB is about sexual orientation, trans is about gender identity,” the petition highlights several recent controversies where TERFs squared off with trans people and supporters over inclusion and language. 

Lamenting the “vilification and harassment of women and gay men/lesbian individuals who openly express disagreement with the trans ideology,” the petition points to recent remarks from prominent feminist Germaine Greer, who recently claimed that trans women — namely Caitlyn Jenner — “can’t be women.” When trans activists and allies called out the Feminine Mystique author for what they perceived as transphobic remarks, Greer doubled down, using vulgar language to denounce gender-affirming procedures as insufficient to “make you a fucking woman.” 

The petition’s authors also complain that trans people have been “re-writing gay and lesbian history,” most recently by protesting Roland Emmerich’s Stonewall for placing a fictional white, masculine, cisgender gay man at the center of the story about the riot that sparked the LGBT movement. Despite widespread acknowledgement that those who led the charge at Stonewall were trans and gender-nonconforming women and people of color, the petition takes aim at The Advocate and its sibling publication, OUT, for participating in “the appropriation and re-writing of gay and lesbian history and culture.” 

The authors elaborate:  

“Particularly frustrating was the fact that media outlets such as The Advocate, Out and Huff Post Gay Voices, who should have been the first to point out the fallacy of this notion, actually went along with the lie.”

The petition even recycles the transphobic myth that successfully felled the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance this week, claiming that letting trans people use the bathroom that matches their gender identity would lead to men “pretending” to be transgender to gain access to women-only spaces and harass or assault women and children. 

While listing justifications for why LGBT groups should “drop the T,” the petition cites:

“The infringement of the rights of individuals, particularly women, to perform normal everyday activities in traditional safe spaces based on sex; this is most pernicious in the case of men claiming to be transgender demanding access to bathrooms, locker rooms, women’s shelters and other such spaces reserved for women.”

But in reality, more than 200 cities nationwide have trans-inclusive ordinances, and there have been exactly zero confirmed reports of anyone “pretending” to be trans to harass women. Same goes for a recent study of schools, with trans-inclusive policies; among more than 600,000 students, there was not a single report of a trans student harassing peers in the bathroom or locker room. In the controversy over HERO, Media Matters asked experts from several Texas cities if trans-inclusive policies had led to an increase in assault or violence against women. The unanimous response: not one bit.

The issue which the petition’s authors deem “most troubling,” however, revolves around trans-affirming health care for young people. The petition alleges that trans people are “persuading parents and health professionals to diagnose children as young as four as transgender.” Parents and doctors affirming the proclaimed gender identity of children from a young age, the authors contend, actually “runs counter to traditional LGB and feminist philosophy — whereas feminists and gay men/women advocate for expanding and re-defining gender concepts, the trans movement is regressive, insisting upon re-asserting and codifying classic gender concepts of what is masculine and what is feminine.”

Finally, the petition’s authors explain that “we are not advocating intolerance or prejudice against the transgender community; we recognize and respect the right of adults to determine their own path in life.” But such self-determination, the authors contend, “cannot occur by infringing upon the rights of women, gay men, and children.” 

The authors state that they are hoping to launch a discussion on the concerns they raise, “which for too long are being suppressed and censored.” 

“In the end, we feel that the transgender ideology is not compatible with the rights of women, gay men and children and ask that the organizations and media outlets mentioned above disassociate themselves from the transgender movement and return to representing their base support of gay men and lesbians,” the authors conclude.

Sunnivie Brydum

www.advocate.com/transgender/2015/11/06/lgbt-groups-respond-petition-asking-drop-t

Open Question: Can someone please reassure me that this won't happen?
Please tell me that introducing Ned Wynert in Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate does not mean that Ubisoft is going to start introducing more LGBT characters into the series.

answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20151106190610AAuJScL

My partner and I were featured today on NPR's StoryCorps for our local station in Birmingham, Alabama speaking about the night before I left on my second deployment overseas.
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My partner and I were featured today on NPR’s StoryCorps for our local station in Birmingham, Alabama speaking about the night before I left on my second deployment overseas.
by inlgbt

Watch LIVE: Presidential Candidates Forum with Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O’Malley

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow moderates the First in the South Presidential Candidates Forum with Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Unlike a debate, the candidates will be appearing individually.

Open this post in a new window by clicking HERE.

The post Watch LIVE: Presidential Candidates Forum with Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O’Malley appeared first on Towleroad.

Andy Towle

www.towleroad.com/2015/11/watch-live-presidential-candidates-forum-with-hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-martin-omalley/

You Won't Believe How This Atlanta Queen Jokes About Gun Violence and AIDS
Atlanta’s Mo’Dest Volgare continually astounds me with her drag. If I were to name the top 10 drag performances I have ever seen, Mo’Dest would certainly take up half the list. What I enjoy about this queen is her ability to use drag to deal with tough issues, challenge her audience and provoke conversation. I know that most people think drag is just about looking pretty, being glamorous and maybe doing some fancy dancing. Certainly, for many queens it is simply that. But what Mo’Dest Volgare creates is not just simple drag performance; she makes art. She is a brilliant artist who consistently makes performance pieces that go far beyond what I ever imagined was possible in drag. Mo’Dest breaks all the rules of drag and I love her for it.

One thing Mo’Dest does extremely well is address political issues through drag. During the most recent cycle of Dragnificent at Jungle, she turned a Disney princess into a warrior woman through drag, and used her to take down conservative America. While lip-synching to “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas, Mo’Dest takes a rifle from Sarah Palin and disembowels her, strangles Ann Coulter with the flag the blonde bitch waves and scalps Donald Trump (blood and all). Mo’Dest created a wild fantasy where a true Native American destroys those who tout hatred, bigotry and terrible acts as being “American.” It’s a shocking, powerful scene to watch, and it had the audience cheering strong.

Most recently I saw Mo’Dest do a number on gun violence. Yes, Mo’Dest Volgare was able to cover an issue as heavy and emotionally charged as our American gun homicide crisis. A series of Republican presidential nominee soundbites on gun control and mass murder opened the number. We hear Ben Carson, Jeb Bush and Donald trump all shrug off our country’s 10,000+ yearly gun homicides. The curtain opens to reveal a pile of dead bodies, with bloody bullet wounds in their heads. A jazzy female version of Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life” starts playing. Mo’Dest sashays out in a silver sequined gown; the opening lyrics sum up the entire scene: “That’s life, that’s what all the people say; You’re ridin’ high in April, shot down in May.” As Mo’Dest mimicked a machine gun mowing down the victims, a chill went through me. She bends down to pick up the lifeless body of a man in front of her and plays with him like a puppet. Mo’Dest completely captured the essence of American gun violence — our ambivalence and dismissal of a huge problem right in front of us. My jaw dropped in disbelief; I could not believe that I was watching drag.

Sometimes what seems like a fun, wacky number by Mo’Dest reveals a deeper meaning the more you pay attention to the performance. Her “Tarzan and Jane” number starts off with Mo’Dest in the typical banana-yellow, big-bustled dress Jane wears. The song “Extraterrestrial” by Katy Perry comes on. Two hot, hairy muscle men in gorilla outfits romp around on stage teasing Mo’Dest. As soon as the chorus hits, Mo’Dest begins to have sex with the monkey-men. At first I wanted to be in that same moment Mo’Dest was creating, having sex like a wild animal with these beautiful men. I could see myself in rapturous ecstasy having uninhibited sex with these creatures… until I realized what this Mo’Dest Volgare performance was truly about.

As Mo’Dest gives herself over to the monkey men, Katy Perry sings “Kiss me, ki-ki-kiss me, Infect me with your love and fill me with your poison.” Suddenly, the performance makes sense… It’s about AIDS. Mo’Dest creates an absurd depiction of a virus that went from ape to human. Not everyone is in on the joke — but if HIV effects your life (like it probably did for most of her audience), you understand what Mo’Dest was saying. Mo’Dest orchestrates a surreal vision of where the virus comes from — in both the big and little picture. She rips the most uncomfortable truths about HIV from our viral narrative and shoves them in our face. This is who we are.

The judges of Dragnificent didn’t take too kindly to this number, and said HIV was too sensitive an issue to cover in drag. Of course, I disagree. As Rupaul says: “Drag is punk rock. It’s a big F-U to the status quote.” What better medium to transgress our comfort level with HIV than drag?

Not everyone likes Mo’Dest Volgare’s drag, which is a shame. I love the “shock and awe” approach she takes, and I believe it’s a refreshing reprieve from the titty queens we see so much of. People don’t like art that challenges us to think and examine the world; mostly they just want something pretty they can look at to distract them from everyday life. I get that people think drag should uplift us from a dreary, sometimes homophobic world we live in. But I think there’s room for something else — drag as revolutionary theatre to shake us up and make us question life. When it comes to making drag performances that are more than just pretty lip-syncs and are true pieces of Art, Mo’Dest Volgare is the reigning queen.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-terrell/you-wont-believe-how-this_b_8278308.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Open Question: I am homesly giving up hope I am gender fluid with a trans phobic dad and he is really mean to me?
hi my name is Lexi assigned male at birth I had a realization a month ago and now I am identify as gender fluid I had problems when I was a kid with gender wondering why I could dress likeva gir sometimes when I turned 5 I realized I was weriied I never told anyone I leaned about transgender when _ I was 12 and thought how nice it would be to be a girl even just for a day I now I a! 14 I thought I was weired till now I feel uncomfortable in my male body a lot I rather be a slightly! Masculine girl than a super femime boy I want to crossdress but my dad hates trans people he dose not really like me but I am worried if I come out things will get worse he says lots of offensive things to me and I a! Depressed and self harm I told my mom she thinks gender fluid is a phase my dad takes my stuff all the time to I felt killing myself a couple days ago and a friend urged me to call a suicide hotline for lgbt youth I was not able to call my dad took !y phone and cussed me out I ended up cutting my self I thought about leaving staying somewere else but how I would be a run away mabey I could stay with friends I just need help on what to do

answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20151106154821AAQ7teM

News: Keystone XL, Gingers, Drunk Tweets, Hobby Lobby, Sexting, Indiana

> President Obama rejects Keystone XL pipeline: “America’s now a global leader when it comes to taking serious action to fight climate change. And frankly, approving this project would have undercut that global leadership. And that’s the biggest risk we face, not acting.”

> Get ready for a red hot 2016.

> Full trailer for Warcraft movie released: “The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: Orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect the two worlds, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family, their people and their home.”

> Adele says she’s not allowed to drunk tweet anymore: “So my management decided that you have to go through two people and then it has to be signed off by someone. But they’re all my tweets.”

> Adam Lambert is a glamaholic.

> The Duggars continue to procreate.

> Ontario, Canada will make it easier for transgender people to get surgeries to aid in their transition: “Every Ontarian has the right to be who they are,” said [Health Minister Eric] Hoskins, in a statement. “Our health care system should reflect this vision, which is why we are improving access to gender-affirming surgery.”

> Egypt says terrorism was not to blame for bringing down Russian Metrojet that crashed in the Sinai, causing a rift with the U.S. and U.K. who says it did: “The widening chasm between Egypt and the world, some say, recalls an earlier crash, in 1999, when EgyptAir Flight 990 plunged into the ocean off the coast of Nantucket Island. Although American investigators said flight records pointed to the decisions of an Egyptian pilot, the Egyptian government blamed a malfunction in the Boeing airplane, and 17 years later the Egyptian-American dispute over the cause is still unresolved.”

> Hobby Lobby, Part 2: “On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear seven appeals from various religious organizations claiming that a contraceptive “accommodation” under the Affordable Care Act burdens their religious beliefs. Under the health care law’s so-called contraceptive mandate, employers are generally required to provide female workers with insurance coverage for a range of birth control methods at no cost to the workers.”

> High school football team has to forfeit its regular season schedule because of sexting scandal: “‘We’re not talking a couple kids that did something stupid,’ Cañon City superintendent George Welsh told the Denver Post. ‘This is large scale, a lot of kids, equally male and female. It would be impossible to field a full team of only players who we’re sure did not participate in this in any way.’”

> Sam Smith on the inspiration behind his James Bond song “Writing’s On The Wall”: “I wanted to make it James Bond’s diary entry.”

> Exxon Mobile may have to pay the price for “climate change indifference.”

> Following the defeat of HERO in Houston, there are 227 potential battles ahead for LGBT rights. 

> Indiana Chamber of Commerce backs LGBT protections: “The Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the voice of the state’s business establishment, on Thursday called for Republican Gov. Mike Pence and the GOP-controlled Legislature to extend the state’s civil rights protections to bar discrimination against people based on their LGBT status. ‘We believe this expansion is a necessary action for the General Assembly to take,’ said group President and CEO Kevin Brinegar. ‘After the negative perception of our state generated by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in the spring, we need to get this right.’”

The post News: Keystone XL, Gingers, Drunk Tweets, Hobby Lobby, Sexting, Indiana appeared first on Towleroad.

Sean Mandell

News: Keystone XL, Gingers, Drunk Tweets, Hobby Lobby, Sexting, Indiana

Don't Be Fooled by This 'Religious Liberty' Conference

Antigay extremists are increasingly arguing that more rights for gay people mean fewer rights for them. They have lifted up cases challenging business owners who have refused service to LGBT people as examples of religious liberty supposedly being infringed by the gay rights movement.
 
A conference taking place in Des Moines this week shows exactly what these claims of “religious persecution” really are — a cover for a political agenda that’s about anything but liberty.
 
Republican presidential candidates Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, and Bobby Jindal are expected to speak at the so-called National Religious Liberties Conference alongside what organizers call “targeted men and women of faith,” including David and Jason Benham, who claim to have been persecuted after their vitriolic antigay rhetoric caused them to lose a contract for a television program, and Sgt. Phillip Monk, whose claims to have suffered anti-Christian discrimination at the hands of a lesbian superior have been thoroughly debunked.

The organizers of this conference are not looking to simply freely practice their religion. Instead, they have made it abundantly clear that they wish to use the power of the government to impose their religious beliefs on others. 
 
Three speakers at this “religious liberties” conference have defended imposing the death penalty on gay people — yes, the death penalty — including the conference’s main organizer, Kevin Swanson. Swanson has made very clear that he does not wish to grant anybody else the religious liberty that he claims he is being denied. He praised a Ugandan measure that would have made homosexuality a criminal offense punishable by life in prison or the capital punishment. He continually reminds listeners of his radio program that the Old Testament requires that “homosexuals should be put to death.”

Conference organizer Kevin Swanson

Swanson is no big fan of rights for women either. He claims that working women “do not love their children” and are destroying society. He has warned that efforts to empower women in developing countries by helping them buy cows will “destroy the nuclear family.” He claims that women who are on the birth control pill have “these little tiny fetuses, these little babies, that are embedded” in their wombs, which “effectively have become graveyards for lots and lots of little babies.” He once placed partial blame for wildfires in Colorado on “feminist trends” such as women wearing pants.
 
It’s not just Swanson. Another speaker at the conference, Phillip Kayser, has argued for the death penalty for gay people, writing, “While many homosexuals would be executed, the threat of capital punishment can be restorative.” Yet another speaker, Joel McDermon, has made the same argument, writing that God “revealed that the homosexual act as a civil crime deserves the death penalty” and that “where God says a civil crime deserves the death penalty, I propose that we keep in step with the first greatest commandment and recognize His total sovereignty in heart, soul, strength, and mind.”
 
Multiple speakers at Swanson’s conference are proponents of “Christian Reconstructionism,” the idea that the United States must be governed by a particular interpretation of biblical law. As you can probably imagine, this interpretation is not one that’s friendly to LGBT people. 
 
Americans of all political stripes cherish our constitutional religious liberty and will fight to preserve it, and we must unite to ensure that our country remains a beacon of freedom to those who face persecution around the world.
 
But Swanson and his allies have something else in mind. They aren’t interested in preventing a theocracy that quashes religious dissent. Instead, they want to create one. Anyone, especially candidates for president of the United States should think twice before associating themselves with such an agenda.

MICHAEL KEEGAN is president of People for the American Way.
Michael Keegan

www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/11/06/dont-be-fooled-religious-liberty-conference