Texas A&M Adds Non-Discrimination for Gender Expression

“… the university has developed an Affirmative Action Program that documents the policies, practices and procedures to support equal treatment for all applicants and employees and assure, in good faith, equal access and affirmative action for women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans at all levels of its workforce. It is our policy to not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Furthermore, we will maintain a work environment free from discrimination of the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.”

News Story:  http://www.houstini.com/texas-am-to-end-employment-discrimination-on-the-basis-of-gender-identity-or-expression-1091056.html

A&M Memo: http://employees.tamu.edu/docs/employment/hiring/AM_AAPMemo.pdf

Gender Neutral Restrooms in Higher Education

From Amplify

Imagine a life in which even the simplest tasks are rendered impossible. A life in which going to a public restroom is dangerous because you could be harassed, beaten, even arrested. Perhaps in this existence you are afraid to go to college, because the idea of living with a stranger in a dorm room is terrifying.

How do institutions in Lubbock stack up?

Read the whole thing at http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org/youthresource/genderneutral

Lance Bass and the Word “Tranny”

“Why We Shouldn’t Use the Word ‘Tranny’,” by Lance Bass. Huffington Post, 23 Dec 2011, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lance-bass/why-we-shouldnt-use-the-word-tranny_b_1168078.html

 

Nice piece about words and about the role of the media (and yes, the gay media) in flaming blunders like this one. Bass’s tone is spot on and this piece is well worth reading.

Historic vote extends EU asylum standards to transgender people

Today the European Parliament formally adopted a new set of asylum rules for the European Union. The binding rules now include gender identity as a ground of persecution, which EU Member States must take into account. Governments have already agreed to the changes, which are final.

Oct 27th, 2011

read the whole announcement:  http://www.lgbt-ep.eu/press-releases/historic-vote-extends-eu-asylum-standards-to-transgender-people/

“All Children Matter” Report

Public discussion about American families often assumes the nation is largely made up of married heterosexual couples raising their biological children. Yet less than a quarter of all U.S. households fall into this category. Today’s children may be raised by grandparents, single parents, stepparents, aunts, uncles or foster parents. Their parents may be married or unmarried; they may be heterosexual or lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT).

Unfortunately, public policy has not kept up with the changing reality of the American family. Indeed, our laws and discourse largely ignore the roughly two million children being raised by a parent or parents who are LGBT. They also ignore children in other family configurations, such as those with unmarried heterosexual parents. As a result, many Americans are unaware of the ways in which unequal treatment and social stigma harm the millions of children whose families do not fit into a certain mold.

To learn more about these families and how you can help tackle the challenges they face, please visit the report’s website: http://www.familyequality.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AllChildren_Report

Chaz Bono “Dangerous for Kids to Watch”

Dr. Keith Ablow recommends that we protect our children from seeing trans people on TV — for their own good:

Don’t Let Your Kids Watch Chaz Bono On ‘Dancing With the Stars’ 

You’ll have to read the whole thing, but here’s a taste of some of Dr. Ablow’s insight and wisdom:

The last thing vulnerable children and adolescents need, as they wrestle with the normal process of establishing their identities, is to watch a captive crowd in a studio audience applaud on cue for someone whose search for an identity culminated with the removal of her breasts, the injection of steroids and, perhaps one day soon, the fashioning of a make-shift phallus to replace her vagina.