News and Information

allison — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:05:28 +0000

News & Information:

Support group for families with gender diverse children

Transforming Family

http://transformingfamily.org/programs/

We are a family support group for families with gender diverse children. We provide a supportive environment for children, adolescents, and their families to explore issues of gender identity.

The Family Group is held once a month and is comprised of a peer support group for the parents, a peer support/rap group for our youth and a play group for our children.

Our parents have the opportunity to discuss the challenging issues, raise questions, seek and share resources, and listen to the experiences of others. Our primary goal is to discover, by talking to each other and sharing our experiences, how parents, grandparents, extended family and community can best support these children in their gender identity and gender expression. We also open this group up to extended family members like grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Siblings are welcome in the play group, as well.

We are a project of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and solicit charitable gifts through The Huckleberry Fund, which supports the youth programs of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at CHLA.

Please e-mail one of us and we will get back in touch with you within hours or minutes:

Dawn @ TransformingFamily.org
John @ TransformingFamily.org

If you prefer, call us on (818) 254-9654. You may need to leave a message but we will hasten to return your call and guide you to resources in your area. We know (from experience) how valuable it is to speak with someone who understands what you are going through. Don’t hesitate to pick up the phone.

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New online connection site for FTMs

From: Ian Harvie
To:
Subject: wanted to mention my newly improved FTM Dating site..
Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:44:09 -0700

I don’t know if this is of interest to FTM Alliance listing announcements, but I created a new connection site for FTM guys.

FTM Lover (http://www.ftmlover.com) is a dating & hookup web site for FTM & Trans Masculine guys and the people who adore them. We have over 700 members and growing rapidly. We are making some changes in the next couple days to the site, first and foremost, changing bullets to checkboxes so folks signing up or searching can select more than one identity and relationship type that they’re seeking. Thought I would throw it out there and see if its something you might want to post on the list.

Thank you!
Cheers!
Ian Harvie

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New report from Transgender Law Center on Health Care activism

Organizing for Transgender Health Care: A Guide for Community Clinic Organizing and Advocacy

The Transgender Law Center announces our newest tool for improving access to health care for transgender people!

The Transgender Law Center is excited to announce the publication of our latest guide, Organizing for Transgender Health Care: A Guide for Community Clinic Organizing and Advocacy. Available online for free download, this guide is an amazing tool for activists and allies to use as they work to change the health care system to meet the health needs of transgender people.

The guide highlights accomplishments by transgender activists throughout California. In the guide, we examine each effort and extract key lessons, best practices, and tips that you can use to improve access and quality health care in your community. The guide also includes easy-to-use tools, including:

* sample clinic agreements,
* tips on how to develop and tell your personal story, and
* planning worksheets.

Using this guide will give you a head start on your advocacy efforts. The full guide is available for download at www.transgenderlawcenter.org.

We are excited to hear how you use this in your own community to make change!

Organizing for Transgender Health Care: A Guide for Community Clinic Organizing and Advocacy is a publication of the Transgender Law Center and was made possible with generous support from The California Endowment and The California Wellness Foundation.

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Weekly discussion groups for youth at LifeWorks

LGBT/Queer Youth Discussion Groups
(Separate Groups for Guys, Grrls, and Trans/Genderqueer Folks)

Who:

– Womyn, Grrllss, Femmes, Butches, Dykes, Bois, Studs, and LGBTQQ Female-Identified Sisters!

– Gay Boys, Homothugs, Queer and Bi Men, MSM, and LGBTQQ Male-Identified Brothers!

– Trans, Genderbending, Genderqueer, Two-Spirit and Gender Non- Conforming Folks

Age 24 and under

When: Every Tuesday 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Please be on time!

Where: LifeWorks Youth Space
The Village at Ed Gould Plaza
1125 N. McCadden Pl.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 860-7373
lifeworks@lagaycenter.org

**Cross streets are Santa Monica and Highland**
Why: To talk, chat, discuss, speak, and express yourself with other like-minded youth!

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LifeWorks Green Room – Social Group for LGBTQ Youth

When: Every Wednesday night from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Who: any gay lesbian queer bi trans questioning ish young person, young meaning in this case 14-24.
Why: because our office is a fun place to kick it

WHERE: The Village at Ed Gould Plaza
1125 N. McCadden Place
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Near Santa Monica & Highland

Here are some things you should know about our location:
- The gate may be closed when you get here, someone from LifeWorks will be there to make sure you find your way to our space and to help you check in.
- We’ll be in room #139, there will be signs to guide you or you can ask people
- We’ll have dinner from 5:30pm – 6:30pm – arrive early for food!
- Check-ins will start at 6:30pm like usual
- Group will end at 8:30pm like usual

Public Transportation info:
Our office is located one block east of the intersection of Santa Monica and Highland. Nearby bus/rail routes include: 4/704, 156, 212/312, Metro Red Line, Hollywood DASH.

Parking info:
Free parking is available after 5pm in the Village’s parking lot.

If you have ANY questions at all please give us a call at our new phone number: (323) 860-7373. Hope to see you on Wednesday!

Come eat our snacks and drink our sodas, get on one of our computers to get on the internet, bitch about school starting up again, watch our gay movies (we got a TV! and DVD and VCR!), read our queer magazines or zines or books, and generally spend some quality time with other folks from our communities. We also always have Peer Mentors hangin out so if you’re needing some support or have questions about something, there are folks here for you who can help you out with just about anything. There’s no pressure to be on time or stay for the whole 2 1/2 hours, so feel free to drop in, check the place out, and generally come and go as you please.

Any questions – email me at ddumont@lifeworksmentoring.org or call the office at 310-724-6300

Hope to see you soon!
Dan

LifeWorks
empowering the future for youth
Dan Dumont
Program Manager
9021 Melrose Ave, Suite 309
West Hollywood, California 90069-4511
Phone: 310.724.6300
Fax: 310.724.8158
Email: ddumont@lifeworksmentoring.org
Website: http://www.lifeworksmentoring.org

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Lifeworks needs mentors for queer youth

Are you a caring, successful LGBTQ adult who is interested in helping youth? LifeWorks Mentoring is a non-profit organization that connects youth and adults in the LGBTQ community through our innovative One-on-One Mentoring Program. The focus of our program is supporting older youth and young adults, ages 16-24, in setting and achieving life goals in our five achievement areas: wellness, education, career, home, and personal development. We train each Mentor in the skills necessary to really be there for their youth. Not as parents or authority figures, but rather as people whose focus is to help and support them in achieving their goals and dreams.

To get started and fill out your Mentor Application, or for more information, visit our website at http://www.lifeworksmentoring.org/ or give us a call at (310) 724-6300.

We are currently most in need of lesbian/bi/queer women, FTM, and MTF Mentors.

Please help us spread the word!
LifeWorks Mentoring
empowering the future for our youth

Dan Dumont
Program Manager

9021 Melrose Ave, Suite 309
West Hollywood, California 90069-4511
Phone: 310.724.6300
Fax: 310.724.8158
Email: ddumont@lifeworksmentoring.org
Website: http://www.lifeworksmentoring.org/

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Alternative High School at the LA Gay & Lesbian Center/LifeWorks

The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s LifeWorks program and Opportunities for Learning Public Charter School have partnered to create a high school diploma program for LGBTQ youth in the Los Angeles area.

Opportunities for Learning and LifeWorks are partnering to bring a safe learning environment to LGBT and LGBT Friendly youth at the LA Gay & Lesbian Center. We are enrolling students NOW! This program was created to assist youth in obtaining their high school diploma regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity. Class will be held two days a week here at the LifeWorks office.

LGBTQ students – or any LGBTQ-friendly student, including children of LGBTQ parents – will follow individualized learning plans, with the emotional and academic support they need to realize the goal of graduating from high school. The students will also have easy access to other Center services, such as the LifeWorks YouthSpace, after school program, and one-on-one, peer and group mentoring programs.

*Tuition Free
*WASC Accredited Program
*Obtain Your High School Diploma
*A Guided Independent Study Program
*Program to Open in January 2010

For more information or to enroll visit http://www.lifeworksla.org or contact the teacher for this program, Molly Sircher at (818) 506-5344 or msircher@emsofl.com.

Located at:
L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
The Village at Ed Gould Plaza
1125 N McCadden Place
Los Angeles, CA 90038

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Monthly support group for parents, partners and families of trans folk

Shift Happens – A Place for Parents, Siblings, Partners and Families of Transgender Persons

http://octcca.org/shift_happens.html

When a loved one comes out of the closet, what often happens is that family members go into a closet of their own – and in order to accept and ultimately embrace this new life, a shift must happen.

Shift Happens offers parents, partners and families a comfortable and safe place to explore the wide range of emotions that goes along with knowing and loving a transgender person.

Join us for comfort, compassion, camaraderie, conversation and cookies on the first Sunday of each month at Church of the Foothills, 19211 Dodge Avenue, Santa Ana, California 92705 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Gail at (949) 683-0559.

Please pass this information on to anyone you know who is the parent, sibling, partner or friend of a transgender person. Whether they are right at home with the transition or struggling, we have a place for them to come explore all of the feelings that go along with loving someone trans.

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Being Men Support Group of the Inland Empire

Meets on the Third SAT of each month. Located in North San Bernardino, CA

Come Meet with like minded Men who identify as Male, but began life as female.

Share your stories and issues with guys who are moving past sigma, labeling and stereotyping to just living.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT
To assist those individuals who identify as male, but genetically present as female, to move toward community and self acceptance by promoting and strengthening a healthier self image through education, modeling and putting an end to stigmatizing, labeling and stereotyping that hinder positive personal growth.

Don C. Morton, Founder
Being Men Support Group of the Inland Empire
1540 Barton Rd., #202
Redlands, Ca 92373
(877) 234-1074 (Business)
(877) 234-1074 (Fax)
Email: w.w.g.f.here@gmail.com
Website: www.BeingMenSG.com

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NCTE advice for Transgender people travelling

Transgender Travelers and New TSA Policies

As transgender people and our families prepare to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, many have expressed concern about the various new invasive equipment and procedures at the airport announced by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

NCTE opposes the routine use of full-body scanners and the new invasive patdown procedures. We have and will continue to work with the TSA to minimize privacy intrusions and ensure respectful treatment of transgender travelers.

We want all of our members and friends to have safe and uneventful travel this season; here are some ideas and information to help you do that.

First, it is important that you KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. Even if TSA personnel are not always familiar with travelers’ rights, such as the right to decline a full-body scan, you should know them. You may need to politely inform the officer of your rights and choices.

Second, calmly and clearly expressing your choices is very important. This makes it easier for the TSA agents to understand what your needs are and may help you get through the checkpoint more quickly.

And here:

http://www.transequality.org/Resources/NCTE_Body_Scan_Nov_2010.pdf

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NCTE releases report on Trans Health Care

Transgender and gender non-conforming people face rampant discrimination in health care settings, are regularly denied needed care, and experience a range of health risks because they are transgender or gender non-conforming, according to a report of over 6,450 transgender and gender non-conforming people.

The National Transgender Discrimination Survey: Report on Health and Health Care was released nationally by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality.

http://transequality.org/PDFs/NTDSReportonHealth_final.pdf

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VICTORY: State Department Changes Passport Policy

http://transequality.org/news.html

VICTORY: State Department Changes Passport Policy

(June 10, Washington, DC) Last night the US Department of State announced new guidelines http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/06/142922.htm for issuing passports to transgender people. Beginning today, applicants for a gender marker change on their passports will need to submit certification from a physician that they have received “appropriate clinical treatment” for gender transition. Most importantly, gender reassignment surgery is not required under the new policy.

The new rules will also apply to changing a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) for US citizens who were born outside of the United States. CRBA’s are the equivalent of a birth certificate.

For years, NCTE has been advocating with the State Department to change their rules about gender markers on passports and CRBA’s. Previously they had required proof of irreversible sex reassignment surgery before the gender marker could be changed, although there were exceptions for temporary, provisional passports to allow someone to travel for surgery.

NCTE and other advocates have stressed with the State Department that this policy unnecessarily called attention to transgender travelers whose appearance and gender marker were at odds. In some destinations, this had the potential to create an extremely dangerous situation when a traveler is outed as transgender in an unwelcoming environment or in the presence of prejudiced security personnel.

Fortunately, the new rules represent a significant advance in providing safe, humane and dignified treatment of transgender people. There are details in the guidelines about what information a physician must provide and we will communicate those to you as soon as possible. However, the State Department notes that applicants will not need to supply any additional medical documentation and that there is no SRS requirement.

“We want to extend our thanks to the Obama Administration, and particularly to Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, for understanding the need for this change and then responding to make travel safer for transgender people,” commented Mara Keisling, Executive Director of NCTE. “This shows how changes in government policy directly impact people’s lives, in this case, for the better.”

In the next few days, NCTE will be issuing a definitive resource that fully explains the new guidelines and outlines the ways in which transgender people can make changes to their passports and CRBAs.

Many people—from elected officials to LGBT advocates—have worked for years to change these policies and deserve credit and thanks. Particularly important work was done by Rep. Barney Frank as well as Rep. Steve Israel in the House of Representatives; Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA), which represents LGBT employees and their families working in foreign affairs offices for the US government; all of our allied LGBT organizations who have been committed to this work, including the Council for Global Equality, The Task Force, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal, the Transgender Law Center and the Human Rights Campaign; and those working on medical policies, including the American Medical Association and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).

The full policy can be read on the State Department website. http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/143160.pdf

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New booklet on lower surgeries for trans men

Gender Identity Research and Education Society (GIRES), UK

Dear Colleagues,

The Gender Identity Research and Education Society has just publishedthe latest in the series of booklets that it is developing on trans wellbeing and healthcare: “Lower Surgery for Trans Men”:

http://www.gires.org.uk/medtreatment.php#lower

Kind regards,

Bernard Reed
Trustee, GIRES

http://www.gires.org.uk/

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Tran-soberity “Bilingual 12-step Recovery Support Group”

Tran-soberity
“Bilingual 12-step Recovery Support Group”
Groups are lead every Wednesday by a CA licensed or license-eligible Mental Health Provider
3-5 p.m.

Come to share your struggles regarding substance abuse, sex addiction, gambling, domestic violence, financial difficulties, job opportunites, discrimination, HIV medications, etc

Minority AIDS Project
5149 W. Jefferson Blvd.
LA, CA 90016
323-936-4949

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Transgender Sober Living facility

Transgender Sober Living

Wanted to share this information re sober living facility for transgender folk. I wanted to let you know that they exist and are registered as a sober living house with CAARR. They specifically work with the transgender community in a safe and loving environment. Here is their information:

Contact: Armando Williams
U-Care, We-Care
Ivy House
12204 Via Santa Lucia Private Drive
Sylmar, CA 91342

Phone: 818.367.8783
Fax: 818.367.9120

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HIV Prevention doc for Transmen

HIV prevention for transMSM: “PRIMED: The Back Pocket Guide to Transmen and the Men Who Dig Them”.

This information comes out of Canada. They are interested in feedback. The guide is 32 pages and can be downloaded for free.

http://www.queertransmen.org/

To download and distribute the PDF version of “PRIMED: The Back Pocket Guide to Transmen and the Men Who Dig Them”.

http://www.queertransmen.org/images/primed.pdf

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Report on the State of Transgender California

The State of Transgender California Report is here!

Dear Friends of The Transgender Law Center:

We are pleased to announce the completion of The State of Transgender California Report: Results from the 2008 California Transgender Economic Health Survey. This unprecedented report highlights many issues facing transgender Californians, including poverty, workplace discrimination, barriers to health care access, educational disparities, and housing challenges. Drawing on the data collected, The State of Transgender California presents a number of concrete policy recommendations. It is our hope that this report will bring attention to the challenges facing transgender people while raising awareness of the many assets they bring to California’s communities and workplaces.

The State of Transgender CA
Be the first to download your free copy of The Sate of Transgender California!

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who made The State of Transgender California a reality. Huge thanks to everyone who completed the survey, helped with the data analysis, provided input and edits, and contributed much needed support during this labor of love.

Please share The State of Transgender California far and wide! Give it to your local, state and federal representatives. Share it with your school administrators, your employers, your health care providers, and your fellow community members. And, if you have any questions about the report, please drop us a line.

The report is available on our website at http://transgenderlawcenter.org/pdf/StateTransCA_report_2009Print.pdf. To request a presentation on the survey findings, implications and policy recommendations, please contact Kristina at 415-865-0176.

About TLC
The Transgender Law Center (TLC) is a civil rights organization advocating for transgender communities. TLC uses direct legal services, education, community organizing and advocacy to transform California into a state that recognizes and supports the needs of transgender people and their families. www.transgenderlawcenter.org

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New legal guide to assist transgender immigrants

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 27, 2009

Media Contacts:
Victoria Neilson, Esq.
Immigration Equality
w. 212-714-2904 x. 25
vneilson@immigrationequality.org

Kristina Wertz, Esq.
Transgender Law Center
w: 415-865-0135
kristina@transgenderlawcenter.org
Groundbreaking legal guide to assist transgender immigrants

The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has released the first immigration law practice manual for attorneys representing transgender clients. Immigration Law and the Transgender Client , co-authored by Immigration Equality and the Transgender Law Center (TLC), provides practical advice and information to assist attorneys representing transgender immigrants.

“We are proud to publish this groundbreaking manual dealing with the intersection of two dynamic areas of law – transgender civil rights and immigration law,” said AILA Publications Director Tatia L. Gordon-Troy. AILA is the national association of over 11,000 attorneys and law professors who practice and teach immigration law.

“Every day we hear from transgender immigrants who face incredibly complicated legal issues. From obtaining corrected identity documents, to fighting for marriage recognition, to seeking asylum to escape persecution, transgender immigrants need well-trained legal counsel,” said Victoria Neilson, Legal Director of Immigration Equality.

Transgender immigrants often face overwhelming legal issues, and all too often the attorneys who want to help them, just lack the resources they need. Immigration Law and the Transgender Client addresses unique issues faced by transgender immigrants and those in bi-national relationships, including identity documents, asylum, detention, and marriage-based petitions.

“This area of the law is so specialized that LGBT civil rights attorneys often lack the immigration expertise to properly advise transgender immigrants, and immigration practitioners lack the cultural competence and understanding of transgender legal issues to adequately represent these clients,” said TLC Legal Director Kristina Wertz. “The immigration practice manual seeks to close that gap.”

Edited by Neilson, the manual provides an unprecedented resource for attorneys seeking information about the unique needs and issues faced by transgender clients. “Victoria Neilson’s expertise in this field is now more accessible to immigration attorneys and will foster a new cadre of attorneys with similar expertise,” said Gordon-Troy.

Immigration Law and the Transgender Client can be purchased from the American Immigration Lawyers Association at http://aila.stores.yahoo.net/transgender.html for $69 ($49 for AILA members). An online version can be accessed at http://www.immigrationequality.org/template3.php?pageid=1135 .

Immigration Equality is a national organization that works to end discrimination in U.S. immigration law, to reduce the negative impact of that law on the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV-positive people, and to help obtain asylum for those persecuted in their home country based on their sexual orientation, transgender identity or HIV-status.

The Transgender Law Center (TLC) is a civil rights organization advocating for transgender communities. TLC uses direct legal services, education, community organizing, and advocacy to transform California into a state that recognizes and supports the needs of transgender people and their families.

http://www.transgenderlawcenter.org

Transgender Law Center and Immigration Equality would like to thank The Arcus Gay and Lesbian Fund for their support of this project. http://www.arcusfoundation.org

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Transgender Law Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. If you would like to be removed from event mailing, please send an email to info@transgenderlawcenter.org with the subject “Remove from Event Mailing”. If you would like to be removed from all future emails please use the subject line “Remove from all mailing”.

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GLIDE offers speakers bureau training

FIGHT HOMOPHOBIA!

As we all know, there is a lot of homophobia swirling around these days. You can help. GLIDE is Southern California’s leading speakers bureau providing anti-homophobia education. GLIDE is currently seeking new volunteers to join them in making presentations at local schools and organizations.

For more information on this training program please contact Michael Eselun mleselun@aol.com.

Please note, you need to be available during work hours on weekdays.

The mission of GLIDE is to eliminate homophobia by providing the general public with factual information and diverse personal experiences about homosexuality. The members of GLIDE accomplish this through live, interactive presentations tailored to specific audiences. They target educational, business, civic, social, political and religious groups in every ethnic and cultural population. The speakers of GLIDE offer an interactive performance dissecting the myths that are associated with homophobia.

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NCTE releases resource document “Transgender People and the Selective Service”

July 28, 2008
National Center for Transgender Equality

Selective Service Resource for Transgender People

Dear Friends,

Today we are releasing a new NCTE resource, “Transgender People and the Selective Service.” The Selective Service requires all “men” to register and exempts all “women,” but it fails to account for the transgender experience. Transgender people often seek to understand how to stay in compliance with the Selective Service because registration can affect government-backed financial aid and access to other federal benefits.

We continue to seek to decrease exclusions from the military and change the institution in a number of ways in the years to come. But this new document will help people who are dealing with the Selective Service now.

This document was written by one of our associates, Jack Harrison, with input from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and the Selective Service Administration itself.

To access this new document, visit our resources page: http://transequality.org/Resources/index.html

And for more information and discussion, visit our T-Equality Blog: http://transgenderequality.wordpress.com/

Regards,

Mara Keisling
Executive Director

P.S. Please support our work as you are able. Every donation helps us keep up the fight for transgender equality. Please donate today: http://transequality.org/donate.html

The National Center for Transgender Equality is a national social justice organization devoted to ending discrimination and violence against transgender people through education and advocacy on national issues of importance to transgender people. The National Center for Transgender Equality is a 501(c)3 organization. For more information, please visit http://transequality.org

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Clean syringes available without prescription

CLEAN, SAFE, LEGAL: SYRINGES WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION AT A PHARMACY NEAR YOU

The Disease Prevention Demonstration Project (DPDP) is a program administered by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health which allows adults (18+) to legally purchase and possess sterile syringes without a prescription from any of the more than 250 participating pharmacies throughout the county.

This important program reduces the transmission of viruses among people who might otherwise share syringes by allowing them affordable, mainstream access to sterile syringes in most neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles. A major benefit to transgendered individuals who inject hormones is the availability of appropriate gauge sizes at participating pharmacies. Some DPDP pharmacies stock different sizes and many or most will order the appropriate size for their customer upon request.

It is a sad and undeniable reality that many transgendered individuals in Los Angeles County live at or below the federal poverty level and do not have health insurance or a reliable, renewable prescription for syringes. The DPDP makes syringes for hormone injections accessible and affordable. If you are 18 years old or older and use syringes, you are legally permitted to buy and possess them without a prescription from a participating pharmacy, many of which are trans-friendly and either stock or will order various gauges.

To learn more about the DPDP or to view the map and printable list of participating pharmacies, please visit http://www.helpstopaids.com/ . To inquire about trans-friendly recommended pharmacies in your area, contact Harm Reduction Coordinator Meghan Ralston at 213-382-6400, ext. 2. or send an email to mralston@drugpolicy.org.

Meghan Ralston
Harm Reduction Coordinator
Drug Policy Alliance
3470 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 618
Los Angeles, CA. 90010

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LA Gay & Lesbian Center’s Anti-Violence Project offers resources

Have you been hurt, harassed or discriminated against because you’re transgender or genderqueer?

The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Anti-Violence Project provides assistance to survivors of transphobic, homophobic, and anti-HIV/AIDS violence, threats of violence, vandalism, harassment and discrimination. Our services include crisis intervention and follow up counseling; advocacy with law enforcement and prosecutors; attorney consultations and referrals; restraining order preparation and court accompaniment, and referrals to appropriate resources.

Call 1-800-373-2227 for assistance.

Thanks,
Jake Finney
Lead Advocate, Anti-Violence Project
Legal Services Department
LA Gay & Lesbian Center
jfinney@lagaycenter.org

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NCTE Resource for “No-Match” Letters

NCTE receives calls regularly from transgender people across the country who have been “outed” to their employers by the Social Security Administration’s unfair gender “no-match” employment letter policy. To help transgender workers, NCTE is releasing today a new resource: “Social Security Gender No-Match Letters and Transgender Employees – Information for Employees.”

This new resource explains what Social Security no-match letters are and what transgender employees can do if the subject of one of these letters. Anyone who has been confused, curious, or concerned about Social Security gender no-match letters will find this information clarifying.

View the information on our webpage: http://transequality.org/Issues/nomatch.html.

We need your support to continue this work. Click here to visit our web site,
http://transequality.org/mailinglist.html or http://transequality.org/donate.html now. Thank you!

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Transgender Job Training & Placement program

The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center is offering a Job Placement Program created specifically for the Female-to-Male and Male-to-Female Transgender Communities, funded by the City of West Hollywood.

The program offers Case Management to assist with:
- Resume and Cover Letter Writing
- Completing Job Applications
- Interviewing Techniques
- Computer Skills
- Educational needs
- Job Searches

We also assist with overcoming barriers to employment, such as:
- Criminal Records
- Gender and Name Change
- Substance Abuse
- Housing
- HIV/STD Issues
- Hormones
- Grooming for Legitimate Employment

The program provides MTF and FTM members of the transgender community with case management, job skills and preparation training to help them matriculate in the mainstream job market. The case management services provide clients with one-on-one sessions with the program’s staff to determine the client’s individual challenges and goals with an emphasis on housing, HIV/STD related issues, substance abuse, health concerns specific to the Transgender community, barriers to legitimate employment and job skills development, training and placement.

Please contact Drian Juarez at 323-993-7677.

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Book on transgender rights

Date: Mon, 07 Aug 2006 10:28:36 -0400
From: Paisley Currah
Subject: new book: Transgender Rights
To: pcurrah@brooklyn.cuny.edu

Friends,

Please excuse the self promotion, but….I’m delighted to report that the edited collection that Richard Juang, Shannon Minter, and I put together is about to be published. I’ve attached the book description below, and the table of contents at the end of this message. The book is due out on August 18th and it’s available for pre-order on Amazon for $14.00 right now! (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0816643121/sr=8-1/qid=1154959135/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-1951720-3467318?ie=UTF8)

All my best,
Paisley Currah

Transgender Rights
Over the past three decades, the transgender movement has gained visibility and achieved significant victories. Discrimination has been prohibited in several states, dozens of municipalities, and more than two hundred private companies, while hate crime laws in eight states have been amended to include gender identity. Yet prejudice and violence against transgender people remain all too common. With analysis from legal and policy experts, activists and advocates, Transgender Rights assesses the movement’s achievements, challenges, and opportunities for future action. Examining crucial topics like family law, employment policies, public health, economics, and grassroots organizing, this groundbreaking book is an indispensable resource in the fight for the freedom and equality of those who cross gender boundaries. Moving beyond media representations to grapple with the real lives and issues of transgender people, Transgender Rights will launch a new moment for human rights activism in America.

Contributors: Kylar W. Broadus, Lincoln U of Missouri; Judith Butler, UC Berkeley; Mauro Cabral, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission; Dallas Denny, International Foundation for Gender Education; Taylor Flynn, Northeastern U School of Law; Phyllis Randolph Frye; Julie A. Greenberg, Thomas Jefferson School of Law; Morgan Holmes, Wilfrid Laurier U; Bennett H. Klein, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders; Jennifer L. Levi, Western New England College School of Law; Ruthann Robson, CUNY School of Law; Nohemy Solórzano-Thompson, Whitman College; Dean Spade, Silvia Rivera Law Project; Kendall Thomas, Columbia U; Paula Viturro, Buenos Aires U Law School; Willy Wilkinson, Transgender Law Center.

Paisley Currah is associate professor of political science at Brooklyn College, executive director of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center, and a founding board member of the Transgender Law and Policy Institute. Richard M. Juang is assistant professor of English at Susquehanna University and cochair of the National Center for Transgender Equality Advisory Board. Shannon Price Minter is legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights and a founding board member of the Transgender Law and Policy Institute.

Paisley Currah
Executive Director
Center for Lesbian and Gays Studies (CLAGS)

http://www.clags.org

&
Associate Professor
Political Science
Brooklyn College, City University of New York
2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/polisci/pcurrah/index.htm

&
Director
Transgender Law & Policy Institute

http://www.transgenderlaw.org

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Transgender Health Resources Available

(All are free and online as PDFs.)

http://www.vch.ca/transhealth/resources/tcp.html

The Trans Care Project, a collaborative effort between the Transgender Health Program and Transcend Transgender Support & Education Society, is pleased to announce the launch of new transgender health resources.

Local and international experts in transgender care have worked with local members of the transgender community to create 7 sets of guidelines for health and social service providers, and 17 health information booklets for transgender people and loved ones. The materials (listed below) address issues in adolescent health, clinical advocacy, hormone therapy, mental health, primary medical care, speech/voice change, and surgery.

The documents are available online at http://www.vch.ca/transhealth/resources/tcp.html. Print copies can be ordered from the Transgender Health Program, 1-866-999-1514 (toll-free in BC) or trans.health@vch.ca. The clinical guidelines will also be published in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Transgenderism (with simultaneous publication in book format by Haworth Press).

For further information, contact trans.care@shaw.ca.

TRANS CARE PROJECT DOCUMENTS

Clinical Guidelies
* Care of the patient undergoing S*x reassignment surgery (SRS)
* Caring for transgender adolescents
* Counseling and mental health care of transgender adults and loved ones
* Endocrine therapy for transgender adults in BC: Suggested guidelines
* Social and medical advocacy with transgender people and loved ones
* Transgender primary medical care

Consumer Booklets
* Getting trans-competent care: How to work with your nurse or doctor
* Trans people and cancer
* Trans people and cardiovascular health
* Trans people and diabetes
* Trans people and osteoporosis
* Trans people and vaccinations
* Fit or fatphobic? Trans people, weight, and health
* Hormones: A guide for FTMs
* Hormones: A guide for MTFs
* “Real life experience” (RLE)
* Surgery: A guide for FTMs
* Surgery: A guide for MTFs
* Getting hormones
* Getting surgery
* Changing speech
* An advocacy guide for trans people and loved on es
* Let’s talk trans: A resource for trans and questioning youth

The Trans Care project is a partnership between the Transgender Health Program and Transcend Transgender Support & Education Society, with funding by the Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition.

To reach the project staff, email trans.care@shaw.ca or contact one of the partner organizations:

Transcend Transgender Support & Education Society
PO Box 8673, Victoria, BC, Canada V8X 3S2
Phone: 250-413-3220
Fax: 250-479-3836
Email: transcend@islandnet.com
Web: www.transgender.org/transcend/

Transgender Health Program
#301-1290 Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z 1W2
Tel: 604-734-1514
Fax: 604-633-4241
Email: transhealth@vch.ca
Web: www.vch.ca/transhealth

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Free e-book available on FTM health issues

Medical Therapy and Health Maintenance for Transgender Men: A Guide For Health Care Providers
R. Nick Gorton MD, Jamie Buth MD, and Dean Spade Esq

This book was originally written in Open Office (version 1.1.1). It has been exported to both Adobe Acrobat and MicroSoft Word format. This book is copylefted. This means it is provided free under the GNU Free Documentation License – it is free as in free speech, not free as in beer. You may may copy it, print it, give it to friends, host it on your website, and sell copies of the book or disk. You can even modify it and distribute it in modified form (as long as you indicate that it is a modified work and as long as the derivative work is available under the same free license.)

While this book is free to use, it wasn’t free to make. Significant effort went into its production. If you find it valuable, please consider making a donation to either Lyon-Martin Women’s Health Services (where I work) or the Sylvia Rivera Law Project http://www.srlp.org/ (where Dean Spade works.)

Future editions of this are planned. Check back here to find out when the second edition will be released. Comments, suggestions, and questions are welcome. You can email me at nickgorton @ gmail.com.

Nick Gorton – 9/15/2005

http://www.nickgorton.org/

Open Office Version: Medical Therapy and HM for Transgender Men_2005.sxw
PDF Version: Medical Therapy and HM for Transgender Men_2005.pdf
Microsoft Office Version: Medical Therapy and HM for Transgender Men_2005.doc
ISBN 0-9773250-0-8

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