Tag: transgender

I Didn’t Realize Who I Was

… until I stopped being who I wasn’t. — Unknown

By Blue Bronc, a Trail Mix Contributor

Each year on November 20 the transgender community around the world comes together to hear the names of transgender people murdered during the last fifty-two weeks.  It is a recognition that we are often targeted to be attacked and killed for just living our lives as we are.  The list is never decreasing, this year the murders reached a new high in the United States, at least twenty-five transgender people killed.

All transgender people know someone who has died.  Some have died by their own hand and others by a murderer.  It is common knowledge that transgender people have an extraordinary rate of suicide. What is not known is how assault and murder rates are higher than the general public. Many police departments do not report the deaths as a transgender person killed, and the crimes are often not reported or charged as a hate crime.

The TDOR events are important for the community, often the only time many transgender people get together with other transgender people during the year.  Each event is unique with only one common act, the reading of the names of the dead. Some Transgender Day of Remembrance events read the names of those who died by suicide, others do not.  We all will die, many of us too early.

Please visit the Transgender Day of Remembrance website for the names of those killed during the last year.  It is always nice if you join us for this important event on November 20.  You will need to do a search for Transgender Day of Remembrance 2017 for your local area, as the list was not created for some reason this year.

Other links:

More Posts by Blue Bronc

First one to find me a Supreme Court Justice gets a free corned beef sandwich.

Transgender Pride Flag on Rainbow Outhouse on highest peak in NC
Transgender Pride Flag on Rainbow Outhouse on highest peak in NC

— Leo McGary, West Wing

By Blue Bronc, a Trail Mix Contributor

Looking at the two cases the Supremes recently gave certioari – sex offenders not allowed to use social media,  Packingham v. North Carolina, 15-1194, and transgender children using the restroom,  Gloucester County School Board v. G.G.

They would not bring these in unless a consensus has been sort of agreed to in at least a 5-3 ruling, striking down the school board, as a tie ruling leaves it open until they get a nine Justice court. Also, the court feels comfortable stepping out against the far right pressure, even with the giant pumpkin with a dead orange possum on its head possibly ending up in the White House.

The social media restriction sounds like a no brainer.  It will not hold.  It is too hard to enforce and a First Amendment issue.  How do you stop someone from communicating?  I have friends who no longer use email because they use social media, usually Facebook.  Can the felon be forced to use certain communication techniques or methods?  What if a fool stated the felon could only use telegraph?  Fine, fifty years ago.  But, not available today.  Use a landline, but no longer available in places today.  Unless a prosecutor comes up with something novel, the restriction is gone.

The potty problem is more contentious.  But, the bulk of the Justices do not live in a vacuum, they can see there is a new world taking the place of the old, and trying to stop that takeover is a loser.  They have been doing the support of the change for a few years now.  And there is no reason for them to go backwards anymore.  Scalia is gone and his heavy thumb on Thomas is too.  Not that it is an improvement that the Justice is asking questions now.

The case of the Virginia school board dictating where a transgender male student is to go to pee is also looking like a loser.  Although the stay was issued supporting the school board by a 5-3 decision, it was by a Justice stating he voted for the stay to bring the case in later.  Well he and the other liberal Justices have found their conservative supporter.  Otherwise I would have expected to see them bring the North Carolina case and another opposite case sometime later, once they had a nine Justice court again.

A decision for the transgender youth to use the restroom will carry a great deal of significance beyond the school board case.  It will be used to knock down the North Carolina case, no peeing in this state you freaks, of the McGory fame.  The same will be used to strike away the other states who setup road blocks to the Obama order to allow use of restrooms and other gender specific locations by transgender school children.

Photo credit: Outhouse courtesy of Neil Gottlieb

More Posts by Blue Bronc