News by Dina!

TG community pushed under the rug by Politicians

Dinab — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 19:15:28 GMT

On Wednesday November 7th 2007 the US House of Representatives passed landmark civil rights bill that will give people who are gay, lesbian or bisexual federal protection in the workplace.

However, most people still believe the House vote was largely symbolic because it will undergo severe scrutiny in the Senate and once again President Bush has vowed to veto the legislation.

Politicians have cited many reasons why transgender people were dropped from that bill, and one of those is religion.

Although the US Constitution strictly forbids the church from interfering in State or government affairs they still determine which laws get passed and which laws do not get passed. Dina Boyer a transgender activist says enough is enough. She says we need politicians that know the Constitution and will stand up to the religious right. She also says that it is also un-American or not patriotic to take taxes from people without Representation from the government.

However, Boyer also believes that TG activist need to rethink their strategies and create propaganda that shows the real life day-to-day struggles of the TG community.

"One of those includes the ideas that if you are TG then don't sleep with someone who does not know your true gender."

She says we need activist' that can show the struggles thru video, films, books etc. It is time America takes a look inside our lives. Boyer says America needs to see how we can and will be productive members of society.

Cecilia Chung Deputy Director of the Transgender Law Center, http://www.transgenderlawcenter.org says we need to focus on the people who are not perceived as the Jerry Springer types, and focus on how we can be included in legislation that will protect our civil rights. She also believes that Politicians are always pushing us under the rug, and are neither sympathetic nor empathetic when thinking about the TG community.

Who do we call in case of emergency?

Dinab — Thu, 24 May 2007 00:29:09 GMT

After researching and reading the horror stories about the public' experience with the police I decided to write this story.

Who do we call...

...when some sexual predator is stalking, or some gang banger is crazy mad and wants to take it out on some innocent, or some person afflicted with road rage wants to attack, or our neighbor wants to vent their hate, or the car has broken down on the highway and we need help, or some crack addict is in need of his money for his fix?

According to the Office of Citizen Complaints, http://www.sfgov.org/site/occ_index.asp, 1st quarter Statistical report for 2007 83 people filed complaints against the SFPD, and the OCC dismissed 57 of those cases.

The Tenderloin Task force, the Taraval Station, the Mission, the Northern station, the Southern Station, the Bayview and finally the Central Station are the top contributors.

I wonder how many LGBT individuals filed complaints against them?

On any given day one can see the stories mounting by the public against the police.

"Every day, San Francisco's police officers render life-saving services. Most of us take it for granted that in an emergency, we can pick up the phone, call the police and help will soon be on the way. For the 100,000 San Francisco residents who are limited-English proficient, accessing police services is not so easy."

"An Oakland attorney announced today that he has filed a civil rights lawsuit seeking $1 million in damages against two San Francisco police officers..."

According to Amnesty International there have been "serious patterns of police misconduct and brutality." They also have reported that the "US is in breach of their International Human Rights obligations by failing to take adequate measures to prevent or punish" those who have contributed to those findings.

So once again I ask you WHO DO WE CALL?

Although locally, Theresa Sparks has become the first transgender president of the police commission, I still have one burning question WHO DO WE CALL in case of emergency?

Is it better to deal with crime in our own way, by running from the police when they pull us over, by running from the criminal until they shoot or stab us, or by not calling the police when a crime occurs?

Our leaders are inept because they have had plenty of time to figure this out, and now we have no one to call in case of emergency!

"I know the last time I called the police I was stripped searched,
put in a cold cell, taunted by prison guards, and denied eatable food, and water."

Quotes taken from SFGate.com

Amnesty International
http://www.amnestyusa.org

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...

Crosses in Lafayette

Dinab — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 19:08:35 GMT

Crosses in Lafayette-Update

In November 2006 the Mount Diablo Peace Center began playing host to a display that has become commonly known as the Crosses in Lafayette. They planted dozens of crosses on a hillside in Lafayette California in response to the deadly Iraq War.
The Crosses in Lafayette http://thecrossesoflafayette.com/ are designed as a memorial for the soldiers who have been killed in Iraq.

They have been subjected to vandalism and local government scrutiny, but yet the display continues to grow....

The Crosses in Lafayette are similar to displays in Santa Monica and Santa Barbara.

Names appear on some of the crosses.

One thing for sure, all paths in War lead to lots of death.....

Websites that contain video and more information on the Crosses:

http://community.vlogmap.org/node/1581
http://lafayettecrosses.blogspot.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CrossesOfLafayette/

Stop the Canadian Harp Seal slaughters

Dinab — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 20:01:10 GMT

On December 20, 2006 Jason Robicheau of Harp Seals.org and Sky Valencia of the Vegan Vixens stood at the corner of Bay and Mason Street handing out flyers, t-shirts, stickers stuffed toy seals, and even rocks painted with a Seal face in hopes of urging the community to join them in their Boycott of Canadian Seafood.

They were also making people aware of their new Billboard that is above a store at the 300 block of Bay Street.

Every year Canadian Fishermen go to the ice floes off the Coast of Newfoundland, and club, bludgeon, shoot, hacka-pick, and dismember [and de-skin] thousands of baby Harp Seals in hopes of selling their skin.

Although some countries still buy seal pelts, in 2006, Mexico "banned the import and export of Primates and Marine animals' and Italy has "temporarily suspended imports of seal skins and seal derived products." Norway seems to be one of their biggest buyers, and other countries like Germany, China, Finland, Denmark, Greece, South Korea and Russia still buy seal products.

For more information please visit the websites below:

www.harpseals.org

www.idausa.org

www.ifaw.org

Anti War and Anti Bush demonstration in Palo Alto

Dinab — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 19:33:24 GMT

On January 11, 2007 the Peninsula Peace and Justice Center-www.peaceandjustice.org- held a demonstration at the corner of El Camino Real, Embarcadero, and Galvez Street in Palo Alto to bring attention to the communities dissatisfaction with President George W Bush' decision to send more troops to Iraq. Many also believe his decision is nothing more than an escalation of the Iraq War.

Paul George the director of the Peninsula Peace and Justice Center was very happy with the turnout. They're appeared to be well over 200 people on all four corners of that intersection. Community members made signs, and noise, and supporters beeped their horns and screamed from their cars.