“I’m fully respecting this and myself by not walking and/or attending the ceremony at all,” Garcia said, in a post Wednesday on Facebook, in which he thanked his supporters and said the school refused to amend its decision.
…
The University of New Mexico’s LGBTQ Resource Center will host a graduation ceremony for Garcia on May 30o 7 p.m. May 30.
(via Transgender student skips graduation rather than wear female gown – LGBTQ Nation)
![The TGEU map [above] shows countries in blue that require no sterilization, orange for countries that require sterilization and red for countries where trans people can not legally change their gender.
More at the source link.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/0b1a53e8df7deb979bb208c343b9ba08/tumblr_mn5x8xdK7T1qgo5q0o1_500.jpg)
The TGEU map [above] shows countries in blue that require no sterilization, orange for countries that require sterilization and red for countries where trans people can not legally change their gender.
More at the source link.
Over 150 LGBT people and their friends have braved homophobic and transphobic thugs to demand their rights at a protest in St Petersburg, Russia.
TW: violence
| — |
78 trans murders in 2013, mutilation common | Gay Star News TW: violence, murder |
(via EU LGBT Survey | European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights)
TW: talk of abuse, violence, suicide
The EU LGBT survey -
Over 93,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people
from all across the European Union (EU) were asked about
their experience of discrimination, violence and harassment.
All data and results are available at http://fra.europa.eu
Trans people are still suffering from discrimination, prejudice and persecution in Europe, a new report has found.
Published on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (17 May), it will expose the ‘bleak’ legal challenges trans people face across 49 countries in Europe.
Transgender Europe (TGEU) will show which of the countries require sterilization in legal gender recognition and which do not provide for any procedures.
The index will present an in-depth overview of the legal human rights situation for trans people.
TGEU will also provide an update on the Trans Murder Monitoring project. There have been over 1200 reported killings of trans people worldwide in the last five years.
On the same day, the Fundamental Rights Agency will publish the results of its survey on the experiences of violence and discrimination by LGBT people in the EU and Croatia. The survey is the largest of its kind with 93,000 respondents.
‘All our collected data is clearly suggesting one conclusion: European countries do not take sufficient action to protect trans people efficiently against violence and discrimination,’ stated Dr Julia Ehrt, TGEU’s Executive Director.
‘Trans people cannot wait any longer for the protection of their human rights. The EU has a crucial role in Europe to champion trans rights’, added Alecs Recher, TGEU Executive Board member.
Transgender Europe (TGEU) is a European Human Rights Organization with members in 36 countries working for equality and inclusion of all trans people.
The Riddle: new anti-homophobia message from UN human rights office (by UN HUMANRIGHTS)
“76 countries still criminalize consensual same-sex relationships and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people everywhere continue to suffer violent attacks and discriminatory treatment. In this simple, high-impact video from the UN human rights office, individuals from diverse backgrounds pose questions directly to the viewer designed to expose the nature of human rights violations suffered by LGBT people around the world. The video includes cameo appearances by UN Secretary-General and High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. The UN’s message: LGBT rights are human rights. Together we will build a world that is free and equal.
Latest research out of Brazil shows once again the country continues to have the highest murder rate for LGBT people in the world.
The Gay Group of Bahia has for 30 years been compiling and publishing statistics on LGBT deaths in the South American country and the latest report shows that there were 338 murders of LGBT people in 2012, including 2 trans Brazilians in Italy.
The figures breakdown into 188 gay men, 128 trans, 19 lesbians and 2 bisexuals.
It means roughly that one LGBT person is murdered every 26 hours in the country.
In these 338 cases, only 89 offenders were found; in the remaining 73% cases there were no arrests.
The total for 2012 is 21% higher than in 2011 – where 266 cases were recorded.
Often the police in Brazil refuse to accept that they are faced with a homophobic or transphobic crime.
Brazilian activists are calling for tougher hate crime legislation and for both crimes to be treated as seriously as racist crime.
Recorded murders in Brazil’s trans community are particularly high because trans people in the country are often forced into prostitution to make a living and therefore especially vulnerable to street violence.
A story of perseverance and bravery. I hope his story also becomes one of triumph.
Q.
Editor’s note: Pepe Julian Onziema is the Program Director and Advocacy Officer of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), a gay rights organization, and 2012 Recipient of the Clinton Global Citizen Award
(CNN) — For Uganda’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community, 2013 strengthens us with fresh resolve. But a new year also torments us with old anxieties.
Uganda is my home, but every day I must fight tooth and nail to remain. I inhabit a land and a paradox where my right to have a consensual relationship with an African woman is illegal — “un-African”— and where my daily work is a life and death matter.
Since 2009, my community has faced the potential passage of an anti-homosexuality bill that threatens Ugandans in same-sex relationships with life imprisonment (there are conflicting reports on whether the original death penalty provision remain). This year, many Anglican Church officials and other leaders have declared the legislation’s speedy passage as their New Year’s resolutions, with the bill scheduled for discussion when Uganda’s parliament reconvenes in February. As a transgender man, I am not safe.
Trans Cabal Right to Reply (by TransBareAll)
TW for talk of transphobia
“This video has been compiled by TransBareAll as a response to recent transphobic articles in the press. We don’t aim to debate the merits of freedom of speech, or the rights and wrongs of different sides of an argument. Instead we want to show the real impact of the way language is used, how it can affect the people it targets.
In the media (and society in general) there are some words which we never use, such as the ‘N’ word. We don’t choose to avoid them because we are oppressed, but because we understand that due to their historical and social context they aren’t merely offensive, they are directly harmful. We understand that for some terms it is up to the group they have been used against to re-appropriate them. Some of the terms published lately are examples of these — terms so deeply rooted in discrimination, exclusion, hatred and violence, that it is just not ok to say them. Ever. Because of the damage that they do.
This short film includes trans masculine people and allies talking about the impact of this language. Although recent publications seem to refer specifically to trans women, the language used does not separate us — it includes all trans people, and everyone who loves and respects us. It refers to us. It refers to many of the people in this film. Using this language harms all trans people and our wider communities of families, friends, partners and lovers. This is not about offense, it is about hurt. It goes so much deeper.
The voices you hear in this film are not the most vulnerable amongst us, because they won’t have felt safe enough to take part. As these are the feelings of people who are confident enough to share these emotions, we can only imagine what the others are going through.
Over coming days and weeks we will add the complete videos that clips in this film were taken from to our youtube channel, along with new videos which have been submitted. If you want to take part then please email us a short film — guidelines are available on our website.
Our heartfelt thanks go to all those brave enough to speak out in this project, to Rob of www.softley.co.uk for helping with the final edit, and to all involved in TransBareAll for the feedback and support which made this happen. Our support and friendship goes to all those affected by the recent transphobia they’ve been forced to endure.
Jay McNeil & Lee Gale
transbareall@gmail.com
www.transbareall.co.uk
The Press Complaints Commission is to launch an inquiry into the publication of Julie Burchill’s anti-trans column in The Observer.
The commission decided to act after receiving 800 complaints about the article, which was removed from the newspaper’s sister website The Guardian.co.uk soon after it was published on 13 January.
She posted the article as a response to the negative reaction her friend Suzanne Moore had when she wrote about women idealizing for a body like a ‘Brazilian transsexual’.
The PCC does not generally take up what are called ‘third party complaints’, but does so when it feels there is sufficient public interest.
[Phóng sự] PÊ ĐÊ (by icsvietnam)
A short film on trans* life in Vietnam.
“We met Yuki and her friends around 5pm which was too early for transgender people to start their day. “When the sunlight is fading, and the treet lights are turned on, it is when our lives start.” Sunlight exposes the worst stigma, only darkness can help conceal the pain of discrimination. But today, we’re going to start a little earlier.
This short documentary was made ICS. We decided to name it “Pede” - the word that society still uses to stigmatize transgender people - as a way to have a closer look at a familiar yet taboo topic.
Thank you for viewing and sharing their their views.
2012 Transgender Day of Remeberance (by SCĒN)
TW for violence, transphobia, murder
265 Transgender people lost their lives in 2012. This video is there to honor those that died so violently and prematurely. Some victims were tortured, burned or shot more than a dozen times only because they were expressing who they truly felt they were inside. This video is free and can be downloaded. Please take it and use it any way you see fit to help in bring an end to violence against Transgender people worldwide.
Thousands around the world will honor the hundreds of people murdered because of their gender identity on Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Events have been planned to mark the occasion across the globe, from Canada and the United States to France, New Zealand and South Korea.
Candle-lit vigils are planned in several cities, including Manchester in northern England, Sacramento in the US state of California and Genova in Italy.
An event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia will see experts talk about how the media, law and religion has led to violence against transgender people.
While the Der AA church in Groningen, Netherlands, will put on a play called ‘De gendermonologen’ (The gender monologues) and a speech by Turkish trans activist Sevval Kiliç.
Natacha Kennedy, co-organiser of the London TDoR said: ‘Trans people have always existed in every civilization throughout human history.
‘Their persecution, however, is, relatively recent, dating back probably no more than 500 years in most instances.’
New figures released this week by the Trans Murder Monitoring project show 265 trans people were known to be the victims of violent killings across the world over the last 12 months.
The figures show a nearly 20% increase from last year, when 221 trans murders were reported.
New figures released yesterday by the Trans Murder Monitoring project show 265 trans people were known to be the victims of violent killings across the world over the last 12 months.
The figures show a nearly 20% increase from last year, when 221 trans murders were reported.
The Trans Murder Monitoring project was started by Transgender Europe in 2009 but it has now developed into the TransRespect versus Transphobia project (TvT).
‘We are witnessing a significant increase [of murders], which points to the extreme level of violence many trans people continue to be exposed to,’ said a statement from Transgender Europe.
‘However, this increase may also reflect the TvT project’s intensified cooperation and data exchange with trans and LGBT organizations.’
Transgender Europe reported that ‘even these high numbers are only a fraction of the real figures; the truth is much worse’.
The figures show only documented cases which have been reported in 29 countries over the last 12 months.
‘In most countries, data on murdered trans people are not systematically produced and it is impossible to estimate the numbers of unreported cases,’ said the statement.
Most of the reported murders happened in Brazil (126) but Transgender Europe pointed out that the number of killings in Colombia, Venezuela, Honduras and Guatemala ‘is equally or even more worrying in view of the much smaller population sizes of these countries’.
Nineteen Central and South American countries account for 80% of the reported homicides of trans people globally. But the USA reported the third highest number of trans murders (15) after Brazil and Mexico (48).
In Asia most reported trans murders over the last 12 months were in India (6), Pakistan (5) and the Philippines (4).
In Europe, Turkey reported the most trans murders (5).
The cumulative figures show 1,083 reports of murdered trans people in 56 countries since January 2008.
The figures were released for the 14th International Transgender Day of Remembrance, that will be commemorated around the world on Tuesday 20 November.
