tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91201000364448696162024-03-18T20:20:14.834-07:00Baltimore Team Transoverturning transphobic and gender-segregated spaces, one bathroom at a timebaltimore team transhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17153008058012939032noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120100036444869616.post-391451988967698662009-08-27T10:46:00.000-07:002009-08-27T10:47:35.216-07:00Double Stabbing in D.C. - One Transwoman Dead, Another Recoveringhttp://www.washblade .com/thelatest/ thelatest. cfm?blog_ id=26915<br /><br /><br />Trans woman dead after double stabbing<br />D.C. police unsure of motive, details<br /><br />By LOU CHIBBARO JR, Washington Blade | Joshua Lynsen | Aug 26, 7:06 PM<br /><br />One transgender woman was stabbed to death Wednesday and another was in stable condition with stab wounds from an unknown assailant following an incident along the 200 block of Q Street, N.W., according to sources.<br /><br />A police spokesperson said the incident occurred between 2:30 and 2:45 p.m. Wednesday.<br /><br />Police Chief Cathy Lanier, who spoke at the scene, told reporters that investigators were looking for nearby residents who might have witnessed the stabbings. She referred to the victims as "persons" and declined to disclose their gender.<br />A police spokesperson would neither confirm nor deny that the victims were transgender.<br /><br />Lanier said investigators did not immediately know the motive behind the stabbings.<br />A law enforcement source described the victims as male-to-female transgender people, with one believed to be 18 years old and the other believed to be 27.<br /><br />The stabbings occurred about two blocks from the North Capitol Street offices of Transgender Health Empowerment, a private social services group that provides drop-in services to transgender people, including transgender youth.baltimore team transhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17153008058012939032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120100036444869616.post-14629435927241690402009-08-26T07:32:00.000-07:002009-08-26T07:33:59.337-07:00URGENT!!! Ariel Attack Arrested In Denver! PLEASE HELP!!!***PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY***<br /><br />Ariel Attack, a Denver-based anarchist, was arrested at 2:27am Tues, 24 here in Denver for allegedly smashing 11 windows of the Democratic Party headquaters at 777 Santa Fe Drive.<br /><br />Right now we are trying to raise the bail money for her to get out of jail; her bail hearing will be tomorrow at 10am Denver time. Several lawyers have told us to expect anywhere from between $3,000 to $10,000 in bail, and due to the high publicity of the case here in Denver, we are expecting higher (lead story for most all local news outlets, and being picked up by national news networks).<br /><br />At this moment, we do not know Ariel's status within the jail, especially regarding her gender classification. We have been unable to talk with Ariel since she went in. She is listed in the jail records and media under her birth name. We also do not know what plans, if any, she had made for this situation.<br /><br />As such, Denver BB! and all of her friends and community are calling out hoping to raise the money to at least make bond. Jail is a dangerous place for everyone, but especially trans people, and we make every effort to get our friends and comrades out. We are also asking people to NOT call the jail and potentially out Ariel, which would create a very dangerous situation. Interaction with the jail is being done by people here in Denver in very specific ways to create the maximum amount of safety possible for Ariel.<br /><br />Below is a link to the paypal account which will deposit money into the FREE ARIEL ATTACK FUND!!! Please do what you can to help get an amazing friend and comrade out of jail and back into her community. Also below are links to some of the corporate media stories about her arrest.<br /><br />If you have any questions, you can call Ben at 970.623.5629.<br /><br />THANK YOU!!!<br /><br /><br /><br />PAYPAL<br />https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=7756872<br /><br />CORPORATE MEDIA<br />http://www.denverpost.com/ci_13199902<br />http://www.thedenverchannel.com/politics/20548292/detail.html<br /><br />***PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY***baltimore team transhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17153008058012939032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120100036444869616.post-12518695358586489002009-07-03T06:21:00.000-07:002009-07-03T06:22:06.541-07:00Bulgaria Pride Update - SUCCESS!!!Tension was high with organisers, police and private security when the 300 or-so participants in the 2009 Rainbow Friendship parade gathered on Lovers' Bridge behind Sofia's National Palace of Culture (NDK).<br /><br />Between the blue flags along the edge of the bridge, a multi-coloured sea of balloons, flags and helmets formed.<br /><br />Organisers handed out coloured, plastic construction-helmets to participants, a tongue-in-cheek reference to last year's violence that surrounded Bulgaria's first gay pride parade.<br /><br />The press had arrived in large numbers, expecting a repeat of last year's stand-off with ultra-nationalists.<br /><br />Instead, they were offered colourful photo-opportunities by Bulgarian and foreign participants.<br /><br />Two boys positioned themselves smack in the middle of one of the banners and started a long, demonstrative public kiss. Within seconds they were the focus of every camera on the bridge.<br /><br />At the head of the parade itself was an open truck with a DJ and several dancers; both leather-boys and transvestites.<br /><br />When the parade reached the corner of Graf Ignatiev and Vasil Levski, the dancers had to leave the truck, causing some commotion among guards. "Move, move, move," one uniformed police officer tried to persuade the head of the parade to continue its route.<br /><br />Once inside the Red House, a sense of relief and pride filled the air. They had done it!baltimore team transhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17153008058012939032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120100036444869616.post-65620675156098674042009-07-03T06:18:00.000-07:002009-07-03T06:21:07.367-07:00From the Dallas Voice: Police Raid Rainbow Lounge in Dallas - Stonewall Revisted?(The original article and the follow-up article are both posted here. Both are copyright of the Dallas Voice. www.dallasvoice.com)<br /><br />Stonewall... Revisited?<br /><br />dallasvoice.com<br /><br />A protest is scheduled outside the Tarrant County Courthouse in downtown Fort Worth tonight, 7pm. Why?<br /><br />Last night in Fort Worth, police raided the Rainbow Lounge, a week-old gay nightclub. Reports coming out of theDallas Voice (DFW's excellent queer newspaper) are terrifyingly close in tone to all of the documents I've been reading about bar raids in the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s.*<br /><br />Bar raids are so passe. So 1950s. The paddywagons, the ridiculous brutality, gay folks scared shitless. So very pre-Stonewall. Right?<br /><br />What prompted the Fort Worth raid? Folks on the message boards and theVoice's Instant Tea blog have been pointing to a disgruntled bartender, but knowing that the bar has only been open for a week this seems unlikely. That was also a common excuse for raids in the 1950s-70s. (Makes you wanna sing "The Way We Were", yes?) Historically, however, the truth bears out that these raids were more frequently the product of top-down discrimination and homophobic policies.<br /><br />Here are the lowlights:<br /><br />Best quote: "It felt so very Stonewall, but without the standing up for ourselves"<br /><br />An eyewitness account that just leaves me speechless.<br /><br />The difference: Now the queers have cameras and recording devices. BTW, why is there a paddywagon and both state and local police if this was just a TABC check?<br /><br />Supposedly, last night the Rainbow Lounge was showing two Stonewall related documentaries. (Before Stonewall and After Stonewall? Just a guess.)<br /><br />Happy anniversary, QUEERS!<br /><br />[Thanks to Ricky Hill for the tip-off.] <br /><br /><b>TABC says patron injured while in its custody</b><br /><br /><br />By Tammye Nash Senior Editor<br />Jul 1, 2009 - 8:56:39 PM<br /><br />TABC administrator, Fort Worth police chief both pledge ‘thorough investigations’ into Rainbow Lounge incident<br /><br />Protesters line the sidewalk outside the Rainbow Lounge in Fort Worth on Sunday afternoon, June 28, expressing outrage over a joint TABC/Fort Worth police raid at the gay bar early that morning that left one man hospitalized.<br />Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Administrator Alan Steen on Wednesday, July 1, issued a statement acknowledging that the 26-year-old gay man hospitalized with a head injury following a raid Sunday, June 28 on a Fort Worth gay bar was injured while in the custody of TABC agents.<br /><br />Two TABC agents involved in the incident have been reassigned to desk jobs while an investigation into the incident is conducted, according to reports posted online by NBC Channel 5 in Dallas.<br /><br />According to the statement, Chad Gibson was one of 15 people arrested Saturday night and Sunday morning during “joint inspections” by TABC agents and officers with the Fort Worth Police Department at three bars. The inspections were conducted to “ensure compliance with state alcoholic beverage laws and local ordinances.”<br /><br />Gibson was arrested inside the Rainbow Lounge at 651 S. Jennings St., along with three other men and one woman, according to Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead. The other 10 individuals were arrested at the Rosedale Saloon, the adjacent Cowboy Palace and an unnamed “unlicensed location,” the TABC statement said.<br /><br />“At the Rainbow Lounge, TABC agents placed one individual under arrest, Chad Gibson, who was injured while in the agents’ custody. Mr Gibson was released to paramedics for treatment of alcohol poisoning and a head injury and transported to a local hospital,” the statement said.<br /><br />Some reports have indicated that Gibson was taken into custody inside the nightclub and then taken outside where he began vomiting, and that he injured his head when he fell due to extreme intoxication.<br /><br />Several eyewitnesses inside the club at the time, however, had described seeing Gibson grabbed by officers and thrown to the floor in a hallway at the back of the club. The witnesses said that Gibson hit his head at that point, and that several officers were holding him down, one kneeling on his back and another placing his foot on Gibson’s head or neck.<br /><br />Gibson was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at JPS Hospital where he was treated for bleeding in his brain. He remained hospitalized as of press time on Wednesday, July 1.<br /><br />n this photo taken by Chuck Potter, TABC agents in tan uniforms stand and kneel around a Rainbow Lounge patron lying face down on the floor during a joint TABC/Fort Worth police operation at the Fort Worth bar early Sunday morning, June 28. Family members have said the man on the floor is Chad Gibson, a 26-year-old gay man who sustained a serious head injury during the incident. TABC Administrator Alan Steen issued a statement Wednesday, July 1, acknowledging Gibson was injured while in TABC custody.<br />“We are saddened that this incident occurred and extend our sincere hope that Mr. Gibson recovers quickly,” Steen said in the statement. “I have initiated an internal affairs investigation to answer questions about how these locations were chosen, to review the agents’ actions, and specifically to establish the facts surrounding Mr. Gibson’s injury.”<br /><br />Steen also asks that anyone who witnessed misconduct by TABC agents contact Lt. Andy Pena, acting director of the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility, by e-mail at opr@tabc.tx.us or by phone at 512-206-3405.<br /><br />Steen said information on how to file a complaint against a TABC agent and information on agency policy on employee investigations can be found online at TABC.state.tx.us.<br /><br />“I take seriously all allegations concerning inappropriate or illegal behavior by our employees,” Steen said. “We have in the past, and we will in the future, take action against any employee found to have violated agency policy or the law.”<br /><br />Steen’s pledge for a thorough investigation of the raid at Rainbow Lounge and the circumstances surrounding Gibson’s injury echo a pledge made Tuesday evening by Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead.<br /><br />Halstead said his department is conducting a comprehensive investigation into allegations of misconduct by Fort Worth police officers, and asked that anyone who witnessed the events at the bar contact Capt. Garcia at 817-392-4270.<br /><br />Gay Fort Worth Councilmember Joel Burns was out of town when the raid occurred early Sunday morning.<br /><br />But he returned in time to speak at a rally on the steps of the Tarrant County Courthouse that same evening.<br /><br />Burns and Mayor Pro-Tem Kathleen Hicks, in whose district the Rainbow Lounge is located, both issued immediate calls for Halstead to begin an investigation of the incident. Burns also contacted state Sen. Wendy Davis and state Rep. Lon Burnham and asked for their assistance in communicating with TABC.<br /><br />Davis said in a telephone interview Wednesday afternoon that she and Burnham had met earlier in the day with Steen and other TABC officials to discuss the situation.<br /><br />Davis said she and Burnham asked Steen about TABC’s policies and procedures for conducting operations such as the one on Saturday night and “some very specific questions on how those policies and procedures were followed” in carrying out the inspection at the Rainbow Lounge and the other nightclubs.<br /><br />“Both Lon and I want to get to the bottom of this, to find out factually what occurred and what should have occurred,” Davis said.<br /><br />Davis said she and Burnham are “deeply concerned” over the outcome of the inspection, and over the fact that accounts given by TABC agents, Fort Worth police officers and eyewitnesses in the Rainbow Lounge “don’t seem to match up.”<br /><br />She said TABC officials seemed “sincere” and “expressed the appropriate concern” over the situation, and that she was “comforted to hear they are conducting a detailed investigation” into the matter.<br /><br />In a joint statement released later Wednesday, Davis and Burnham also called for an investigation by some agency outside TABC and Fort Worth police.<br /><br />The legislators suggested the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department as one possible option for conducting the investigation.<br /><br />A photo taken inside the Rainbow Lounge by Chuck Potter as the raid was happening show several officers dressed in tan or khaki-colored uniforms surrounding an unidentified man who is lying face down on the floor in the back hallway of the bar, near the restroom.<br /><br />Davis said she has been told the unidentified man on the floor “could be Chad Gibson.” A source close to Gibson’s family said Wednesday that the man on the floor was definitely Gibson.<br /><br />E-mail nash@dallasvoice.com<br /><br />This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition July 3, 2009.<br /><br />© Copyright by DallasVoice.combaltimore team transhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17153008058012939032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120100036444869616.post-3892802959815008902009-06-18T14:21:00.001-07:002009-06-18T14:21:32.637-07:00CALL TO ACTION - Solidarity with Queer Bulgaria: Mobilization June 2009On June 28th 2008, neo-Nazi groups aggressively attacked the first<br />LGBTQ Pride march in Sofia, Bulgaria. A week before the march, the<br />Bulgarian National Alliance, the most visible nationalist organization<br />in the country, called for a “week of intolerance.” The BNA strongly<br />encouraged nationalistic groups to organize themselves against the<br />right of the queer community in Bulgaria to peacefully march, which<br />resulted in loosely organized violence during the festivities. BNA<br />members and other neo-Nazis threw molotov cocktails and small<br />explosives at the participants of the Pride march. Fortunately, no<br />injuries were reported. However, more than eighty skinheads, including<br />Boyan Rasate (head of the BNA) were arrested for their attempted harm<br />and direct violence toward pride participants.<br /><br />This year neo-Nazi groups are once again organizing themselves against<br />the march and Bulgarian queers’ ability to defend their human rights.<br />The Bulgarian government not only tolerates but also encourages such<br />attitudes. Two of the parties in the Parliament of Bulgaria are<br />nationalistic and one of them, Ataka, called for “the men to beat up<br />the gays.” In addition, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria and head of the<br />“socialist” party, Sergei Stanishev, subtly, through hidden sparks of<br />hatred, said that he did not like the “manifestation and demonstration<br />of such orientations.”<br /><br />Even though the rights of LGBTQ people in Bulgaria are protected by<br />the constitution, this is yet more empty rhetoric in the hands of the<br />powerful. The queer community refuses to give up its rights to a free<br />assembly. There will be another Pride march this June 2009. Let’s<br />unite and stand together against the homophobic and transphobic state<br />of Bulgaria and growing neo-Nazism in Europe.<br /><br />The International Queer Solidarity Network calls for a European<br />mobilization. If you cannot attend the march please do the following:<br /><br />* Issue a public statement of Solidarity with the Bulgarian LGBTQ<br />community;<br />* Contact the Bulgarian Consulates<br />* Contact the Bulgarian President and Bulgarian Prime Minister<br />* Contact the Mayor of Sofia<br />* Contact GEMINI to express solidarity and offer support<br />(sofiagaypride2009 (at) gmail.com<br />* Inform your family, friends, and co-workers of ways they can support<br />the Bulgarian LGBTQ community.<br /><br />International Queer Solidarity Network<br />More Info: iqsn@riseup.net<br />Web: www.iqsn.org<br />______________baltimore team transhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17153008058012939032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120100036444869616.post-32814781229632637052009-05-19T12:52:00.000-07:002009-05-19T12:59:06.691-07:00Russia police break up gay protest<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSQcbEFCA5P8GHqSYgnkb3aRMTLEifpgDA5wDRL97a1BhToz4_2PBaLoCWKkZJxLTu6Dcz2go6qkC7QvBePF-2n_U1LawRaDyNy3o3qRD6So8DpYtJ894pww73e9Iz0JfPWESHeruS8bk/s1600-h/200951610631945734_5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSQcbEFCA5P8GHqSYgnkb3aRMTLEifpgDA5wDRL97a1BhToz4_2PBaLoCWKkZJxLTu6Dcz2go6qkC7QvBePF-2n_U1LawRaDyNy3o3qRD6So8DpYtJ894pww73e9Iz0JfPWESHeruS8bk/s400/200951610631945734_5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337627011753520882" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgEE_zCWOzTBkGBirbclQPuGz0LOc0Z5krUh8G2buUSg90MrBF_SanAapEUEap0twSFugLXBO3Swsyccg5vW219fETSOW20H895B9eQami1ixzK3fQb_Nt4gI_vvE5OThajcME74i7KJH/s1600-h/1_220599_1_3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgEE_zCWOzTBkGBirbclQPuGz0LOc0Z5krUh8G2buUSg90MrBF_SanAapEUEap0twSFugLXBO3Swsyccg5vW219fETSOW20H895B9eQami1ixzK3fQb_Nt4gI_vvE5OThajcME74i7KJH/s400/1_220599_1_3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337627005463280690" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnU16Lvb_wOAnCVAkhRK5q87UtpxMn3d2ZhMhyphenhyphenR81uBp4n1ujQd-KvqHyzNKN28dv9V7uBEnNtXlvI-i8h9gamIuIbSmoiFyFwa0J_g0ejC4ELjNAsi5sS1O_f5xYemWxAFM5dLs8n4YwG/s1600-h/2009228346.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnU16Lvb_wOAnCVAkhRK5q87UtpxMn3d2ZhMhyphenhyphenR81uBp4n1ujQd-KvqHyzNKN28dv9V7uBEnNtXlvI-i8h9gamIuIbSmoiFyFwa0J_g0ejC4ELjNAsi5sS1O_f5xYemWxAFM5dLs8n4YwG/s400/2009228346.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337626029103926642" /></a><br /><a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2009229225_russiagay17.html?syndication=rss">Nation and World News - Russia Police Break Up Gay Protest</a><br /><br />The plainclothes security men came first, clustering in jeans, leather jackets and pointy black shoes. Then the policemen in gray uniforms and stiff hats; bulky men in dark suits who appeared to be in charge; a bus of riot police in camouflage.<br /><br />By Megan K. Stack<br /><br /><br /><br />Los Angeles Times<br /><br />ANDREY STENIN / AP<br /><br /><br />MOSCOW — The plainclothes security men came first, clustering in jeans, leather jackets and pointy black shoes. Then the policemen in gray uniforms and stiff hats; bulky men in dark suits who appeared to be in charge; a bus of riot police in camouflage.<br /><br />A raw wind swept off the Moscow River on Saturday morning, past the souvenir peddlers with their tables of bright wooden "matryoshka" dolls and T-shirts emblazoned with Soviet iconography. The sky was low and dark over Sparrow Hills, a popular backdrop for wedding photos; a place for limousines, brides and Champagne.<br /><br />The crowd of plainclothes security grew, and tension thickened as noon drew closer. One of the security men laughed rudely, pushing at a colleague. "They are not even here yet and Max is already flirting with me," he joked. "Take him away from me, guys."<br /><br />Nearby, a stocky policeman held his portable radio, listening to scratchy commands from above.<br /><br />"Get all of them!" the unseen supervisor barked.<br /><br />"Yes," the policeman said. "But how do we know who's gay?"<br /><br />They were girding their force and setting their traps to sweep down on what the city authorities repeatedly have described as a "threat": the attempt by dozens of gay-rights activists to hold a march in the Russian capital. Yuri Luzhkov, the Kremlin-backed mayor of Moscow, describes gay marches as "satanic."<br /><br />And yet Russia's gay and lesbian community was determined to stage a march this weekend. Moscow was host city to the final round of the Eurovision song competition, a campy and wildly popular show perhaps best known for launching the career of the band ABBA. Activists hoped to capitalize on the event to draw attention to the sorry state of gay rights in today's Russia.<br /><br />Most of them never made it — they stayed away out of fear, or were pounced upon and hauled off before they reached Sparrow Hills. Shortly after noon, about a dozen activists stood on the nearby lawn of thick grass and blossoming lilac bushes and began to shout slogans.<br /><br />"Homophobia is a shame!" they chanted. The demonstration lasted for about a minute before the police set upon them from all sides, clambering through the shrubs and knocking cameramen out of the way to seize the demonstrators, pin their arms behind their backs and drag them off into waiting buses and wagons.<br /><br />They knew it would be a struggle. The city government repeatedly has denied their permit requests. Police in the past have stood aside while ultranationalist skinheads beat gay activists bloody — then arrested the activists, not the skinheads. (Skinheads, unlike gays, have been permitted to march in Moscow in recent years.)<br /><br />This year, the government seemed particularly incensed. Eurovision should have been a proud moment for the Russian authorities, a celebration badly needed after bitter clashes with Europe over the war in Georgia and natural gas shut-offs.<br /><br />advertising<br /><br />"The Moscow government is declaring that no gay parades have been or will be held in Moscow," Sergei Tsoi, spokesman for the Moscow mayor, told journalists last week.<br /><br />Gay activists threaten "not only to destroy the moral pillars of our society but also to deliberately provoke disorder, Tsoi added.<br /><br />A few minutes after the first demonstration was broken up Saturday, a second group of activists arrived and began to march along behind a banner reading "Equal rights without compromise." They, too, were pounced on immediately by police, who snatched away the banner and hauled the men off to waiting buses.<br /><br />A man in a wedding dress arrived, only to be shoved kicking and screaming into the bus. After that, the scene melted into a sort of free-for-all, as frustrated police hauled away anybody who gave interviews to reporters.<br /><br />"It's a shock," a gay-rights activist named Ksenia Prilepskaya said, watching police circle through a crowd of journalists and a few remaining protesters. "It's against Russian law. It's direct violence against us."<br /><br />As she spoke, police noticed Prilepskaya and lunged, wrestling her toward the bus as she screamed and squirmed. Her glasses were knocked to the mud and trampled underfoot; her purse lost. Her clothes had been shredded from her body by the time she was forced to the steps of the bus; police drove her inside stripped down to her bra.<br /><br />"Scoundrels!" somebody yelled.<br /><br />That was the end of it. There was no march. The vendors kept on hawking souvenirs. A bride and a groom arrived, stared in bewilderment at the police, then shrugged and headed for the parapet to pose for the cameras, cheering wedding party at their heels.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br />News Europe<br />Russian police break up gay march<br />More than 20 protesters were detained by<br />police at a university in Moscow [Reuters]<br /><br />Police in Russia have broken up a march by gay-rights activists in Moscow hours before the Eurovision Song Contest final. <br /><br />At least 30 campaigners had gathered near a university and were later arrested by riot police for taking part in the demonstration condemning the treatment of gays and lesbians in Russia.<br /><br />The group, which included Peter Tatchell, British gay rights activist, were dragged away by police when they waved flags and chanted slogans demanding equal rights, including: "Homophobia is a disgrace of this country!"<br /><br />As he was being taken away by police, Tatchell said: "This shows the Russian people are not free."<br /><br />Among those detained was Nikolai Alexeyev, a Russian gay rights leader.<br /><br />Police said they were arresting him for walking with a transvestite.<br /><br />Earlier on Saturday, a counter-demonstration by nationalist and religious groups was allowed to be held.<br /><br />Hard stand<br /><br />Yuri Luzhkov, the Moscow mayor, has taken a hard stand against homosexual protesters, once describing gay parades as "satanic".<br /><br />Alexeyev told Al Jazeera: "We are not just going to surrender because the Moscow mayor who is breaching the law of the constitution and the European convention is deciding this alone and taking full responsibility for what is going on."<br /><br />Alexeyev, a Russian gay rights leader, was among those detained in Moscow [AFP]<br /><br />Europe's most prestigious pop music contest has drawn attention to gay rights in Russia, with some singers threatening to boycott the event if the gay pride parade was not allowed to happen.<br /><br />In previous years there have been many attacks on members of the gay community during similar attempts to hold demonstrations.<br /><br />Al Jazeera's Neave Barker, reporting from Moscow said: "With forty-two million dollars spent on the stage alone, this is the grandest Eurovision ever.<br /><br />"The winner is even expected to be announced by the crew on board the International Space Station.<br /><br />"And while dubbed the most ostentatious Eurovision yet, the event is also likely to go down in history as the most politically charged."baltimore team transhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17153008058012939032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120100036444869616.post-89627744203593116022009-04-21T12:29:00.001-07:002009-04-21T12:30:57.279-07:00Photos From BMore Fair<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Wt6m-t-EZG14Az1nAL84yeQRyN58aYuJgslZfYCCLwFt2FVfxJxt_51aYZQasamvZyDq7d92gtHnV3YvAT6aaN_QHnk6yINbGkg3yZMAsmeKq7zZsynrbZrsQYxnE5vB9cD459sP1EwM/s1600-h/3454428802_742487cda7.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Wt6m-t-EZG14Az1nAL84yeQRyN58aYuJgslZfYCCLwFt2FVfxJxt_51aYZQasamvZyDq7d92gtHnV3YvAT6aaN_QHnk6yINbGkg3yZMAsmeKq7zZsynrbZrsQYxnE5vB9cD459sP1EwM/s400/3454428802_742487cda7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327229366595064498" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gZ5lHT2SDBGrYVUNLVg_YHi5L7pRanDrWroFvuc7wrXRsrKgPRGFgzMRRdCoOIcXAk9jHL7Xmt_8LFlcaEYajMfAa3qbSJE5BAz-ENrzbSLu2nsXJoCRfhwW2ACAeCnqW3ZXT0QiTNuc/s1600-h/3454426636_99fd3376de.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gZ5lHT2SDBGrYVUNLVg_YHi5L7pRanDrWroFvuc7wrXRsrKgPRGFgzMRRdCoOIcXAk9jHL7Xmt_8LFlcaEYajMfAa3qbSJE5BAz-ENrzbSLu2nsXJoCRfhwW2ACAeCnqW3ZXT0QiTNuc/s400/3454426636_99fd3376de.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327229265771522658" /></a>baltimore team transhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17153008058012939032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120100036444869616.post-2676757426760180572009-04-18T14:12:00.000-07:002009-04-18T14:17:57.485-07:00Thanks to UMBC and BMore Fair!Team Trans members spent time out at BMore Fair today, joining with United Workers and many other social justice groups at Carroll Park in the GORGEOUS sunshine. Thank you to the many, many people who stopped by our table to learn more about our organization and how to combat transphobia in the community!<br /><br />Also, several members of Team Trans met with UMBC's Freedom Alliance on Friday and spoke about transgender issues to the wonderful members of the FA. It's wonderful to see how many universities have been asking the group to come out and speak - educating the future for a better tomorrow!<br /><br />Team Trans in planning a meeting this coming Saturday, April 25th at 1 p.m. at the Cork Factory. If you would like to meet us, or join our discussion, please feel free to drop by!baltimore team transhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17153008058012939032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120100036444869616.post-45798188031920865502009-04-14T12:01:00.000-07:002009-04-14T12:05:39.881-07:00BMore Fair This Weekend - Come See Team Trans!This Saturday, BMore Fair will take place in Carroll Park (S. Monroe St. and Washington Blvd). The B-MORE FAIR is being organized by community organizers, faith leaders, union leaders and others who support justice and human rights for all. We are proud to say that Team Trans will have a table at the Fair! The event runs from 12-4, and several Team Trans members will be on hand to pass out information and answer questions, and to show our support in the city.<br /><br />Also, the fair will be followed by the United Workers Human Rights Zone March. The fair starts at 12 noon. The march starts at 4 PM. Team Trans members will be participating in the march as well! Come out and show your support!baltimore team transhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17153008058012939032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120100036444869616.post-40906778874299237332009-04-09T12:10:00.000-07:002009-04-09T12:11:37.918-07:00EQUALITY MARYLAND CALLS FOR A VOTE ON ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LEGISLATION(Reposted From Equality MD)<br /><br />Contact Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Chairman Brian Frosh and Vice Chairwoman Lisa Gladden and urge them to vote, once and for all, on SB 566, gender identity anti-discrimination legislation. Call today.<br /> <br />Sen. Frosh: 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3124 (toll free)<br />Sen. Gladden: 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3697 (toll free)<br /><br />With four days remaining until the end of the 2009 legislative session, the prospects of passing gender identity discrimination legislation are fading. During hearings in February and March, House and Senate committees were urged by transgender Marylanders who have been fired from their jobs or harassed by employers, discriminated against in rental housing, and denied access to safe social services for the homeless to clarify in law that such discrimination is illegal. <br />The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, in response to urges for movement on the legislation, has placed the bill on its voting agenda four times. Each time, the Committee has chosen a path of inaction, opting to hold off on a vote. In the latest move, the committee on Wednesday, April 8 again voted to hold off on considering a vote on the bill until Friday, April 10. Committee Chairman Brian Frosh (D-16) holds the power to bring the measure for a vote. <br /><br />Despite good faith efforts led by the bill sponsors, Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-21), Senator Rich Madaleno (D-18), and equality Maryland to address lawmakers’ concerns about public facilities and to appease religious organizations by exempting them from the hiring protections in the bill, the Judicial Proceedings Committee continues to stall a vote on this important bill. <br /><br />“To date, no issue or concern with the legislation has been identified to which we have not responded with a reasonable solution,” said Delegate Peña-Melnyk. “At this late date, the strategy of Senate leaders is clear: hold the legislation and run out the clock on the 2009 session, which ends Monday, April 13, at midnight.” <br /><br />Equality Maryland’s response is simple: No matter the outcome, Senator Frosh, take this vote. Outlawing blatant discrimination, rather than condoning it through inaction, is a moral imperative for our state. Responding to discrimination is not an issue that is too hot to handle, especially when those affected may be incapable of putting supper on the table, a roof over their head or supporting their children – especially in these difficult economic times.<br /><br />It is worth noting that members of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee have been actively communicated with by broad constituencies, including advocates for the homeless, civil rights groups, the state’s human relations commission, religious organizations, and unions. Together, these groups have spoken with one voice, imploring legislators to address a documented public policy issue: transgender persons are statistically at much greater risk for underemployment and unemployment, poverty, homelessness, and resultant health disparities because of housing and employment discrimination. <br /><br />We know and recognize that many people are deeply uncomfortable with how a transgender person may identify or appear, but that discomfort cannot be used as an excuse to deny an already vulnerable group of their ability to find employment or a place to live. The anti-discrimination legislation before the Maryland General Assembly does not address social mores, or force religious organizations to hire transgender people, or create hardships for businesses. It simply states that transgender people should be able to earn a living being judged on their qualifications and abilities alone, and able to access housing and needed services without prejudice barring the way.<br /><br />Discrimination is a sad reality that deserves to be addressed by legislators. <br />Contact Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Chairman Brian Frosh and Vice Chairwoman Lisa Gladden and urge them to vote, once and for all, on SB 566, gender identity anti-discrimination legislation. Call today. <br /><br />Sen. Frosh: 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3124 (toll free)<br />Sen. Gladden: 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3697 (toll free)baltimore team transhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17153008058012939032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120100036444869616.post-5298116152198822422009-03-28T00:46:00.000-07:002009-03-28T00:50:29.369-07:00Letter And Flyer To Send Out - MD House Bill 474 and MD Senate Bill 566!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYF0COBZnxC5CMVywZ9fKxjx44bIfyvOuBqS5VmwWc612qVDs5M4ZOYjWrqqPUYwzK-TZl1XPjYpMKzUqYwplacET0QBs2iykaaZitZUlDCbNlG3nEzRUbaauZf5rAO0zgBoe-4ZOlgn1/s1600-h/trans+take+a+stand.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYF0COBZnxC5CMVywZ9fKxjx44bIfyvOuBqS5VmwWc612qVDs5M4ZOYjWrqqPUYwzK-TZl1XPjYpMKzUqYwplacET0QBs2iykaaZitZUlDCbNlG3nEzRUbaauZf5rAO0zgBoe-4ZOlgn1/s400/trans+take+a+stand.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318142700130134562" /></a><br />Hello Friends and Family, <br /><br /><br />We are writing to ask you to let your MD representatives know that we need the Transgender Anti-Discrimination Bill to pass. Senate Bill (SB) 566 and House Bill (HB) 474 will protect Marylanders from employment and housing discrimination that occurs on the basis of an individuals gender identity. <br /><br />Please call or e-mail your representatives TODAY (it will be voted on tomorrow or Monday) with the following message:<br /><br />"I urge you to support the Transgender Anti-Discrimination Bill sponsored by Senator Madaleno and Delegate Pena-Melnyk. This legislation would add gender identity protections to the state's anti-discrimination laws. Please vote YES on SB566/HB474."<br /><br />Feel free to add more and make it your own!<br /><br />To find out your reps contact information visit: http://mdelect.net/electedofficials/ <br /><br />~~ If you do not live in MD please contact the House Committee Chair, Peter Hammen (410-841-3772) AND the Senate Committee Chair, Brian Frosch (410-841-3124)<br /><br />Attached is a quick flyer with this information to hand out, leave in your workplace and to mail to everyone! <br /><br />Thanks, <br /><br />Team Trans<br />(fist in air)baltimore team transhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17153008058012939032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120100036444869616.post-38394986137602531382009-03-25T08:55:00.000-07:002009-03-25T09:26:36.772-07:00ACTION ITEM: Crunch Time For HB 474 and SB 566!The Maryland House and Senate session ends on April 13th. Sometime between then and now, the Gender Anti-Discrimination Bill (House Bill 474 and Senate Bill 566) will be voted on. There's no exact date as to when the bill will be voted on, so time is S-H-O-R-T. <br /><br />A bunch of Team Trans members met for an emergency meeting last night, and we have a few ideas for what to do with such short notice.<br /><br />1) Even though public access has been removed from the bill, it is STILL important that it passes as it (it covers employment and housing). Please write your legislators and urge them to pass the bill. Also, you can add in a personal message about how important public access is as a basic civil right. Equality Maryland has a link <a href="http://eqfed.org/campaign/TGAntiDiscrim_Legislators">here</a> to write in support of the bill.<br /><br />2) We will have phone and letter scripts ready in a few days to aid everyone. Take the phone scripts, form letters, and internet links like the one above and send them to EVERYONE you know who supports the trans community - friends, family, related interest groups like PFLAG, HAVEN, GayStraightAlliances and Queer Student Unions at colleges, etc. Let's show them that our voice WILL be heard!<br /><br />3) Remember, there needs to be a positive attitude. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, so let's show them our strength and numbers in a positive light!<br /><br />The blog will have more activity coming up, and will continue to be updated regularly with action items, news and updates, a photo blog and submissions from other Team Trans members (and you - send stuff in!). When we know something, you'll know it too. :)<br /><br />We really appreciate your support and love. THANK YOU!!!!baltimore team transhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17153008058012939032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120100036444869616.post-74361769032699095532009-03-22T20:37:00.000-07:002009-03-22T20:39:49.284-07:00CALLING ALL TRANS ALLIES AND PISSED-OFF QUEERS!!!Owen just got off the phone from a conference call about the bill that's going before the House and Senate about Gender Anti-Discrimination. (insert) The group decided in order to pass the bill for employment and housing to remove the part about Public Access - which means that:<br /><br />Transfolks can be refused entrance to their preferred restroom.<br /><br />Transfolks can be refused rooms at hotels.<br /><br />Transfolks can be refused the use of a changing room at a clothing store.<br /><br />Transfolks can be excluded from changing/locker rooms.<br /><br />Transfolks can be refused service at bars, restaurants and nightclubs.<br /><br />WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?! This is a violation of basic civil rights!!! What about those folks who don't take hormones? Who decide for whatever reason to not have surgery? Those who don't 'pass'? Those who do take hormones or have/had surgery and STILL don't 'pass'? Those who don't identify as anything in the gender binary? What voice do they have?<br /><br />The civil and human rights of those in this community are being squashed, and we are TIRED of standing by the wayside and letting other tell us that we are not good enough. FUCK this.<br /><br />We need to rally. We need to protest. We need to march in the streets and MAKE the world hear us. We need to put away the petty paperwork bullshit and DO SOMETHING, stand together and refuse to be ignored.<br /><br />We are trying to put together an emergency meeting of Team Trans to figure out when and where we will fight. FUCK this shit. Most of you know someone who identifies under the 'trans umbrella'. This removal of Public Access is saying that they are less than a human being. SHOW YOUR SUPPORT!!!<br /><br />We will gladly add anyone who wants to the email alert list to keep you informed and let you know when this is going down. Just let me know!<br /><br />Urge Your Legislators to Support Equality for Transgender Marylanders<br /><br />Ignorance, prejudice and discrimination against transgender people is an unfortunate reality. In Maryland, it is legal to discriminate against transgender people in employment, housing, public accommodations, and credit. Left unchecked, this has resulted in serious problems of chronic unemployment and homelessness for transgender persons.<br /><br />Equality Maryland is working to ensure passage of House Bill 474 and Senate Bill 566, which would add gender identity to the state's anti-discrimination law. It is time for the state of Maryland to advance the principles of equal opportunity for all. <br /><br />http://eqfed.org/campaign/TGAntiDiscrim_Legislators<br /><br />http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124995740191&ref=tsbaltimore team transhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17153008058012939032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120100036444869616.post-57957994918706394702009-02-12T19:10:00.000-08:002009-02-16T11:41:17.690-08:00Update on Club Hippo CampaignAs you all know Baltimore Team Trans was formed in response to an incident of trans discrimination that occurred at Club Hippo on January 30th 2009. We are pleased to announce the following:<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Club Hippo's general manager has designated two single occupancy restrooms as gender-neutral.</span><br /><br />2. Club Hippo has also agreed to work with us to train their staff in a trans positive manner.<br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Our group has received over 350 signatures, 150 facebook group members and 4 organizational endorsements and countless words of support from allies around the world.</span><br /><br />We are now working to raise awareness, challenge gender-segregated spaces, create gender-neutral accommodations in other establishments and clarify and expand the gender identity non-discrimination laws in Baltimore. <br /><br />We could not have done it without the tireless efforts of our members and supporters. Thank You! But our journey is far from over and we ask for your continued support.<br /><br />We have heard that the Hippo has received threatening letters from people angered about the incident. While we are glad for your support. Please stop sending these letters.<br /><br />We will try to keep you updated. Thank you again for all your love and support.<br />If you would like to stay on top of developments and news, email us at: Bmore.trans@gmail.combaltimore team transhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17153008058012939032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9120100036444869616.post-33669901690085979992009-02-03T21:46:00.000-08:002009-02-09T09:46:47.959-08:00Baltimore Gay Bar Throws Trans Man Out of BathroomOn January 30, 2009, the Charm City Boys drag kings performed at Club Hippo, a gay bar in Baltimore. After the performance, one of the performers entered the men's bathroom. The head of security, a woman, watched him enter and instructed a staff member to remove the transman from the bathroom. The staff member confronted him inside, saying he had to use the women's room. Said staff member than removed him from the bathroom.<br /><br />The transman then confronted the head of security who had sent the staff member in. The head of security asked him, "Have you had surgery?" while motioning below his waist. She said he could use the men's bathroom "if you've had surgery."*<br /><br />Outraged transfolk, genderqueers, drag kings, his friends and allies at the bar immediately confronted the staff and the management. The general manager of the bar defended the staff's actions, again referring to genitals and bottom surgery as the criteria for bathroom use.<br /><br />In response to the queer outrage, the management has hired a lawyer and posted the following message on their website:<br /><br />"To all Patrons: The Hippo cares about the rights and feelings of all our community members and patrons. We view our patrons as a large family with various needs. It has been standard practice for us to accommodate the needs of all our patrons. We will continue to do so. We are investigating the legality of various rest room designations. We will be happy to make whatever changes possible within the law. We have acted quickly in this regard and are hoping for an expeditious resolution of this matter. Thank you for understanding our predicament. Thanks, The Management"<br /><br />Baltimore transfolx and allies are organizing. Team Trans is mobilizing massive awareness among the bar's clients and meeting with the management. We are going to overturn transphobic and gender-segregated spaces, one bathroom at a time.<br /><br /><br />* FYI: Bottom surgery is prohibitively expensive and undesirable for many trans people, but especially for trans men - phalloplasty costing about $100,000. Of course, the staff's determination of gender had nothing to do with genitals and everything to do with him being a drag king and a trans persyn. Team Trans believes in self-determination and dignity for all trans people: post-operative, non-op, no-hormones, drag performers, and genderqueers alike.baltimore team transhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17153008058012939032noreply@blogger.com2