11/8/13

Eighth Grade Kansas student Skyler Davis suspended for carrying a Vera Bradley bag

"It expresses myself and I think everyone else can wear it, so I wear it as well," Skyler told KCTV'5s Dave Jordan.

He was summoned to Assistant Principal Don Hillard's office after he wouldn't take it off.

"I went to the office and I refused to take it off, and they suspended me," the teen explained.

School personnel then called his mother, Leslie Willis, to come get her son.

"I was a little furious, and I called the school [and spoke to Hillard] to reverify the story, and yeah, he refused to take off his Vera Bradley bag, nothing more to it," Willis said.


Vera Bradley.com
She said she reviewed the student handbook but did not see a mention to bags or purses. She questions the suspension and the timing.

"Skyler has been going to school since August with that same Vera Bradley bag on, hasn't taken it off. What is the problem?" she asked.

Click here to watch opens in new window

In response to Blome's comments Thursday, Willis told KCTV5 that the bag rule should be a formal part of the student handbook so that there is no confusion.

She said she supports her son and his choices. She said if he wants to carry a Vera Bradley purse or any other type of bag that he should be able to do so without being punished.

In an email, she said that her son went back to school at 1:30 p.m. Thursday with the bag in tow.

"He was pulled into an office, behind closed doors to tell him that he was never suspended for refusing to take off his purse, he got suspended for foul language," she wrote. "That's not the story that Mr. Hillard told me yesterday. Skyler is only 13 years old. He's just a child. And if this isn't bullying, I don't know what is."


Senate passes SB 815 Transgender Inclusive ENDA 64 to 32


Click here to watch ENDA pass the Senate
Huge Kudos to the Republican Senators who voted to pass SB 815. Senators Kirk, McCain, Flake, Toomey, Portman, Hatch, Ayotte, Murkowski, Heller and Collins all voted to pass the bill.

But even with broad religious exemptions ENDA is doomed in the Republican controlled house as Speaker Boehner has promised to kill it..


Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Monday said he is opposed to ENDA because it could open businesses up to lawsuits.

“The Speaker believes this legislation will increase frivolous litigation and cost American jobs, especially small business jobs,” said Boehner spokesman Michael Steel.

Conservative Republicans have ostracized nearly every portion of our republic who's not white or male. As if on cue to illustrate this chasm in Americana it is recognized that a black transgender man, Kaylar Broadus's appearance before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee last summer, the first transgender person to testify before the Senate, was tipping point.



Meet the 32 Republican Senators  who voted to continue discrimination against LGBT people in the workplace.


11/7/13

Transgender woman Armani Nicole Davenport surrendered to police: pumper party victim still in critical condition



Drag diva Armani Nicole Davenport turned herself in to police on a warrant for negligent injuring after allegedly injecting a transgender woman with silicon.

The So called "Pumper Parties" are low cost high risk shortcuts to a curvy body. They are illegal, the substance injected toxic and the results are sometimes deadly.

The person who Davenport allegedly injected remains in critical condition according to Huffington Post.




Nebraska Athletic Association not voting on transgender inclusive policy

Ian Rivers Ph.D.
June this of this year we welcomed the announcement by Nebraska Rhonda Blanford-Green, NSAA's executive director that a transgender inclusive statewide policy had been voted on and approved unanimously by board members.

The goal, she said, was to make sure that Nebraska schools had plans in place that would ensure that any student could participate in activities. She said it makes sense for schools to accommodate and protect transgender students just as they would students with disabilities or those who are minorities.

“All we're talking about is a checklist to make sure no kid — I don't care if you're a special needs kid, a gay kid, a black kid, a girl — you're not discriminated against,” Blanford-Green said.

But apparently the vote was not included in the minutes meetings for some reason and that gave transgender opponents all they needed to derail progress





The battle for transgender acceptance in the Cornhusker state is intensifying as the states hate groups have coalesced into one entity, "Nebraska Family Alliance" to more effectively fight progress.

Transgender people pose no threat in public accommodations. To this day there has has never been a substituted report of a transgender athlete infringing on a cisgender persons privacy.


11/4/13

To some Transgender Chileans life is a Circus called Fama

What is a Fama? in Spanish the acronym means, fundaciĆ³n para el Apoyo a la Microempresa Family and in English, Family Foundation to support the Micro Enterprise.

Indeed, Fama is a family working together to escape the countries brutal repression.

Fama members carry their possessions and the tent capable of seating 400 people everywhere they go. The pay is less than the minimum wage but to the circus members its the only life they have. It's there Family. They have been doing it for a decade sometimes performing for a full tent and sometimes for just one person.


Life in this predominately Catholic country isn't easy or even a sure thing. There have been four murders in the past 5 years. But those numbers only tell of the reported murdered.

The brutal killing of a gay man last year set off a national debate about hate crimes that prompted Congress to pass a hate crimes law. But while one of his attackers was sentenced to life in prison last week, another young man is in a coma fighting for his life from a similar beating.

The transgender performers are often mocked and some of them have suffered violent attacks.

"The verbal aggressions and attacks continue, even after the passing of the anti-discrimination law," Vero told one of the founding members told the AP.

In 2011 a Chilian transgender community was torched leaving ocupants without shelter. The temporary housing had been set up after a horrific earth quake forced them to move.

The investigator never even visited the homes instead he issued a report saying a space heater was to blame.

Read more about our Chilean Fama here



11/3/13

Report California AB 1266 Anti Transgender Petition Gatherers to EQCA HotLine

Time after time petition gathers have been observed spreading lies and misinformation about California's newly enacted AB 1266 the transgender inclusive "School Success and Opportunity Act."

What is AB 1266?

Prohibits any person from being subjected to discrimination on the basis of disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that is contained in the definition of hate crimes in the Penal Code, in any program or activity conducted by an educational institution that receives, or benefits from, state financial assistance or enrolls pupils who receive state student financial aid.

Defines "gender" as sex, and includes a person's gender identity and gender expression. "Gender expression" is defined as a person's gender-related appearance and behavior whether or not stereotypically associated with the person's assigned sex at birth.

Prohibits discrimination on the basis of the characteristics listed in #1 in any aspect of the operation of alternative schools or charter schools.

States that it is the policy of the State that all people, regardless of their sex, should enjoy freedom from discrimination of any kind in the educational institutions of the State. Each educational institution in the State is
required to have a written policy on sexual harassment.

Map Light reports  that thirty one organizations financially supported AB 1266 and contributed $1,564,675 to its passage, the top supporter being the Teachers Union which gave $1,067,875. Four organizations opposed it's passage giving $53,528 to defeat it.

California teachers felt so strongly that they gave one million, sixty seven thousand and eight hundred seventy five dollars in support of its passage. That says a lot. Teachers, the ones in the classrooms understand how important it is to give every child a opportunity.

California teachers fully understand that this law does not infringe of any child's right to privacy.


There are four very powerful well funded and organized groups who are opposed to AB 1266 all coalescing into the disingenuously named group "Privacy for all students".



 "Privacy for all students" has already contracted Mission Public Affairs which successfully managed the Prop 8 fight against marriage equality in California.  All of these and many more are being amplified by the right wing media source WND, which has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

What can I do? I 'm just a quite law abiding California citizen doing everyday things?

You can help by photographing and recording these professional signature gatherers. They could care less about ethics, they are paid on their performance and will stoop to any depth to get that next signature even if there behaviour would invalidate that signature.

There are very strict guidelines set up by the  state validating not only the gatherer but those who sign.

They only have a few days left so as far as they are concerned all bets are off.



What are signature pros telling California citizens that would be considered illegal? Listen to this:



California Election Code SECTION 18600-18604 :

Every person is guilty of a misdemeanor who:
(a) Circulating, as principal or agent, or having charge or
control of the circulation of, or obtaining signatures to, any state
or local initiative, referendum or recall petition, intentionally
misrepresents or intentionally makes any false statement concerning
the contents, purport or effect of the petition to any person who
signs, or who desires to sign, or who is requested to sign, or who
makes inquiries with reference to it, or to whom it is presented for
his or her signature.

(b) Willfully and knowingly circulates, publishes, or exhibits any
false statement or misrepresentation concerning the contents,
purport or effect of any state or local initiative, referendum, or
recall petition for the purpose of obtaining any signature to, or
persuading or influencing any person to sign, that petition.

(c) Circulating, as principal or agent, or having charge or
control of the circulation of, or obtaining signatures to, any state
or local initiative, intentionally makes any false statement in
response to any inquiry by any voter as to whether he or she is a
paid signature gatherer or a volunteer.



Protect AB 1266, the School Success & Opportunity Act
Report Anti-LGBT signature gatherers in your community by calling our toll free hotline: 866.377.0578

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