7/17/13

Can The Taiwanese Gov't Revoke A Marriage With A Letter?


台灣跨性別伴侶對抗政府同性婚姻法令

In May 2013 Taiwanese citizen Abbygail a transgender woman, won a ground breaking legal battle to marry her partner, Jiyi Wu. This gave hope to the Taiwanese LGBT community as it came just months after a gay couple gave up their challenge to marry.

Their  marriage would seem like  a dream come true, a happily ever after scenario, so why did the government of Taiwan annul their marriage just weeks after recognizing it? The couple, Abbygail Legal name Yi_Ting, Wu吳伊婷), and Jiyi, legal name: Ji-yi, Wu 吳芷儀 are bringing a powerful team in there quest to contest this ICCPR violation of human rights.


Announcing the challenge pictured from left to right: Attorney Victoria Hsu Director of Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil
Partnership Rights, Yu, Mei-Nu Legislator, Cheng, Li-Chiun Cheng Legislator, partners Jiyi Wu a physics and mathematics specialist and Abbygail Wu (hat) computer engineer, Yu ji Spokesman for ISTScare Taiwan and Xu, Bai-Xing supporter.

Abbygail in a interview with planetransgender explains why the government is reacting the way it has and what they intend to do about it.

"First of all we got married in Oct. 2012, so why we can get marry but other same-sex (sex in law) couple can't? Because after our SRS in July,2012, I change my official gender first , so we become "opposite sex" and get married. Jiyi changed her official gender after that, that's how the magic happened."

"In the official explanation of the "marriage validity for person do SRS and change official gender after marriage" few years ago, the ministry of interior claimed "if the marriage registration is taken place when two people is 'one male and one female' , the marriage will keep valid."

One gay American blogger wishing to make a point that transgender people need to support marriage equality said Abbygail and Jiy "unwitting" became marriage equality advocates. But as a trans person I knew there much more to this story, a trans human love story, so I asked Abbygail if it was simply a Faux pas on there part:

Abbygail explained: "So how did the government find this out? It's because when Jiyi tried to apply to change "official gender" in Oct. 2012 after our marriage, one of the director in the Household Registration Office noticed her SRS is done before the marriage ( the date on the certificate). He remain uncertain about the effectiveness of our marriage, and send the official letter to his upper administrative offices. This is how the story begins."
"The government claim that although our legal gender is "a man and a woman" at the marriage registration, but we both "physically" woman because the SRS is done."

"Jiyi said: It feels like asking the ID card is not enough, and also put a hand into your underwear. It feels violation."

"unwittingly", yes, it might be. But base on the diversity of gender, what's our gender? female? We can't have babies. male? we aren't. We are in the somewhere of the "gender spectrum".

"I like to quote and change some words from the movie I recently watched and enjoyed -- "Now you see me":

"Look closely, because the more gender boundary divided you think you are, the less gender you will actually see."

"For legal change, We certainly hope the decision can change and we and other friends in the ISTScare and TAPCPR think we should have a "protection law" which can help to protect human rights for the gender diversity people."

"For the worst scenario, if the government is still want to revoke the marriage and the appeal is lose in the court, we will ask asylum to the "marriage with gender-centralize" countries, because the country we belong is not capable to protect our rights, the first country on the list is US and then UK(base the the info from ILGA website , UK grants asylum on the basis of gender identity.)"

"We choose to stand out because we know "nobody can know more and ask more clear about our rights, we need to stand our and tell the world and change it. Don't be afraid. If you are more afraid, more rights can be lose"

Same sex marriage movement is somewhat outside of the trans agenda, even resented by some (like myself)because of the resources consumed in the LGBT equality effort, but it remains important to us. More to some of us, than others. ( like those in love:)


7/16/13

Will and Grace- I will remember you

Before, when I lived in self imposed pretransition exile I saw myself as Grace the quintessential gay persons friend, in so many ways. I loved and admired Eric for being Will, so unabashedly gay before it was ok. Will's character helped empower me to transition.



I will remember you (partly because I have every season box set I could find through the years:)


7/15/13

Chicago TransLife Center Opens

Chicago Translife center officaly opened today with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The project bills itself as the first ever to provide short term housing, medical, employment and legal services, with much of the staff coming from the trans community.

Source WEBZ:
"Lana Wachowski attended the opening. She said she had observed transgender homelessness in her neighborhood. “Often LGBT people, especially the T’s, are in need of family,” she said.  Wachowski said that this center recognizes that family extends beyond just our blood and kin."
"Stormie Williams cut the ribbon for the opening. She will be one of the first residents and has already found employment with help from the staff. “I know there are more things to come,” she said."
Shannon Heffernan is a reporter for WBEZ. Follow her at @shannon_h 









7/14/13

DORA ÖZER İÇİN, ADALET İÇİN! Update: Global Protest locations for #justiceforJasmine #justiceforDora


Paris - meet in front of Swedish Embassy then walk to Turkish and Italian embassies - with Strass and Acceptess-T Facebook event


Glasgow - meet in front of Swedish Consulate with Sex Worker Open University
Facebook event

Edinburgh - meet in front of Turkish Consulate with Scot Pep
Facebook event

London - meet in front of Swedish Embassy with Sex Worker Open University, Xtalk and ECP
Facebook event

Berlin - meet in front of Nordic Embassies - Schwedische Botschaft
Rauchstr. 1, 10787 Berlin, Germany \
Facebook event

Brighton – in progress, contact Gillian Love

Canberra, Australia - meet in front of Swedish Embassy contact Roxanne Wilde
the memorial stone to our missing women on Friday July 19th, 6pm (PST) to protest violence against sex workers!

In Vancouver, Canada (CRAB Park
Also at 4 pm:
Västerås Sweden:
Minnesstund för Eva Marree Smith Kullander
RFSU Västerås
Facebook event


Also at 6 pm (PST):
Vancouver, Canada.
Meeting at memorial stone to our missing women to protest violence against sex workers! In Vancouver, CRAB Park

Also on Monday the 15:

Helsinki, 12 / midday , Ruotsin suurlähetystö (Pohjoisesplanadi 7B)
Facebook event


Friday afternoon the citizens of Turkey took to the streets to protest the murder of yet another trans person, Dora. Up until lately transgender murders have gone unnoticed in Turkey as no knew or even cared. But this is changing to some degree as social sites like this one have become quicker to disseminate information as we did when we learned of Dora's murder.

However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get news out of Turkey due to governmental oppression of the media. Just following the protest for Dora,  journalists gathered but were met by police in gas masks. I have very hard time translating Turkish but I believe that a suspect was arrested and has confessed to the murder of Dora Serdar Ozer. If you have further information please post it in the comments.





Trans Cinayetlerine Dur De! | Ankara Basın Açıklaması
Trans Stop Assaults On Too! | London Press Release
Via ICRSE: After a trans sex worker,Dora, killed by her clients in Kusadası 'Red Umbrella Sexual Health and Human Rights Association' organised a press conference and protest in Ankara/Turkey. Sex workers and LGBTs demand their rights.





Yesterday we shared the news of Dora, a trans sex worker murdered in Turkey. Today, we learn about the murder of Jasmine, a sex worker in Sweden who was murdered by her husband. Her child had been taken away from her because of her line of work. we send all our thoughts and condolences to all of friends, lovers, comrades of sex workers victims of violence all over the world. Violence will not stop once we have basic human rights but this is a first step. Solidarity with all and every sex workers in the world. be strong and safe.



You'll not bow down if you're a journalist
If you bow down you'll not say I'm a journalist





Is Singer Neko Case Transgender? Maybe Not But She Is The Man

"I'm a man, that's what you raised me to be / I'm not your identity crisis, this was planned," she sings. "If I'm dipshit drunk on pink perfume* then I am the man in the fucking moon, because you didn't know what a man was until I showed you."hitfix.com

Neko Case indie country singer and song writer's hard driving lyrics from her new album would make one wonder. That and the hyper machismo cigarette smoking horse and the albums title which is easily relatable with the struggle of gender transition..

'The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You.'....I'm a man its what you raised me to be..it's not an identity crises.....
...in that when we begin struggling to release the facade we hid behind and obtain and display our true selves it seems as if things couldn't be worst, but as time goes on we find we love who we truly are more and more.



More at Neko's second NPR interview, first NPR interview, and The Slate.





7/13/13

Malala Yousafzai Addresses the UN on her 16th Birthday "Malala Day"

Malala Yousafzai, UN Youth Assembly
Education activist Malala Yousafzai will mark her 16th birthday, on Friday, 12 July 2013 at the United Nations by giving her first high-level public appearance and statement on the importance of education.

Malala became a public figure when she was shot by the Taliban while travelling to school last year in Pakistan -- targeted because of her committed campaigning for the right of all girls to an education. Flown to the United Kingdom to recover, she is now back at school and continues to advocate for every child’s right to education.

In support of the UN Secretary-General’s Global Education First Initiative (GEFI), on 12 July – declared as “Malala Day” -- the President of the UN General Assembly and the UN Special Envoy for Global Education with the support of A World at School initiative are organizing the UN Youth Assembly, where more than 500 young leaders from around the world will convene to accelerate the goal of getting all children, especially girls, in school and learning by 2015.