I was wandering through Craigslist tonight, and just had the urge to look and see what was going on under jobs in the TV/Film/video category. To my surprise, there was something very interesting. I answered the ad myself, and thought I would cross-post it here in case anyone else was interested.

Oscar nominee casting film about MEN’S GROOMING

Date: 2010-08-23, 3:57PM PDT

Reply to: mensgroomingdoc@gmail.com ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}

Kim Pearson from TransYouth Family Allies is asking for your help in providing a safe learning environment for a 10-year old transgender girl. We applaud TYFA for standing up for this young girl's right to a safe learning environment. Won't you please read the note below and help out?

Pennies from Heaven

by Kim Pearson

Those of you who follow my Facebook may be aware that I made an emergency trip to Kansas this week. A school there was refusing to recognize a 10 year old transgender girl's gender identity. They were requiring her to attend school as male and wouldn't budge. 

I met with a school across town and they were happy to have her and wanted to learn how to make her school experience safe and productive. We registered her and expected that she would start school later in the week. I flew home to AZ. 

Now the district administration has become involved and informed the parents (two moms) that their child will not be accomodated at ANY SCHOOL in their district. The child must present male or gender neutral, must use a male name and male restroom. The reason given is that to do otherwise would "interfere with the learning environment". 

One of the themes I'm hearing over and over again is that we're
moving toward a single online identity. Information has begun to pile up
closer and closer together. The Internet has been a point of learning
and connection for the trans communities for years. We discover facets
of our identities, find trans positive services, and those of us in more
isolated areas connect with the larger community for support.

To me, the idea of our online identity's solidifying has possible
direct implications for the trans communities. We already know that
human resources reps do Web searches on candidates, and the idea that we
should "just not say anything we don't want others to know" doesn't
necessarily hold water in our cases.

A lot of us use the Web for community building and information sharing. Here are just some of the ways I can think of:

• Trans related blogs, especially from voices that don't get air time in the mainstream LGB-T media
• Compiling information about physicians, counselors, and other service providers who work with us
• Rating those service providers
• Putting out dates and times for conferences, support groups, and other community events.

What do you think about our lives, the role the Internet plays in
growing our community, and protecting our information in this age where
information is increasingly bought and sold without transparency? I see
us as an untapped market, so part of the reason I'm asking is to start a
conversation about how to guard and grow our information in the future.

Well, ok, the study actually says they're looking for non-trans people, but I'm trying to use the term cisgender more and more. I picked up the link from an article on www.trans-health.com .

They say they are going to develop online HIV intervention materials to protect the health of these non trans cisgender partners and trans people. There is a $30 gift certificate in it for those who finish the survey.

Here's the weblink:

https://www.allgenderhealth.org/

Although I am glad (and shocked!) to see that they included trans men, part of me wonders how effective online resources will be for protecting the health of our community. I guess only time will tell!

Emerald City Metropolitan Community Church Seattle starts penpal program for transgender inmates

Seattle, WA—

Raised Voices is a new ministry being offered by Emerald City MCC. Letter writing programs are often popular among inmates, since mail may be someone’s only contact with the outside.

Members of Emerald City noticed that there are many Christian programs, as well as amazing queer and trans specific penpal projects. But there wasn’t one that brought the two elements together. And so Raised Voices was born.

Why the name? “It’s a mission statement in itself,” says Lincoln Rose, program coordinator. “As queer Christians, we are mandated to speak against the evils of the prison industrial complex. This is the time to show our incarcerated TGI cousins that they are not forgotten. Our intent is to form relationships and provide support.” As of this writing, they are unable to give money to inmates who ask.

Raised Voices currently serves TGI inmates at facilities in Washington State and Oregon. They feel a regional focus will help with relationship building and resource referral.

Inmates don’t have to be wary of getting religion pushed on them if they sign up. “Absolutely not,” explains Ray Neal, Emerald City’s pastor. “You never have to talk about God if you don’t want to. The mission is to support inmates.” But he does know there’s a need for the faith aspect. “There is rarely any queer-affirming pastoral care provided in the prison system. We want to be available if people do have questions.”

If you or someone you know is incarcerated in Washington or Oregon, let them know about Raised Voices. They can send a letter to this address:

Raised Voices
C/o Emerald City MCCS

This post is originally part of my blog Talk about Gay Racism, which you can find here.

Talk About Gay Racism

Monica's blog, TransGriot, can be found here:

http://transgriot.blogspot.com

Monica Roberts is an amazing activist. One of the founders of the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC), she's been involved in making the world a better place for trans folks since 1998. An accomplished fiction and nonfiction writer, she focuses her writing and activism on increasing the visibility of trans people of color. She is one of four African American trans women to win the International Foundation for Gender Education's Trinity Award, the highest honor that international organization bestows. Her blog, TransGriot, has been going strong since 2006, and is one of the main places I get my news about what's going on in the world. I caught up with her on Facebook, and she was gracious enough to grant me a quick interview for TAGR.

Monica, thanks again for doing this. I read your blog regularly. What made you decide to start TransGriot?

I got fed up with the lack of diversity in the trans blogs at the time, the whitewashing of trans POC's out of trans history and the ignoring of our accomplishments. That led to the January 1, 2006 birth of TransGriot.

Outside of your blog, are you writing anything else?

WPATH recommends that identity documents be issued without the requirement for gender realignment surgery.

The Board of Directors of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), in the interest of the health and well-being of transgender and transsexual people world-wide, issued today, 16 June 2010, the following identity recognition statement:

No person should have to undergo surgery or accept sterilization as a condition of identity recognition.  If a sex marker is required on an identity document, that marker could recognize the person’s lived gender, regardless of reproductive capacity.  The WPATH Board of Directors urges governments and other authoritative bodies to move to eliminate requirements for identity recognition that require surgical procedures.

It is with great regret that we report that Washington Gender Alliance will be closing their Everett support group. Thankfully, WGA will still be holding their support group in Bellingham. Here is Rory's letter announcing the change in services.

Ingersoll Founder Marsha Botzer looks on as a huge rainbow Pride flag is raised at the top of Seattle's famous Space Needle to celebrate LGBT pride 2010 in Seattle.

Over forty representatives of Seattle's LGBT community were in attendance for the historic raising of the pride flag.

Sample templates have been released that show what the State Department expects to see from a doctor writing your letter for your gender marker change on your passports. It is suggested that you use one of these for quickest success on your passport change.

7 FAM 1320 APPENDIX M EXHIBIT B MODEL LETTER FOR ATTENDING PHYSICIAN CERTIFYING TO THE APPLICANT’S GENDER CHANGE

(CT:CON-334; 06-10-2010)

Attending Physician’s Letterhead

(Physician’s Address and Telephone Number)

I, (physician’s full name), (physician’s medical license or certificate number), (issuing State of medical license/certificate), DEA registration number), am the attending physician of (name of patient), with whom I have a doctor/patient relationship. (The letter must indicate that the physician is either an internist, endocrinologist, gynecologist, urologist or psychiatrist.)

(Name of patient) has had appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition to the new gender (specify new gender male or female).

Or

(Name of patient) is in the process of gender transition to the new gender (specify new gender male or female).

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States that the forgoing is true and correct.

Signature of Physician

Typed Name of Physician

Date