Op-ed: How Leslie Feinberg Saved My Life

A trans writer expresses gratitutde for the work of the late activist and author of Transgender Warriors.

read more

Rebecca Juro

www.advocate.com/commentary/2014/11/19/op-ed-how-leslie-feinberg-saved-my-life

My Year Since Coming Out
A year ago I was sitting at home in Australia, debating whether I should post my coming-out video. I had recorded the video in September and had let it collect dust on my desktop for almost two months. I was anxious about what would happen if I revealed this part of myself to the rest of the world. The tape was a reaction to one of the scariest moments of my career.

I had just wrapped on my new movie Drown, in which I play the lead (straight) character in a story about a homophobic attack in Australia, and had been booked to phone in to a radio show to chat about the experience of making the film. The interview started off really well. It was an easy, fun, not-too-serious chat about working with the other cast members, with a quick synopsis of what the film is about. Then the interviewer put me on the spot, asking, “So you yourself aren’t gay, right?”

This was a moment I had been living in fear of.

My heart stopped, and I wanted to put him on hold to call my publicist to ask what the best way to respond to this question would be. I had been told by past reps to keep my mouth shut about being gay, as it could limit the roles I could do, so my first thought was, “This is it. I’m screwed.”

I somehow managed to respond with something like “I don’t believe that love is defined by gender. Love is love.” I left it at that.

I was shaking when I hung up the phone. My parents had been listening to the radio interview and said all the right things to calm me down, but inside I was petrified.

It took some time, but I realized that I didn’t want to go through my life and career hiding something about myself that I wasn’t really ashamed of. I’m proud of who I am and what I’ve achieved so far. I’ve worked with amazing people and have done it all while being gay. So on Dec. 8, 2013, I decided to take control of my narrative and post my coming-out video.

The first few tweets I received were beautiful. And I knew right then that I had done the right thing. Overnight the video received over 30,000 views. Bloggers, radio hosts and random people were congratulating me. I was booked to be a guest on a Sydney talk show to discuss it all. It all felt so surreal.

I was driving home from Fox Studios and the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. radio news shows were covering it. I’d assumed that my coming out might make a bit of a splash, but I never imagined it might get this much attention.

My agents and managers all called to say they were proud of me and would stick by me now and always. My family and friends were calling to tell me they love me. My boyfriend was over the moon, and I was so grateful that he could come out of the shadows at long last.

The past year has been amazing. My boyfriend and I now live in L.A., and I have never felt so free, honest and genuine. I wish I had come out sooner.

Breaking into the U.S. market is always a challenge. I’ve been lucky to have signed with an awesome agent and manager over here, and I’ve been taping for roles that are so broad and interesting that my fear of being typecast has disappeared. I feel I am doing some of my best work now that I am rid of the fear.

I think the sexuality of a character should be minimal in a good story anyway. If the character and storyline are well done, then the sexuality of the character is about as relevant as his or her eye color.

I’ve never been opposed to playing gay characters. I feel like I have a responsibility to the LGBTQ community to show that even if you are out publicly, you can still do great work. You’re not limited or held back.

If my coming out managed to help or encourage even one young LGBTQ person feeling helpless to feel a little bit better or more hopeful for the future, then all of this is worth it.

The fact that young actors, athletes, singers, etc., can feel comfortable enough in their careers and lives to speak up and be proud of who we are speaks volumes about how far we’ve come as an industry and as a society.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that, yes, it is necessary for people to come out publicly, but on their own terms. The more of us who speak up and are proud of who we are, the fewer people in the future will have to live in fear. One day I’d like to think that the simple act of telling people you’re in love with someone of the same gender won’t generate a three-week buzz and a bunch of headlines but will become simply a source of empowerment.

www.huffingtonpost.com/harry-cook/my-year-since-coming-out_b_6167366.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

No Stay in South Carolina; Marriages Could Begin Thursday

Antigay state officials have Chief Justice John Roberts as their last hope to stop same-sex marriage.

read more

Lucas Grindley

www.advocate.com/politics/marriage-equality/2014/11/18/no-stay-south-carolina-marriages-could-begin-thursday

New York's Largest Jail To Open Housing Unit For Transgender Women
NEW YORK — The country’s second-largest jail will open a housing unit this week for transgender women, officials announced Tuesday, in a historic effort to protect transgender inmates from violence, rape and harassment.

The New York City Department of Correction said that the new housing unit at the Rikers Island jail facility will have an initial capacity of 30 beds, which it said would be sufficient for the number of transgender women at Rikers at any given time. Inmates will be placed in the unit voluntarily.

“Because inmates are not all alike, the Department is creating specialized housing for many specific inmate groups,” said Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte in a statement. “Providing [transgender women] with specialized housing and services is good policy and meaningful reform and is expected to reduce incidents involving these individuals while also leading to better long-term outcomes, including possible reductions in recidivism,” he said.

Currently, transgender women incarcerated at Rikers either are housed with males in the general population — where they face disproportionate rates of violence, rape and harassment by both staff and other inmates — or choose to go into protective custody, which is essentially solitary confinement. Transgender inmates under protective custody are locked alone in a cell for 23 hours a day.

The new housing unit was developed with advice from several advocacy groups. Alisha Williams, director of the Prison Rights Project at the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, told HuffPost that her group and others started talking with the city about the struggle of transgender inmates over two years ago. It wasn’t until Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) took office, she said, that a plan to create a transgender housing unit gained momentum.

De Blasio appointed Commissioner Ponte earlier this year to bring dramatic reforms to Rikers Island, which for years has been plagued by violence and corruption. A U.S. Justice Department report earlier this year described a horrifying “culture of violence” inside a facility for adolescent inmates.

Williams added that while the new housing unit is a “good development” for transgender inmates, the Sylvia Rivera Law Project is also focused on keeping transgender women out of jail in the first place.

According to a report from the National Center for Transgender Equality, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community has a “disproportionate contact with the justice system” due to “a history of bias, abuse, and profiling toward LGBT people by law enforcement.”

The report states that about “16% of transgender adults have been in a prison or jail for any reason. This compares with 2.7% of all adults who have ever been in prison.”

The NYC Department of Correction said Tuesday that guards for the new facility have received special training in how to deal with transgender inmates.

“We are taking extra precautions to ensure these individuals are safe and receive appropriate support,” said Assistant Chief Yolanda Canty, who oversees the North Infirmary Command on the island, where the new housing unit will be located. “This includes recruiting dedicated staff who are comfortable working with this population and providing them with training on how to work with transgender women sensitively and effectively.”

Two New York City Council members expressed support for the new housing unit on Tuesday. Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, who chairs the Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice, told HuffPost in a statement that “for too long, the Department of Correction has operated under one size fits all practices that neglected to recognize the unique needs of diverse jail populations.” She added, “I commend Commissioner Ponte for helping move the Department into the 21st century.”

Council Member Daniel Dromm, a vocal critic of conditions on Rikers Island, told HuffPost that the new unit was an “important step in the right direction.” He said that “nothing happened under [former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s] administration” to address the plight of transgender inmates and that he commended de Blasio and Ponte for beginning real change at Rikers.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/18/rikers-transgender-women_n_6181552.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Nefarious Cop Busted For Exposing His Penis To Unsuspecting Male Motorists

Bad cop alert.

37-year-old New Jersey police officer Jason Miller (pictured) was arrested and charged with official misconduct and public lewdness earlier this week after it was discovered he had a naughty habit of waving his wiener at male motorists aged 18 to 26, the Smoking Gun reports.

The dash cam from Miller’s police cruiser allegedly captures the married father of two undoing his trousers and exposing himself at least five times over a seven-month period earlier this year.

The incidents all happened during late-night and early-morning traffic stops. In many of the surveillance videos, the sound of Miller unzipping his pants can be heard, prosecutors say. In one video in particular, his penis is clearly visible.

“His junk was hanging out!” one victim reportedly told police during the investigation.

Drivers allege Miller, who has been a police officer since 2001, would approach their vehicles then ask them if they had “noticed his zipper was down.”

One driver claims Miller followed him after the initial traffic stop to ask if the passenger in his car was his boyfriend. Another time, Miller allegedly allowed a man who admitted to being drunk go without so much as issuing a citation, presumably because he had just exposed himself to the 26-year-old.

A probable cause affidavit alleges that Miller exposed his wiener during “numerous” late-night traffic stops to “satisfy his prurient interests.” He is currently free on $35,000 bail, but he has been suspended from his job indefinitely without pay.

Related stories:

Cute Cop Admits To Signing Up Tea Party Leader On Gay Dating and Porn Websites

PHOTOS: Hot Castro Cop Is An Internet Sensation. We’ve Got the Shirtless Pics That Show Why

You Won’t Believe What This Cop Did In Public Restrooms To Get Himself Arrested

Graham Gremore is a columnist and contributor for Queerty and Life of the Law. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Graham Gremore

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/_Tz02QTQBTw/nefarious-cop-busted-for-exposing-his-penis-to-unsuspecting-male-motorists-20141118