IFGE 2008 Conference Event Coverage Day 2: Tuesday

IFGE Conference Event Coverage from Lori D. - Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Genderbashing: The common root of Homophobic and Trans-phobic violence

by Nikki S., Transgender Section columnist

When young Simmie Williams was shot and killed in Fort Lauderdale , Florida , CBS 4 news ran the following headline:

"Gay Teen Gunned Down Dressed As Woman In Ft. Laud , FL"

The article goes on to describe the details of the murder, and questions whether Simmie was the victim of a hate crime:

Fort Lauderdale police are investigating whether a teen was shot and killed this week because he was gay.

Police said 17-year-old Simmie Williams was dressed in women's clothing at the time of the shooting and may have been a victim of a hate crime.

Now, any reasonable person would realize that Simmie was indeed murdered out of hate; the question is, what was it about Simmie that incited such a disgusting, violent reaction? Was it indeed, as the article suggests, because Simmie was “gay” meaning homosexual? Or was it because Simmie, assigned male at birth, dared to present a female appearance and attract male attention? In short, was Simmie killed or being gay, or for being transgendered? . . . .Read More

Gender-neutral housing explored

Committee will spend next year drafting report after LGBTQ students pressed administration

Raymond Carlson

April 2, 2008

In response to student demand, an “ad-hoc committee” of administrators is investigating the possibility of gender-neutral housing on campus, Dean of Administrative Affairs John Meeske said this week.

The committee, which was convened late last semester around the same time the Yale College Council formed a gender-neutral housing committee of its own, will spend the 2008-’09 academic year drafting a recommendation about the housing option, committee chair Meeske said.

Regardless of the group’s findings, he said the University will hold off on implementing any changes next year, even as the University’s Ivy League peers embrace gender-neutral housing options one by one. While Meeske said the committee cannot yet gauge demand for gender-neutral housing, students involved with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community at Yale said additional housing options are badly needed — particularly to make the University more welcoming for transgender students. . . .Read More

Pregnant Man, April Fool's prank or reality

by JL Francis

April 01, 2008


Having a child is exciting news for parents. But, what if the expectant mother is a man? A transgender man, Thomas Beatie of Oregon is claiming that he is pregnant. Interestingly, Beatie was expected to hold a news conference today which had some speculating that this might be an April Fool's joke after all. However, the latest word seems to be that Beatie will appear for an exclusive interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show. The show is said to run on Thursday, April 3rd as an Oprah Winfrey and People Magazine exclusive.

Beatie is a transgendered male who has undergone hormone therapy to change his outward appearance. However, in order to conceive a child he stopped taking testosterone. Clearly, having never undergone surgery he is in fact a woman biologically and can then obviously become pregnant. . . .Read More

Kennedy Targets Job Bias Against Gays . . .TGs

By ANDREW MIGA

2 April 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is jumping into the middle of an uproar within the gay community whose causes he has long championed.

The Massachusetts Democrat is leading a push in the Senate for a federal ban on job bias against gays, lesbians and bisexuals — but not transsexuals, cross-dressers and others whose outward appearance doesn't match their gender at birth.

"We will strongly oppose it," said Roberta Sklar of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "Leaving transgender people out makes that a flawed movement."

The House in November approved the bill, written by openly gay Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., despite strong protests from many gay rights advocates that it didn't cover transgender workers.

"It was made very clear in the fall that most LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) organizations, the vast majority of LGBT organizations, do not want Congress to shove a civil rights bill down our throat that we don't want," said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. . . .Read More