Indyboyz & Indygirlz

Voter ID May Affect Trans Citizens

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:23:33 -0400

By Trudy Ring

As new requirements for voter identification are debated in state legislatures around the country, concerns are being raised that these requirements may discourage voting by certain groups of citizens — including transgender people.

Shula Asher Silberstein, a contributor to Gather.com, writes that a proposed Pennsylvania law requiring all voters to present a photo ID at their polling places could disenfranchise transgender people.

“Suppose a trans woman’s photo ID has a male name and photo on it or a trans man’s ID is that of a woman,” Silberstein writes. “Poll workers might question the person’s identity, drawing public attention to the voter’s identity as a trans individual. For this reason, many trans voters may choose to stay home out of fear of violence. Worse yet, statistics show that trans women of color are more likely to suffer violence than any other group, so the trans voters who do come out might be overwhelmingly white.”

Other activists have voiced concerns that voter ID laws may tend to depress turnout among racial minorities, the elderly, disabled people, and the youngest voters — all of whom, according to various studies, are less likely than the general population to have the type of identification required by such laws.

Voter ID laws, being considered in about 30 states, tend to be backed by conservatives, and some liberal politicians and activists say they are a means to reduce the number of likely Democratic voters. Some in Pennsylvania have called that state’s legislation “an unabashed political effort by Republicans to disenfranchise poor, elderly, and minority voters,” The Philadelphia Inquirer reports, while supporters of the bill say it is simply a means of keeping elections honest.

Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives is likely to vote on the bill any day, according to the Inquirer, and then it goes to the Senate. A similar bill passed in 2006 but then-governor Ed Rendell vetoed it; current governor Tom Corbett says he would sign the legislation.

So I’ve already had issues with this Voter ID business for quite a while, but this commentary adds a whole new spin that I hadn’t considered.

We are still accepting submissions!

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:13:27 -0400

subtextqueerartsmagazine:

:) And we definitely miss the flood of submissions into our email (subtextsubmissions@gmail.com)

Please continue to submit: fiction, poetry, non-fiction, paintings, photography, sculptures, anything.

Everything will be considered as long as it is of LGBT theme.

Calling all artists!

Disclosure and Dating at Questioning Transphobia

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:13:15 -0400

Disclosure and Dating at Questioning Transphobia:

soffasupport:

queerfeministatheist:

From the article:

This is a vent, and this is the best place for my vent:

So every time there is a conversation about trans people dating cis people, cis people come out of the woodwork to lay down the command that all trans people are required to disclose upon commencing any relationship. They also say that not disclosing is explicitly lying.

I would like to point out that the “need” to disclose seems entirely aimed at AMAB trans* people. There is no similar regulating discourse for AFAB trans* people. There are a number of different reasons for this, I think.

Reblogged for the first part and for the commentary. The double standard is horrible.

Any thoughts?

lgbtlaughs: [graffiti art of the same baby’s head stencil in...

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:13:00 -0400

lgbtlaughs:

[graffiti art of the same baby’s head stencil in black while. Underneath green letters are sprayed. On the left: BIG STRONG BOY. On the right: LITTLE CUTE GIRL]

soffasupport: gay-men: Parents of a transgender child discuss...

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:07:55 -0400

soffasupport:

gay-men:

Parents of a transgender child discuss dealing with gender identity issues. I find the struggles of the Father here to be especially difficult. He’s clearly gone on a journey throughout this whole process, but realises that difficulties may still come about in what is often an intolerant society. Hailey is lucky to be blessed with such supportive parents and they are equally lucky to with blessed with her. - Via gay .org.uk

Interesting bit from Lisa Ling’s show a few months back. Reblogged mostly for the commentary on the father’s journey.

I watched this with Dylan a while back. It was a very good episode. Oprah seems to be very pro-trans on her new network.

-Jacinta

soyface: zladkohasaboaraffe: negativepunxvxpts: gpoy ^same T...

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:03:46 -0400

soyface:

zladkohasaboaraffe:

negativepunxvxpts:

gpoy

^same

This is the most adorable thing ever. Transboys are cute! :D

This is incredibly adorable, yes?

kendrawcandraw: Rooster Tails - Queer 101: A Brief Walk...

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 07:33:06 -0400

kendrawcandraw:

Rooster Tails - Queer 101: A Brief Walk Through Gender and Sexuality

Thought this was pretty neat and it looks like a more colorful, comic-strip type of slideshow of what INTRAA presents at their education/discussion panels. (For those that are curious and interested in INTRAA (Indiana Transgender Rights Advocacy Alliance), check this out: www.intraa.org

Government to sponsor first LGBT refugee resource center

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 07:26:27 -0400

Government to sponsor first LGBT refugee resource center:

gaywrites:

In the face of constant international political turmoil and struggles for LGBT people who come to America in search of safety, the federal government is investing $250,000 in the first-ever resource center for LGBT refugees who face persecution in their home countries.

The Department of Health and Human Services made the announcement yesterday that they’ll partner with the Heartland Alliance of Chicago to create the center, which is partially the result of Barack Obama’s outspoken commitment to eliminating violence and discrimination on the basis of one’s sexual orientation or gender identity. From the Advocate:

“The current resettlement network has limited understanding of the LGBT community,” said ORR Director Eskinder Negash in a statement. “No information exists in the context of available resource materials specifically for LGBT refugees. The need for these services is critical to ensure their successful resettlement in the U.S.”

I’m incredibly happy to hear about this. Though it’s been tricky for the U.S. to figure out its place in the debates over LGBT immigration and laws relating to international same-sex relationships, this is truly a step in the right direction. This is quite good and quite necessary.

What do you all think about this? Reblog? Discuss?

Meet 'N Greet

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 23:51:23 -0400

In addition to questions answered in the previous post, you may be wondering who’s running this ship. By ship, I mean this Tumblr blog of course. Thus, we have the obligatory introduction post. Currently, there are only two authors of this blog.

First up, we have Jacinta. She’s a nerd of the tech, book, and entertainment of the highest order. She’s also a teacher (sort of). As a dedicated SOFFA, she’s been attending Indy Boyz/Indy Girlz pretty regularly for the last couple years. Pet peeves include: ice (of the weather variety) and the combination of Uggs with short shorts (really what is that about???). Her personal blog can be found here: jacintos10.tumblr.com

Next, we have Dylan. He’s a not quite starving musician and a lover of all things historical (especially World War II). The quest for food is near and dear to his heart, and he’d be perfectly content if he could spend all day fishing…*sigh*…He’s our chief FTM on deck, and in the words of Edge and Christian, he reeks of awesomeness. His personal blog can be found here: dylanmike.tumblr.com

So what are Indy Boyz and Indy Girlz anyway?

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 23:40:52 -0400

Upon finding this Tumblr, you might’ve asked yourself that very question. In short, Indy Boyz and Indy Girlz are peer-led social/support groups.

Where/when do they meet?

Lifejourney Church in Indianapolis, IN at 3pm on the 4th Saturday of each month.

Who’s invited?

Everyone. The meetings are for all MTF, FTM, and SOFFAs that may want to attend.

Why should I come to a meeting?

Because we’re awesome. Seriously. But if general awesomeness isn’t your thing, rest assured that you’ll also find a great group of people that are well informed and quite supportive to keep you coming back.

Follow, Reblog, and Repeat

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 23:06:00 -0400

Hey everyone! We’ve finally put up a Tumblr for the Indyboyz and Indygirlz groups. We are here to create some extensive networking within the community.

We’ll be posting links to news articles and awesome websites. We’ll be discussing what YOU want to discuss. Just follow us and reblog if you see something on here that you like and want to share with your own followers here on Tumblr. You can also share what you find through your Facebook.

Even if you don’t live in Indiana, we’d love to have you join in! Feel free to ask questions, make suggestions/corrections, and give us ideas for discussions to post.