Geraldine McQueen - Once Upon A Christmas Song

"The brand new video for 'Once Upon a Christmas Song' by Geraldine McQueen."

polydor

The X Factor in chart domination

itv.com

18 December 2008


The X Factor is dominating the top 10 Christmas singles chart.

According to sales at HMV and hmv.com, this year's winner Alexandra Burke is currently No 1 with her cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, while her performance has sparked a rival in popularity for the late Jeff Buckley's version, placing him at No 2.

Leona Lewis, who won The X Factor in 2006, is at No 3 with her cover of Snow Patrol's Run. She also performed the song on the show this year.

Beyonce is at No 4 with her single If A Were A Boy - but her song Listen, which she performed live on the X Factor final with winner Alex, has re-entered the chart at No 6.

Britney Spears' Womanizer is at No 9 and Take That's Greatest Day is at No 10. Both songs were performed by the stars themselves on The X Factor during the run-up to the final.

Peter Kay's anti-X Factor song, Once Upon A Christmas Song, performed by transsexual Geraldine, is at No 7. . . .Read More

Turkish court acquits transsexual singer

by Daren Butler

December 19, 2008


ISTANBUL, Dec 19 (Reuters) - A Turkish court has acquitted a popular Turkish transsexual singer over comments questioning a military campaign against Kurdish separatist guerrillas, state-run Anatolian news agency said.

Bulent Ersoy was tried on charges of "turning the people against military service" in a case that raised concerns about free speech in the European Union candidate, where criticising the military, powerful and respected institution, is a crime.

The court ruled that Ersoy's comments, which angered the country's powerful armed forces, were within the bounds of freedom of expression, the agency said late on Thursday. . . .Read More

When Steve Becomes Stephanie

What does a star player’s gender change imply for a traditional company’s culture?

by Loren Gary and Brian Elliot

♦ INTERACTIVE CASE: How would your company accommodate an employee's decision to change gender? Tell us your opinion.

Thunk! The Audi trunk slammed shut, and Eric and Henrietta Mercer carried their bags of groceries into the house. As Eric started putting away the food, Henrietta sorted through the mail. She was surprised to find a letter from Morgan, their 29-year-old daughter, a genome researcher in Boston.

“What’s the special occasion?” Henrietta wondered aloud as she settled into a kitchen chair and kicked off her shoes. A moment later she exclaimed, “Jeez Louise.”

Eric turned around. “What’s up?”

“Morgan sent us a copy of her Massachusetts driver’s license renewal form. Take a look at this: ‘Complete only if something has changed—name, address, telephone number, gender designation.’”

Morgan’s letter was eerily connected to the challenge foremost in her mother’s mind. As the senior vice president for human resources at LaSalle Chemical, Henrietta knew that about 25% of the leading U.S. companies had policies in place to protect employees against discrimination based on gender identity. But she had never imagined she would actually encounter the issue, and certainly not at LaSalle, a Fortune 1000 company headquartered in Aurora, Illinois, that provided products and services to oil-drilling, refinery, and pollution-control businesses. . . .Read More

The Jon Dore Television Show - INTV w/ Nina the Transsexual

durdensoaps

Transgender Lawsuit

by Jamie Meyers

December 18, 2008

A local community college is accused of sexual discrimination. It's all over a life-altering decision that's now changing the way one student is treated. It's an unusual case that could set a precedent for universities all across the country and it's a story you will see exclusively on cbs 21.

"It was coming to the point james was going to die, one way or another, james is gonna die" says Jamie Nicole Anderson. James is a former marine, now gone but Jamie Nicole doesn't miss him. She says, "not one bit. I remember james was a very unhappy individual and Jamie is a very happy individual. "

Jamie Nicole *is* James, after under going complete gender re-assignment surgery. The surgery after a long process of making small changes, like wearing make-up, growing her hair out, and dressing as a woman. She says, "I was a little scared of what other people would say, of what other people would think." . . .Read More

New Edition of ’Manual of Disorders’ Inspires Gender Identity Controversy

by Kilian Melloy
EDGE Contributor
Thursday Dec 18, 2008

The current edition of the DSM calls transgenderism a "disorder."

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is the go-to book on psychiatric problems. It’s an indispensable resource for the mental health profession, and, for patients, insurance carriers, and the pharmaceuticals industry, the tome--popularly referred to as the DSM, now slated for a fifth edition, to be published several years from now--has a huge impact on who receives what sort of care, and who pays for it.

But there are social implications to the book as well, and what the new edition has to say about transgendered persons is already a source of contention.

In a Dec. 17 article, The New York Times reported that an array of syndromes and afflictions may or may not be officially included in the book, which serves as a registry for what is considered to be a "disorder" meriting insurance coverage. Pharmaceuticals companies have been known to push for recognition of different afflictions as official disorders so that insurance companies will pay for medication; meantime, the individuals living with those afflictions may be affected financially and socially by the question of whether what ails them is officially recognized in the Manual as a disorder. . . .Read More

On O'Reilly Factor, Miller ridiculed transgender man, child he gave birth to

—A.J.W.

December 18, 2008

Summary: On The O'Reilly Factor, Dennis Miller ridiculed Thomas Beatie, a transgender man who recently gave birth to a child, calling him a "nympho satyr" and saying: "[A]ll I know is the guy's more pregnant than the old woman in the shoe is. And somebody has got to get some protection for this guy, be it a condom or an IUD or a satellite dish or a catcher's mitt. I don't even know what he needs down there, but I need an equipment check on aisle five." Referring to the baby, Miller had video of the polar bear cub at the Berlin zoo aired. . . .Read More

Dude Starr Interview on BENDER TV Melbourne

"This is the Version of the interview which went to air on Bent TV did with me over the Midsumma tour. Filmed @ Revolver Feb 8th 2007."

DreadfulCircusFreak

Kate Bornstein Weighs In on Last Night's Trannytastic Terminator

by Charlie Jane Anders

December 16, 2008


Terminator universe. We asked transgender activist and author Kate Bornstein for her opinion of the episode.

For those of you who don't know her, Kate Bornstein is the author of two books on gender issues, Gender Outlaw and My Gender Workbook. Plus two other books, Nearly Roadkill: An Infobahn Erotic Adventure and Hello Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks and Other Outlaws. She's also a playwright and performance artist.

I already wrote about my thoughts on last night's episode here. Among a whole host of UFO freaks, the episode introduced us to Eileen (aka "Abraham"), a blogger about UFO conspiracy stuff who has worked with a mysteriously advanced metal. At my urging, Kate watched the episode, and she was pretty thrilled with it. . . .Read More

Transsexual sues over discrimination

December 11, 2008

by ANDREW WOLFE Staff Writer


CONCORD – A Milford woman charges that PC Connection refused to hire her for a sales job after learning that she'd applied to the company as a man seven years earlier.

Brianna Cook filed the suit against PC Connection, of Merrimack, on Dec. 1 in U.S. District Court in Concord. The company has yet to respond.

Cook is a post-operative transsexual with experience in marketing communications and sales, both as a man and as a woman, her suit states.

She claims PC Connection officials implied that her hiring was assured, and that a company recruiter later told her she was eventually rejected because she hadn't disclosed that she had previously applied to the company as a man.

Cook and her lawyer, Mary Notaris, of Salem, accuse the company of gender discrimination in violation of state and federal law and seek punitive damages, as well as compensation for lost wages and mental anguish. . . .Read More

Internet: Nearly Half of Women Surveyed Choose Internet Over Sex

by Kristy Erdodi - December 16, 2008


Close to half of women surveyed said that they would choose to abandon sex for two weeks rather than give up their Internet access.

Almost half of women questioned by Harris Interactive said that they would choose to abandon sex for two weeks, over sacrificing their internet access, according to a study released Monday by Intel, which delegated the survey.

The survey results, comprised of 2,119 adult respondents surveyed last month in the U.S., make up part of Intel's broader commissioned study on Americans' reliance on the internet in today's economy.

Although nearly 46 percent of women respondents showed their willingness to give up sex life over Web access, only 30 percent of men surveyed would do the same. . . .Read More

Buddhism: Your Daily Meditation

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.- Buddha

The Great Transsexual Divide

"Seriously, everyone... The old saying "United we stand, divided we fall" is true..."

winterwinwin

TRANSGENDER RESPONSIBILITY

by Brianna Austin

December 16, 2008


November 20, 2008 was the 10th anniversary of Transgender Remembrance day; a time for us to look back and reflect on those who met with untimely deaths at the hands of intolerance, bigotry, and hatred. Yet it is also a time to recognize and appreciate the work of so many attempting to bring about change for the better. During this moment of Remembrance we should also take time for self reflection to better understand the world around us so that we can better protect ourselves from becoming one of the unfortunate victims of hate.

So, what role, if any, do victims play in their own demise, and how did we get to where we are?

Since I first began cross-dressing as a child in the 1960s up through when I finally came out in 2000 I have personally witnessed amazing changes and evolution inside and outside the transgender community; in how we relate to each other and the world around us, and the world relates to us.

At the turn of the 20th Century Magnus Hirschfeld coined the term transvestism (from Latin trans-, "across, over" and vestitus, "dressed") to refer to the sexual interest in cross-dressing.

By the mid-20th Century Harry Benjamin coined the term transsexual and recognized that not all cross-dressing was related to sexual desire; propelling the belief that transsexuals were simply born in the wrong body

. . .Read More

Gay-Straight Alliance hopes to educate teens

Group at Washington high school formed to support one another at tough age

---

By STEVE STEIN

of the Journal Star

Dec 14, 2008

WASHINGTON — High school can be a tumultuous time for a student.

Nobody knows that better than Patrick Coughlin, who has been a high school guidance counselor for more than 20 years, including 16 at Washington Community High School.

"High school is when many of us form our self-image," Coughlin said. "I'll bet most adults remember how they felt about themselves during high school."

High school can be particularly stressful for a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transsexual student. In an effort to support those students at Washington, a Gay-Straight Alliance has been formed at the school, with Coughlin as its advisor.

Sixty-four students - some gay or lesbian, some straight - signed up to join the alliance, and a proposed constitution has been written. Coughlin discussed the alliance at this month's District 308 School Board meeting, and approval of the alliance's constitution is expected to be on the board's January agenda.

According to the constitution, the alliance's purpose is "to encourage acceptance and tolerance within the diverse population of our school, promote pride in our community, create a safe environment for all (Washington students), and educate the school community." . . .Read More

“I Like That About Me.”

Year in Review: 2008

By Robin Berghaus and Vicky Waltz

Through December 24, BU Today is looking back at the most popular stories of the year. We’ll be back with new stories for the new year on Monday, January 5. Happy holidays!

Most children dream of possessing the magical ability to fly, to be invisible, or to talk to animals.

But as a young boy growing up in Jefferson City, Mo., Emeri Burks wished only to be a girl. “I prayed every day for the body that would fix things, that would make everything right,” recalls Burks (CAS’08). “More than anything, I wanted to be anatomically and biologically female.” . . .Read More

TSG16: Taking Action, Making Change

"The TG community exists beyond just the internet. Get out there, get involved in real issues. Don't just talk about issues. Make real change.

We show a hearing on LGBT prison issues from this last week (how timely for this question) and discuss awkward teen moments."

TrannystarGalactica

Gender-identity protection on City Council's agenda

Anti-discrimination proposal would add transgender people

Sunday, December 14, 2008

By Robert Vitale

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Transgender residents of Columbus -- men who consider themselves women, and women who consider themselves men -- would gain legal protection under legislation going before the City Council on Monday night.

The Columbus Community Relations Commission has recommended that the city add gender identity to the list of categories in local anti-discrimination ordinances. The move would put Columbus another step beyond Ohio law and on par with dozens of other big cities and college towns.

"We don't want discrimination in the city of Columbus for anyone," said Councilwoman Priscilla Tyson, a sponsor of the legislation.

Mayor Michael B. Coleman and a majority of council members back the idea.

Ordinances barring discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations already protect Columbus residents based on their race, sex, religion, ancestry, national origin and sexual orientation.

The legislation on Monday night's council agenda also would add age (for those 40 or older), disability, family status and military status as protected classes, although state or U.S. laws already cover each of those.

Columbus has protected gays in its civil-rights ordinances for about 20 years. Backers of the new legislation say the term sexual orientation once was thought to include people who live or dress as the opposite gender. . . .Read More

S. Idaho transgender woman fights use of male name

by JESSIE L. BONNER | Associated Press Writer • December 13, 2008


PAYETTE, Idaho – For nearly a year, Catherine Carlson refused to pay the fine for driving with a suspended license because it was issued to both her and the man she used to be.

She went to jail four times over the ticket that includes both her legal name and the one she was born with, Daniel Carlson. She had surgery 28 years ago to become a woman, the gender she believes should have been assigned her at birth.

Carlson legally changed her name in the 1970s, but police and court records include both in this rural farming and ranching community east of the Snake River in southwestern Idaho.

"The ticket was the last straw," Carlson said.

Her fight against local authorities brought up questions Payette County had never answered before: where to house a transgender person in a jail with separate cells for men and women, which courthouse bathroom should she use, should the former male name be stricken from county records.

"This is a very conservative old-fashioned community, that's just the way it is. This is rural, small town Idaho. This is new to us," said Payette County Sheriff Chad Huff. . . .Read More