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“This settlement is a huge win for our client and for transgender people throughout Orange County,” said Mattheus Stephens, Partner with Stock Stephens, LLP. “We signed on to this case because we were appalled by the way our client was treated and believe that this settlement goes a long way towards guaranteeing that the County takes seriously the needs of transgender residents.”

“Transgender prisoners around the state and nation are at high risk for abuse and denial of medical care,” said Christopher Daley, TLC Director.

“We’re proud to have worked with Doe and Stock Stephens to not only reach resolution for the harm Doe suffered, but also to have successfully worked with Orange County officials to move forward on these important safety issues. We look forward to working with the County over the next year to implement the terms of the settlement.”

In reaching this settlement, the County denied all wrong doing. Doe and his attorneys were impressed by the County’s willingness to engage on these issues and their clear commitment to making the agreed upon policy changes.

Transgender Law Center, founded in 2002, provides free legal services to transgender people throughout California and works with community members and partnering organizations on cutting-edge transgender rights policy initiatives. Stock Stephens, LLP, Attorneys Lauri Stock and Mattheus Stephens merged their practices in 1999 and shortly thereafter started Stock Stephens, LLP. Together they focus on domestic partnerships, civil rights and human dignity issues, employing their combined 36 years of legal experience in the fight to end discrimination and establish equality for the LGBT community and others.

Restrooms for everybody

14 residence hall bathrooms now ‘gender neutral’
By Chip Cutter – Indiana Daily Student – Thursday, February 08, 2007

Some single-stall restrooms on campus have gotten a name change — from “male” or “female” to “gender neutral.”

The signage switch is designed to make the restrooms more inclusive to transgender students, said Barry Magee, assistant director of diversity education for Residential Programs and Services.

RPS spearheaded the effort.

“We want to be accommodating to people who have various gender identities,” Magee said. “Some people, whether they identify as transgender or not, don’t feel as comfortable with that (male or female) label.”

Outside a gender-neutral bathroom at the Wright Place food court, most students said they had never heard of the new restrooms.

“I didn’t even know that was there,” said Mandy Scott, a freshman exploratory major who lives in the building. “I guess it’s good because whenever I have to go (use the restroom) all I can really find is the men’s room, so now we’re set.”

Others said the sign switch was confusing.

“I thought it was weird,” said Pablo Navarrete, a freshman biology major. “I didn’t expect it.”

The 14 restrooms, converted in late December, are located in 10 University residence halls — all but Eigenmann. They are open to the public and can be locked from the inside.

And that kind of privacy is crucial, advocates say, for students who feel uncomfortable or threatened in large, communal restrooms.

Carol Fischer, an assistant in IU’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Student Support Services office, said transgender students might be attacked or ridiculed in some restrooms, particularly if they look different from the average man or woman. The gender-free spaces, she said, provide a safe haven against such harassment.

“It’s a comfort thing. It’s a safety thing. It’s a security thing,” she said.

The new restrooms also come at a time when the number of transgender students is increasing, Fischer said. While no hard statistics exist, Fischer estimates that there are about 100 transgender students at IU, which includes transsexuals, cross-dressers and those who simply identify somewhere between the male or female dichotomy.

“It was always assumed that people went from one (gender) to the other,” Fischer said. “A lot of people are stepping forward and saying, ‘We don’t buy into this binary system.’”

Senior Nick Clarkson is one of those people. The gender-studies major completed a sex surgery more than two years ago to transition from female to male.

He says the restroom experience can be one of the most traumatizing for transgender individuals, and he supports the new “gender neutral” restrooms.

“There are lot of trans people that just make a point of not going to the bathroom in public,” he said. “I think it really facilitates transition (between sexes) to have that private, undesignated space to go.”

Some say the effort doesn’t extend far enough.

“It should go across campus,” said Kim Ruggles, an executive of OUT, a campus GLBT support group. “It’s about time.”

Members pass first reading of human rights ordinance

By Kathryn Fiegen
Iowa City Press-Citizen

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors on Thursday took the first step to protect people against discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The board unanimously passed the first reading of a new human rights ordinance.

The Iowa State Civil Rights Act does not offer protection against discrimination based on marital status, sexual and gender orientation in employment, education, housing and public services, said supervisor Rod Sullivan.

Sullivan said the board was the first county-level group in the state to attempt such an ordinance.

"I think it is one of those things — sometimes you pass ordinances, and you hope you never have to use them," Sullivan said. "What we really want is justice for everyone."

The final two votes will occur next week.

See Full Story at:
Iowa City Press-Citizen – Board wants ‘justice for everyone’

“Commissioners unanimously voted in favor of the resolution amending the rules and regulations to change ‘handicap’ language to ‘disability,’ add voluntary mediation for age discrimination, and include voluntary mediation for sexual orientation and gender identity,” stated Arlette Cooper Tinsley, the Director of the Columbus Human Rights Commission.

For the past six months, the Commission has solicited input from the community on the scope and type of discrimination that is occurring in the Columbus area. INTRAA’s Discrimination Story Collection Project has participated in this effort to raise awareness about discrimination faced by transgender and gender variant people. Also, at the December 20 public hearing, INTRAA Board Member and Instructor at the Kelley School of Business, Deanna Lahre, testified about her experience teaching as a transgender woman Indiana University-Purdue University at Columbus (IUPUC).

INTRAA extends its deepest gratitude to Ms. Lahre for sharing her story at the hearing as well as to the Commission sub-committee headed up by Ian Kohen, with members John Roberts and John Stroh for their efforts in responding to community concerns by compiling and submitting these recommendations to the full Commission.

“Even though the remedy is currently voluntary mediation, we are nonetheless encouraged that a municipal entity has recognized that discrimination is occurring and should not go unchecked,” commented Vivian Benge, President of INTRAA. “We commend the Human Rights Commission for its diligence in this matter and for taking this step to help improve the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in Columbus.”

TRENTON – Governor Jon S. Corzine today signed legislation that amends the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJ-LAD) by adding “gender identity or expression” to the list of protected characteristics. A characteristic protected under the NJ-LAD is one that cannot lawfully be used as a basis for employment, housing, public accommodation, and similar decisions. “The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination is one of the most powerful tools we have in government to protect our citizens,” said Governor Corzine. “I am pleased to sign legislation to ensure gender identity or expression is a protected class against discrimination in New Jersey.” The legislation (S362) was sponsored by Senators Ellen Karcher and Joseph F. Vitale, and Assemblymembers Reed Gusciora, John F. McKeon, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Joseph Vas. The legislation takes effect in 180 days. The Governor also signed legislation (S462) that requires independent contractors to submit to background checks to work within certain industries. The bill was sponsored by Senators Stephen M. Sweeney, John H. Adler and Barbara Buono, and Assemblymembers John J. Burzichelli, Douglas H. Fisher, and Neil M. Cohen. Contacts: Anthony Coley Brendan Gilfillan Phone: 609-777-2600

NJ Becomes Ninth State to Pass Trans-Inclusive Nondiscrimination Legislation; Bill Clears Legislature, Awaits Governor’s Signature

(Washington, DC) — Today New Jersey made a historic stride forward in protecting the civil rights of transgender people. New Jersey’s Senate passed bill S362 on Monday, December 11, by a vote of 31-5. The Assembly version, A930, passed New Jersey’s lower house today by a vote of 69-5, and now goes to Governor Jon S. Corzine, who is expected to sign the bill into law. Once signed, New Jersey will become the ninth state in the country to make discriminatory practices based on gender identity or expression illegal. New Jersey joins California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico and Rhode Island in legislating statewide transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination protections. These state-level laws in addition to similar transgender-inclusive protections in the District of Columbia and in over 80 cities and counties now protect one-third of the US population based on gender identity or expression.

“The legislation in New Jersey represents a huge civil rights victory for transgender communities,” said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE). “I applaud the amazing efforts of the Gender Rights Advocacy Association of New Jersey (GRAANJ), Garden State Equality and local advocates who showed that when we stand up for what’s right, we can win. While we celebrate that one-third of the US population is now covered, NCTE is continues to fight for explicitly transgender-inclusive protections on the federal level.”

New Jersey’s new law prohibits discriminatory practices in employment, housing and public accommodations based on “gender identity or expression”—the legislative language that covers transgender people. Too often transgender people face harassment and discrimination on the job or when applying for employment; when attempting to secure housing through rental properties or real estate; and in accessing everyday public accommodations, such as hospitals, schools, shops, hotels, restaurants and theaters.

“We are tremendously pleased to see this bill go to Governor Corzine for his consideration,” said Barbra Casbar, political director of the Gender Rights Advocacy Association of New Jersey (GRAANJ) and National Center for Transgender Equality Board of Advisors member. “GRAANJ and our allies have worked very hard to educate the public and policymakers on the critical importance of making protections for transgender New Jersians explicit in our state’s law. The vastly positive vote for the legislation proves conclusively that effective education will tear down the walls of ignorance and discrimination”

“The overwhelming support of our Legislature shows that New Jersey’s elected officials recognize the need for civil rights protections for all of their constituents,” said Donna Cartwright, a founding member of the Gender Rights Advocacy Association of New Jersey (GRAANJ) and member of the Board of Directors of the National Center for Transgender Equality. “Prohibiting discrimination based on a person’s gender identity or expression is common-sense given the level of prejudice that transgender people face at work, in securing housing and accessing vital public accommodations such as hospitals.”

In June 2006, the National Center for Transgender Equality held its first national Target States Conference to provide legislative advocacy training to support local efforts in New Jersey and in eight other states where anti-discrimination laws included “sexual orientation” but not yet “gender identity or expression.” GRAANJ’s Barbra Casbar and Terry McCorkell were among the activists who attended NCTE’s Target States Conference.

“We are ecstatic,” said GRAANJ Co-Founder Terry McCorkell. “The people of New Jersey have historically been stalwart champions of justice and equality. Today we demonstrate to the nation that New Jersey is second to none in guaranteeing fair treatment under the law for all people in the Garden State.”

Recognizing the need to curb rampant discrimination against transgender people, currently eight states, the District of Columbia and 80+ cities and counties across the country have now passed explicitly transgender-inclusive anti-discrimination laws. Upon Governor Corzine’s signature, New Jersey will become the ninth state with inclusive anti-discrimination laws. These laws currently cover 33.5-percent, or one-third, of the US population.

About The Gender Rights Advocacy Association of New Jersey (GRAANJ): Founded in 2000, GRAANJ is New Jersey’s civil rights organization that works for full equality for gender nonconforming people, including those who identify as transgender and intersex. For more information, please visit www.graanj.org.

About the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE): The National Center for Transgender Equality is a national social justice organization devoted to ending discrimination and violence against transgender people through education and advocacy on national issues of importance to transgender people. The National Center for Transgender Equality is a 501(c)3 organization. For more information, please visit www.nctequality.org.

Contacts:
email: ncte [at] nctequality.org
phone: 202-903-0112
web: www.nctequality.org

In the days that followed we read responses from Camp Trans (a camp of people who meet at the same time each year with the purpose of protesting this policy of exclusion, educating the organizers of WWTMC and other organizations and individuals about transphobia).

Now we are compelled to respond. On August 30, 2006, Carolyn Wagner, co-founder of FUAH called WWTMC and spoke with a spokesperson named Sandy who reiterated their position, and stated that it would not be changed even with our offer of mediation. We deeply regret this ongoing act of bias toward our transgender family members and friends, especially when both we and WWTMC know that transgender women are targeted for such an extreme amount of bias-motivated discrimination and violence.

The time could not be more urgent and crucial for WWTMC to open their arms to welcome their trans sisters, to eradicate any previous emotions of bias and pain. Gabi Clayton, co-founder of FUAH states, “As the mother of a son who was assaulted because he identified as bisexual, I am all too aware of how marginalization contributes to beliefs that eventually lead to hatred and violence. The current attitude held by WWTMC toward transwomen is marginalization, pure and simple.” Carolyn Wagner also stated that, “I now believe that the Michigan Women’s Music Festival is asking all transgender women to cooperatively and actively participate in their own oppression as a form of self imposed segregation. Having grown up in the south during the days of segregation, this would be equivalent to having people of color cooperating with their oppression such as sitting in the back of the bus, the segregated lunch counters, and so forth.” We believe that to remain silent regarding this ongoing act of blatant discrimination toward transwomen enables such bias to continue and plants those seeds that we know can and do lead to violence and the destruction of lives we all hold to be precious.

We invite individuals and other organizations to join us in denouncing such forms of discrimination regardless of how such bias is cloaked or who is perpetrating it, such as, sadly, this time when is the bias comes from those we would believe were within our own communities. Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.”

We regret that while we had heard in the past of the exclusion of trans-women from the “Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival”, we did not act. We now seek to correct that error and we beg the forgiveness of transgender people, their families and loved ones for our taking this long.

Links:

FUAH’s position regarding federal hate crime legislation
Remember Our Dead

FAMILIES UNITED AGAINST HATE (FUAH) is a nonprofit grassroots organization created by and for families and survivors of hate motivated violence, in collaboration with other individuals and organizations. We offer support, guidance and assistance to families and individuals dealing with incidents based on bias; and to the people, organizations and agencies who serve and support them. We define family broadly to include biological, extended and chosen family.

“Since 1976, the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival has been created by and for womyn-born womyn, that is, womyn who were born as and have lived their entire life experience as womyn. Despite claims to the contrary by Camp Trans organizers, the Festival remains a rare and precious space intended for womyn-born womyn.”

The facts surrounding the interactions between WWTMC and Camp Trans organizers are as follows:

• In the months preceding this year’s Festival, held August 8 – 13, there was communication between a Camp Trans organizer named Lorraine and Lisa Vogel. Letters from Lorraine continued during the Festival, when they were hand-delivered to the Festival’s front gate from Camp Trans, which takes place on Forest Service Land across from Festival property.
• On Tuesday, August 8th, Camp Trans organizers inquired at the Box Office about Festival admission. They were told that the Festival is intended for womyn-born womyn, and that those who seek to purchase tickets are asked to respect that intention. Camp Trans organizers left without purchasing tickets. They returned the next day and were given the same information. Lorraine at that point chose to purchase a ticket.
• On Wednesday, August 9th, Vogel sent a reply letter to Lorraine which stated in part: “I deeply desire healing in our communities, and I can see and feel that you want that too. I would love for you and the other organizers of Camp Trans to find the place in your hearts and politics to support and honor space for womyn who have had the experience of being born and living their life as womyn. I ask that you respect that womon born womon is a valid and honorable gender identity. I also ask that you respect that womyn born womyn deeply need our space — as do all communities who create space to gather, whether that be womyn of color, trans womyn or trans men…
• I wish you well, I want healing, and I believe this is possible between our communities, but not at the expense of deeply needed space for womyn born womyn.”

Vogel’s written request that Camp Trans organizers respect the Festival as womyn-born-womyn space was consistent with information provided to Camp Trans organizers who approached the Festival Box Office. “Does this represent a change in the Festival’s commitment to womyn-born womyn space? No.” says Vogel. “If a transwoman purchased a ticket, it represents nothing more than that womon choosing to disrespect the stated intention of this Festival.”

“As feminists, we call upon the transwomen’s community to help us maintain womyn only space, including spaces created by and for womyn-born womyn. As sisters in struggle, we call upon the transwomen’s community to meditate upon, recognize and respect the differences in our shared experiences and our group identities even as we stand shoulder to shoulder as women, and as members of the greater queer community. We once again ask the transwomen’s community to recognize that the need for a separate womyn-born womyn space does not stand at odds with recognizing the larger and beautiful diversity of our shared community.”

In an effort to build further understanding of the Festival’s perspective, answers are provided to questions raised by the recent Camp Trans press release (which contains misinformation):

Why would the Festival sell a ticket to an individual who is not a womon-born womon if the Festival is intended as a space created by and for womyn-born womyn?

From its inception the Festival has been home to womyn who could be considered gender outlaws, either because of their sexual orientation (lesbian, bisexual, polyamorous, etc.) or their gender presentation (butch, bearded, androgynous, femme – and everything in between).

Many womyn producing and attending the Michigan Festival are gender variant womyn. Many of the younger womyn consider themselves differently gendered, many of the older womyn consider themselves butch womyn, and the dialogue is alive and well on the Land as our generational mix continues to inform our ongoing understanding about gender identity and the range of what it means to be female. Michigan provides one of the safest places on the planet for womyn who live and present themselves to the world in the broadest range of gender expression.

As Festival organizers, we refuse to question anyone’s gender. We instead ask that womon-born womon be respected as a valid gender identity, and that the broad queer and gender-diverse communities respect our commitment to one week each year for womyn-born womyn to gather.

Did the Festival previously refuse to sell tickets to transwomen?

The Festival has consistently communicated our intention about who the Festival is created by and for. In 1999, Camp Trans protesters caused extensive disruption of the Festival, in which a male from Camp Trans publicly displayed male genitals in a common shower area and widespread disrespect of women’s space was voiced. The following year, our 25th anniversary, we issued a statement that we would not sell tickets to those entering for the purpose of disrupting the Festival. While this is widely pointed to by Camp Trans supporters as a “policy,” it was a situational response to the heated circumstances of 1999, intended to reassure the womyn who have attended for years that the Festival remained – as it does today – intended for womyn who were born as and have lived their entire life experience as womyn, despite the disrespect and intentional disruption Camp Trans initiated.

Is the Festival transphobic?

We strongly assert there is nothing transphobic with choosing to spend one week with womyn who were born as, and have lived their lives as, womyn. It is a powerful, uncommon experience that womyn enjoy during this one week of living in the company of other womyn-born womyn. There are many opportunities in the world to share space with the entire queer community, and other spaces that welcome all who define themselves as female. Within the rich diversity now represented by the broader queer community, we believe there is room for all affinity groups to enjoy separate, self-determined, supportive space if they choose. Supporting womyn-born womyn space is no more inherently transphobic than supporting womyn of color space is racist. We believe that womyn-born womyn have a right to gather separately from the greater womyn’s community. We refuse to be forced into false dichotomies that equate being pro-womyn-born womyn space with being anti-trans; indeed, many of the womyn essential to the Michigan Festival are leaders and supporters of trans-solidarity work.

The Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival respects the transsexual community as integral members of the greater queer community. We call upon the transsexual community in turn to respect and support womyn-born womyn space and to recognize that a need for a separate womyn-born womyn space does not stand at odds with recognizing transwomen as part of the larger diversity of the womyn’s community.

What is Camp Trans?

Camp Trans was first created in 1994 as a protest to the Festival as womyn-born womyn space. Camp Trans re-emerged in 1999 and has been held across the road from the Festival every year since. A small gathering of people who camp and hold workshops and a few performances on Forest Service land across the road, Camp Trans attempts to educate womyn who are attending the Festival about their point of view regarding trans inclusion at the Festival. At times they have advocated for the Festival to welcome anyone who, for whatever period of time, defines themselves as female, regardless of the sex they were born into. At other times, Camp Trans activists have advocated opening the Festival to all sexes and genders.

What is the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival?

It is the largest and longest running womyn’s festival in the United States. Since the first Festival in 1976, tens of thousands of womyn from all corners of the world have made the pilgrimage to this square mile of land in Northern Michigan. The essence of the Festival is that it is one week a year that is by, for and about the glorious diversity of womyn-born womyn and we continue to stand by our labor of love to create this space. Our focus has not changed in the 31 years of our celebration and it remains fixed on the goal of providing a celebratory space for a shared womyn-born-womyn experience.