Nevada's Trans Protection Bill is on the table, Gov. Sandoval! Please sign it!

In Nevada, The Trans Protections bill is rett to go, but the fate of that bill lies in the hands of their Gov. Brian Sandoval.

Gender identity and expression would be protected classes in state employment protections should AB 211 pass. The bill's fate now lies with Brian Sandoval, Nevada's 47-year-old Republican governor. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Sandoval aides have remained mum on what the governor will do with the bill. The state's senate has also passed legislation that would protect transgender people from discrimination in housing and public accommodation — the state assembly has not yet taken action on those bills.


“The state legislature is blazing the trail to full equality in Nevada,” said Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese in a press release. “We urge them and Gov. Sandoval to continue to fight for what’s right and pass these important protections in employment, housing and public accommodations.”

The Governor has to see that this is the right thing to do. I hope that other LGBT organizations in the state are putting the pressure on him to sign it into law. Our Trans family needs the support and protection.

The White House will meet with Transgender Activists Today

Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality

The White House makes huge strides by actively reaching out to Transgender leaders today. The meeting will discuss policy matters and basic issues that continue to beset the Trans community.

Washington Blade has the scoop:

Shin Inouye, a White House spokesperson, said the meeting, which is set to take place Friday at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, will include transgender leaders who work on federal policy.

“OPE routinely holds meetings with various stakeholders to discuss various policy issues,” Inouye said. “Friday’s meeting, like most OPE meetings, will be closed press and off the record.”

Additionally, Inouye said the meeting will be the first ever for the Office of Public Engagement where transgender issues are the sole focus of discussion.

“While transgender issues have been covered in previous OPE meetings, and transgender leaders have been included in other OPE meetings, this would be the first time OPE has held a meeting solely focused on transgender issues,” Inouye said.

Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said she plans to attend the meeting.

“This is the first president who has allowed trans people — really allowed LGBT people — to bring forward problems and then advocate for them,” Keisling said. “In the Bush administration, we couldn’t even do that. They wouldn’t even listen to us. They didn’t care what our problems were. In fact, they were making most of our problems.”

I am glad this is happening, however I hope that the attendees are representing a diverse group of Transgender leaders. There are many voices that need to be heard.

Hawaii now have Employment Protections for the Transgendered Community

Tony Wagner from HRC with Kim Coco Iwamoto, Hawaii State Board of Education member and a high ranking transgender official

Sorry to be late on this, but Hawaii passed the bill that provides job protection to the Trans community.

The Hawaii Senate approved a bill, previously passed by the House, to ban discrimination based on gender identity and expression in the workplace.

"The march towards full equality in the Aloha State continues," said Alan Spector, Equality Hawaii Co-Chair. "Providing employment protections to transgender citizens in Hawaii is a victory for civil rights and equal treatment under the law for all residents of our great state."

Equality Hawaii and The Human Rights Campaign worked together to build support for HB 546, which passed by a 22 to 2 vote on Tuesday.

Discrimination against transgender individuals is already illegal in Hawaii for housing, public accommodations and employment, but the ban on employment discrimination has only been established by rulings of the Civil Rights Commission and has not been written into the state statute.

Gov. Neil Abercromie said he will sign it into law.

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Hawaii Lawmakers Ban Trans Discrimination in the Workplace

In Hawaii, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill that will ban workplace discrimination based on gender identity.

The Senate Judiciary Committee Monday approved the bill, which was previously passed in the House. The vote was 3-2 with Sens. Mike Gabbard and Sam Slom opposed.


Discrimination against transgender individuals and others based on their expression of gender is already illegal in Hawaii for housing, public accommodations and employment, but the ban on employment discrimination has been establish by rulings of the Civil Rights Commission and has not been written into the state statute. The bill approved Monday by the Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee, HB 546, would write the anti-discrimination language into labor law.


Advocates said the law is necessary because employers are confused because the language is not specifically in the statute. Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed an identical bill six years ago, but Judiciary Chairman Sen. Clayton Hee said Monday he is confident the provision will become law.


It still faces negotiations with the House, but the differences between the two houses are technical and not expected to prevent passage.

So there will be more to come on this issue. I'm hoping for the best.

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Interesting Quote: Elbridge James, Executive Director of Maryland Black Family Alliance

"Transgender Marylanders, especially transpeople of color, face significant discrimination, violence, and harassment in almost every aspect of their lives. The struggle to find ones identity should never be diminished by discrimination, harassment, or violence. Discrimination in Maryland comes at a price and is unjust. It's time for our state to join 12 other states across the country in ending discrimination against transgender Marylanders."

He's talking about House Bill 235, the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act, a bill that will protect transgender people in housing, employment and credit in Maryland.


Update the House just passed the bill

Today the Maryland House voted 86-52 to pass HB 235, the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act, legislation that would end discrimination in employment, housing and credit for Transgender Marylanders.


A report put out in February 2011 by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality found that 1 in 5 transgender people in Maryland have lost a job due to discrimination and 12% have become homeless.

Advocates emphasize that this law is a matter of life-or-death for some Marylanders and call on supporters to help secure passage this year.

Equality Maryland, along with members of the House of Delegates, and the LGBT Caucus, celebrate this victory and acknowledge the work ahead.

This is great news to start the day!

VIDEO: The Vigil for Tyra Trent

A few weeks ago the body of a young Transgendered woman, Tyra Trent, was found in a basement. On Friday, the LGBT community held a vigil for her.

Baltimore Sun reports:

A crowd of about 50 gathered at the corner of North Avenue and Charles Street, braving chilly winds to remember Tyra Trent. Speaking over the din of rush-hour traffic, Webb said: "Our struggle goes on. Let's keep the good fight going."

The vigil was organized by Sandy Rawls, director of Trans-United, which provides help to members of the transgender community.

"We all have our struggles," Rawls said. But, she added, resources are scarce for transgender individuals.

Rawls said she had been working with Trent to formally change her name and obtain her GED.

"Being transgender takes a strong mind, not just to fight society but your own insecurities — a lot want to give up," said Stacy Williams, 35, who knew Trent since she was 15, before she made the "transition," which he said took Trent two or three years.

He said it was a "major step" for Trent to work toward a high school equivalency degree after struggling with drugs — "but she got her life on track," he said.

Williams was among several of Trent's friends who attended the gathering.

"It feels good to see everyone here supporting the same cause," he said.

Two people led songs, but most people remained quiet, clutching small white candles inside Dixie cups.

Trent's mother spoke briefly to the crowd, thanking everyone and asking them to "keep us all in your prayers."

Please watch the video

A hat tip and wink to Rod 2.0

A Trangender Woman found Dead in a Vacant Home

Tyra Trent was found dead in a vacant home last weekend. She strangled and left in the basement.

On Saturday, someone wandered into a vacant city-owned home in the 3300 block of Virginia Ave. in Northwest Baltimore and found Trent's body in the basement. She had no identification and no cell phone, but an autopsy revealed that she had been asphyxiated. City homicide detectives are investigating the case.

It took two days to confirm Trent's identity and notify family. Trent had been reported missing two weeks earlier, after leaving home late at night on a Sunday and never returning. Trent had been known to leave for a few days at a time, but always kept in touch with her mother, Sundra. Not this time.

"Sundra felt it. After two days she said, 'Something happened to my baby,' " said Pamela Holden, a family friend.

Relatives were gathered at the Trent family home Tuesday night, where they remembered Trent as a vibrant person who liked to dance, loved animals and loved to style hair. She worked with people with disabilities, they said.

"He was a good person, and he made friends," said aunt Evelina "Noni" Trent, 41.

The reason for Tyra's murder is unknown. I hope the LGBT will come together and reach out to the Transgendered community in Baltimore.

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A new report reveals the Depths of Discrimination against Transgendered People

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality has released a new report, “Injustice at Every Turn". This shows the levels of discrimination against transgender people in a wide range of areas.

Please check out the Executive Summary
NTDS Exec Summary THIS STUDY FINDS PERVASIVE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST TRANSGENDER PEOPLE
the full report is here

GLAAD calls out SNL on their Transphobic skit

GLAAD is putting SNL on blast for an ugly skit that picks on Transgendered people. Here is their statement:

This Saturday, on an airing of Saturday Night Live, NBC (a subsidiary of Comcast) broadcast a dangerous and blatantly transphobic segment which they called ‘Estro-Maxxx’ - the punchline of which was the lives of countless transgender people across the country. 


The piece was a mock commercial for estrogen replacement therapy and featured men with facial hair wearing dresses, meant to represent transgender women. This segment cannot be defended as “just a joke” because there was no “joke” to speak of. The attempted comedy of the skit hinges solely on degrading the lives and experiences of transgender women. Holding people up for ridicule simply on the basis of their identity fuels a dangerous and hurtful climate and puts people in danger, especially given how infrequently the media shines a fair and accurate light on the lives of transgender people.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation calls upon Comcast and NBC to apologize and remove the segment from Hulu and all future airings of the show.

Here's the skit if you missed it