By Sherman Leis
Dr. Sherman Leis, founder of the Philadelphia Center for Transgender Surgery, lists the reasons why he believes that 2010 was a watershed year for the transgender community.
1) A growing number of female-to-male (FTM) transitions.
Once only thought to be the province of males transitioning to females (MTF), a recent study showed that the transitioned male and female populations will equal each other within the next five years.
2) Growing acceptance of Gender Identity Disorder (GID) as a credible medical condition, instead of mistaking it to be a psychological disorder or perversion.
3) More conventional healthcare insurance policies are including transgender surgery and health needs in coverage, regardless of whether Obamacare is implemented or not.
4) The transgender community is gaining momentum to stand on its own and getting out from under the umbrella of the gay and lesbian community, except when it comes to fighting for human rights and dignity.
5) The U.S. is becoming a world center for transgender surgery as more trans patients from around the world are coming here for surgery. Although Asia and Europe still perform more trans surgeries overall, the growth trend is in favor of the United States.
6) More seniors are having transgender surgery. As society becomes more accepting, more seniors are making the commitment to realize their lifelong dream, including this one, the "world’s oldest transgender."
7) The most commonly performed surgical procedure for Male-To-Female transgender patients continues to be genital reassignment, although facial feminization procedures are a close second.
8) The most commonly performed surgical procedure for Female-To-Male transgender patients is breast removal and masculinization of the chest.
9) New medical innovations, such as micro surgery, the harmonic scalpel, radio-wave surgery, improved flap techniques, and new bio-medical materials like cellular dermal matrix products, will continue to make transgender surgery safer, with more realistic and functional results.
10) Trans people are becoming more accepted into pop culture, ads, TV shows, music, politics etc.
source
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Mixner's Year in Review: The LGBT Community
What a year for the LGBT community. There were times where everything looked bleak and hopeless and then suddenly times of great triumph. On any given day you didn't know what was going to unfold in our struggle for equal rights. Grassroots activism achieved a new energy in this turbulent year and many new faces and names joined the roster of heroes and heroines of the movement. The courts surprisingly became a place of hope and the President and Congress at the very last minute (literally!) achieved a Christmas miracle.
So here are some my highlights for the past year of the people we should celebrate, those who should go into the Hall of Shame and events and times we should never forget.
Persons of the Year: David Bois and Ted Olson
These two remarkable lawyers represented all that was good with this year. From two totally opposite ideological homes, they came together to fight for full equality in the courts by taking on the Proposition 8 case. In the process, they took a political movement and made it a civil rights moment for millions of straight Americans. Their poise, brilliance and gentleness were an inspiration for us all.
Gay Man of the Year: Chad Griffin
Working with Rob and Michelle Reiner, Chad Griffin took the concept of bringing together Ted Olson and David Bois and going to court to repeal Proposition 8 and made it a reality. He quietly and with great perseverance overcame many obstacles and raised millions for this historic case. In the beginning, even dozens of the most prominent national organizations and leaders urged him to drop the endeavor. Who among us will ever forget the day that decision came down from Judge Vaughn Walker's court.
Lesbian of the Year: Robin McGehee
Robin became the poster child of the new activism in the American LGBT community. Through get GetEQUAL she arranged protests all over the country from Washington, DC to San Francisco. She has shown a remarkable organizer's skill in negotiating the treacherous waters of LGBT grassroots politics. She represents a new generation of leadership with passion, principles and a great family to boot!
Story of the Year: Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Yes, I know we have not fully repealed DADT but getting it through Congress was a Christmas miracle. This effort had more lives than a cat. One day it was dead and then the next day we were on the verge of victory. The White House mobilized Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen to put the power of the Joint Chiefs behind the effort. And in Congress the persistence of people like Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Harry Reid, Congressman Patrick Murphy, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senator Mark Udall and Senator Lieberman gave us an historic victory like none other.
Heroes and Heroines of the Year: The LGBT Veterans
Represented by people like Lt. Dan Choi and so many other distinguished service people and led by SLDN and Servicemembers United, these veterans inspired not only us by their endless courage and sacrifice but also inspired the Congress and the nation. Rarely have we witnessed such day in and day out raw courage.
Entertainer of the Year: Alan Cumming
Across the board, singer and actor Alan Cumming has had a spectacular year. From the release of his successful album " I Brought A Blue Car Today" to his Emmy-nominated performance in "The Good Wife," this had been Alan's year. In addition, he had a cabaret performance at Feinstein's at Loew's Regency in New York City which opened to rave reviews. In Alan's spare time he was in the forefront helping with FightBack New York and dozens of benefits for other LGBT causes.
Organization of the Year: Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund
One should judge an organization on results and effective use of our donations. No one can come close to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund in both those criteria. They won 2/3 of their races this year for a grand total of 106 victories! The organization continues with the best candidate training program in the country. Increasingly they are building a network of elected and appointed officials that means real power. Nothing can replace that famous seat at the table.
source
So here are some my highlights for the past year of the people we should celebrate, those who should go into the Hall of Shame and events and times we should never forget.
Persons of the Year: David Bois and Ted Olson
These two remarkable lawyers represented all that was good with this year. From two totally opposite ideological homes, they came together to fight for full equality in the courts by taking on the Proposition 8 case. In the process, they took a political movement and made it a civil rights moment for millions of straight Americans. Their poise, brilliance and gentleness were an inspiration for us all.
Gay Man of the Year: Chad Griffin
Working with Rob and Michelle Reiner, Chad Griffin took the concept of bringing together Ted Olson and David Bois and going to court to repeal Proposition 8 and made it a reality. He quietly and with great perseverance overcame many obstacles and raised millions for this historic case. In the beginning, even dozens of the most prominent national organizations and leaders urged him to drop the endeavor. Who among us will ever forget the day that decision came down from Judge Vaughn Walker's court.
Lesbian of the Year: Robin McGehee
Robin became the poster child of the new activism in the American LGBT community. Through get GetEQUAL she arranged protests all over the country from Washington, DC to San Francisco. She has shown a remarkable organizer's skill in negotiating the treacherous waters of LGBT grassroots politics. She represents a new generation of leadership with passion, principles and a great family to boot!
Story of the Year: Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Yes, I know we have not fully repealed DADT but getting it through Congress was a Christmas miracle. This effort had more lives than a cat. One day it was dead and then the next day we were on the verge of victory. The White House mobilized Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen to put the power of the Joint Chiefs behind the effort. And in Congress the persistence of people like Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Harry Reid, Congressman Patrick Murphy, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senator Mark Udall and Senator Lieberman gave us an historic victory like none other.
Heroes and Heroines of the Year: The LGBT Veterans
Represented by people like Lt. Dan Choi and so many other distinguished service people and led by SLDN and Servicemembers United, these veterans inspired not only us by their endless courage and sacrifice but also inspired the Congress and the nation. Rarely have we witnessed such day in and day out raw courage.
Entertainer of the Year: Alan Cumming
Across the board, singer and actor Alan Cumming has had a spectacular year. From the release of his successful album " I Brought A Blue Car Today" to his Emmy-nominated performance in "The Good Wife," this had been Alan's year. In addition, he had a cabaret performance at Feinstein's at Loew's Regency in New York City which opened to rave reviews. In Alan's spare time he was in the forefront helping with FightBack New York and dozens of benefits for other LGBT causes.
Organization of the Year: Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund
One should judge an organization on results and effective use of our donations. No one can come close to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund in both those criteria. They won 2/3 of their races this year for a grand total of 106 victories! The organization continues with the best candidate training program in the country. Increasingly they are building a network of elected and appointed officials that means real power. Nothing can replace that famous seat at the table.
source
DC Cardinal Says Catholic Church Won't Evaluate DADT
The archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, made an appearnace on "Fox News Sunday" to discuss "don't ask, don't tell," marriage and the Catholic Church. When asked about the repeal of DADT, he responded that this was something that the Church would not look into.
"That is a question that has to be worked out politically. And there isn't a specific Catholic Church position but whatever happens, it has to be seen in terms of the church's teaching position. And that is, human sexuality is something that is supposed to be exercised responsibly and within the context of marriage."
"What the church is concerned about and what it brings to this debate, this discussion, are two realities. One, the understanding the long, long teaching of the church that every human being is worthy of respect. Then you also have to take the rest of the Gospel message, the rest of Jesus's message that human sexuality has a purpose. And this is not for simply personal satisfaction. Human sexuality has to be seen in the context of the great gift of love, marriage, family."
"We want to be able to work with everybody and to continue to serve as we do, everybody. And so when we are asked to redefine marriage, we can't do that. ... If you change that definition and then insist that we now follow a new definition, we're going to be limited.
After marriage equality came to Washington, DC earlier this year, Wuerl decided to end the archdiocese's foster care program rather than issue licenses to same-sex couples.
And what does he think about the way in which the Catholic Church dealt with its continuing sexual abuse scandal?
"I think it's one of the great accomplishments of the church. It recognized there was a serious problem. It dealt with it forthright and then moved on to see that we're in a much, much better place, a much safer place today."
source
"That is a question that has to be worked out politically. And there isn't a specific Catholic Church position but whatever happens, it has to be seen in terms of the church's teaching position. And that is, human sexuality is something that is supposed to be exercised responsibly and within the context of marriage."
"What the church is concerned about and what it brings to this debate, this discussion, are two realities. One, the understanding the long, long teaching of the church that every human being is worthy of respect. Then you also have to take the rest of the Gospel message, the rest of Jesus's message that human sexuality has a purpose. And this is not for simply personal satisfaction. Human sexuality has to be seen in the context of the great gift of love, marriage, family."
"We want to be able to work with everybody and to continue to serve as we do, everybody. And so when we are asked to redefine marriage, we can't do that. ... If you change that definition and then insist that we now follow a new definition, we're going to be limited.
After marriage equality came to Washington, DC earlier this year, Wuerl decided to end the archdiocese's foster care program rather than issue licenses to same-sex couples.
And what does he think about the way in which the Catholic Church dealt with its continuing sexual abuse scandal?
"I think it's one of the great accomplishments of the church. It recognized there was a serious problem. It dealt with it forthright and then moved on to see that we're in a much, much better place, a much safer place today."
source
Gay Coal Miner Sues Energy Co. for Failing to Respond to Fellow Miners' Anti-Gay Death Threats, Harassment
A gay coal miner in West Virginia is suing his employer, a subsisdiary of Massey Energy Co., for on-the-job anti-gay harassment. Here's what Sam Hall (not the miner pictured) claims he was subjected to:
Hall claims management was negligent in its response to his complaints about the harassment. The energy company's president Shane Harvey responded, "They are serious allegations, and we take them seriously. We are going to investigate it, and if any of them are true, we are going to take action swiftly to remedy the situation. However, at this stage, they are just allegations, and we are going into the investigation with an open mind."
The suit seeks "unspecified damages for lost wages and emotional distress."
source
After Hall went horseback riding with a co-worker, the mine's superintendent, Scott Lansenese, allegedly said that Hall had a "Brokeback Mountain" moment, a reference to the Academy Award-winning 2005 film about the relationship between two gay cowboys.
The alleged harassment continued at Spartan's No. 130 Mine, where Hall began working in June 2007, according to the suit. Mark Delung, a chief electrician, used homophobic slurs and wrote them on Hall's dinner bucket and then mine's power center, Hall alleges. When he complained, and management told Delung to stop, the harassment escalated, including vandalism of Hall's car, where co-workers attached a sign that read, "I like little boys," according to the suit.
When Hall went to work at No. 2 Gas Mine, he was again submitted to abuse, according to the suit. Co-workers allegedly shook their penises at Hall underground, and when they were told to stop or be fired, the situation escalated, with slurs being written on his locker.
For three months in early 2009, Hall worked at No. 5 Block Mine, where the superintendent knew him from the Winifrede mine and would laugh at the abuse directed at Hall, the suit maintains. Hall became worried when the slurs escalated to violent threats, including "I would like to see all [expletive] die."
The suit seeks "unspecified damages for lost wages and emotional distress."
source
Schools take steps to protect students from bullying
By Christine Rogel crogel@lcsun-news.com
LAS CRUCES - Christopher Burton understands how cruel kids can be. He said he was "tormented" for his appearance, experiencing beatings and receiving life-threatening letters from gang members.
"Bullying has always been a part of my life since I started going to school," said Burton, an openly gay senior at Las Cruces High School. "I was Tased in school - on school property - by another student. This was the same student who had just been bullying me the entire time I was in middle school."
According to statistics provided by the Family Pride Foundation, an advocacy agency for at-risk youth, 28 percent of gay youth drop out of school because of physical or verbal harassment, and gay youth are six times more likely than straight teens to attempt suicide.
Bullying not only targets youth who are gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual, but all children considered different by their peers.
In Las Cruces Public Schools, between 15 percent and 20 percent of students have been bullied and between 15 percent to 25 percent of students have bullied others, according to Nancy Parker a counselor at Camino Real Middle School who is helping launch a districtwide, anti-bullying initiative. In middle school specifically, where bullying behavior tends to peak, 30 percent of students experience bullying.
"The district has made a commitment to revisiting this because right now it's a matter of life and death. That's just how serious this is," Parker said. "It's become pervasive, it is ongoing. It is almost the new normal. And that scares the dickens out of me."
12-point plan
The program, called Bully Proofing our Schools, involves a 12-point plan for addressing bullying, said Martin Greer, lead supervising school psychologist and supervisor of counseling and guidance services for LCPS.
"We are really trying to emphasis this isn't a one-time training. We want teachers and kids to understand that we are going to be consistently on this, we want to keep it up," he said.
The program includes updating the disciplinary plan, training students and staff and working with parents. It also involves collecting new data, and the district plans to launch an online bullying survey that schools can access. At Camino Real Middle School, there is a more extensive data collection project, involving focus groups to document student experiences.
"The message is that we're not going to support bullying and we'll exercise discipline on those that do," Superintendent Stan Rounds said. "We want a good road map so we're consistent and reasonable in our approach. The end game is we want to stop it."
Ebb and flow
Bullying escalates in third grade, becomes most prevalent in middle school and then starts to diminish in high school, Parker said. Statistics for high school students may be lower because students drop out because they feel unsafe, insecure and unhappy as a result of being bullied, she said.
Greer said that some students bully for social power, others because they come from dysfunctional families and others because of abuse. Greer said part of the Bully Proofing our Schools program involves psychological screenings to evaluate bullies for aggressive tendencies and victims for depression, anger, suicidal thinking, retaliation and the level of trauma.
If left unchecked, kids who are bullied can suffer from depression and anxiety into adulthood, Greer said.
This type of trauma led to a school shooting at Zia Middle School in 1992.
"Fortunately the other student survived and recovered, but essentially the kid was tired of being bullied," Greer said.
School programs
Along with the new districtwide initiative, schools handle bullying on an individual basis, hosting programs that inform students and encouraging them to speak out against bullying behavior.
At Picacho Middle School, a group of students participated in a two-day training with the Safe School Ambassadors program, a national program that trains bystanders to speak up. At San Andres High School, media students produced an anti-bullying video. At Valley View Elementary School, students performed skits on bullying and Conlee Elementary School students signed an anti-bullying pledge and marched in an anti-bullying parade.
Student groups are another important piece in creating a positive school environment. At Las Cruces High School, members of the pom squad and students with hair dyed pink participate in the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) which aims to promote solidarity, faculty sponsor Daniel Ruben said.
While the club's mission is honorable, it's not always easy.
"We can't keep up GSA posters on the walls at school," Ruben said. "They get torn down very quickly."
Ruben said that when he first decided to sponsor the club, bullying was not a primary concern, but since then it has become weekly topic.
"As trust was formed, that's when people started staying after and saying, 'Hey, Mr. Ruben, this is happening in this class," he said.
Christopher De La Rosa, president of the Las Cruces High School GSA, said he wants to create a safe haven for any student who needs it.
Burton, a senior, said the support of the GSA was ''incredible."
"Just knowing there are people in the school that understand what we go through, and even though we suffer the slings and arrows of insults and horrific scenes, or beatings, we just know there are people there that can pick us back up and stand in front of us or beside us and tell these people, 'no, they are just like you and me, they just have an different opinion of life,'" he said.
"Bullying, I've seen it all my life. And it hurts, but I've learned that bullying has no affect on my soul because the people that I love and care about are there for me and are able to support me," Burton said.
Christine Rogel can be reached at (575) 541-5424.
Warning signs of bullying
•Avoiding certain situations, people or places.
•Pretending to be sick so that he or she doesn't have to go to school.
•Changes in behavior, such as being withdrawn and passive, being overly active and aggressive, or being self-destructive.
•Frequent crying or feeling sad.
•Signs of low self-esteem.
•Being unwilling to speak or showing signs of fear when asked about certain situations, people, or places.
•Signs of injuries.
•Suddenly receiving lower grades or showing signs of learning problems.
•Recurrent unexplained physical symptoms such as stomach pains and fatigue.
Source: Stop Bullying Now! - http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Warning_Signs_that_Your_Child/
source
LAS CRUCES - Christopher Burton understands how cruel kids can be. He said he was "tormented" for his appearance, experiencing beatings and receiving life-threatening letters from gang members.
"Bullying has always been a part of my life since I started going to school," said Burton, an openly gay senior at Las Cruces High School. "I was Tased in school - on school property - by another student. This was the same student who had just been bullying me the entire time I was in middle school."
According to statistics provided by the Family Pride Foundation, an advocacy agency for at-risk youth, 28 percent of gay youth drop out of school because of physical or verbal harassment, and gay youth are six times more likely than straight teens to attempt suicide.
Bullying not only targets youth who are gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual, but all children considered different by their peers.
In Las Cruces Public Schools, between 15 percent and 20 percent of students have been bullied and between 15 percent to 25 percent of students have bullied others, according to Nancy Parker a counselor at Camino Real Middle School who is helping launch a districtwide, anti-bullying initiative. In middle school specifically, where bullying behavior tends to peak, 30 percent of students experience bullying.
"The district has made a commitment to revisiting this because right now it's a matter of life and death. That's just how serious this is," Parker said. "It's become pervasive, it is ongoing. It is almost the new normal. And that scares the dickens out of me."
12-point plan
The program, called Bully Proofing our Schools, involves a 12-point plan for addressing bullying, said Martin Greer, lead supervising school psychologist and supervisor of counseling and guidance services for LCPS.
"We are really trying to emphasis this isn't a one-time training. We want teachers and kids to understand that we are going to be consistently on this, we want to keep it up," he said.
The program includes updating the disciplinary plan, training students and staff and working with parents. It also involves collecting new data, and the district plans to launch an online bullying survey that schools can access. At Camino Real Middle School, there is a more extensive data collection project, involving focus groups to document student experiences.
"The message is that we're not going to support bullying and we'll exercise discipline on those that do," Superintendent Stan Rounds said. "We want a good road map so we're consistent and reasonable in our approach. The end game is we want to stop it."
Ebb and flow
Bullying escalates in third grade, becomes most prevalent in middle school and then starts to diminish in high school, Parker said. Statistics for high school students may be lower because students drop out because they feel unsafe, insecure and unhappy as a result of being bullied, she said.
Greer said that some students bully for social power, others because they come from dysfunctional families and others because of abuse. Greer said part of the Bully Proofing our Schools program involves psychological screenings to evaluate bullies for aggressive tendencies and victims for depression, anger, suicidal thinking, retaliation and the level of trauma.
If left unchecked, kids who are bullied can suffer from depression and anxiety into adulthood, Greer said.
This type of trauma led to a school shooting at Zia Middle School in 1992.
"Fortunately the other student survived and recovered, but essentially the kid was tired of being bullied," Greer said.
School programs
Along with the new districtwide initiative, schools handle bullying on an individual basis, hosting programs that inform students and encouraging them to speak out against bullying behavior.
At Picacho Middle School, a group of students participated in a two-day training with the Safe School Ambassadors program, a national program that trains bystanders to speak up. At San Andres High School, media students produced an anti-bullying video. At Valley View Elementary School, students performed skits on bullying and Conlee Elementary School students signed an anti-bullying pledge and marched in an anti-bullying parade.
Student groups are another important piece in creating a positive school environment. At Las Cruces High School, members of the pom squad and students with hair dyed pink participate in the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) which aims to promote solidarity, faculty sponsor Daniel Ruben said.
While the club's mission is honorable, it's not always easy.
"We can't keep up GSA posters on the walls at school," Ruben said. "They get torn down very quickly."
Ruben said that when he first decided to sponsor the club, bullying was not a primary concern, but since then it has become weekly topic.
"As trust was formed, that's when people started staying after and saying, 'Hey, Mr. Ruben, this is happening in this class," he said.
Christopher De La Rosa, president of the Las Cruces High School GSA, said he wants to create a safe haven for any student who needs it.
Burton, a senior, said the support of the GSA was ''incredible."
"Just knowing there are people in the school that understand what we go through, and even though we suffer the slings and arrows of insults and horrific scenes, or beatings, we just know there are people there that can pick us back up and stand in front of us or beside us and tell these people, 'no, they are just like you and me, they just have an different opinion of life,'" he said.
"Bullying, I've seen it all my life. And it hurts, but I've learned that bullying has no affect on my soul because the people that I love and care about are there for me and are able to support me," Burton said.
Christine Rogel can be reached at (575) 541-5424.
Warning signs of bullying
•Avoiding certain situations, people or places.
•Pretending to be sick so that he or she doesn't have to go to school.
•Changes in behavior, such as being withdrawn and passive, being overly active and aggressive, or being self-destructive.
•Frequent crying or feeling sad.
•Signs of low self-esteem.
•Being unwilling to speak or showing signs of fear when asked about certain situations, people, or places.
•Signs of injuries.
•Suddenly receiving lower grades or showing signs of learning problems.
•Recurrent unexplained physical symptoms such as stomach pains and fatigue.
Source: Stop Bullying Now! - http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Warning_Signs_that_Your_Child/
source
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