Arizona's Bill To Prosecute Transgender People Who Use The ‘Wrong’ Bathroom

Arizona Lawmaker Introduces Bill To Prosecute Transgender People Who Use The ‘Wrong’ Bathroom: pLast month, the City Council of Phoenix, Arizona passed sweeping nondiscrimination protections, ensuring that people have equal access to employment, housing, and public accommodations regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. One state lawmaker, Rep. John Kavanagh (R) is not pleased that transgender people will be protected when using the correct bathroom, and so [...]/p

Rep. Kavanagh goes on to say that we are not transgender, "we are Weird", of course this is what he thinks.  On into the article, he says "In Arizona, it is possible for transgender people to receive a new birth certificate* with their proper gender, but only if they undergo gender reassignment surgery, which not all trans people choose to pursue. In addition to being quite expensive, it also results in sterilization. Were Kavanagh’s bill to pass, trans people would have to sacrifice their ability to ever have children just to legally use the proper bathroom." 

There is also an issue that the Representative abhors men who voluntarily give up their gonads also gives up their male privileges as a sperm planter, and I would infer that for him, this is a God given right for all 'men' to impregnate a woman. What Rep. Kavanagh fails to see or understand is that trans people gladly give up that sexual ability in order to make their body and mind one, their strong desire to let go of the offending sex parts they don't want. Procreating is way down on the list of things to do on the mind of a trans person, male or female. He doesn't understand that for a trans woman it not the ability to give the sperm, is the reality that they can't birth their child, that's what a trans woman knows and understands. But they do know that they can adopt a child that a heterosexual couple has abused or given up; there is a child out there that would grow in love and understanding when raised by a gay couple.

Concerning the wording of "Chromosomal Count" I would like to believe they have taken into account all the variations that can be found, that it's not just XX or XY. For those people who are XXY and have been raised as female, will they be arrested once they have been identified as intersexed.

*Gender Identity Issues

Issues a new or amended birth certificate? Yes.
Arizona law permits a individual who has undergone sex-reassignment surgery or who has a chromosomal count that establishes that the individual’s sex is different than the information registered on his or her birth certificate to amend the birth certificate with 1) a written request for an amended birth certificate from the individual and 2) a written statement by a physician that verifies the sex-reassignment operation or chromosomal count.

Citation: ARIZ. REV. STAT. § 36-337(A)(3).

Updated: Tue, March 27, 2007 - 12:00:12

Life Renew

We all have to get one with our lives, and always it involves beginning again, starting over or what ever one calls it. But the one thing that I love to see is Spring! Spring and Mother Nature always surprises me with how she can change something that we, as human's try to mess up. New live springs up in the most unlikeliest of places, between cement blocks, in the rock and crevices, small trees in gutters; that kind of surprises.  I really needed to get back to my walking and so this morning was the day.

It really helps that my wife gave me an iPod for Christmas so that I can listen to my music as I walk and exercise, the other advantage is the camera takes great picture.  It's so much easier that lugging my big camera with me.  These are some shots that I took this morning.  You can tell that I love the colors of mornings and sunsets, I will never tire of their brilliance and displays.

These shrubs have grown over the years and there is beauty in their shape and form, but this picture shows the sadness of human nature in it's carelessness and intention to litter. Can't understand how people will deliberately litter our streets and yards with trash, as you can see the water bottle stuck in this tree's branches.

I call these the "Three Sisters", I have always wanted to get a picture of these in each season, that is Spring, in full summer and the brilliance of Fall, with the intention of putting them together.  And below is the walkway to the entrance of the West Hall, the main building on our campus here at Valdosta State. It's nice to see the flowing fountain as it add a sheer view of the entrance just behind.  The Azaleas you see have been in abundance this year, as they started to bloom in late February with what was a mild winter and has graces the city since with their color and variety.

Weekend Collision of Good Things.

     We sometimes find ourselves creating a weekend of collisions of good things, and they are all for a good cause; it just works out that way and we must deal with it.  So every year our town has the Azalea Festival, it's a two day affair of fun, sunshine and masses of blooming azalea bushes. The festival is a carnival atmosphere packed with vendor's selling homemade offerings that we must have, music, children's games, dog shows, you name it; it's probable here.

      Our PFLAG Chapter had a table this year, we weren't selling anything, or giving away prizes or candy; we just wanted to let the community know we are here and they gotta learn to deal with us.  This first photo is our celebration and reward for setting up the basics and tent.

This year I decided that we needed to up date and simply our PFLAG poster to show the issues in a more positive way, so I chose Safe Schools, some photo for the bathroom issue and support for same sex marriage.  Simply and straight forward I thought.

       There was quite a crowd of Saturday and a smaller one on Sunday.  We had great conversations with old and young, a few signed up for the email contact list and heard the story of how one young lady came out to her Grandmother after talking to one of our board members.  Very proud day and that one young lady made our weekend for us.  She just confirmed the reason why we need to be at the festival, be more visible in our communities and tell our stories.

        So that was part one of the weekend, another side story for us, was the interview Kay and I did with a student for her Sociology project Friday afternoon, before we set up the PFLAG table at the festival. As Advocates, we speak to several classes at the University (VSU) to tell our story of a Married Same Sex Couple in the state of Georgia and how that happened.  It's our story that we gladly share when asked.

                            

        But the Biggest story for me was being able to sing Haydn's Creation with a chorus of 120+ voices and full orchestra.  A performance like this always requires dedicated rehearsal hours; so for us it was one night a week for 9 weeks and 3 full rehearsals with orchestra before the performance on Saturday evening.  The final 'dress' rehearsal for me was of course Saturday morning for 2 1/2 hours, which meant that I could not be at the PFLAG table for the first hours of the festival.

   The soprano, was Tamara Hardesty, the bass, Nathan Stark and the tenor soloist was Mr. Stanford Olsen. I was particularly interested in meeting Mr. Olsen, (who is standing to the left of the conductor) as he has his Operatic debut in 1986, singing opposite Joan Sutherland, who I think, is one of the Queen's of the Metropolitan stage. His playful antics during the dress rehearsal made for a pleasant singing experience.

 

     It's always takes quite a lot of time, to put on a performance of such a grand scale, combining 3 University groups, and 2 community groups; but the performance was grand indeed.

The Pathologization of Trans* Identity

The Pathologization of Trans* Identity

"We must remind ourselves of the most fundamental principles of gender and transness -- your body is not your gender; your physical sex is not your fate. If you can be a man with breast tissue and a vagina, if you can be a woman with a penis, you can be trans* with whatever body you possess, whether you choose to alter it drastically or maintain it the way it is."

Cool or Controversial? New 'Coming Out' Video for Youth

Cool or Controversial? New 'Coming Out' Video for Youth

I think this is a great visual help for those who are asking, great advise, good common sense and simple message.  What do you think