Tag: organizations

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This Time Around

On hearing about the closing of Indymac Bank, my thoughts went like this:

  • What the hell kind of name is that for a bank?
  • Who has more than $100k in savings?
  • I will probably never have to worry about having more money than the FDIC insures.

Which is, in these proto-depression days, something like reassuring. In case you don’t know, the FDIC guarantees accounts up to $100K. So if you have more than that, you need to spread it around if you want it guaranteed. The FDIC was invented after the last runs on banks, after the Great Depression. It’s nice to know, so far, that it’s working, but apparently there’s another 90 banks that are at risk of closing due to this whole mortgage disaster.

Of course, if you just have too much money in the bank, you should feel free to donate any extra you’ve got to the hundreds of organizations that need it.

This financial post brought to you courtesy of my sister Kathy’s birthday, who bugged me & bugged me to take economics courses in colleges & who I thoroughly ignored. (Sorry, Kath. Modernism seemed so much more pressing at the time. Happy Birthday!)

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“Non-Essential Services”

A friend of ours works with a theatre out in IA that’s lost almost everything as a result of the recent floods, and like many others – they had no flood insurance. Worse yet, FEMA considers theatres “non essential services” and so they will receive no funding whatsoever to help them rebuild.

If you’re a theatre person, and you can help, you can contact them:

to see if you can make a donation, of money or stuff, to help them out. Right now they’re performing out of the local high school’s auditorium, as of course, the show must go on.

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Congress to Hold First Ever Hearing on Trans Issues

Today is America’s first Congressional Hearing on transgender issues. The hearing, “An Examination of Discrimination Against Transgender Americans in the Workplace,” is scheduled for Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 10:30 am in room 2175 of Rayburn House Office Building. Congressman Rob Andrews (D-NJ) called the hearing as Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) subcommittee of the Committee on Education and Labor. Witnesses have not yet been announced.

“I am really proud of the role that NCTE played in getting us to this historical day. This is not only an opportunity to be truly heard by our fellow Americans, it will help to build the foundation for significant changes in federal laws protecting transgender people from discrimination,” notes Mara Keisling, Executive Director of NCTE.

Committee hearings are open to the public and you are welcome to attend in person if you are in the area, but please be aware that space is limited. Some hearings are broadcast on CSPAN and streamed live through their internet site. You can stay up-to-date by checking NCTE’s blog.

WATCH:  If you would like to watch the first Congressional Hearing on transgender issues, you may be able to watch it through the committee’s live webcast at http://edwork.edgeboss.net/wmedia-li…eam_070124.asx

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T Shirt

I don’t often wear trans shirts when I’m with Betty – no need to out her casually, she does enough outreach for one trans person – but Betty was sick this past week & so I was walking to my sister’s wear my NCTE “T” shirt (the old one – I don’t have the new one yet.)

Then someone on our boards asked if people would say yes if someone asked them if they were transgender.

And it made me wonder how often people think I’m trans – because of the t-shirts, the various places I post, the relative absence of partners in trans circles, and especially in LGBT circles. I think I mentioned here how two people I met at USC had assumed I was the partner of an FTM since the queer-identified partners of MTFs seem to be few & far-between – okay, practically non-existant.

It’s made me think of the days I was an honorary lesbian, which I am, still, kinda, depending on who’s deciding what I am.

I never told people I wasn’t a lesbian – unless the person was who wanted to sleep with me or a person who I wanted to sleep with – and in the same way I don’t think I’d care to clarify that I’m not trans if someone thought I was.

Maybe I should get a shirt that says GVETGI = Gender Variant Enough To Get It.

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Thank You

A thank you to all our current soldiers and our veterans today, and to the families of those people who often wait and worry in ways most of us can’t imagine. But an especial thank you to those LGBT veterans who are often dismissed and not acknowledged. If you’d like to read a little of a trans veteran’s views, check out this column from last year by Autumn Sandeen, here’s some info on trans issues re: veterans from NCTE.

Happy Memorial Day. Please don’t drink and drive.

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holy crap.

Her lawsuit against Day is now on appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court, in part because of the victim-blaming actions of the trial court judge. Judge Phillip Brown, despite a Georgia rape shield law, compelled Ross to disclose every person she had ever dated, or engaged in any sexual activity with, including their names, dates of interaction, and contact information. This evidence was supposedly to show “consent;” the actual purpose was to humiliate the victim and discourage her and other victims from pursuing these cases. Under Georgia state law, and federal law, a victim’s sexual history with third parties is supposed to be irrelevant. The result of this case is that any victim who brings a civil claim for sexual battery in Georgia must be prepared to discuss all of her previous sexual partners. The judge ultimately found Ross was not raped in part because, as all that testimony showed, she was not a virgin.

and it gets worse.

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Meme x 2

A couple of recent memes:

  1. What is your favorite word? indeed.
  2. What is your least favorite word? relax
  3. What turns you on? genderfuck
  4. What turns you off? passivity
  5. What is your favorite curse word? cunt
  6. What sound or noise do you love? rhythmic handclapping
  7. What sound or noise do you hate? led zeppelin
  8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? fighter pilot (i’m not kidding)
  9. What profession would you not like to attempt? corporate anything
  10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? you were right.

and

  • If you get something out of a vending machine, it’s most likely the: MetroCard
  • A word you sometimes catch yourself misspelling: relevant (or is it revelant?)
  • You least want people to see you as: dull
  • You’re a little scared of: street crime
  • The least attractive thing you do in your sleep: snore
  • The number of contacts in your cell phone: lots
  • How many of them are relatives: plenty
  • You lose your cool when someone: condescends
  • When you go to the drugstore, you often can’t leave without buying: rolaids
  • Your dance moves can best be described as: masculine
  • The majority of your underwear is: dirty
  • Something you eat even though you hate how bad it is for you: ice cream
  • You think you’re really not a great: writer
  • How much cash is in your wallet right now: $12
  • The majority of your shoes are this color: black
  • You don’t think you’ll ever be able to get rid of your: bad skin
  • If your breath is bad, it’s most likely because you had the: cigarettes
  • You feel embarrassed when you: fart
  • The last public place where you used the restroom: City College
  • Something you don’t like to debate in mixed company: obama v. hilary
  • You don’t think you can pull off wearing: skinny jeans
  • Something you own entirely too much of: ants stuff
  • Someone you would love to see in concert who might bring down your street cred: devo?
  • The last thing that you spilled on yourself: tea
  • If you were on a reality show, the producers would likely portray/characterize you as the: humorless feminist
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GID Group

For those who are astounded by the news that Blanchard has been appointed to the Work Group for Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders, consider this: the chair of that group is Dr. Ken Zucker, who believes transgender kids can be cured with reparative therapy.

Read this story, from NPR, about the difference between therapists in how to treat children who are brought in with gender issues. And then consider that Zucker is in charge of the work group working on GID for DSM V.

If you are a psychologists or know any, please ask them to contact anyone they know at the APA to advise against Zucker as chair of this work group.