Female impersonator accused in North Charleston gun incident

Originally posted at PostandCourier.com March, 7 2013

According to the PostandCourier  newspaper of Charleston  South Carolina, Thursday March 7, 2013 a man identified by papers as a transvestites committed a crime against other transvestites.  No where does it imply that they were transgender, but even as transvestites it saddens me and is troubling to see crimes against your fellow comrades that, as you, already face tremendous dangers with others willing to take our lives.  This is a prime example of what not to become, a menance to your own people.

I will add, and notice what the article states, that during the entire process North Charleston, SC police referred to the accused as a woman. Even though many will disaggree, I and the LGBT community should raise a hand to the compassion of the North Charleston SC police department for handling it, well above what many of us would even require.

So at least there is one ounce of good news, MAJOR KUDOS TO THE NORTH CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA POLICE DEPARTMENT, for goinng WELL and beyond the call of duty. A shining example to cities all over the US, on how to handle with compassion, even in the most difficult times.

FROM THE POST AND COURIER:

An argument between a man and a group of transvestites landed one female impersonator in jail, accused of pointing a revolver and threatening to fire, North Charleston police said.

Darnell Hawkins, 19, of South 5th Street in Hartsville, was charged with unlawful carrying of a firearm and pointing a firearm, jail records show.

Police referred to Hawkins as a woman throughout an incident report.

Officers were dispatched to Quality Inn at 7415 Northside Drive shortly after 6:30 p.m. Wednesday concerning a woman waving a gun and threatening to shoot someone.

Hawkins threw a revolver into a trash can and ran at the sight of officers, police said.

A man at the scene told police he came to the hotel to pick up an iPad from a friend named “Nico,” but that he ended up getting into an argument with Hawkins and a group of transvestites who walked out of that person’s hotel room.

The argument stemmed from money the man owed Hawkins for a car, according to the report.

Hawkins pulled out a loaded revolver, waved it in the air and threatened to shoot the man and the car, police said.

The man told police he walked away and called 911.

Hawkins was held at the Charleston County jail on Thursday pending a $100,000 bail.

02/23/2013                                               

              Local clinic in Asheville, North Carolina works to aid transgender residents

02/04/2013 00:27

                                                Map: Transgender Employment Rights Make Headway

Courtesy of Mother Jones

By —By Gavin Aronsen

This week, Hawaii lawmakers voted to protect transgender people from public and private workplace discrimination, making the state the 13th (in addition to Washington, DC) to do so. Nevada's state Senate is considering similar legislation, and state committees in Connecticut and New York recently have as well. Another bill made some headway in Maryland before its Senate axed it.

The activity highlights an often neglected part of the LGBT rights struggle. On Monday, I blogged about a study with the obvious conclusion that "LGB" (lesbian, gay, and bisexual) teens were more likely to attempt suicide when they lacked support networks. That prompted a reader to ask, "…why leave out the T? Were trans kids not part of the survey? Generally, it's LGBT, not LGB."

Trans people weren’t part of the survey, and there aren’t a whole lot of statistics about discrimination against them. But a landmark survey of 6,450 trans and gender non-conforming people released in February by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force revealed some disturbing numbers:

• Ninety percent of responders reported facing discrimination at work.
• Unemployment rates were double the national average.
• More than a quarter said they had been fired due to their gender identity.
• Those who had lost their jobs were four times as likely to be homeless and 70 percent more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol.

And, perhaps most remarkably (and most related to Monday's post), 41 percent of responders admitted to having attempted suicide.

In addition to DC and the 13 states that provide full employment non-discrimination protection for trans people, nine states have executive orders that mandate protection for state jobs. (It would be 10, but Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, let an executive order covering trans people expire in January.) On the federal level, the efforts of Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) to establish workplace protection rights have stalled since 2007, although President Obama has voiced his support.

Here's a look at where things stand now:

                                                       Vote Mel Wymore a Democratic Trans-man with a plan.

01/18/2013 01:03

(Illustration: Heather Rose Brown)

                                         Transmissions: Intersections

Via the Bay Area Reporeter

by Gwendolyn Ann Smith

When we talk about transgender rights we often view it as a singular, monolithic entity, uniquely positioned and separate from everything else. Indeed, this is often the way that transgender activists and activists within other community groups may view trans issues. It is not that simple, however.

The transgender community is, itself, a widely diverse group. It does not contain one of anything. We are all races, all religions, and all backgrounds. We can be found among any other demographic group, and even contain an all-encompassing diversity of gender identities and expressions. We're everywhere, and contain just about any possible "type" of person.

There are some factions within the community itself that seek to divide some of this. Some transsexuals resent their inclusion in such a diverse space, and others frown on the inclusion of, say, drag kings or queens, transvestites, or those who choose a space outside of traditional gender definitions.

For all I know, we may be simply too large of a community, or trying to cover too much ground with one term. At the same time, I can't help but see that each group that falls under the transgender banner can and does transcend the gender they were identified as at birth – that just happens to be true for an awful lot of us.

While I've discussed it before, too, I feel it's important to note another one of the big divisions: the transgender community and the larger LGBT community. Sure, not all transgender people are gay, lesbian, or bisexual identified – but that doesn't seem to be the point. We all face rights battles. The only difference is that the first three tend to be focused on sexual identity, while the latter is more an issue of gender.

Yet when a lesbian is assaulted, it is often more due to her gender presentation than her overt sexuality – and when a transgender person is discriminated against, they're more than likely to face slurs against their sexual orientation as well as their gender expression. Oh, and our marriages are often the first challenged under Defense of Marriage Act-like bills.

It's bigger than just the intersections between the LGBT community, however, and stretches across socioeconomic lines, racial lines, and much more.

One of the bigger examples of this, to me, is the death of Tyra Hunter, an African American trans woman living in Washington, D.C. On August 7, 1995, a car struck Hunter.

As she lay bleeding, medical personnel sliced her pant leg open – revealing her genitalia. One of the D.C. firefighters on scene was quoted as saying, "This ain't no bitch. It's a n-----. He's got a dick and balls." At that point, the emergency personnel backed away from Hunter, and made jokes for approximately 15 minutes. They only returned to work due to the outcry of bystanders.

Hunter was eventually taken to the hospital, where subpar treatment may have further exacerbated her situation. She died due to internal bleeding at the hospital.

Was her wrongful death and ill treatment the result of anti-transgender attitudes? Yes, absolutely. At the same time, there was racist language, misogyny, and likely even some homophobia in there. Some also point to socioeconomic issues impacting the quality of her care at the hospital. Indeed, anti-transgender attitudes may have been at the top of the list in her care – or lack of – but there is no shortage of things that helped lead to her death.

The majority of transgender people who are murdered are trans women of color, and often from a lower socioeconomic class. Many may have been involved in sex work. Each of these may well be a factor in their death. Again, while it is key, it is more than solely an anti-transgender issue.

Congress recently allowed the Violence Against Women Act to expire. The loss of VAWA is an issue for all women: this includes transgender women and those who may have an "F" on their legal paperwork regardless of self-identity. As such, we should all be holding this Congress accountable for not renewing VAWA. We could see similar issues with the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act, up for reauthorization in 2013, which would affect treatment for all low-income, uninsured and under-insured people living with HIV/AIDS – naturally including transgender people dealing with the illness.

Sure, there are some issues that are pretty specific to transgender people. Getting a gender marker changed on a driver's license or birth certificate is going to be a greater issue for transgender people than anyone else. Fights for transgender anti-discrimination bills to include gender identity and expression in local, state, and federal law are primarily going to protect transgender people above all else.

Yet with the Obama administration making it clear at nearly every turn that gender expression and identity is covered in existing law, most notably in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, transgender people should be all the more involved in the broader fights, too.

Our diversity is one of our greatest strengths. We are uniquely positioned to secure not only protections specific to all transgender people, but to assist in larger battles. We need to understand that the rights of women are the rights of transgender women, and protections for people of color will affect transgender people of color as well.

Let us be part of that metaphorical tide that raises all ships.

 Are You Transgendered And Struggling With How To Pay The Bills? Do You Need A Job? Get free guide to finding Transgender Employment

01/10/2013 20:46

Shared via Transgender-selfemployment.com

If you are transgender, then you already know about the pervasive discrimination and unemployment among your friends as you look for work.

To have stable employment in today's economy takes courage, commitment and the right set of job searching tools to be successful and this is why https://www.transgender-selfemployment.com is so important to the serious job seeker.

The good news is that our site keeps you up-to-date with fresh and valuable information regarding current transgender and transsexual job opportunities.

If you are mid-transition, you are already dealing with discrimination issues as soon as you present yourself for an interview.

But if you know where to look (we teach where to find LGBT employers) then you can take advantage of opportunities for immediate job placements that allow you to transistion into a new gender as you achieve economic stability.

To get an idea of some of these employers, click on this link to get a free downloable directory of 337 corporate names/addresses of transgender friendly employers.

Keep in mind these major corporations also have divisions, subsidiaries, "spin-offs", satellite offices, warehouses and factories that do follow the parent company's transgender friendly hiring policy.

The skillsets you have acquired of personal courage, commitment to a goal and effective use of your time and financial resources become a tremendous asset to employers seeking tested employees to do a specific job.

Or to yourself should you consider running your own home business doing something you already know how to do.

Finding A Good Paying Job As Transgender Is Hard Work!

You know what motivates you to actually do those events that make you greatly uncomfortable (such as going out in public during the day or walking past a bunch of teenage girls at the Mall).

What you need now is to apply your motivation more effectively by using one or more of our basic job search strategies designed for transgender people actively seeking financial security.

The 2012 Guide sole purpose is to help you chart your route to a secure income using case studies of other transgender employees as well as providing links to both Federal and State resources for LGBTQIs.

Use our Guide to learn how to target your best potential employers and find the unadvertised job opportunities in your area and fitting your business background.?

As a transgender employee, you deserve work that fulfils and motivates you, that gives you financial security and funds your further medical transition expenses.

Reframing your work as something you do rather than a place that you go to daily .... helps you to avoid the traps of underemployment and/or the sex industry where so many trans people get stuck when they need money to put food on the table, pay rent or keep up with the bills.

Sign up today for our FREE 2012 Guide for Successful Transgender Employment and take advantage of the valuable information just right for your job search! Among the skills you will learn include:

• Discover for yourself how to connect with the 75% of all job positions that never get posted in a job advertisement or through a job recruiter.
• Repackage your existing business skills,experiences and personal qualities into skillsets that transgender friendly employers value in their employees.
• Learn how to present yourself in your transgender job search when presenting yourself for a job interview with a work record that might include a different name under Social Security.
• Take advantage of FREE U.S. Small Business Administration 30 plus online tutorials for making money while working from your home.

Want more exclusive news, tips and techniques on effective transgender job search? Sign up right now to receive our FREE 17 page 2012 Guide For Successful Transgender Employment

Pay The Bills? Do You Need A Job?

 

Yes! Please send my FREE Guide For Successful Transgender Employment

Name:

 

Email:

 

 

We respect your email privacy

 

Powered by AWeber email marketing

 

 

Want exclusive news, tips and techniques on searching for work? Sign up today to receive our FREE 17 page 2012 Guide For Successful Transgender Employment.

Want more detailed information on competing for non trans-friendly jobs

 

Want to explore your home based transgenderself employment options?

 

Ready to read our latest press release

 

Want up-to-the-second news, tips and updates on searching for work as a transgendered person? Get a taste of our Guide at Power Point presentation on Transgender Job Searching?

 

Make sure you also read the notes at the bottom of each slide

                                                       Transgender and Going Home for the Holidays or not

12/23/2012 04:57

Happy Holidays or is it? Whether you’re ready or not it’s here. Unfortunately at this time of year we should remember those in the transgender community that can’t go home for the holidays. I remember living in Atlanta in the late nineties in midtown, where the neighborhood was well more than half lgbt. I moved from a small town in South Carolina called Hartsville and had never met anyone who was not close to their family. Whether they were gay, lesbian or transgender, most were always welcomed home for the holidays. Even if they were only just tolerated, they were still family.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday and chosen one to go home. For Christmas I staid in Atlanta with all my Trans girlfriends. We would gather together, exchange presents, eat and do our performances in the gay clubs of midtown, then party the night away. It was a tradition for many reasons, some girls were estranged from their families. Some had run away from home years prior and had not seen families since. Others had been disowned by their families, all for similar reasons, they wanted to be themselves. Being transgender had left countless girls unable to love or be loved by family. For some of my friends in those days it was just simply too difficult to be around their family. They were still welcomed but the tension and arguments when they returned gave them little reasons to want to go back, so overtime they returned home less and less for family gatherings. For me in those days my main issue with family was respecting the chosen pronoun that fit my appearance. Other than that I can’t honestly say I did not enjoy seeing family even though sometimes frustrating. So thanksgiving was the time I did see them and had chosen to spend Christmas with my many friends that didn’t have a choice. I wasn’t the only one who chose to stay with friends many of my other girlfriends had chosen to spend christmas together also.

But Christmas week 1998 I’ll never forget. It was the day I met my first homeless transgender. It was a couple days before Christmas eve and I was doing what my mom and I always do before Christmas, a total cleaning of the house, laundry and then began cooking with friends our holiday dinner. It was an early Monday morning, cold and about two inches of snow was on the ground that year in Atlanta. Thankfully I only had a short distance from my apartment to the apartment laundry facility. I carried my little basket and ran across the courtyard and thru my clothes in the washer. When I turned to place my basket on the table I jumped. There lying on the floor was a girl I’ve seen at times in the neighborhood. I didn’t know her name but knew her face. I asked her, “what you doing there? You didn’t pass out drunk last night did you?” I’ll never forget her looking up from under that table, with one of those thin blue blankets you see your grandmother have that seem to date back to the 1970’s. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, “I didn’t have nowhere else to go girl.” My mouth dropped and I remember I was about to cry thinking for god’s sake it was Christmas time. I knew my roommate Coco wouldn’t mind either, so I told her, “girl get your but up from under there and come inside.” To this day I can’t remember her real name but my roommate and I at the time called her Zoe and every time to this day If I run into her , and sometimes I do still, she calls out hey momma.

Zoe staid with us for two weeks, working the clubs and streets tricking until she had enough money to get a weekly at a hotel. She was only 19, two years younger than me and had not seen her family since she was kicked out by her step father for dressing as a female when she was only fourteen. She had spent most of those years since living off and on the streets. As time went on in life, occasionally I’d meet another Zoe here, there or hear a friend tell me of a Zoe they had met. I’d like to think those days are gone and there’s not anymore Zoe’s out living on the streets, but that would be wishful thinking. These days I’m not surrounded by many of the dozens of Trans girlfriends I once had. Some have passed on due to Aids. Others would later be found murdered or missing to this day. A few lucky ones moved on to different cities like I did. A handful remained now, adult Tran’s females with their own careers, boyfriends and living life after sex reassignment surgery.

Hopefully for most trans-people this holiday season will be enjoyed with family or close friends. For some it maybe your first time going home as the new you. If you can go then go, you may have to remind a few people of the correct pronouns. You may have to tell that conservative bigoted uncle a piece of your mind, but it’s worth it. Christmas night you may even find yourself in bed, full of tears, because someone was very ugly to you. But if the overwhelming amount of your family is glad you came, it’s worth it. If it’s too much to bear to go home or you are one that hasn’t seen family in years, get with your group of friends and the new family you’ve made for yourself in life and enjoy them. Ignore the one that thinks she’s prettier than you even though you know she isn’t, give her especially, an extra hug. And let’s all remember how lucky we are even if we only have one person to spend the holidays with, know you are blessed. And while we are rejoicing think of the Zoes of the world, if you know of a Zoe in your neighborhood invite her to dinner, or take her a small gift, let her know while she may feel that she is alone in the world just trying to be herself that she’s not. This week so many transgender people will be alone, cold and hungry. Young and old that have found themselves alone in a hostile world. Even if you don’t see one, it doesn’t mean you can’t have them in your prayers this holiday season. It is for God’s sake, Christmas.

Sabrina Samone, TMP

The top ten college is an excert from Campus Pride, shared here for informational resource for Transpeople who are or wanting to attend college

The Top 10 Trans-Friendly Colleges and Universities

BY Genny Beemyn and Shane Windmeyer

August 15 2012 4:00 AM ET

Ithaca College
Ithaca, N.Y.
Campus Pride Index LGBT-Friendly Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Gender Identity/Expression Score: 5 out of 5 Stars

Although its LGBT center is only a decade old, Ithaca College (IC) has quickly become one of the best small colleges for trans people. Since most students live on campus, housing is a critical concern, and Ithaca College offers both an LGBT residence hall community and a gender-inclusive housing option. But IC has also instituted a special housing process, whereby a trans student can indicate the best living situation for them, and the college will seek to accommodate their request. “We want to make sure our trans and genderqueer students are able to fully access all the housing opportunities that all our students have, and avail themselves of all Ithaca College has to offer,” states Lis Maurer, the director of the college’s LGBT center. IC has further distinguished itself by establishing a speech pathology clinic in 2011 to assist both MTF and FTM trans people who are transitioning to have their voices sound more like other people of their gender. The clinic is free to staff, faculty, and students

New York University
New York, N.Y.
Campus Pride Index LGBT-Friendly Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Gender Identity/Expression Score: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

The “T-Party” means something very different at New York University (NYU) than it does elsewhere in the country. The T-Party is the university’s trans student group, and it is just one of many opportunities available specifically for trans and ally students to be involved on campus. NYU offers a Trans Awareness Week to call attention to the needs and experiences of trans people, as well as sponsors popular trans-focused social events like NY Drag U and the Gender Bender Ball. Being in New York City, of course, also provides NYU students with a wealth of events and groups in which they can participate. On the policy front, NYU has been a leader in creating accessible and supportive health-care services for trans students, which is detailed in a colorful brochure available on its LGBTQ Student Center’s website.

Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
Campus Pride Index LGBT-Friendly Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Gender Identity/Expression Score: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Princeton University has become known for offering a lot of trans-specific programming and incorporating the experiences of trans people into all of its LGBT programming and services. The university has hosted the New Jersey Statewide Transgender Day of Remembrance service for more than a decade, and there have been ongoing collaborations between its LGBT Center and the statewide trans rights group for many years. The university’s administration has been very open to the needs of trans students, which included creating a workgroup to assist campus offices in developing best practices to support trans students. In addition, Princeton has several faculty members whose teaching and research incorporates the experiences of trans people and trans theory.

University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, Calif.
Campus Pride Index LGBT-Friendly Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Gender Identity/Expression Score: 5 out of 5 Stars

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) was among the first schools to cover hormones and surgeries for transitioning students under its student health insurance, and the university has developed an easy process for students to be able to access these benefits. In the last three years, more than a dozen students have benefitted from this coverage. The campus is also very accessible to trans students, with gender-inclusive athletic facilities and more than 120 gender-inclusive bathrooms. UCLA’s LGBT Campus Resource Center is now developing a mobile app for people to be able to find these bathrooms easily, and the campus transgender and gender-nonconforming student group is working on a needs assessment to ensure that the population is best being supported.

University of California, Riverside
Riverside, Calif.
Campus Pride Index LGBT-Friendly Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Gender Identity/Expression Score: 5 out of 5 Stars

Although often in the shadow of the larger, more well-known University of California schools, UC Riverside (UCR) is one of the country’s most active colleges in educating the campus about trans people. Through its LGBT Resource Center, UCR offers an ally training program specifically about the experiences of trans people, and it commemorates the Transgender Day of Remembrance through a series of posters displayed around campus that feature individuals who have been murdered because of their gender identity or expression. Complimenting this effort, the center is currently developing a poster project of important living trans figures, with a focus on trans people of color. In 2005, UCR was the first public college in the U.S. to offer gender-inclusive housing for both incoming and returning students. This year, the college collaborated with eight other campuses to organize the country’s first intercampus retreat for trans/genderqueer and gender-questioning college students, building on a highly successfully trans retreat at UC Irvine in 2011.

University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Amherst, Mass.
Campus Pride Index LGBT-Friendly Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Gender Identity/Expression Score: 5 out of 5 Stars

University of Massachusetts, Amherst, the largest campus in the UMass system, has changed dramatically since arch trans hater Janice Raymond was a member of its faculty in Women’s Studies (among the changes, it is now Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies). In the last five years, the university has gone from having almost no trans-supportive policies in place to being at the forefront of trans inclusiveness, including developing a policy that supports the participation of trans students in campus sports. The Stonewall Center, the campus LGBT center, produces many resources for trans students, most notably a resource guide of area trans-supportive service providers — everyone from therapists and physicians to cosmetologists and attorneys. UMass Amherst also created the country’s first LGBT and ally residence hall community, which is marking its 20th year this fall.

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Campus Pride Index LGBT-Friendly Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Gender Identity/Expression Score: 5 out of 5 Stars

In 1971, the University of Michigan became the first college in the country to establish an LGBT office, and the university continues to be a pioneer on trans support. It was the nation’s first to develop any easy process for trans students who want to use a name other than their legal first name on campus records, so that the students are not outed when a professor calls the roll or someone looks them up in an online campus directory. Trans students are also visible on campus, which makes it easier for other trans students to identify openly, as well as helps educate cisgender people at Michigan. “It is important to have out trans-identified students, faculty, and staff,” states Jackie Simpson, director of the Spectrum Center, the campus LGBT center. “This shows that the university is truly committed to this population, and ultimately requires that the university and campus community be responsive to their needs.”

University of Oregon
Eugene, Ore.
Campus Pride Index LGBT-Friendly Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Gender Identity/Expression Score: 5 out of 5 Stars

While most schools are reactive to the needs of trans students and only take action when there is a problem, the University of Oregon reaches out to trans students and supports them without advocacy. “Colleges have to lay the groundwork with policies, spaces, and community-building so that the environment is not a hostile space to folks who are differently gendered,” says Chicora Martin, the director of the university’s LGBT Education and Support Services Program, who has led the effort that has made Oregon one of the country’s most trans-inclusive schools. “Offices can’t wait until trans students arrive to make it better.” Typical of the climate there, the rec center incorporated gender-inclusive locker rooms without Martin having to advocate for them. Most buildings on campus have gender-inclusive bathrooms, and a new initiative will place signage below the gendered bathrooms directing individuals to the gender-inclusive ones.

University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pa.
Campus Pride Index LGBT-Friendly Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Gender Identity/Expression Score: 5 out of 5 Stars

Any discussion of the very best schools for trans students would have to include Penn. Besides having all of the major trans-supportive policies and services in place, its LGBT Center has its own two-story building, a renovated 1870s carriage house. The center not only hosts LGBT events, but many other campus activities, which contributes to an environment where trans students do not feel marginalized. Unlike the situation at many campuses, identifying as trans at Penn is not a big deal and many cisgender people get it. Being an urban, Ivy League school means that faculty members tend to have a basic knowledge of trans identities or are willing to learn. In addition, Penn’s student health service has many trans-aware staff members who work to ensure that trans students receive quality health care, and they and other people at Penn can take advantage of the Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference, one of the country’s largest trans conferences.

University of Vermont
Burlington, Vt.
Campus Pride Index LGBT-Friendly Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Gender Identity/Expression Score: 5 out of 5 Stars

One would be hard pressed to find a more trans aware campus than University of Vermont (UVM). Since the school added “gender identity/expression” to its nondiscrimination policy seven years ago, its LGBTQA Center has conducted “Trans 101” training sessions for many of the university’s staff members. The campus has also become more educated about the experiences of trans people through offering the Translating Identity Conference, a student-run trans conference that will be marking its tenth anniversary this fall. In addition, UVM was one of the first schools to change to its management system software to enable students to use a name other than their legal first name on campus records, and the university offers their software solution for free to other schools with the same management system.

Runner up: 

The College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C.,

The College of Charleston , is in the process of creating a more LGBT friendly campus.

John Bello-Ogunu, chief diversity officer of the university, told The Post and Courier that the college recently completed a draft of a strategic plan that would help increase campus diversity.

Shane Windmeyer, executive director, of Campus Pride spoke at the university’s Office of Institutional Diversity’s Signature Speaker Series as an expert on sexual orientation. Windmeyer told The Courier, “Every campus wants to be called gay-friendly. But most haven’t looked at institutionalizing safety and support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students.”

Melissa Moore, executive director of We Are Family, provided her support in helping the campus become safer for LGBT students. She says the harassment of transgender students happens mostly in bathrooms. According to The Courier, Moore recommended “gender-neutral” bathrooms be built in addition to other measures being employed by the university. These bathrooms would be placed around campus and the location would be disclosed to transgender students. For more info on the College of Charleston progress go to https://facultysenate.cofc.edu/glbt-resource-page/index.php

CAMPUS PRIDE is the leading national educational organization for LGBT and ally students and campus groups working to create safer, more welcoming colleges and universities. Want to find LGBT-Friendly colleges and universities? Learn more online about Campus Pride (www.CampusPride.org) and the Campus Pride Index for LGBT-Friendly colleges and universities (www.CampusPrideIndex.org).

                                               TRANSWOMEN: THE HIGH COST OF BEAUTY MAY MEAN DEATH

     We’ve all been told that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In our modern world now one may also add, if you have the money you can have the looks, when you don’t the results can be deadly. Many Transpeople’s in the beginning of their transition are eager to see the results of the estrogen or testosterone injections. After spending a number of years trapped in a body we may have grown to hate. We can easily see how so many of us, holding a syringe of estrogen or testosterone, see it as our magic potion that will bring the happy ending to our long suffered story. Corazon Aquino once said, “Faith is not simply a patience that passively suffers until the storm is past. Rather, it is a spirit that bears things - with resignations, yes, but above all, with blazing, serene hope.”
     In the late seventies and early eighties most Transpeople’s, more specifically Transwomen, being part of the greater LGBT community found themselves as entertainers in countless gay bars around the country. As one friend, a 35 year veteran of female impersonation  has told me, “In the early days, there wasn’t a gay bar around that didn’t have showgirls.” What seems to be the norm in gay club culture in the early eighties maybe now considered passé? Whichever you choose to believe the point she was making was that for many Transwomen performing as female impersonators, competing at the local, state and national pageant systems was the only way or maybe most profitable way Transwomen were able to make a living and enjoy being who they are. In that atmosphere, and this is only my hypothesis, of competition it seems the need for instant and fast results in appearance may have begun. With weeks before a national pageant, many transgender showgirls would increase the work of in house, not license doctors to perform medical silicone injections. The temptation to stand before your peers in competition with a near over night increase in bust size or enhanced facial features has led many Transwomen over the years to disfigure their bodies.
     Over the years, the iron curtain of discrimination has begun to be lifted for many in the Trans community. Doors once closed and limit young Transwomen to ballrooms, gay bars cabarets and the streets now many are seen in the work place, Universities and the media. The need for quick results unfortunately also has increased and in recent years we’ve witnessed several top media circulated horror stories of silicone injections. One the most memorable maybe O’Neal Morris, the crudely nicknamed fix a flat nurse, who after an allegation by a female victim Shatarka Nuby, 31, reported that her skin became hot and turned black after the injections harden under her skin, O’Neal was later arrested. “Investigators determined that Morris injected substances such as bathroom caulk, cement, super glue, fix-a-flat and mineral oil into the bodies of her victims,” Sheriff’s office told NBC6 South Florida.

     “She once told Nuby’s aunt she was using silicon from home depot.”

Alleged 'toxic tush' nurse victim Shatarka Nuby died in March after police say she paid thousands of dollars to have her buttocks, hips, breasts and thighs injected with a deadly mix of substances including fix-a-flat by fake doctor O’Neal Morris.

The 31-year-old mother of three died while incarcerated in a Tallahassee jail, Florida after what medical examiners called "massive systemic silicone migration" as a consequence of cosmetic silicone injections performed back in 2007 and 2008.

Nuby was in jail for identity theft, not for anything related to the booty injections.

Morris was facing charges of practicing medicine without a license and causing bodily injury to other women but she is now facing manslaughter charges over Nuby's death and is being held in jail.

Shatarka Nuby died due to injections The duchess aka O’Neal Morris

     Two women lives forever altered for a fast quick fix to beauty. Even as we are informed as a society more and more of the horrors of silicone injections there are still many supporters and those still willing to roll the dice? In my community a friend had begun transition; she was not seeing the results she wanted fast enough. After months of other friends and I warning her of the dangers, she still did not see she could be a victim from silicone. Finally I said, since she was the girl that relied heavily on the opinion of males to ask a man. If it was beauty she was after, I realized there was nothing another woman could tell her that she wouldn’t doubt. Thankfully she had her eyes open drastically; she’d report that countless men told her of previous girls they have dated who had taken silicone injections. As she puts it, their barrage of negative comments about such Transwomen totally prejudiced her against the procedure. After two years of constant hormone therapy she’s now a natural 36c and very pleased. Again I’m reminded by wise words, Confucius “It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.”

     Given time most transgender on hormone therapy will see redistribution of fat to the breast and hip area and given time will get the desired results. I have often heard you can at least expect to be half the size of your mother. Fact or myth the point is very few women have the same breast size or curves and how we develop is based a lot on staying with a hormone regime, exercise and good nutrition. In time you can have thebody you’ve always felt on the inside but rushing the process can leave you permantley scared for life. My friend struggles with what now to tell the younger transgender females she meets, and can’t seem to get them to understand the consequences of getting silicone injections. This effort led us to find Sinjuan K. Cassadine who has recently released a touching series of vlogs about her troubles with silicone. After serving time for the accidental death of her own friend whom she injected silicone she shares her own story about living with that pain and her own problems she now faces with the shifting silicone in her body.

Sinjuan K. Cassadine’s videos on YouTube see below

She’s commended for coming forth with her story. A warning to rushing the process of beauty and reminder that the most lasting beauty is the beauty inside that we have to share with the world.

By Sabrina Samone, T.M.P writer

• Black And Missing Foundation
• HuffPost Crime Missing Persons
• The Black And Missing Foundation Aims To Find People Of Color

After reading the story of transgender teen romance of eighteen year old Katie Hill, born Luke a and Arin sixteen year old, born Emerald on the online paper The Trans Daily News, it wasn’t long everywhere I looked there were stories of the happy modern day Romeo and Juliet. Both suffering from the birth defects of gender dysphoria. They had been teased and bullied throughout their childhood. Katie being the son of a Marine Colonel in a small Christian conservative Oklahoma town could bear it now longer and went public in the local papers about being transgender and teen. Her story so touch an anonymous donor so emotionally, they paid for her sex reassignment surgery. Katie had become the first known transgender to graduate high school after sex change. Though it took her father some time to come around she admits things are better and she could not be happier.

Left to right: Emerald Andrews will become Arin Andrews by 16 and Luke Hill before he became Katie. Featured video of the couple can be seen on the homepage.

Arin grew up as Emerald Andrews, a young toddler beauty queen with hopes of her mother to continue in pageants. She also suffered from gender identity disorder and reached the point she could not deny the man she was. Both joined a Tulsa Trans support group and instantly feel in love. Katie said, “All I saw was a handsome guy. We’re perfect for each other because we both had the same troubles growing up. We’re both size five, so we even swap our old clothes we hated. We look so convincing as a boy and a girl, nobody even notices now. We secretly feel so good about it because it’s the way we’ve always wanted to be seen.”

Arin, still in high school is undergoing testosterone shots to give him the more masculine physique he had long desired. Even his earliest childhood memories he says, “The teachers separated the girls and boys into separate lines for a game. I didn’t understand why they asked me to stand with the girls. Girly things didn’t interest me, but I was worried what people would think if I said I wanted to be a boy, so I kept it a secret. His mother encouraged him to compete in local pageants but Arin’s secret love was riding motocross bikes with his dad. Though Arin admits it was hard for his family also he now has the support of his mom and dad. Even Arin’s little brother Wesley has even started calling Arin his ‘big brother’ “It makes me so proud,” says Arin.

Though high school started similarly for the two as many transgender teens as Arin says, “It was horrible. I looked like a pretty girl but acted and walked like a boy. Everyone started calling me lesbian. It felt so humiliating. I didn’t feel gay at all. I started having suicidal thoughts and told my parents I felt confused.” Even after Arin’s family began to support him and he began dating Katie rumors around a Christian high school that he was dating a girl, Arin was kicked out of the religious school. He says, “I started another school and things have been better there. But everything changed when I met Katie.”

Both Arin and Katie were bullied growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and they want to help prevent that from happening to others.

Arin goes on to say about Katie, “All her loneliness and confusion over feeling she was the opposite gender all her life sounded exactly like me. It was the moment I first had an explanation for my feelings. I realized I was ‘trans ‘too. I finally had an answer after years of confusion. She was beautiful and looked just like Megan Fox to me. I longed to know who she was and eventually plucked up the courage to do the guy thing and asked for her number. She said yes and we started seeing each other.” The younger couple is now speaking out about their experience to help raise awareness of Tran’s issues. “More needs to be done to let people know about transgender issues,” said Katie. “We both spent years in the wilderness and felt so alone. Our parents didn’t know how to help because none of us knew being Trans was possible. Nobody should have to go through what we did.”

Reading their words as a transgender a decade or two older I can’t help but wonder as we all reach that milestone of self acceptance being transgender are we giving enough back so that teenagers like Katie and Arin didn’t have to feel so alone growing up. We should all be saying to ourselves what each of us as transgender could be doing to make ourselves and our community more visible. Kate and Arin’s story also gives me hope as we’ve all know too well of the young ftm and mtf that are no longer with us do to the bullying and being turned away by family, school and friends. It’s comforting in 2012 we can actually see more progress. A progress that is obvious in young Katie Hill the first to openly graduate a public high school as a post op transgender. Doubt we would have been reading as a happy story like this if it was 2002 or worse 1992 or sooner. Though this is Katie and Arin’s personal story in a way this is all transpeople’s story, a story of our continued struggle as a community. From those that came before us, to those who are full adults and living their lives continuing to educate the world simply by being here working living and being who we are. We can all smile at the thought that this young couple is the future of Tran’s world we all hope to see.

More and more stories of ftm and mtf relationships are being mentioned in the press, though as a diverse community we all aware transgender is not a sexual preference but as I like to say a sexual organ defect. We all choose different ways to love but we all share the one thing that unites us all, being transgender. Let’s us not get complacent in what we can do no matter how small or big to make each life of a transgender a testimony that we are here. Unlike the tragedy of the Shakespeare play ‘Romeo and Juliet’, this Modern day Romeo and Juliet’s acceptance of themselves, their families and the love they have found in each other hopefully will give them strength to continue letting the world know we are here. I was touched to hear their story but more touched knowing that many that came before them in some way has helped make this story one of a happily ever after story that it is.