Worth Repeating

Diana wrote this on her blog on Saturday and it needs repeating here on Monday.

Fluff

[RANT]

That is what the readers want.

A couple of weeks ago I posted about Fantasia Fair… I set a record for visits to my blog!

When I write about a trans woman being beaten with a 2x4… 30 or 40 hits.

When I write about a Connecticut politician trying to strip health insurance from us… nothing.

When I write about a bill to prevent trans children from transitioning… again 30 or 40 hits.

When I wrote about Fantasia Fair… 1200 hits!

People, one day you are going to wake up and find that it is now illegal for us to go out in public. Get your head out of the sand. Hate crimes against trans people are skyrocketing! Laws against us has turned into an epidemic! Dozens and dozens of laws have been introduced not only in red states, but also in blues states. Courts have ruled against us in housing, employment and in public accommodations.

They don’t care if you only crossdress on weekends, they don’t care if you have transitioned. All they care about is that they hate your guts and want to see you dead! Dead! Dead! The murder of trans people this year is on its way of setting a record for our murders.

Harvey Milk, at speech given on Gay Freedom Day (1978-06-25) in San Francisco said,

Gay brothers and sisters, you must come out. Come out to your parents. I know that it is hard and will hurt them, but think about how they will hurt you in the voting booth! Come out to your relatives. Come out to your friends, if indeed they are your friends. Come out to your neighbors, to your fellow workers, to the people who work where you eat and shop. Come out only to the people you know, and who know you, not to anyone else. But once and for all, break down the myths. Destroy the lies and distortions. For your sake. For their sake.

It was true then, it is true now.

You upset their 1950 view of the United States; they do not like you if you are different from them whether it is your skin color, your religion, your sexual orientation, your gender identity – you are different from them and they hate feeling “uncomfortable.”

You can’t hide, it is time for action.

Get out and be an activist just by being yourself.

[/RANT]

Wearing Madeleine

Femulate reader Sue Richmond during a trip to Kew Gardens in London.
Click here to visit her blog.

Breaking News: Supreme Court gives victory to transgender student who sued to use bathroom

 Read all about it here on CNN.

Local War on Transgenders

At least one candidate for office in Connecticut is on the wrong side of the War on Transgenders: Rob Sampson who is running for State Senator from my district, Connecticut State Senate District 16, which includes the towns of Prospect, Southington, Wolcott, the north end of Cheshire and the east end of Waterbury (see the map).

Sampson is a four-term State Representative representing the 80th State House District. He is trying to jump to the Senate now that his fellow traveler, Senator Joe Markley, is running for Lieutenant Governor.

Sampson has a long record of introducing legislation and voting for legislation that negatively affects his transgender and LGB constituents.

Vickie Nardello for State Senate

His House Bill (HB) 5193 stated that “health insurance policies delivered, issued for delivery, renewed, amended or continued in this state shall not be required to provide coverage for gender reassignment surgery or related surgical expenses.”

He voted against HB 6695, which banned the controversial practice of using therapy to alter a young person's sexual orientation or gender identity.

He voted against HB 6599, which prohibited discrimination based on gender identity or expression.

Also, Sampson has consistently voted against women's rights legislation.

If you live in Connecticut State Senate District 16, I strongly urge you to vote for Vickie Nardello for State Senate and send Rob Sampson packing.

Wearing Bebe (Source: Bebe)

Despicable Administration Eyes Defining Transgender Out of Existence

According to the Sunday New York Times, The Despicable/Trump Administration "is considering narrowly defining gender as a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth, the most drastic move yet in a governmentwide effort to roll back recognition and protections of transgender people under federal civil rights law."

The Department of Health and Human Services, which is spearheading this effort, argued "that key government agencies needed to adopt an explicit and uniform definition of gender as determined 'on a biological basis that is clear, grounded in science, objective and administrable.'"

That is a laughable argument in light of the anti-scientific, anti-intellectual stance of the Despicables.

New Rule Will Let Federal Contractors Fire Trans Employees for Religious Reasons

The Despicable/Trump Administration is working on a formal religious exemption to rules that ban federal contractors from discriminating against LGBTQ people, according to a several unnamed Labor Department sources who spoke with Buzzfeed News.

According to the sources, the Despicable/Trump Administration is working on a policy that would allow federal contractors to discriminate against workers if the contractor claims that their religion requires them to discriminate against LGBTQ people.

The sources did not know if the exception would be limited to federal contractors that are religious – like a Catholic charity – or if it applies to for-profit businesses. Conservatives favor religious exemptions for for-profit businesses like Hobby Lobby and Masterpiece Cakeshop, claiming that a religious business owner’s beliefs are violated if their business violates them.

(Source: LGBTQ Nation)

Wednesday's Wash

The Despicable States of America Dept.

Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming

What do these states have in common?

They are the 16 states that want the Supreme Court to okay anti-trans workplace discrimination.

How Christian of them.

How's It Fit in Boston Dept.

Like today, I often feature clothing from Boston Proper in the "Femulate Her" slot below. Yet, I have never purchased anything from Boston Proper.

I am curious as to the fit and quality of their clothing. So if you have purchased anything from Boston Proper, would you mind commenting below or e-mailing me directly about your Boston Proper experience.

What's Your Source Dept.

Occasionally, I receive inquiries concerning the images I use in the blog. If I remember a source, I mention it, but most of the time, I have no idea where I found the image.

I have been collecting these images for nearly 20 years and I have a pool of over 10,000 images to choose from, so there is no way I can remember all of their sources.

If I was more religious about it, I would carefully note the source of each image when I find it, but I am an agnostic in that regard.

And so it goes.  

Wearing Boston Proper (Source: Boston Proper)

Jerzy Grzechnik femulates Florence and The Machine on Polish television's Twoja Twarz Brzmi Znajomo.

Trump's War on LGBTs Marches On

Trump administration invokes “religious freedom” in defense of African countries that criminalize homosexuality.

By Michael Stone

In yet another move advancing Christian bigotry and hatred, the Trump administration is signalling they will no longer punish or denounce African countries that punish LGBT citizens for their sexual orientation, punishment that often leads to imprisonment and/or death.

Speaking at the State Department’s Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom held in Washington, DC. earlier this week, Mick Mulvaney, a former Republican lawmaker and current Director of the Office of Management and Budget, announced that the Trump administration will no longer press countries to abolish their draconian anti-LGBT laws.

Mulvaney defended the practice of criminalizing homosexuality as an issue of “religious freedom,” claiming that such discrimination and abuse represented “Christian values.”

In his remarks Mulvaney attacked the Obama administration for using taxpayer dollars to promote women’s rights and LGBT rights in Africa.

Read the rest of the story at Patheos.com.

Joan Heartless

Connecticut Governor Malloy nominated Andrew McDonald to be chief justice in the state's supreme court. McDonald is openly gay.

On Tuesday, the state's senate voted against the nomination. All 18 Republican senators voted against the nomination, along with Democrat Joan Hartley of Waterbury, who has a long record of voting against LGBT rights.

Hartley is a DINO (Democrat In Name Only) and it came as no surprise that she joined the homophobic Republican senators in voting against McDonald.

In the past, heartless Hartley voted against bills legalizing civil unions in 2005, codifying the state Supreme Court’s ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in 2009, enacting anti-discrimination projections for transgender individuals in 2011 and allowing same-sex couples to adopt children in 2000.

Heartless Hartley is a Catholic and wears her religion on her sleeve, so I want to ask her, "How would Jesus have voted?"

Wearing Hudson dress, The Volon bag and Proenza Schouler shoes (Source: ShopBop)

Janek Traczyk femulates Nancy Sinatra on Polish television's Your Face Sounds Familiar.

Workplace Rights

Despite major wins within the LGBTQ community in recent years, many transgender and non-conforming gender individuals feel there’s still a lot more to do in the fight for equality both in and out of the office.

Here is a helpful guide for transgender workers, from new graduates just entering the workforce to seasoned working professionals, as well as employers and hiring managers. Learn more about current transgender workplace rights, how to navigate some of the biggest workplace and job hunting concerns, and see what employers can do to lay the foundation for safe and inclusive work environments.

Transgender and non-conforming gender (TGNC) individuals are protected by policies and laws intended to eliminate harassment and discrimination. While some protections are at the federal level, many states, counties, and cities have their own policies in place. “Protection laws differ from state to state, so it’s important that you check the state in which you work,” notes Dr. Kristie Overstreet, a clinical sexologist and psychotherapist who specializes in transgender identities.

Where I live (Connecticut), we have been protected for some time. My former company had policies in place even before the state and my Human Resources representative was ready and willing to help me to transition into a working woman whenever I was ready. I was also greeted with open arms when I inquired about working as a woman at a local Dress Barn. That's Connecticut and your mileage may vary depending on where you live, so check out the Workplace Guide and see where you stand.

Wearing Ann Taylor (Source: Ann Taylor)

Benjamin Koldyke femulating in television's Work It!

Legalization of anti-LGBTQ discrimination

Going backwards: Feds halt Obama administration’s attempt to protect the civil rights of transgender students.

A day after Christian conservative Jeff Sessions was sworn into office as Attorney General, the Justice Department quietly dropped the Obama administration’s attempt to secure civil rights for transgender individuals.

...

In reality, it is Republican lawmakers, and not transgender people, who are the real danger in public bathrooms. In fact, more GOP Lawmakers have been arrested for sexual misconduct in bathrooms than transgender people.

Bottom line: The Justice Department led by conservative Christian Jeff Sessions has declared open season on transgender students, and the federal government under Trump will do nothing to protect the civil rights of transgender individuals.

...

Meanwhile...

Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz butted heads in the presidential primaries, but there’s one thing they can always agree on: discriminating against LGBTQ people under the guise of religious freedom. The First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), which Sen. Cruz is planning to introduce and Trump has said he will sign, codifies discrimination against LGBTQ people into federal law.

Republicans are playing a dangerous game with the lives of LGBTQ people. FADA is likely to be just one of many attacks from the Trump-Pence administration. Recently, a White House insider leaked a draft of an anti-LGBTQ executive order.

If signed, the order would create wholesale exemptions for people and organizations who claim religious objections to same-sex marriage, premarital sex, abortion, and trans identity.

Tell Congress: Don’t legalize anti-LGBTQ discrimination. Sign the petition here.

Sources: 

Michael Stone, "Trump’s Justice Department Abandons Transgender Kids," Progressive Secular Humanist, Feb. 12, 2017

Sarah Posner, "Leaked Draft of Trump’s Religious Freedom Order Reveals Sweeping Plans to Legalize Discrimination," The Nation, Feb. 1, 2017

"Tell Congress: Don’t legalize anti-LGBTQ discrimination," Credo Action, Feb. 13, 2017

Wearing Veronica Beard.

John Hurt femulates in the 1975 British television movie The Naked Civil Servant.

Eavesdropping

I work with engineers. Cubicles populated by hardware and software engineers surround my cubicle. Due to their proximity, eavesdropping is unavoidable, but not very interesting because most of the time they talk about work and their current projects.

When their discussions stray from work-related issues, they seem to be an apolitical bunch. There is one fellow who is fascinated by Trump, but most of the crew keep their political views close to the vest and talk about other non-work matters.

But out of the blue Thursday morning, three engineers have a discussion about how the country is divided... yadda, yadda, yadda... Someone brings up the transgender bathroom issue and I am all ears.

One engineer said, "I don't understand what the big deal is about if a transgender woman is dressed like a woman and uses the women's restroom or if a transgender man is dressed like a man and uses the men's restroom. Who cares?"

End of discussion.

Hurray for our team!

Wearing Polo.

Ted Brightwell on stage in La Cage Aux Folles.

End of the Tunnel

Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel?

The Philippines is set to elect its first out transgender person to public office in a breakthrough for the predominantly Catholic country's LGBT community.

Geraldine Roman, who has been living as a woman for more than two decades, is set to win the congressional seat in Bataan previously held by her mother, Herminia Roman.

With 97.2 per cent of national election returns processed, Ms Roman had secured a win with 23,814 votes over her opponent's 10,325.

Meanwhile...

What we must not do, what we must never do, is turn on our neighbors, our family members, our fellow Americans for something that they cannot control and deny what makes them human. And this is why none of us can stand by when a state enters the business of legislating identity and insists that a person pretend to be something or someone that they are not. But no matter how isolated, no matter how afraid, and no matter how alone you may feel today, know this, that the Department of Justice and indeed the entire Obama administration want you to know that we see you, we stand with you, and we will do everything we can to protect you going forward. ― Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch's remarks at the May 9 press conference announcing the complaint against the State of North Carolina to stop discrimination against transgender individuals.  

I have high hopes that the ride through the dark tunnel will end soon and transgender people will be freed from those who try to suppress us.

Wearing Avon.

Lori Shannon on a 1975 episode of  television'  All in the Family.

Indiana

The so-called religious freedom law is more onerous to transgender folks than LGB folks because civilians are more likely to clock transgender folks than LGB folks (and then proceed to exercise their religious beliefs against us).

Put a transwoman, transman, gay man, lesbian woman, and bisexual bisexual in a line-up and who is your average civilian most likely to pick as belonging to the LGBT crowd? The transwoman and transman, of course.

More so than the folks in the LGB crowd, a lot of folks in the trans crowd will get clocked by civilians who are scrutinizing people to determine whether or not we are discrimination-worthy. Size is often our giveaway (big transwomen and small transmen) and there is not much we can do about that.

And stop calling it a "religious freedom" law. It's a freedom to discriminate law, that is, you are free to discriminate according to your prejudices and then use religion as an excuse. How twisted is that?

Tell me, Mr. Christian, if a transwoman needed some carpentry work done, what would Jesus do?

 

 

 

Wearing Kate Spade.

 

 

 

Actor John Lithgow in the 1992 film Raising Cain.

No Jelly Bellies For Me

I love Jelly Bellies, but another one will never cross my lips after reading this: Jelly Belly executive is funding an effort to repeal California's transgender student's rights law.

"If you care about protecting transgender students’ rights, you may have something to consider when stocking up on Halloween candy this year.

"As Karen Ocamb at Frontiers LA reports, according to recently disclosed records, the chair of the Jelly Belly Candy Company is a major contributor to the Privacy for All Students campaign, a California-based anti-transgender students’ rights initiative fronted by Proposition 8 architect Frank Schubert." (Source: Salon)

Stonewall was Our Wall

I try to avoid politics here because my very liberal political beliefs piss people off and as you knows, "girls just want to have fun!" But the end of DOMA has brought up an issue that has been stuck in my craw for years, that is, the marginalization of our participation in Stonewall.

Reading some gay histories, you would never know that transwomen were at Stonewall, when in fact, if it wasn't for transwomen, Stonewall may never have happened.

Transwomen fought the cops at Stonewall, transwomen were arrested at Stonewall and as a result, transwomen shined a light on the years of abuse that the TLGB community had suffered at the hands of “the Man.”

My good friend, Diana, who writes a lot about trans politics over on her blog, covered this topic yesterday. I urge you to read what she wrote.

Where You Can Be Fired For Being Transgender

Courtesy of The Huffington Post.

A Transgender Child’s Victory

A third-grader in New Hampshire scores one for trans equality in the elementary-school bathroom. Read the whole story written by Mary Elizabeth Williams in Salon.

This Transwoman Supports Obama

I seldom discuss politics here.

Weeks ago, I added the Trans United for Obama button to the blog without a word. The button spoke for itself; if you wanted to know more, click on the button and it took you to a website where you could learn more.

Today, I received the following e-mail.

I really do not like your placing an Obama button on your home page. There is no real freedom down the road of that ideology and I am opposed to this president and his snuffing out of individual initiative and honest dealing.

Even if we disagree, why turn your site into a political commercial -- as if there were only one way to see things. That is the common arrogance of the left.

I guess it is time to explain why I added the Trans United for Obama button to the blog.

I support candidates that support me or my cause; always have, always will. I am transgender and my cause is equal rights for transgenders.

Consider the records of President Obama and the presumed GOP presidential candidate, Mitt Romney.

More has been accomplished by the Obama administration for transgender rights than all 43 other presidents combined. Those accomplishments include:

• Ending the Social Security Administration’s gender “no-match” letters and allowing for true gender passports.

• Ensuring that transgender Americans can receive true gender passports without surgery.

• Establishing guidelines to help protect transgender federal employees from discrimination in the workplace.

• Making sure transgender veterans receive respectful care according to their true gender through the Veterans Health Administration.

Former Governor Romney's administration and friends in Massachusetts have less than a stellar record regarding transgender rights.

• In 2006, Romney’s administration blocked publication of a state antibullying guide for Massachusetts public schools because officials objected to use of the terms “bisexual’’ and “transgender’’ in passages about protecting certain students from harassment.

• As a reporter for the Boston Herald, Eric Fehrnstrom, now Romney's "most trusted" adviser, gleefully outed a Massachusetts transgender woman, Althea Garrison, ending her political career.

• Unlike the Obama campaign website, no where on the Romney campaign website is there a mention of transgenders. However, in my opinion, Romney's championing a Federal Marriage Amendment to the Constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman does not bode well for an expansion of transgender rights under a Romney administration. 

President Obama supports my cause, Governor Romney does not, so I support President Obama.

Enough said.

Stana Has a Random Moment

If you are stuck in a wardrobe rut, Ginger Burr has a solution on her Nurturing Beauty Style Secrets Blog today: 3 Key Steps to Creating Visual Interest in an Outfit.

I don't have a middle name, but I kind of like the name Jacqueline. I came up with that after a woman at the True Colors Conference last Saturday said that the dress I wore looked like something Jacqueline Kennedy would have worn. I like that.

Over on The Huffington Post, Greg Voakes writes that a "Study Finds Increasing Support for Transgender Rights in the U.S.," which is good news indeed.

Looking forward to a big night out next Saturday when I will get dressed to the nines to attend the annual banquet of the Connecticut Outreach Society. Did I mention that I will be performing during the Follies portion of the banquet? I have lip-synched to tunes in past banquet Follies, but this year I plan to do something completely different. Stay tuned for a full report after the fact.

That was Tina Fey gracing my Wednesday post, Passes with Glasses. I like her glasses so much that I may order a pair like hers from Firmoo.com. By the way, they have a sweet deal for first time buyers: free frames.

Last night I dreamed that I wanted big breasts. Awake, I never desired big breasts, so go figure.

Forced Feminization at the Olympics

This story is so outrageous in this day and age that I cannot believe it! Please sign the petition to stop this nonsense.