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I am basically saying something very similar. I also say the struggle is affected by the way it is framed. And it is in fact "choosing ones enemies" and friends very wisely. If we are in fact helping all humanity in our own way, then any one else helping humanity is our friend. That is not utopia; a lot of people on this planet wish to make the world better for everyone. It is basic 'war' strategy to bring as many allies as you can into a battle.Quote:
Originally Posted by muhmuh
Dear miss Allanah I am just a silly nobody, a transsexual in the Midwest, but I am a member of several organizations for tg rights. I have brought this topic up and I will keep doing so. I personally will not stop fighting for our rights world wide.
Thank you Allanah for this posting.
I have forwarded copies to the Transgender Law Center in SF and to our local group in San Diego the TASC - neither of which does anything but soak up grant money, but at least they will be appraised of the situation and the more who know the harder to sweep under the rug.
And folks remember this is our "ally" the country we've protected with american lives. Copies of this should really be sent to every legislator. Of course what's a few TS lives to keep the oil coming.
Sigh,
TS Jamie :-(
I think it's a damn shame.
But at the same time, I want to recognize and respect the laws, traditions, cultural differences and ways of other countries.
While I don't want anything bad to happen to anyone, I don't think it's reasonable to condemn Kuwait for doing things the way they see fit over there. It's also not reasonable, in my opinion, to believe every other culture/country is supposed to be like that of the United States.
Am I wrong?
Allanah,
Back in April of 07, a sports writer with the LA times discussed the fact that he was actually a transgendered person, was taking vacation and upon returning would be known as Christine Daniels.
Perhaps you could contact her and see if she can get some press going via the Times.
Here is her e mail address: christine.daniels@latimes.com
Just a thought. I have attached a copy of the article.
Where the hell is the USA and the Human Rights squad?
From the LA Times this morning.
Old Mike, new Christine
By Mike Penner, Times Staff Writer
April 26, 2007
During my 23 years with The Times' sports department, I have held a wide variety of roles and titles. Tennis writer. Angels beat reporter. Olympics writer. Essayist. Sports media critic. NFL columnist. Recent keeper of the Morning Briefing flame.
Today I leave for a few weeks' vacation, and when I return, I will come back in yet another incarnation.
As Christine.
I am a transsexual sportswriter. It has taken more than 40 years, a million tears and hundreds of hours of soul-wrenching therapy for me to work up the courage to type those words. I realize many readers and colleagues and friends will be shocked to read them.
That's OK. I understand that I am not the only one in transition as I move from Mike to Christine. Everyone who knows me and my work will be transitioning as well. That will take time. And that's all right. To borrow a piece of well-worn sports parlance, we will take it one day at a time.
Transsexualism is a complicated and widely misunderstood medical condition. It is a natural occurrence — unusual, no question, but natural.
Recent studies have shown that such physiological factors as genetics and hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy can significantly affect how our brains are "wired" at birth.
As extensive therapy and testing have confirmed, my brain was wired female.
A transgender friend provided the best and simplest explanation I have heard: We are born with this, we fight it as long as we can, and in the end it wins.
I gave it as good a fight as I possibly could. I went more than 40 hard rounds with it. Eventually, though, you realize you are only fighting yourself and your happiness and your mental health — a no-win situation any way you look at it.
When you reach the point when one gender causes heartache and unbearable discomfort, and the other brings more joy and fulfillment than you ever imagined possible, it shouldn't take two tons of bricks to fall in order to know what to do.
It didn't with me.
With me, all it took was 1.99 tons.
For more years than I care to count, I was scared to death over the prospect of writing a story such as this one. It was the most frightening of all the towering mountains of fear I somehow had to confront and struggle to scale.
How do you go about sharing your most important truth, one you spent a lifetime trying to keep deeply buried, to a world that has grown familiar and comfortable with your façade?
To a world whose knowledge of transsexuals usually begins and ends with Jerry Springer's exploitation circus?
Painfully and reluctantly, I began the coming-out process a few months ago. To my everlasting amazement, friends and colleagues almost universally have been supportive and encouraging, often breaking the tension with good-natured doses of humor.
When I told my boss Randy Harvey, he leaned back in his chair, looked through his office window to scan the newsroom and mused, "Well, no one can ever say we don't have diversity on this staff."
When I told Robert, the soccer-loving lad from Wales who cuts my hair, why I wanted to start growing my hair out, he had to take a seat, blink hard a few times and ask, "Does this mean you don't like football anymore, Mike?"
No, I had to assure him, I still love soccer. I will continue to watch it. I hope to continue to coach it.
My days of playing in men's over-30 rec leagues, however, could be numbered.
When I told Eric, who has played sweeper behind my plodding stopper for more than a decade, he brightly suggested, "Well, you're still good for co-ed!"
I broke the news to Tim by beginning, "Are you familiar with the movie 'Transamerica'?" Tim nodded. "Well, welcome to my life," I said.
Tim seemed more perplexed than most as I nervously launched into my story.
Finally, he had to explain, "I thought you said 'Trainspotting.' I thought you were going to tell me you're a heroin addict."
People have asked if transitioning will affect my writing. And if so, how?
All I can say at this point is that I am now happier, more focused and more energized when I sit behind a keyboard. The wicked writer's block that used to reach up and torture me at some of the worst possible times imaginable has disappeared.
My therapist says this is what happens when a transsexual finally "integrates" and the ever-present white noise in the background dissipates.
That should come as good news to my editors: far fewer blown deadlines.
So now we all will take a short break between bylines. "Mike Penner" is out, "Christine Daniels" soon will be taking its place.
From here, it feels like a big improvement. I hope with time you will agree.
This could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
I've been contacted by several human rights organizations who are working on this matter- GLAAD has also contacted me and several others.
A friend of mine who was frequently visiting Dubai who works in Paris was arrested at a mall in Dubail while shopping for having a male passport and was jailed for 80 days until France was able to get her back.
Andrea James also contacted me and posted the story here:
http://www.tsroadmap.com/notes/index...ns_and_abuses/
Which includes a very disturbing video of a trans woman in Iraq
that was arrested and you can watch as they shave her head and mock her and make fun of her througout the process.
I am surprised more poeple are not responding to this thread?
I'm from Kuwait and everything you've read and seen is absolutely TRUE.Tgirls are treated worse than animals here, they are considered a social menace.People are very prejudiced and phobic to tgirls.They abuse, get physical and even call the cops on them if they see a tgirl gathering.Rape and abuse of tgirls is everyday news here and is just "norm".
Kuwait is dominantly Islamic and most people consider trans sexuality a SIN.The press and authorities dismiss tgirls as just 'guys dressed in woman's clothes".Obviously, they don't understand the condition and the thought process involved.Its sad but at the same time there isn't much they or anyone else can do.
It is true that we should respect peoples laws and traditions, however those things are affected by the general outlook of the culture, legal rulings, an so forth. For example a high religious official in Iran issued a ruling that transexuality was essentially a birth defect, and that srs was a cure for them to live as women. (However Iran executes gays.)Quote:
Originally Posted by ARMANIXXX
In every culture and religion there are competing principles so that traditions can adapt to new attitudes. And often these opinions are change through medical findings.
I think we have an obligation to speak up on what we consider to be the mistreatment of others. It might help them to reexamine the facts of whether those persons should be judged harshly or with mercy.
DO NOT GET ME STARTED!. That video was HORRIBLE , that whole religion is an abombination to humanity! That poor girl was in fear, you could see it in her eyes. The whole Middle East is FUCKED UP. I am all for their liberation. The myspace girl is doing good if she has access to a computer and chatting with people, I instead feel more sorrow for the girl we saw humiliated and stuck sitting in a prison with no computer no one to talk too. Great Job Allanah, you get my vote for important posts like this when you got other CLOWNS on this site post videos of themselves acting like fools for the pathetic trick to drool over . This is real shit right here, this is why our freedom means so much. My heart goes out to that poor girl in the video, while you tricks drool over the self promoters with their assinine youtube video's, this is where the focus should be on important stuff, the poor TS sitting in jail for expressing herself. Allanah what can we do to help that poor girl, not the myspace girl, the one in trouble. I can't forget seeing those scared eyes, you here have no idea how good you got it.
Oh wow now its just getting sad. When people are being convicted for being themselves.