Murder's a Drag: A Film

"Who is killing Brisbane's drag queens? A journalist investigates the strange case of serial showgirl murder that has gripped the Queensland capital."  nixfilm

Obama Evolving On Gay Marriage

CARLOS SANTOSCOY  SEPTEMBER 14, 2008

In a new interview published by the Washington Blade, Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama unequivocally stated an Obama-Biden administration would work to advance gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights.

Answering written questions submitted by the Blade, Obama pledged “equality for all.”
In the interview, Obama said he and wife Michelle are “blessed with many openly gay and lesbian friends and colleagues,” crediting an openly gay college professor with broadening his view on gay and lesbian issues.

“A college professor of mine helped me to see the lives of LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] people from a different perspective. ... And he was just a terrific guy,” Obama said. “His comfort in his own skin and the friendship we developed helped to educate me on a number of these [gay] issues.”. . .Read More

London Transgender Film Festival 2008

September 14, 2008

Since this festival is independently funded we need your support. Thanks to you all for attending the London Transgender Film Festival Fundraiser Sun Aug 24 2008 and helping us raise some well needed funds! at Gasworks 155 Vauxhall Street London SE11 5RH 3pm- 6pm, £5/4. . .Read More

National Survey on Transgender Experiences of Discrimination in the U.S.

14 September 2008

NGLTF

Purpose

You are invited to participate in a research project regarding transgender and gender non-conforming people in the United States. Your responses will be part of an important report on transgender people’s experiences of discrimination in housing, employment, health care and education. 

Procedures

You will be asked to complete an online survey. Your participation and responses are confidential. Please answer the questions as openly and honestly as possible. You may skip questions. The survey will take about 20 minutes to complete. You must be 18 years of age or older to participate. Please note that you can choose to withdraw your responses at any time before you submit your answers. The survey results will be submitted directly to a secure server where any computer identification that might identify participants is deleted from the submissions. Comments provided will be analyzed using content analysis and submitted as an appendix to the survey report. Quotes from submitted comments will also be used throughout the report to give “voice” to the quantitative data.

Discomforts and Risks

There are no risks in participating in this research beyond those experienced in everyday life. Some of the questions are personal and might cause discomfort. In the event that any questions asked are disturbing, you may stop responding to the survey at any time. Participants who experience discomfort are encouraged to contact:

The Trevor Project
866-4-U-TREVOR
The Trevor Helpline is the only national crisis and suicide prevention helpline for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth; the Helpline can also help transgender and gender non-conforming adults. The Helpline is a free and confidential service that offers hope and someone to talk to, 24/7. Trained counselors listen and understand without judgment.

Benefits

The results of the survey will be part of an important report on discrimination against transgender people by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to help create better opportunities for transgender and gender non-conforming people. We are grateful to Penn State University’s Center for the Study of Higher Education for hosting the survey and maintaining the integrity of our data.

Statement of Confidentiality

You will not be asked to provide any identifying information, such as your name, and information you provide on the survey will remain confidential. In the event of any publication or presentation resulting from the research, no personally identifiable information will be shared. Your confidentiality will be kept to the degree permitted by the technology used (e.g., IP addresses will be stripped when the survey is submitted). No guarantees can be made regarding the interception of data sent via the Internet by any third parties. Please also remember that you do not have to answer any question or questions about which you are uncomfortable. 

Voluntary Participation

Participation in this research is voluntary. If you decide to participate, you do not have to answer any questions on the survey that you do not wish to answer. Individuals will not be identified and only group data will be reported (e.g., the analysis will include only aggregate data). By completing the survey, your informed consent will be implied. Please note that you can choose to withdraw your responses at any time before you submit your answers. Refusal to take part in this research study will involve no consequences. . . .Read More

If one of us ain’t free ...

September 14, 2008

By JULIAN C.H. LEE

An anthropologist reports on a very different Merdeka event he attended that dealt with a subject often swept under the carpet: alternative sexualities.

IN August last year, malaysiakini.com reported that a transsexual woman in Malacca had been brutally assaulted, allegedly by state religious officers, who also detained her because she was a man dressed as a woman, and that is an offence.

Sexual identities and behaviours attract a great deal of attention in Malaysia, and those who are seen to fall outside heterosexual norms are the subject of official punishments as well as vigilantism.

And yet, as a presenter at an unusual symposium held during the Merdeka weekend pointed out, alternative sexualities actually have a long history in this region. The crowd-pulling political scientist Dr Farish Noor (from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore) hosted a session at which he delivered a lecture entitled From Panji to the Present: A Short History of Sexuality in Malaysia and South-East Asia. . . .Read More