What's New
January 30, 2010
Michigan Republican Representative Paul Scott of Grand Blanc has a dangerous mission planned. He wants to deny gender marker changes on Michigan driver’s licenses and he wants to make other changes to deny our rights.
Entering his sophomore year as a Michigan congressman, Representative Scott is a rising star within the state Republican Party. He is famous for the statewide ban on public smoking that he helped legislate. He now wants to be Michigan’s Secretary of State.
In the official announcement letter of his candidacy for Michigan Secretary of State, Scott said he'll work to change several Michigan social policies including one that hits home in the LGBT community.
"I'll make it a priority to ensure transgender individuals will not be allowed to change the sex on their driver's license in any circumstance."
It is time to put aside our differences and unite to fight this outrage. Please pass the word. It is time to act.
Further reading:
Michigan Messenger
Democratic Underground
Pride Source
Pride Source by Jay Kaplan
PFLAG Detroit
The Bilerico Project
Contact information for Representative Paul Scott:
LANSING OFFICE
Anderson House Office Bldg.
S-985 House Office Building
Lansing, MI 48933
MAILING ADDRESS
S-985 House Office Building
P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48933
Phone: (517) 373-1780
Toll Free: (866) 989-5151
FAX: (866) 989-5810
EMAIL PaulScott@house.mi.gov
Web Site Michigan Republican Paul Scott
NEW CATEGORY:
We are starting a new category of service. It will provide online credit card support to LGBT service organizations. It is called simply Community and you can find it on the menu on the left side of each page. Within Community the first organization we are adding is Crossroads. Crossroads is a Michigan based Transgender support group.
HATE CRIME BILL SIGNED:
On October 28th President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. We are now protected by the law of the land.
Bill signing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtyMdGnxhTk
Whitehouse reception:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_wewFd29Qo
Formally known as the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, it will be the first federal law to include gender identity and transgender people. Once signed by the President, this law will add sexual orientation, gender identity, gender and disability to the categories included in existing federal hate crimes law and will allow local governments who are unable or unwilling to address hate crimes to receive assistance from the federal government. President Obama has indicated that he will sign the bill into law
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard_Act
WE CONTINUE TO BUILD THE SITE:
We hope that you will forgive the brief interruption in service as we moved the site to a new host with new more secure shopping cart software. We made the decision to use this solution because it provided the best security for your personal information. When we made the decision it was the only non-hosted shopping card solution that was compliant with the new credit card industry security standards.
Protecting your privacy and your credit card information is paramount. At no time do we know your credit card number unless you give it to us during a non-web order. This is why we tell customers that it is more secure to place an order online than by placing placing an order by phone, fax or surface mail. In a web based order, only the computers have the numbers. However, as before, we can still change the order amount when requested.
Our restart was delayed by our Extended Validation SSL certificate. But the certificate has now been issued and we are back taking orders again. With this advanced certificate the address bar will turn green as you enter the more secured portions of the site. This is the kind of security you typically only get with the big name sites. It shows our commitment to protecting your privacy and keeping your personal information secure. Watch for the green address bar as you are making online purchases. It will help keep your personal identity safe.
For further information about what an Extended Validation Certificate is and what the green address bar means to you, see the Wikipedia page.
Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)
A new trans-inclusive version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) was introduced in the US House of Representatives on June 24th and is to get a House hearing on September 23, 2009. The bill introduced by Representative Barney Frank has bipartisan support and 126 co-sponsors. It also has the support of President Obama. The bill would protect against workplace discrimination on the basis of gender identity. It is expected that the present bill, including gender identity, will pass the House this year.
For more information see one of the following links:
Wikipedia Employment Non-Discrimination Act page
The Barney Frank news release
Human Rights Campaign
Call to action at United ENDA.org
President Obama proclaimed June 2009 as LGBT Pride Month
Not only are multiple states and communities enacting legislation to protect the rights of the Transgendered, but President Obama has proclaimed June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. See the Proclamation:
White House Proclamation
Australian 60 Minutes segment on Transgendered Youth
Australian corespondent Liz Hayes presented a report for 60 Minutes on a transgendered youth named Jazz and her family.
Australian 60 Minutes story on Transgendered Youth
National Geographic segment on Intersexed
Each year thousands of people around the world are born with ambiguous gender. They do not fit into our binary system of male or female - and shockingly many of them don't know it..
National Geographic segment on Intersexed
