Today is Saturday. The weekend is here. Yesterday marked the end of the first full week I've spent anywhere in longer than I can remember. As I type this it's shortly after 6am and the day is still cool - highs today might reach 90. I'm sitting on a bed with a puppy sleeping quietly next to me on a bed in a friend's house. I suppose it's kinda sad when one week becomes a major milestone for staying settled but it is. And I'm glad.
I've been watching a number of things happen in the trans world over the past week. I watched TV Dr. Keith Ablow make a typically Fox-news like attack on Chaz Bono and anything trans in a transphobic rant posted to the Fox News website early this week (read it here). I think I feel more amused than satisfied to learn that they have since removed it from their site.
I noticed that the ACLU is suing the State of Illinois over their Birth Certificate policy (details here). I was born in IL and all I can say is that I'm glad they're not asking me to be involved in any of this. My experience with them in changing my own birth certificate was smooth, and that the end result is among the best you could hope for. Rather than amend the existing one they issue you a new one and seal the old one. In all honesty, I would have rather seen a case against a state that refuses to change them at all, or has some kind of klugy process, rather than against one that is already generally on-board with a progressive policy. I'm just saying....
The CT House passed a trans Discrimination bill (read here).
In MD they have decided that the attack on a woman in a McDonalds there recently would rightly be prosecuted as a Hate Crime (details here). Of course it was a hate crime. Does anyone doubt that?
Kye Allums, the trans basketball player at George Washington University quietly announced that he wouldn't be playing basketball next year (details here).
An editor at People magazine released an "It Gets Better" video where she comes out as trans. She also did an interview about it with Marie Claire magazine (see here). The San Francisco Giants became the first professional sports team to do an "It Gets Better" video (news here), and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton released a statement in support of International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (read it here).
The reason I mention any of this is because I remember a time when there was none of this kind of thing. When I was growing up there were zero articles about anything even remotely trans related. When I started to transition I subscribed to a weekly newsletter authored by San Francisco therapist Ann Vitale that provided links to recent media involved trans topics. And here we are - a week full of the good, the bad, and the ugly.
It is truly a war - a legal war, a cultural war. And frankly these kinds of things provide the visibility that's necessary to get to where things need to be. Some are steps forward and others aren't but for those of us who remember what it was like without these kinds of things it's pretty amazing.
As for me - my life is pretty balanced right now. I'm going to the beach today. I'm going to help a bit around the house. I need to go and feed a friend's cat while she's away. I'm hoping to go for a run. None of it is earth shattering. But all things considered - it's nice to simply be. For now.
If today is the last day, as some doomsdayers are predicting - I'll be ok with it. No regrets. Just being. And as I get the day going I take the time to appreciate just being.....
Saturday, May 21, 2011
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3 comments:
Connecticut is another state that issues a new birth certificate and seals the old one. They make the change sound easy, at first, but the ream of documents that they wanted amounted to a packet about 3/4" thick. Whether the process is kludgy or not is another subject. You need to get documents from multiple sources, and the process is two step. You change your name first. When that is filed in the state records, you THEN change your gender. It's more of a hassle than a kludge. What the heck -- and in the process, you make friends at the post office.
I Think someone has misreported the facts of the Issue in Illinois, because it is my understanding that the ALCU filed the suit on behave of Individuals who "Haven't" have surgery and whom feel that it's an un-necessary requirement. Illinois changed their policy a few years ago to accept documents proofing surgery from outside the U.S, which I agree with, and feel was the right thing to do. However a stand taken by anyone feeling surgery shouldn’t be required for birth certificate changes is one I most sincerely disagree with. I see this as transgender Inc pushing their deconstructionist meme down the throat of society and trying to make a third gender common place in society. I feel surgery as well as a diagnosis is mandatory. I feel Illinois policy is more then fair and equably.
I live in Virginia and it's a most backwards and bigoted state, but even their policy for changing birth certificates is progressive. They destroyed my old one and issued a completely new one.
i find myself in agreement with Brandigil on this one.
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