Boston Transgender Day of Remembrance - press release

For Immediate Release

PLEASE CIRCULATE

Contact: Nancy Nangeroni, 978-969-2346, nancy@gendertalk.com

www.masstpc.org/dor

BOSTON TO HONOR TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

Community Speak-Out, Vigil on Sunday, Nov 20 in Boston

Each November 20, the worldwide transgender community turns its attention to its family, friends and loved ones lost to violence and prejudice. A tradition inspired by the Allston, MA vigil for slain transsexual Rita Hester in 1998, this day has become the worldwide rallying point for a community long under siege.

In Boston, folks will gather in St Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral downtown for a program of speakers, community speak out, and a candlelight vigil on the Common. This free program begins at 4 pm and concludes with a reception featuring hot drinks and food. For more details, please visit www.masstpc.org/dor.

Boston’s Transgender and LGB community extends a warm welcome to all who would like to attend this important event to memorialize our dead and underscore the serious suffering in our communities. No persons should be subjected to violence simply because of their gender identity or expression. No persons should be denied the basic rights that enable their safety and security. No one should consider taking their own life to escape harassment and bullying. Please join with us on this day to remember those who are gone, whatever the cause of their departure.

This event will benefit the Transgender Emergency Fund, which provides assistance to low-income transgender people across Massachusetts. Sponsors include the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, TransCEND Boston and AIDS Action Committee, Boston Health Care for the Homeless, The Crossing, Human Rights Campaign, Boston Alliance of GLBT Youth and more.

Event Background:

Twelve years ago at this time, Boston’s LGBT community recoiled in horror at the discovery of the latest victim of transphobic violence. Rita Hester, a popular figure in the local rock ‘n roll scene, who also happened to be a transsexual, had been found brutally stabbed to death in her Brighton apartment. Like so many killings of gay and transgender persons, the victim was subjected to enough brutality to kill her many times over.

A local community of queer activists, rockers, family, friends and allies – over 250 of them – came together and held a speak-out and candlelight vigil in Rita’s honor, forming a human stream of light winding its way through Rita’s old Allston stomping grounds.

One year later, a memorial vigil was held in San Francisco; the following year Boston and a few other cities joined in, and this year hundreds of observances will be held in dozens of countries.

Boston’s transgender community remembers local victims Chanelle Pickett, Debra Forte, Monique Thomas, Georgette Hart, Denise Pugliesi, Monique Rogers, Lisa Daniels, CJ Garber, and Rita Hester. There have been many more, mostly uncounted and unnoticed by all but their friends and family.

Organized by the all-volunteer Boston Transgender Day of Remembrance Organizing Committee.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BostonTransDOR/

THIS THURSDAY - PFLAG transgender event w/ Joanne Herman - Wayland MA

Fall 2011 Greater Boston PFLAG Announces Joanne Herman Author Transgender Explained Thursday, Oct. 27 at 7pm Temple Shir Tikva Wayland Dear Friends, Greater Boston PFLAG invites you to join us on Thursday, October 27 7 to 9 pm at Temple Shir Tikva 141 Boston Post Road, Wayland, MA 01778 Free and open to all! Light refreshments available. We are thrilled to introduce our Featured Speaker: Joanne Herman, Author, Transgender Explained Since her transition to live as a female in 2002, Joanne Herman has been active as a spokeswoman for transgender awareness and understanding. Joanne is the first transgender person ever elected the Boards of Directors of Fenway Health, Point Foundation, and GLAD, the first transgender member of historic Old South Church in Boston, and one of the first openly transgender alumnae of Dartmouth College as a graduate of Dartmouth's last all-male class. Joanne Herman has received praise for her non-complicated explanations of transgender for almost a decade. Now she has written down her explanations for all to read in Transgender Explained For Those Who Are Not. Organized by topic into short, easy-to-read chapters, Transgender Explained is perfect for parents, relatives, colleagues, friends, allies, and even journalists who want to quickly get up to speed on what it means to be transgender. You will also have the opportunity to hear from parents with transgender children who will share their personal experiences and talk about Greater Boston PFLAG's support group for parents with transgender children. Finally, you will have the opportunity to take action and support the transgender rights bill. We look forward to seeing you! Please feel free to contact me with any questions. All the best, Pam Garramone, Executive Director Greater Boston PFLAG pam@gbpflag.org 781 891 5966

THIS SUNDAY - Fat Clothing Swap in Somerville MA

As seen on "The List : Boston's Queer Agenda" --

http://www.queeragenda.org/:

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Sunday, October 23

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Fat Clothing Swap!

1pm-3pm

Between Davis and Ball Squares

Somerville, MA (free street parking! bus- and T-accessible!)

Admission: $5-$20 donation at door (cash) -- donate what you want/can.

All proceeds will benefit NOLOSE's scholarship fund (http://www.nolose.org/).

Want to freshen up your wardrobe on the cheap? Clothing swaps are an excellent way to purge your closets of unwanted, unloved clothes and return home with awesome new-to-you scores! If you have in-good-condition swappable clothing and wear sizes from 18/20-30/32, join the swap fun!

For more information: opnheartd@hotmail.com

TOMORROW - interfaith Transgender Education Panel at Tufts University

Our very own Rev. Cameron Partridge will be a panelist at Tufts University tomorrow evening, and I'll be joining him -- here's the Facebook event (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=303824859632064):

ISA* Transgender Education Panel

(*Tufts University's Interfaith Social Action)

TOMORROW -- Thursday, October 20th

7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Tufts University (near Davis Sq. in Medford MA)

Rabb Room, Lincoln Filene (next to Braker Hall)

Did you know...

-In a 2003 survey, 55% of transgender youth reported having been physically attacked

-In a 2006 report, 33.2% of transgender youth reported having attempted suicide

-currently, it is legal in 34 states to hire someone because of their gender identity

Inspired to learn more and take action?

Interfaith Social Action is holding a panel, co-sponsored by the LGBT center, to decrease transgender discrimination through education and awareness. This will be an excellent opportunity to learn more about what it means to be transgender within a cultural and faith context.

Speakers include:

Mycroft Masada Holmes, a Jewish transgender activist who works with the Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality, the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition and Keshet.

Rev. Cameron Partridge, a transgender Episcopal priest, currently serving as the Episcopal Chaplain at BU

Michelle Figueiredo, a speaker from SpeakOUT, an organization that sends speakers out to college communities to educate students on various topics pertaining to diversity, who will be speaking about her experiences as a transgender woman and her spiritual journey

Joan Saniuk and Sharilyn Steketee -- Joan is a Reverend associated with the Metropolitan Community Church of Boston and Sharilyn is Joan’s partner, as well as her partner in ministry.

There will be time for Q&A after the speakers. Refreshments will be provided!

Contact tuftsinterfaith@gmail.com with any questions!

Ordered business cards and stickers from VistaPrint!

I ordered business cards and stickers from VistaPrint yesterday! The cards are the same ones I’ve had from them twice before, just with updated text. (My primary symbol is a blue dragon, and they actually had this photo in stock. It’s an outdoor bas-relief wall in China -- see the plants at the bottom? I ran into a Chinese visitor in Harvard Square who was very surprised to see somewhere he’d been at home on my card.) The stickers are a first for me, 1.5”; they’re mostly to put on my larger artwork and the gift wrapping thereof. I didn’t reorder my matching address labels, because I plan to move in with my partner Julia early next year. I highly recommend VistaPrint – and if you say I sent you, we both get rewarded, so.

ICTE's latest message to our supporters

ICTE's latest message to our supporters, published today:

Transgender Equal Rights Bill faith campaign

Happy Jewish New Year, Sukkot, Fall and all other seasons’ greetings!

The Massachusetts legislature has returned from vacation, and the next part of the campaign for the Transgender Equal Rights Bill has begun -- and we want to let you know how you can be part of it.

Here’s how we’re asking the faith community to take action:

1) Phone bank for the bill at MassEquality. Tuesdays from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Calling voters and transferring them to their legislators' voicemail boxes in support of the Transgender Equal Rights Bill. Contact Justin Lemley at 617.878.2344 orjustinlemley@massequality.org to sign up. Groups are more than welcome, and we would be happy to publicize your community’s participation.

2) Call, email, and write your legislators. They hear from the opposition every day – they need to hear from us more.

3) Participate in the 3^rd annual Transgender Awareness Week. Saturday November 12^th through Sunday November 20^th (international Trangender Day of Remembrance, http://www.masstpc.org/events/tdor/) --http://www.masstpc.org/events/taw/. Participate in an existing event (many more will be added between now and then) and/or create your own. One great resource for this is the “I AM: Trans People Speak” public education campaign --http://transpeoplespeak.org/. We can help you figure out the best way to participate in the Week, loan you a DVD of some of the faith-based “I AM” stories, and publicize your community’s participation. You can also choose to sponsor the Week, and be recognized for that.

4) Sign our Declaration of Interfaith Support for the bill. Read the current signed version as a PDF -- http://tinyurl.com/3dnkbkv -- then add your signature by emailing us at InterfaithCoalition@gmail.org.

5) Spread the word about the bill to everyone you can! We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the response. One of the most common responses we receive – including from people of faith – is a variation of “I thought transgender people were already protected by the law! We need to correct this right away!”

With your partnership, we can amend the law so that it does protect transgender people. We look forward to working with you this fall. And we encourage you to connect with us through our online homes:

ICTE blog:

http://www.interfaithcoalition.blogspot.com

ICTE FB group:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7923372429

Faith campaign FB event:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=188135257891766

Yours in great excitement and hope,

Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality (ICTE)

TOMORROW - LGBTQ Community Meeting on Trans Equal Rights Bill

LGBTQ Community Meeting on Trans Equal Rights Bill

October 11th, 2011

Thursday, October 13, 2011
LGBTQ Community Meeting

7:00PM at The Non-Profit Center Community Room, 89 South St. Boston, MA 02111

All LGBTQ people and allies are invited. The fight for equality in
Massachusetts is not over. You can’t spell community without the T. We will be discussing the Transgender Equal Rights Bill, specifically where it is at right now and what we can do as a community to help pass this legislation. Bring you ideas and suggestions to the table. For more information about the legislation visit www.masstpc.org

Sponsored by Mass Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), Transgender Equal Rights Coalition, MassEquality, MGLPC, The Boston Bisexual Women’s Network, The Cambridge GLBT Commission

Meeting space donated by Boston Pride Committee

Happy belated National Coming Out Day!

Happy belated National Coming Out Day!

The Religious Institute has just created new worship resources in support of National Coming Out Day (October 11). They include a responsive reading, prayers, a prayer litany and more, available at www.religiousinstitute.org/lgbtqworship. They've done this as part of a call to the nation's clergy to speak out this month in support of LGBT teens and young adults in recognition of National Coming Out Day. All initial resources were written by their Scholar in Residence, Marie Alford-Harkey.

TUESDAY - National Coming Out Day at the MA Statehouse

Tuesday is National Coming Out Day, and the Massachusetts Statehouse is having programming -- and it's transgender-focused.

The pretty version of the invitation is here:

http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/14243040/1110643762/name/National%20Coming%20Out%20Day%20Invite.pdf

And here's the plain text version:

Celebrate National Coming Out Day!

Tuesday October 11th

Video-Exhibition 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Speaking Event 11:30 am Nurses Hall

Please join Representative Carl Sciortino, Senator Stan Rosenberg,

Representative Denise Andrews, Representative Liz Malia and

Representative Sarah Peake to observe "National Coming Out Day" at the

State House at 11:30 am on October 11th!

Legislators, staff, and community members are welcome to "come out"

and share what it means to be out as LGBT or as straight allies.

National Coming Out Day is an internationally observed celebration

held annually on October 11th to recognize lesbian, gay, bisexual and

transgender people and to promote tolerance and respect. Special

emphasis this year will be place on being allies of the transgender

community.

A video-story exhibition by the “I AM: Transgender People Speak

Project” will be shown throughout the day in Nurses Hall, sharing the

everyday experiences of ten transgender Massachusetts residents and

two parents of a transgender person.

For more information, please contact: Raffi Freedman-Gurspan in Rep.

Sciortino's Office 617-772-2013 Raffi.Freedman-Gurspan@mahouse.gov.