Transgender Today

East Point adds protections for gay, transgender workers

Sara — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 21:19:51 +0000

By April Hunt

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

East Point has become just the second city in Fulton County — and one of a handful statewide — to adopt protections for its gay and transgender employees.

The local law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, approved by the City Council earlier this week, is almost an afterthought in a city that has offered same-sex domestic partner benefits for employees since 2005.

The city charter also includes a Bill of Rights section that says the city will not adopt any laws that intentionally discriminate against gays and lesbians.

“We had to make sure that we had a good policy in place for employee protection,” said Lance Rhodes, the openly gay councilman who championed the measure. “We have to talk about what’s good for all of our employees.”

The unanimous vote came just a month after two openly gay candidates posted strong showings in City Council elections, though not enough to win office.

In recent years, the city has gained a reputation as gay-friendly, which has led to some conflicts in and out of City Hall. The domestic partner benefit, for instance, won on a 4-3 vote.

Councilman Greg Fann was among those who cast dissenting votes in 2005 on the domestic partner benefit. This week, one of his last votes on the council was to approve the nondiscrimination policy.

Fann, a minister at Liberty International Church, said he supported the latest measure out of a sense of fairness.

“My religious values do not afford me to agree with an alternative lifestyle, but that does not mean you can discriminate against someone for that lifestyle,” Fann said. “I do not believe in discrimination, period.”

This week’s vote caps a flurry of similar laws adopted in the past two years by cities in the metro area.

Just last month, Chamblee joined Atlanta, Clarkston, Decatur and Doraville in prohibiting discrimination against gay employees.

In addition to East Point, only Atlanta, Decatur and Doraville extend that protection to transgender workers, or those whose outward appearance or gender identity doesn’t match their gender at birth.

“I hope some of our elected officials are realizing our gay and lesbian community is growing so much they can’t ignore them,” Rhodes said.

Uncommon decency

Sara — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 21:15:25 +0000

Transgender women prepare to file lawsuit in response to treatment in D.C. jails

by Yusef Najafi – Metro Weekly

In August 2007, D.C. announced the firing of three corrections officers for wrongfully placing a transgender inmate, who had female genitalia, in a male jail facility — ignoring her pleas to be moved throughout her two-day stay. Transgender activist Ruby Corado was one of many at the time advocating for a change in booking procedures.

”There’s really no guidelines that are in place on how to deal with transgender individuals,” Corado, a member of the D.C. Trans Coalition, said at the time. ”And the bigger [issue] is people are arrested, booked, and then… housed in the wrong section of the jails [where] they just get victimized over and over again.”

With that in mind, Corado was not surprised to find herself in a male facility after a March 1 arrest for ‘’simple assault,” which she says was the end result of an argument with her boyfriend.

And though she preferred not to, Corado says sharing a jail cell with several men overnight was something she could handle. But it was what happened upon entry that has pushed the 37-year-old D.C. resident to consider legal action against the city’s Department of Corrections.

”The marshal kept saying, ‘What do we have under here?’ because I have big breasts,” Corado says, ”and… then he strip searched me in this little room where they put a bunch of guys — where you’re basically at their mercy.”

Corado says she was also asked to urinate in a cup, standing up, again in front of everyone else.

Ruby Corado

”We have fought very hard to make discrimination against LGBT people illegal, but it’s very clear that this was intimidation,” she says. ”It really wouldn’t take more than a second to take me to a room where there isn’t [several] inmates looking at me get strip searched.”

Once she was released from confinement — she and her boyfriend each declined to press charges against the other, thereby ending the matter — Corado says it was not hard to find more than 20 other local transgender women who had suffered similar experiences, to join her effort.

”I have about 20 girls and we are searching for lawyers to represent us, and we’re going to file a class-action suit,” Corado says. ”There is no reason why this should be going on.” The group is currently seeking pro bono attorneys for representation and is considering approaching the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Though he could not comment specifically on Corado’s case, Fritz Mulhauser, a staff attorney at the ACLU of the National Capital Area, a local affiliate of the national organization, says he advises anyone who feels the government has infringed a basic right to contact the organization and hinted that Corado may have a case.

”Problems with police and jails are a longstanding part of ACLU work here and everywhere,” Mulhauser says. ”We’ve been involved in suits over medical care, illegal strip searches, and other bad treatment of those locked up in D.C. Jail. And we have represented people challenging many different kinds of unconstitutional treatment by police.”

The ACLU offers trained telephone counselors and staff attorneys on duty to steer callers in the right direction, though representation is not a guarantee, Mulhauser warns.

”The Fourth Amendment … protects us all against unreasonable search and seizure and those four glorious words are among the greatest foundations of liberty,” he adds.

The prospective class action lawsuit is not about money, says Jeri Hughes, a local resident who is also a member of D.C. Trans Coalition.

”These women want to be afforded dignity,” she says. ”If the [DOC] is willing to institute the proper policies and provide these women with dignity, I believe legal action will be avoided. If they don’t, you can be fairly certain that it will [not be avoided].”

According to Hughes, the DOC has on more than one occasion violated Chapter 8 Title 4 of D.C. Municipal Regulations, entitled ”Compliance Rules and Regulations Regarding Gender Identity or Expression.”

Under ”Gender-Specific Facilities Where Nudity in the Presence of Others is Customary,” the regulation proclaims, ”entities covered by the Act shall make reasonable accommodations to allow an individual access to and the use of the facility that is consistent with that individual’s gender identity or expression, regardless of whether the individual has provided identification or other documentation of their gender identity or expression.”

Hughes, and two other members of D.C. Trans Coalition, met with representatives of the DOC on Wednesday, March 19.

”Essentially, we made demands that they comply with the law, and we also offered suggestions on ways they could do that,” Hughes says, regarding topics such as strip searches, similar to Corado’s experience.

”These are women with double-D [breasts], fully formed females… and they’re made to disrobe in front of men. It’s degrading, and it has to stop.”

Hughes says representatives from the DOC were ”pretty regimented as far as they did not want to change.”

”Essentially the reason that the director gave was that, that’s how they do it, and they don’t have the resources to do it otherwise.”

Maria Amado, one of the DOC representatives present at the meeting, said she could not speak on behalf of the DOC, and directed all questions to Christopher Dyer, the Director for the Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs.

Dyer was also present during Wednesday’s meeting, what he describes as the first ”formal meeting” between the group and the DOC.

”The issues that [members of the D.C. Trans Coalition] raise are complicated and it is going to be a process that we’re engaging in, that hopefully we’ll be able to continue to collaborate and work with them in order to address their concerns,” Dyer says, adding that the next meeting hasn’t been scheduled but is expected in the ”next couple of months.

”It’s my understanding that there are no current jurisdictions [or] prisons in the country that have a policy and we’re trying to work with the [DOC] to come up with [one]. It’s my hope that we can do that and continue this process.”

Dyer could not offer a comment regarding Corado’s lawsuit.

”Treatment of trans individuals by D.C. police and our jail [system] is a continuing issue,” says Mulhauser, citing access to hormone therapy, access to visitation, and sexual assault inside the facility.

”The law in D.C. prohibits discrimination against transgender persons, so that’s a very good starting point, unlike in many other parts of the country.”

Pakistani eunuchs to have distinct gender

Sara — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:30:55 +0000

BBC News

Pakistan’s Supreme Court says eunuchs must be allowed to identify themselves as a distinct gender in order to ensure their rights.

The eunuchs, known as “hijras” in Pakistan, are men castrated at an early age for medical or social reasons.

The court said they should be issued with national identity cards showing their distinct gender.

The government has also been ordered to take steps to ensure they are entitled to inherit property.

‘Respect and identity’

There are estimated to be about 300,000 hijras in Pakistan and they are generally shunned by the largely Muslim conservative society.

Eunuchs are seen as social outcasts by Pakistan's largely conservative society

They tend to live together in slum communities, surviving through begging and by dancing at weddings and carnivals.

A hijra association has welcomed the order, saying it is “a major step giving respect and identity in society”.

Indian authorities last month agreed to list eunuchs and transgender people by using the term “others”, distinct from males and females, on electoral rolls and voter identity cards, after a long-running campaign by the members of the community.

Embrace diversity of transgenders

Sara — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:56:00 +0000

From New Strait Times

Since the media went to town with Fatine Young’s immigration dilemma, questions have arisen on whether our society lacks compassion and kindness when it comes to transgenders. AUDREY VIJAINDREN speaks to experts and religious leaders who believe it’s time Malaysians vacate the judgement seat and adopt a more sympathetic approach.

RUDE whistling from passing cars, derogatory name-calling and warding off items that are hurled in their direction are only some of the many things Malaysian transgenders have had to live with for years.

The story of transsexual Fatine Young, 36, who married a British man and is about to be deported to Malaysia for overstaying, is yet another plight of a transgender.

But as the world evolves and society advances, is it time we got off our high horses and started acting more humane? Whether their courage and lifestyle is right or wrong, admirable or sinful, do transgenders deserve less respect and dignity than anyone else?

PT acting executive director and Pink Triangle programme director, Raymond Tai, believes there is much misunderstanding and ignorance among many Malaysians regarding transgenders.

“There is so much misconception on what it means to be a transgender, transsexual, transvestite or gay. Because people do not understand what each term means, there is confusion and a tendency to make moral judgments.

“Transgender is the third gender and is often for life. A transvestite on the other hand is just a fetish to cross dress occasionally. Transsexual is a subset of a transgender, and often implies those who are on some form of hormone treatment, have done plastic surgery or sexual reassignment.

“Those of us who have a relative or friend who is a transgender will find that they are no different from mainstream society and that their ‘transgender being’ is just part of their whole identity.”

Tai says the general perception of transgenders is that they lead an immoral life.

“Because most Malaysians’ main contact with transsexuals are those they see on the street doing sex work or in performances, their impression of a transsexual is based on what they read in the media.

“Unfortunately, most local media portray transsexuals in a negative light, stereotyped as dishonest sex workers who steal and con their clients, and are irresponsible and irreverent.”

The public view, he says, does affect the psychological and emotional state of a transgender.

“Given that most transsexuals face a hostile environment all their lives, many are conditioned to accept themselves as deviants in society and are unable to play a constructive role in it. Their self esteem is low.

“Many gather in urban ghettos to be with other transsexuals, indulging in the only job they know how and are appreciated in — sex work.”

Tai says transgenders face stigma and discrimination from a very young age.

“They are forced to behave and dress according to their biological sex from young, teased and shunned by neighbourhood children and at school, and are unable to express their gender preference at school, college or the workplace.

“Most transsexuals never get past the job interview because of how they look and behave. Their relatives, community and religious leaders lecture them on how they need to reform — to be ’saved’.”

Obstacles in their lives don’t just end there.

“Those who are on hormone treatment, have breast transplants, and sex reassignment surgery spend their life savings for the treatment, instead of saving up for an education or a home.

“If not done correctly, these treatments and surgeries often result in complications and harmful side effects that are life threatening. Sex reassignment surgeries are also not allowed in Malaysia, making these operations tedious and expensive.

“Those who wish to practise their faith find themselves ostracised from most churches and mosques.

“Most are unable to change their sex assignment in their birth certificates, identity cards, driving licences and passports — even if they may have had a sex change or look every bit like a woman.

“This affects their applications for jobs, housing and bank loans, and scholarships. And of course they face enormous challenges in finding a life partner, and even more should they want to get married. And what about those who wish to adopt children? It is almost impossible,” he says.

Tai is convinced that transgenders face countless challenges even in death.

“They face many legal and religious obstacles — are they to be given a woman or man’s last rites? How can their spouse benefit from their estate and savings when the law does not recognise their relationship?”

Having an open mind, he says, can help change the general stigma tied to them.

“Malaysians should not just be tolerant of people who are different from themselves, but embrace diversity in its true sense — just as they should accept people of other races, religions and cultures.

“They should also be open to people of different gender and sexual orientation. Remember that all these people have families. If you have a relative who is a transgender, would you not wish that they be treated as an equal?”

Anthropologist Professor Dr Wan Zawawi Ibrahim believes dialogue sessions will help the public understand the lives and choices of transgenders.

“Due to globalisation and exposure, more Malaysians are coming to terms with this issue. It’s a matter of overcoming initial cultural negativities and acquiring new perspectives.

“It takes time because people are exposed to so many prejudices and stereotypical ideologies. Unfortunately, our education system does not expose us to different views — alternative education is important.

“Transgenders are misunderstood. But, when the public sees an emic view (inside view), they will be able to look at the issue from a different angle — be it of an AIDS patient or a transgender.

“This group of people do exist, whether we want to accept it or not. So it’s important for the public and authorities to hold dialogues with them.

“The problem is people with power tend to pass judgment without talking to them.”

Religion has its way, Zawawi says, but everything cannot be easily labelled black or white.

“I’m not asking anyone to throw away their beliefs, but there must be areas of compassion and negotiations.

“You can’t understand it, without listening to their stories. Unfortunately, I don’t think many care to listen.”

TRANSGENDERS SPEAK OUT

Fatine Young: “Transsexuals in Malaysia have been treated like freaks or second class citizens for far too long. I hope the community becomes more accepting of transsexuals. “We just want to be what we are. Give us a chance to show that we can contribute to society too.”

Yuki Choe, 33, sales executive: “My biggest fear in the job part is not knowing what they are thinking of when they see me. People are trained to be polite, sometimes you do not know who hates you for who you are. “I hope society would be able to appreciate and accept people who are different, especially gender-wise. People should understand that gender variance is part of life, and not be limited to just strictly boy or girl. “Everyone is taught there are only boys and girls in the education system, all other variances are not acknowledged.”

Sugenya, 33, food outlet owner: “People look at us as if we are a joke. When they see a Mak Nyah, they automatically think ‘sex worker’. But actually we are not all like that. Some of us are highly educated and entrepreneurs. “There are many ‘pondans’ who are not brave enough to ’come out’ because their families beat them. But after they run away from home and with the help of hormone treatments, some families find it easier to accept. “But even then, they are only allowed to visit their family at certain times, in fear that relatives might drop by. “If the families support them by teaching and helping them find jobs, 50 per cent of them will not end up as sex workers.”

Elisha, 30, community sex worker programme manager: “You all have normal and peaceful lives, right? As humans, I want transgenders to have that same right. Don’t equate us to sex workers. “One day I hope transgenders will be able to have government jobs, especially in Parliament. “Myadvice to others out there is to not allow anyone to deny you of your basic human rights.”

Manja, 34, PT Foundation outreach worker: “It’s almost impossible to get a job in the government sector and it’s really difficult dealing with Immigration because the name on my passport does not match my physical appearance. “I believe the problems faced by transgenders is worldwide. All we want is the same rights as other women.”

WHAT THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS SAY

“From a Christian perspective, human beings are created by God, in the image of God. God created everything and He pronounced it as good. However, all of creation has gone wrong because the first human beings chose not to listen to God and since then we have a topsy-turvy world. “We who are not in their situation need to empathise with them and help find solutions rather than to judge them and say, ‘live with what you have’. That’s a simple phrase from this side of the fence, but insufficient. “We must try to understand them and help them as we have helped others in different situations, for we all suffer the consequences of our flawed common humanity. “We can’t sit in the judgment seat as if we are God. Our hearts should go out to them and work on finding a solution for their situation.” – Tan Kong Beng, Christian Federation of Malaysia executive secretary

“In Hinduism, these people are a creation of God. In our religious stories and book, there have been accounts of transsexuals who have been treated with due respect.. “Society accepted transsexuals then, especially because they were able to handle many different situations. “Today, we too have to respect every creation of God, giving them due dignity and respect.” – Dr M. Bala Tharumalingam, Malaysian Hindu Sangam deputy president

“Transsexuals are born like that and our birth is not in the hands of human beings. It’s not the choice of a person to be male, female or a transsexual. “The public should not blame him or her. It’s not like they are breaking rules and laws. They must be given respect just like you and me.” – Harcharan Singh, Malaysian Gurdwara Council president

“There is no such thing as a transsexual, people are either male or female. It is not something you can change. Even if a man wants to be a woman using surgery, it won’t work because you can’t change what God gives. “Some of these people are confused because of psychological reasons. Maybe in their family they were the only boy among nine girls, playing with their sisters and cooking. Those are some of the problems that contribute to this. “People must accept what is given, they should dress and behave accordingly so they are accepted by the public. When a man wears a girl’s dress, people will make fun of him. In Islam, it is haram. You can’t question religion.” – Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria, Perak mufti

“In Buddhism, we don’t interfere with personal affairs. At the same time, we respect their privacy and get involved only if they ask for help. We look into the matter and share with them. When someone asks for help, we maintain noble silence. It’s very personal. “In our area of discipline, when someone wants to be ordained, we ask if the monks can check their background. If the person wants to be a woman, we refer to a nun. If the person has unusual behaviour, we allow them to be ordained as a novice monk.” – Kekanadure Dhammasiri, Buddhist Maha Vihara Malaysia monk and counsellor

Separate column for transgender on electoral rolls

Sara — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:53:05 +0000

Transgenders will be registered as ‘other’ in the new format of the electoral roll

New Delhi: Transgender will be allowed to have a separate third identity on electoral rolls, Chief Election Commissioner Navin B Chawla said.

“We examined the request in depth and permitted transgenders to register as ‘Other’ or ‘O’,” Chawla said while delivering the second annual Mother Teresa Memorial lecture on ‘Electoral Democracy in India’.

He said the Election Commission had also revised the format of the electoral rolls accordingly, reports IANS.

“Besides, relevant forms used by the Commission wherein there is a provision of indication of sex of the elector have been suitably amended,” Chawla added.

Instructions, he said, had been sent out to all electoral registration authorities in the country to immediately implement the decision.

A sweet way to keep the wrinkles away

Sara — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:50:37 +0000

Two of the world’s biggest confectionery and cosmetics
giants have joined hands to develop a sugar-coated tablet that they say can dramatically slow down ageing of the skin.

From The Times of India

The anti-wrinkle sweetie, developed by Nestle and L’Oreal, the world’s biggest cosmetics company, uses a compound found in tomatoes to promote the regeneration of new skin cells and protect old ones from damage, The Sunday Times reported.

Called Inneov Fermete, the product of nutritional and dermatological science – a cosmeceutical – is already available in parts of Europe and South America.

Patricia Manissier, head of research and development at Inneov, a L’Oreal/Nestle joint venture, said: “We have done a lot of research which shows this product works and now we’re looking for ways of improving it.

“We know that good nutrition can prevent the skin from ageing and that there are clear links between certain nutrients and skin health.”

The pill is based on lycopene, the red carotene pigment found in tomatoes, combining with a form of vitamin C and isoflavone chemicals extracted from soya bean.

The paper said one drawback is the cost – the new drug will cost about £25 for a 10-day supply. In addition, manufacturers say women may not notice a difference for three months.

India hosts transsexual beauty pageant

Sara — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:46:56 +0000

From 9 News

More than 100 hopefuls vied on Saturday for the title of India’s most beautiful transsexual at the country’s first such pageant for members of the marginalised community, an organiser said.

The event in the southern city of Chennai was unique in a country where transsexuals live on the fringes of society, drawing 120 contenders between the ages of 20 and 35 from across India, AJ Hariharan told AFP.

Hariharan is founder secretary of the Indian Community Welfare Organisation (ICWO), which put on the contest and works for the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people in Chennai.

Kareena, a 25-year-old model from the western financial hub Mumbai walked away with top honours, while 23-year-old Romi, a beautician from the northeastern state of Manipur, was second.

Local favourite Padmini, 25, a dance instructor, bagged third place.

Besides tiaras for the winners of the overall “Miss India” title, crowns were also handed out to victorious contestants in the “Miss Beautiful Hair,” “Miss Beautiful Eyes” and “Miss Beautiful Skin” categories.

“We had a meeting of the transgender community some months ago where we discussed various events to bring community members into society,” Hariharan said.

After rejecting several proposals including sporting events, “everyone unanimously supported the idea of a national-level beauty pageant,” he said.

“We thought it would create an opportunity for the transgender community to showcase their skills, create a platform to address the problems they face – discrimination, marginalisation and misconception.”

The pageant is the latest in a series of recent attempts to break down barriers.

In November, eunuchs – men who have been castrated – claimed victory in a long-standing campaign to be listed as “others,” distinct from males and females, on electoral rolls and voter identity cards.

And in July, Delhi High Court decriminalised gay sex between consenting adults by declaring a colonial-era ban on homosexuality unconstitutional.

Electing gays is as Texas as oil

Sara — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:20:46 +0000

By RICK CASEY -Houston Chronicle

This is not another story about Houston electing a gay mayor, something that seems to have astonished much of the rest of the world.

What I’d like the rest of the world to know is how very Texan it is for Houston to elect a gay mayor — as Texan as Dallas, as Texan as San Angelo.

Actually, Dallas hasn’t elected an openly gay mayor, although three-term gay City Councilman Ed Oakley made the runoff in 2007.

But Dallas has elected and re-elected a Latina lesbian sheriff and a gay district clerk for Dallas County.

Dallas has also elected a gay county judge, though we need to explain to the world that in Texas the county judge isn’t actually a judge, but the leader of the county’s governing body.

Houston, of course, had already elected several gay council members and Annise Parker as city controller for three terms.

San Antonio hasn’t elected a high-profile gay official yet, but it did re-elect its sheriff after he strongly backed a lieutenant who underwent a sex-change operation in 2001.

The lieutenant was so popular with other deputies that they welcomed her back after he became a she.

The West Texas town of San Angelo (pop. 92,000) didn’t know for sure it was electing a gay mayor back in 2003 when it gave the job to 26-year-old J.W. Lown. But by last spring, when 89 percent of the voters backed him for a fourth term, much of the town either knew or assumed he was gay.

As John Spong put it in a Texas Monthly piece, “An unmarried 26-year-old running for office had not raised speculation. But a 32-year-old mayor who escorted his sister to city functions was probably gay.”

Lown’s sexuality was confirmed last spring when on the eve of his swearing-in ceremony he quietly stole off to Mexico with the man he loved — a Mexican who had overstayed his student visa and was in the United States illegally.

Lown left a note saying he couldn’t swear to uphold the laws and constitution of the United States while harboring an illegal alien. He said he hoped to return with his partner, but it would probably be at least 10 years before the pair could return to the United States under current federal law.

The town’s response: They wished he could come back the next day. Many thought he was the best mayor they’d ever had.
Marriage amendment

San Angelo is not exactly a liberal oasis in Texas. It is the seat of Tom Green County, which four years ago voted 83 percent in favor of a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Houston’s Harris County voted 72 percent for the amendment, which passed statewide with 76 percent.

By contrast, California voted to ban same-sex marriage by only 52 percent, and Maine by 53 percent.

So how can a state so resolutely against same-sex marriage grow so comfortable with homosexual public officials?

I think the answer is simple. In the last several decades, the closets have nearly emptied. Most people now know that they know gay people.

And they like them.

It’s hard to demonize people once you get to know them.
The frontier saying

Texans still aren’t comfortable with the concept of homosexuality, as the constitutional vote demonstrates.

But when it comes to dealing with gays in the public sphere, the discomfort is fading.

When Houston passed a charter amendment in 2001 barring same-sex benefits for partners of gay city employees (which Dallas and Austin provide), it was by only 52 percent.

And now we’re electing gays when we think they’re the best candidate.

You may know the old frontier saying that it don’t matter who your mama is, just how fast you draw your gun.

Just change “mama” to “honey.”

Gay sex assaults ‘not reported’

Sara — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:14:44 +0000

BBC News

Police in Lancashire say many sexual assaults in the gay, lesbian and transgender community are not reported.

Officers who usually deal with rape cases have been working with members of Blackpool’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transexual (LGBT) forum.

The officers from Operation Aquamarine believe that some victims are not reporting sexual assaults. Only two have been reported in more than a year.

Posters and business cards have been put in pubs, clubs and support groups.

Officers have also visited a number of forums and venues to raise awareness of the campaign.

‘Dignity and respect’

Det Insp Sue Cawley, of Lancashire Police, said: “Confidence in reporting sexual offences in the LGBT community seems to be low and we want to make sure that all members of the community feel comfortable reporting this type of horrific crime.

“We have a team of specially trained officers to support victims of rape and we want to make sure that members of the LGBT community have the information that they need to report such crime.

“I want to reassure people that if they do come forward to report a sexual assault, we will treat them with dignity and respect.”

Since Operation Aquamarine began in September 2008, there have been just two reported sexual assaults from the LGBT community in Blackpool and the Fylde.

Governor to sign gender identity executive order

Sara — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:00:37 +0000

Associated Press

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – Gov. David Paterson will sign an executive order today to extend anti-discrimination protections to transgender state employees.

The New York Times City Room blog reported Tuesday that the order “represents the broadest protections ever extended to transgender public employees in New York State.”

Paterson is scheduled to sign the order this morning at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center in Manhattan.

A number of cities, including Buffalo, Albany, Rochester and New York City, already prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression.

More comprehensive legislation to outlaw discrimination based on gender identity has passed the Assembly but awaits action in the Senate.

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