Wednesday, September 19, 2007

know yer neighbors

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So an amazing thing is about to happen in Oregon. People are going to have to own up to the petitions they signed. Or someone can search to see if their name has falsely been attached to said petition. I think this is great. Some people think it's horrible. And I think they're wrong. I love when something that is public record but commonly thought of as private suddenly becomes very public.

So in 10 days, the names and addresses of about 55,000 Oregonians who signed a petition to repeal both the new domestic partnership benefits act the nondiscrimination act will be posted at Know thy neighbor Oregon dot com. It could get a little akward in my neighborhood that's all I'm saying.

It's also up for past initiatives in Florida and Massachusetts.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Genna Suraci

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Okay, one, I know this isn't okay, but I actually appreciate that I read both of the non-trans women in the opening picture from this article- in the New York Times- as trans. There's just something nice about that.

Two, I love that they included a picture of Ms. Suraci pre-transition, all suit and tie, with the subtitle "Gary Suraci, now Genna," as if that were somehow okay. (Hint: "Genna Suraci, previously Gary," would be more okay, but still messed up. A picture of her actually looking like the lady she is would've been nice.)

Three, I wonder whether even NYT writer Tina Kelley knew how cash-fuckin-money this line is: "Michael Locasio, who owns a tattoo parlor in a neighboring town, complained, 'God makes things perfect and people want to screw it all up.'" Awesome.

Four, "Mr. Ruglis would not say whether the principal had undergone sex-change surgery, but said such a procedure would not be covered by the district’s insurance policy." Because I guess that's what's important to tax payers? "Let's just reassure everyone that their money isn't buying this person a body that makes sense to her." (not a real quote.)

Five: military service, marriage, kids, check. Also, somehow including a bit about what she was wearing, right at the beginning of the article: check. Interestingly, the contrast of wife/kids/military with became-a-lady isn't really played up; also interestingly, there's a description of what a non-trans, pretty-superfluous-to-the-article woman is wearing, too. It's almost like Ms Kelley knows what I'm looking for in an article about a trans woman, and is fucking with me. Which is kind of nice.

Six I am in love with the hippie teacher who's all about compassionate living and 'adults are set in their ways, children are sweethearts who are not.' LOVE HER. YAY NEW PALTZ.

And finally? Seven? All snark aside, I love that the article ends with three students, all of whom are like, 'who cares? sometimes people are trans, whatever.' No dissenting voice, no queerphobia for contrast or fairness or whatever. It's nice.

So I guess a thumb and a half up?

HAWK STONE

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"The best guess is that it affects one in 30,000 males and one in 100,000 females, said Dr. Edgar Menvielle of Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He based his calculation on the number of sex reassignment surgeries in the Netherlands."

That last sentence reads like a punchline. I love how pseudo science is allowed to be when it comes to gender. "Well, judging by a ten-year old six-person study in the Netherlands, I'm going to assume that female-to-male transsexuality does not actually exist." (<--- Not actually a real quote.)

It's also delightful how, in the last section, badassly-named psychologist HAWK STONE is talking about gender identity stuff very rationally and intelligently, and annoying reporter Fran Henry interjects in the second-to-last paragraph to be all "transsexuality's not real though," and then she continues quoting HAWK STONE who's like "well, actually, transsexuality's a real thing."

F minus, Minneapolis Star Tribune. Wait no- F plus, for HAWK STONE.

South Korean military

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This article nails all the pronouns and doesn't seem to fuck anything up! I'm not super stoked about the military or violence or compulsory anything, really, but it's nice how there's no judging or pronoun fuckery implied anywhere. (Those military folks in the picture sure are smiley, but I'm so stoked about the reporting that I don't even want to talk shit.) Pinknews dot co dot uck goes on our blogroll.

law dot com

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My eyes glazed over completely and immediately, but it looks like this article is nice.

the Cliks

Look, I really don't want to be bored of the Cliks- I want to super love them and be on the same team as them, but I just don't care. Swaggering rock & roll? Eh.

Dunno what the fuck this article is, though. It's like two sentences about Lucas's bein trans. Weird.

name change

The LGBT organization at the University of Michigan wants to change its name to something inclusive of allies, and this article claims that everybody thinks that is stupid.

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"Another problem with the current title is the ambiguity of the word "transgender," he said.

The term is typically used to encompass people with a gender identity different from the male or female classification that society would conventionally designate to them. But many people tend to confuse it with the word "transsexual," a term for a person who wants to assume the physical characteristics and gender roles of a different sex."

Italics mine. Puke.


"Andrew Sullivan, a columnist for "The Atlantic" magazine, also criticized the office's efforts at inclusiveness.

'I was a gay advisor on campus and I know the pain and issues involved. I know they need to exist,' Sullivan said. 'But the p.c. crapola gets you down.'"

Puke.

Also: Dan Savage, "who is gay [and therefore a good person to explain this stuff to normal folks like you and me]," thinks inclusiveness is stupid. Puke! Next.

job fair

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The descriptions of people at this trans job fair are all amused, with an undertone of mocking, in an otherwise ok article. Also lots of emphasis on "Name, formerly Othername," which is OLD. PUKE.

Part of the reason I haven't been on this blog at all is how BORING it is to read the same old amused-but-benevolent attitudes from self-satisfied reporters who aren't doing anything overtly mean. Y'know? Gross.

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Sean, Simon, and Seattle

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While attending a gender conference in Seattle (though this happened at a movie unrelated to the conference...) Sean and Simon got kicked out of a men's room at the mall. They were then escorted out of the building by security. The best part is when the reporter says Sean and Simon are "two female-to-male transgender people" when clearly they are not. Ok, the for real best part is the pee-in.