6/28/11

Send Kelli Anne Busey to the Moscow Pride 2012


Send Kelli Anne Busey to the Moscow Pride 2012

I am author activist Kelli Anne Busey. I am fundraising for a trip to participate in the Moscow Pride Parade 2012 in support for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) community.

What is significant about the Moscow Pride Parade?

Since 2006 the Moscow government has ignored the Russian Constitution and has outlawed Pride Parades beating and arresting the participants. This year the participants were once again mistreated but because of our efforts to publicize the event, and the attendance of international gay advocates, the actions of the government received international attention.

This year was expecially significant for transgender people because one of our own came to the forefront as a leader.

Equally distressing are the murders of the reporters of Novaya Gazeta, the only remaining free press in Russia. One of their contributors Elena Kostyuchenko attended the 2011 Pride on the day she came out as a lesbian. She received special attention from the police being the only one hospitalized this year with a concussion.

What do I hope to accomplish by attending the Moscow Pride Parade?

I have been writing about the Moscow Pride since 2008. My previous year’s efforts were rewarded as I friended and interviewed their transgender leader, Anna Komarova. He invited me to next year’s Pride Parade to become the first transsexual author activist from another country to attend.

What do you have to gain by contributing to this effort?

Russia lags behind the world in acceptance of LGBT people but gradually with time their struggle has found its way to people’s consciousness both inside and outside of their borders. The amount the LGBT people of Russia benefit by international involvement is directly proportional with our involvement. And conversely the same holds true. We grow by leaps and bounds as a community when we stand in solidarity with each other regardless of international borders.

The transgender community sadly lags behind gay and lesbian advances in equality. We will receive an injection of worldwide pride as I step up to pay it forward in Moscow.

How much overall will this cost?

I need to raise $1500.



Do I get a refund if money for the airline ticket is not raised soon enough or I don’t travel?

Yes. You will be refunded in full in the event I do not go to Moscow in May 2012.
What guarantee do I have my donation will be used or refunded as promised?

I stake my reputation as a blogger, founder of the Dallas Transgender Advocates and activist on it.

You have my word on it.

Kelli Anne Busey

6/25/11

St. PetersBurg Pride Parade People Beaten Today, Arrested and Tweeting from inside a Jail Cell

Мент говорит: "сейчас посадим к черномазым с блохами"~ Nikolai Alexeyev.

Nikolai is live now at 6/25 9:00am CT live Tweeting from inside a St Petersburg jail cell as he and 14 others are being charged by the police for having this years Pride.
Nikolai Alekseev posted to Slavic Gay Pride, St.Petersburg. 2011 June 25 "14 Gay Rights Activists including Nikolai Alekseev, Yury Gavrikov, Anna Komarova, Anton Sutyagin arrested today while staging a Gay Pride March in St. Petersburg (Russia). The event was banned by the city hall."
Photos from the 3r Slavic Gay Pride which take place in St. Petersburg on June 25, 2011. 14 Participants were arrested by the police. As the photos showed, one participant was attacked and beaten by a homophobe. In all, 20 people took part to the Pride which was banned by the city hall. Last year, a similar attempt in St. Petersburg was also banned. This year activists gathered near the statue to Peter the Great as the pictures show, but also used a boat which passed in front of the statue on the river neva and another group attempted to protest in front the Constitutional Courts which is located opposite to the statue.
. More on the AP

6/24/11

WAIT, GLAAD. WHAT? Batesville Guard Responds to "Lies and Deceptions"

GLAAD's steamrolling over local advocacy group CAR results in another embarrassment.

It all started with a Little Rock AR Advocacy group's call to action. The Center For Artistic Revolution (CAR) wanted its members to contact the Batesville Guard and request they amend their obituary policy to enable same sex partners to be included in free obituaries.

Enter MEDIA MEGA SUPERSTAR GLAAD.

GLAAD did as it has always done before proceeding autonomously completely ignoring the local advocacy groups and media who originally initiated the actions.

GLAAD quickly proclaimed victory! GLAAD proclaimed it single handily took on the Batesville Guard and convinced the editor to change the papers policy!



Honestly, that sounded rather dubious to me.

I had talked to the Batesville editor the day before and again today. Her attitude was at first caustic comparing this mans need to be mentioned in their paper to other peoples desire to have cats and dogs included in obituaries. Really!

I appealed to her sense of journalistic integrity and our conversation ended on a slightly positive note with the editor recognizing the possible gain in readership should they make this cutting edge change. But that, and nothing more. No promises.

Today the Batesville Guard published that it was not going to change their obituary policy and evidently never promised anyone they would.

Where is GLAAD getting its information from? Are they that desperate in light of it's recent exposure as a duplicitous corporate entity taking money betraying our communities need for Net Neutrality ?

I think GLAAD manufactured this victory.

Well, the Center For Artistic Revolution had a long conversation with GLAAD regarding their presence in Arkansas.

A note from Kelli: GLAAD I can live without your obnoxious narcissistic media whoring.

And CAR would respectfully ask you to take action. Again.

Why We Protest Rick Perry's AFA Day of Prayer


The Florida Family Association (FFA) a branch of the American Family Association (AFA) has mounted a vicious email attack on cisgender actress Sarah Dessen.

Her crime? She played the transgender character on Degrassi. Read Sarah's blog post "Integrity" describing her outrage at the hatefulness of the emails.

Source Huffington Post: "Degrassi Boycotted By Florida Family Association Because Of Transgender And Gay Characters."

"Degrassi, which first aired in 1979, is known for portraying controversial issues. Over the course of its 30-year run (which has included several hiatuses and cast changes), it has covered teen pregnancy, school shootings, cutting, homosexuality and gonnorrhea outbreaks, to name a few. The show didn’t come to FFA founder David Canton’s attention, however, until last year, when it introduced a storyline about a gay quarterback and one about a female-to-male transgender teen exploring his identity and first relationship.

Canton told The Huffington Post that the LGBT content “licentiously appealed to the prurient nature of teenagers,” saying he believed that the scenarios also promoted behavior that doesn’t naturally occur in high school settings.

“How many high schools have a gay first-string quarterback who becomes lovers with someone else on the team? This relationship is extremely unlikely and they shouldn’t open this to dialogue,” Canton -- once applauded by American Family Association president Don Wildmon as the "quarterback" of the pro-family movement -- said. “And I think that it is statistically improbable that you will have a female-to-male transgender who is in love with a lesbian or bisexual in a school setting.”


On Facebook join with Jd Mason and Joe Zamecki to Protest of Rick Perry's Prayer Event which has outstanding ride share resources.

The Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies protest page

6/17/11

Adopted: First Ever UN Human Rights Resolution on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

Today, on Friday June 17, 2011 the United Nations voted 23 in favour 19 against and abstentions to adopt its first ever human rights Resolution including gender diversity and sexual orientation.





L.9 Rev1 (14/06/11)

Human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity

The Human Rights Council, Recalling the universality, interdependence, indivisibility and interrelatedness of human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and consequently elaborated in other human rights instruments such as the international Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other relevant core human rights instruments;

Recalling also that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in that Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status;

Recalling further GA resolution 60/251, which states that the Human Rights Council shall be responsible for promoting universal respect for the protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of any kind and in fair and equal manner;

Expressing grave concern at acts of violence and discrimination, in all regions of the world, committed against individuals because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

1. Requests the High Commissioner for Human Rights to commission a study to be finalised by December 2011, to document discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, in all regions of the world, and how international human rights law can be used to end violence and related human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity;

2. Decides to convene a panel discussion during the 19th session of the Human Rights Council, informed by the facts contained in the study commissioned by High Commissioner and to have constructive, informed and transparent dialogue on the issue of discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity;

3. Decides also that the panel will also discuss the appropriate follow‐up to the
recommendations of the study commissioned by the High Commissioner;

4. Decides to remain seized with this priority issue.


Who voted what?

Yes": Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Hungary, Japan, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, Thailand, UK, USA, Uruguay.

"No" : Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Djibouti, Gabon, Ghana, Jordan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Moldova, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Uganda.

Abstentions: Burkina Faso, China, Zambia

Absent: Kyrgyzstan, Libya (suspended)

6/14/11

Houston PD Releases Transgender Murderers Composite Portrait

Have you seen this man? Call the police at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

Nathan Eugene Davis died in the shooting, which occurred at the Canfield apartments at 13333 Northborough near Rushcreek about 12:30 a.m. Monday, according to the Houston Police Department.

Police said officers who were dispatched to the complex on an emergency call about a shooting discovered Davis lying in the parking lot behind a trash container. Homicide investigators believed he was shot where his body was found, police said.

Davis was wearing a red dress, makeup and a wig, HPD Sgt. Colin Howard said today during a news conference when the sketch was released. Howard said Davis's friends told investigators Davis dressed as a woman.

Witnesses said they saw a man running from the area moments after the gunfire, Howard said. They also said they heard him talking on a cellular phone and that he wanted to be picked up. -->The Houston Chronicle

Get it for FREE! One Issue of FROCK the HOTEST TG Magazine EVER!


My Editor at FROCK the fastest growing online glossy TG magazine wants me to give it away for free. One Free copy that is. I love FROCK. Its informative, entertaining, a little sexy and the activism is in your face!

6/13/11

Two Spirits Murdered Today But In another time Honored

Durango Herald A boy remembered :"Ten years ago, 16-year-old Cortez resident Fred Martinez was murdered, bashed repeatedly with a heavy rock held by a man he met just that night. In what came to be central aspects of his death, Martinez was Navajo and described himself as “two-spirited,” a distinctly Native American term describing those who engender a male spirit and a female spirit."

"His death became another addition to a harrowing stream of hate crimes that have shocked the public with their brutality while also sparking unique conversations about two-spirited people and acts of intolerance against them."

Least we forget.

6/11/11

VA OKs Therapy and Hormones But not SRS


Why?

3. POLICY: It is VHA policy that medically necessary care is provided to enrolled or otherwise eligible intersex and transgender Veterans, including hormonal therapy, mental health care, preoperative evaluation, and medically necessary post-operative and long-term care following sex reassignment surgery. Sex reassignment surgery cannot be performed or funded by VHA or VA.

According to the June 9 2011 VHA DIRECTIVE 2011-024 "PROVIDING HEALTH CARE FOR TRANSGENDER AND INTERSEX VETERANS" the VA is directed to diagnose, offer therapy and hormones but the VA is specifically ordered not to perform or pay for surgery.

That's like doing everything for a terminal cancer patient except remove the cancer!

Why not fix the plumbing?

According to the Transgender American Veterans Association "The VA is prohibited from accomplishing what is termed Gender Alteration, Gender Reorientation, or Genital Identity Revision. The last term effectively rules out even intersex corrective surgery."

[CITE: 38CFR17.38] Code of Federal Regulations Title 38, Chapter 17, Section 38.c)

How do we change that regulation?

6/10/11

Texas Gov Rick Perry + AFA Prayer Meeting = PROTEST!

Texas Governor presidential wannabe Rick Perry's latest hat hate trick has been met with a firestorm of condemnation coalescing advocates from a wide social spectrum. Perry's August "apolitical prayer meeting" at Houston's Reliant Stadium which is to be paid for by the American Family Association at his invitation, a group that the Southern Poverty Law Center has condemned as a hate group. Perry has invited all 49 other Governors to the August event but as of this post only Sam Brownback of KS has accepted. The Texas Freedom Network strongly condemns Rick Perry for Using Faith as a Political Weapon.



Wanna protest the scourge of religious demagogues being invited into politics by this tea party wannabe? The Facebook event asks only those who are going to be there click attending the "Protest of Rick Perry's Prayer Event" The event has carpooling pages for everyone in Texas to help us get there. Secular America has a editable email form for everyone outside Texas to ask there state governors not accept Perry's invitation . Contact Reliant Stadium . Tell them to stand by there commitment not to host events that are harmful to the community. I'll see you there.

6/5/11

Pioneer Russian Gender Queer Anna Komarova about His Life and The 2011 Pride

The 2011 Moscow Pride is now history, ending much like previous years with the Russian government doing its best to crush it. But this year, unlike most previous pride events it was held in the time and place as advertised.

And this year the authorities choose to ignore international law abdicating their social responsibility. Witnesses reported seeing the police facilitate the criminals who assaulted the LGBTQ marchers then violated international law by arresting them.

But the big news is for the first time in Russia a person who identifies as Genderqueer was visible as a leader of the Russian LGBT Pride Parade. This years pride also garnered additional international media attention by the arrests of gay rights activists Dan Choi and Peter Tatchell.

I wanted to get to know this man, GenderQueer Anna Komarova. I wanted to explore what makes him tick. What makes this person live authentically day to day in his country where such audacity is often rewarded with violence and even death.

This is a interview with Russian Transactivist extraordinaire Anna Komarova.

Kelli Busey: "You do not want to be identified as female, tell us about your identity?"

In his words:

Anna Komarova: "Of course I feel myself under the transgender umbrella. My speech at the press-conference of Moscow Pride was about transgender rights including transsexuals, transvestites and genderqueers. And my sign at Moscow Pride was "Trans rights are human rights". But I was arrested immediately as soon as I took it out of my pocket. So I couldn't even to fold it out."

AK: "I don't hide my identity anywhere and I face a lot of problems. People reject my gender identity at my job. For example, they refuse to use masculine gender when they talk to me. I'm not a transsexual so I can not say them that I will reassign my sex in documents and the sex in my documents will coincide with my gender. I can't get the documents which reflects my gender status. (That's why I'm sure that it would be better to kick out any gender and sex labels from our documents. And it would be better for realization of gender equality by the way. We say a lot about gender equality but there is no one country which stopped to use gender (sex) labels in documents. That's enough if there would be an option to point your gender (sex) if you would like to do it but gender signs shouldn't be necessary in personal documents.) It's easy to lose your job if you aren't a cis-gender and if you would like to be opened in your gender identity there. It seems to me that it's almost impossible to get a job with a high status if you are a genderqueer."


KB: Were there other Transgender people at the Pride Parade?

AK: "And there was another one transgender at Moscow Pride 2011. He is a member of GayRussia since 2007. And one more MtF transgender took part in our actions a lot of times in 2010. And I hope she will take part in them in future."

AK: "I took part in TDOR in St. Petersburg in 2010. It was the first authorised
LGBTQ-action in St.Petersburg and the second one in Russia after the decision of European Court of Human Rights which said that bans of Moscow Prides 2006-2008 were unlawful."


KB: The Orthodox Church in Russia has spoken out against Pride. Are there any religious institutions welcoming to LGBTQ people in Russia?

AK: "There was a small Orthodox church which was independent from Moscow Patriarchy and which openly accepted LGBTQ. And I heard about Judaic church which accepted LGBTQ. I know nothing about both of them now. But there are small communities of LGBT Christians in Moscow and in St.Petersburg."

KB: What is it like the days before this PRIDE knowing it would end in bloodshed?

AK: "Usually I absolutely quiet at the pointed days of dangerous actions. But I'm nervous some days before them. At the day of Pride I think about my aim to realise what I planned and nothing more. I feel nothing. Maybe it's difficult to be nervous several days in a row before Moscow Pride but anyway I feel pleasant quietness inside me at the day of Moscow Pride. I'm single so I spend all my nights and mornings with my comrades before Moscow Pride."

KB: Tell us about your arrest at the 2011 Moscow Pride Parade.

AK: "I was arrested in a few seconds. Police attacked me from behind, turned out my arms and I found myself on my knees with my head near the ground. Somebody kicked my by my head 2-4 times and then I was led to a police car where counter protesters were and the correspondent of Novaya Gazeta Elena Kostyuchenko was. Elena came out at her blog at the day of Pride, took part in Moscow Pride, was beaten, was arrested, then she spent several days at a hospital and she is at home now. What about me: I got a brain concussion at Moscow Pride 2007 but this year I'm fine. So I'm glad. I think that I have to appear before a judge. Police filled all the forms when I was at the police station."

KB: Are there risks to being a activist in Russia?

AK: "I think that there is some risk to be an LGBTQ activist indeed. And I remember the soviet period of our history so I've never dreamed to be a public man. I'd like to be a photographer. But I can't hide my identity so I have to fight."

AK: "We hoped that Russia would follow the decision of ECHR. But if I knew earlier that authorities weren't going to authorise Moscow Pride even after the decision of ECHR I'd prefer to do all Prides as we did it in 2006, 2007 and in this year."

AK: "I realised once that the whole world is inside me. There is no any difference between a saint person and a murderer, between a poor person and between a rich person, between a poet and a sportsmen. A talented poet and a murderer, a poor and a rich, a sportsman and a homeless man are inside of me. Sometimes it seems to me that I'm able feel the whole world. It makes me closer to Hinduism. I'm Hindu."

AK: "I like queer theory, I reject gender and sex binary and fixed identities. I like monogamy families and I like poligamy families as well. I say that I'm a transgender, a genderqueer but really I'm totally queer."


KB: what are your plans for next Pride Parades?

AK: "What will be the next year? Nobody knows. We will see."


Anna Komarova interviewed by Andy Thayer Birth of a Transgender Movement in Russia



gayrussia.eu Pride press conference held today at Ritz-Carlton

Anna Komarova Facebook note "My speech about transgender rights at the press-conference of Moscow Gay Pride 2011."

europeanforum.net ECHR Rebukes Russia for Gay Pride Ban

novayagazeta.ru “We need ordinary flathead families to learn about gays”

6/4/11

Why the Hell is Queerty using the same Demoralizing Sprint Transgender Image?

Why does Queerty use this problematic image to promote its otherwise excellent article warning of the danger to the freedom of the Net resulting from the proposed T-Mobile and ATT Merger?

Because Queerty like most of gay media believes it can use the transgender community at will, regardless if its damaging as long as the outcome promotes the gay agenda.

The Queerty article does a great job pointing out the duplicity of the corporate funded Gay rights organization GLAAD, but it does so by publishing a picture a cisgender led company previously apologized for!

Queerty made no mention of GLAADS refusal to confront transphobia enabling the gay agenda like its own regurgitation of this picture, instead it used the low road actually promoting its argument with the same same transphobic picture!

GLAAD isn't alone ignoring us for a buck,

Pride at Work Facebook note "Why Mergers Matter for LGBT Workers makes no issue of the inflammatory picture or ATT's role in Tennessee's HB 600. Transsexual activist Michiko Ota Eyre comments on the note and makes a very good case for her objections on Pams House Blend

Gay people, its not embarrassing to be a woman.

When will we get the respect we deserve?

6/1/11

Press Release from Law Firm Representing Nikki Araguz Widow of the Deceased Firefighter

Below is the press release issued today to Fhyllabuster subscribers

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PRESS RELEASE


OFFICES OF FRYE AND ASSOCIATES
Contact Person: Angela Oaks, Partner
713-227-1717

aoaks@liberatinglaw.com

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Houston, Texas – the law firm of Frye and Associates, representing Nikki Paige Araguz in her legal quest for the sanctity of her marriage to Thomas Araguz, is disappointed with the decision from the 329th Judicial District Court in Wharton County. The decision denies Mrs. Araguz a portion of the death benefits allotted to the surviving spouse of Texas firefighters who die in the line of duty.

Our law firm asserted, and still believes, that the Texas Legislature's 2009 amendment to the Family Code in Section 2.005 (which allows a court ordered sex change to be used as proof of identity for the purposes of obtaining a marriage license) effected a legislative override of the 1999 Littleton v Prange case (which said that legal sex, for the purpose of marriage, is determined by a presumption that chromosomes are established at birth and cannot ever be legally changed).

Our assertions were presented to the District Court in our written response along with the affidavits from our legal expert and our medical expert. These three documents -- all public records -- will be posted on the homepage of our www.liberatinglaw.com web site by Friday, June 3rd.

An appeal with the Texas Court of Appeals in Corpus Christi, Texas, will be filed by our firm on behalf of Mrs. Araguz in a timely manner.

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