My Brother’s Name is Jessica - A YA Novel Where the Main Teen Character's Older Sibling Comes Out as Trans

My Brother’s Name is Jessica by John Boyne

Sam Waver’s life has always been pretty quiet. A bit of a loner, he struggles to make friends, and his busy parents often make him feel invisible. Luckily for Sam, his older brother, Jason, has always been there for him. Sam idolises Jason, who seems to have life sorted – he’s kind, popular, amazing at football, and girls are falling over themselves to date him.

But then one evening Jason calls his family together to tell them that he’s been struggling with a secret for a long time. A secret which quickly threatens to tear them all apart. His parents don’t want to know and Sam simply doesn’t understand.

Because what do you do when your brother says he’s not your brother at all? That he thinks he’s actually . . . your sister?

Add your review of "My Brother’s Name is Jessica" in comments!

Gender 101, Episode 30 Redux: B J on Role Models, Hiding and Healing

Benji (a.k.a. Lucy) continues the conversation about gender with B J. B J shares about their search for gender non-conforming Role Models, and their own journey.

It's a little longer than most of the Gender 101 videos at thirteen and a half minutes, but worth the time!



As B J said about doing this video,

"Even if one person finds something at all worth taking from it, it's worth it"

Absolutely.

Thank you B J, for sharing so honestly.

You can check out the original posting here.

Namaste,
Lee

Gender 101, Episode #34: Lucy, Nenu, Emmi and B J on the "T" in GLBT

Our Gender-Queer friend Lucy (a.k.a. Benji) talks with Nenu, Emmi and B J about how Transgender and Gender Queer people are treated within the "Gay Community," both by individuals and organizations. 

It's a fascinating discussion...



My thanks to Lucy, Nenu, Emmi and B J for sharing so openly about their experiences!

Namaste,
Lee

Gender 101, Epsiode #30: B J on Role Models, Hiding and Healing

Benji (a.k.a. Lucy) continues the conversation about gender with B J.  B J shares about their search for gender non-conforming Role Models, and their own journey.

It's a little longer than most of the Gender 101 videos at thirteen and a half minutes, but worth the time!




As B J said about doing this video,

"Even if one person finds something at all worth taking from it, it's worth it"

Absolutely.

Thank you B J, for sharing so honestly.

Namaste,
Lee

Jenna Talackova Disqualified from the Miss Universe Canada Contest because she's Transgender: What You Can Do

Pageants and what they say about women (and what we as a culture value about women) have been a source of debate for a long time. 

On the one hand, detractors feel that having women parade around in bathing suits and heels, and then evening gowns, and then displaying performance-based talents to entertain an audience, and then answering questions about world peace with the male host smirking at how sometimes the answers are simplistic (with the implication being that the pretty contestant isn't maybe all that smart) sends the message that for women and girls, the most important thing is to look pretty.

On the other hand, there's been an effort by pro-pageant forces to re-frame the contests to be less about who's the most beautiful to where they're "scholarship competitions," with the focus on public speaking, and doing good in the world... all while still looking pretty in gown, bathing suit and heels.  So their message is that for women and girls, you should be pretty with a purpose.

So when Donald Trump's Miss Universe Canada competition found out that one of their contestants, Vancouver finalist Jenna Talackova, was a 23 woman who, though she always believed she was a woman, was born into a body that didn't match that, they kicked her out.

Now that Jenna does have a body that matches her female identity, and she's this beautiful blonde beauty pageant contestant, they've disqualified her because she wasn't born into that body.  Because she wasn't a "naturally born female."

Jenna Talackova

Jenna responded:

"All I can say is that they disqualified me because I'm not 'natural born,' she told the National Post. "[That] doesn't make sense because since I was conscious, I always felt this way."

Jenna recognized she was a girl from the age of four, and started hormone therapy when she was fourteen.  She refers to herself as "a woman, with a history."

Jenna's swimsuit pose

On Twitter she wrote:

"I'm disqualified, however I'm not giving up. I'm not going to just let them disqualify me over discrimination."

What can we do? 

You can sign this petition to let Donald Trump and his team know that this kind of discrimination is wrong!

So far, over 30,000 people have signed, demanding that Jenna be allowed to compete.

Let's stand up for Jenna, and our transgender community members!

Namaste,
Lee

The Girl Scouts' cookie sales are being boycotted because the Girl Scouts include transgender girls - Let's rise up as a community and BUY OUT THEIR COOKIES!

It's sad.

The Girl Scouts have got it so right.

“If a child identifies as a girl and the child's family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout."

But there are voices of intolerance who want to say transgender people don't belong in the Girl Scouts.  That they shouldn't be accepted.  That they aren't one of us.

Well transgender children are people, too - and they deserve to be treated with respect.  And the Girl Scouts, rather than being praised for being on the right side of history, are being targeted.  With a call to boycott Girl Scout Cookies.

So here's our mission, for everyone straight or GLBTQ, for everyone who believes in equality and working to create a better world:  Let's buy Girl Scout Cookies.  Lots of them.  Buy the whole table-full.  And tell the Girl Scouts you're doing it to applaud the Girl Scouts organization's stand for equality and embrace of transgender girls.

Let's make 2012 the year that the Girl Scouts sell more cookies than EVER before.

Let's show the Girl Scouts that embracing differences is not only the right thing to do, but it's good for business, and good for all their member scouts.  And we'll show the world, too.

I'll be giving Girl Scout Cookies as gifts for the rest of the year, and I hope you will, too.

Because this time, standing up for equality... is delicious.

***AN UPDATE: Feb 22, 2012***

The Girl Scouts are attacked again, this time by Bob Morris, a Republican lawmaker in Indiana, for including the transgender child AND for allegedly being a "tactical arm" of Planned Parenthood and thus promoting homosexuality and abortion.

The Republican speaker of the House Brian Bosma responded by handing out thin mints to his fellow lawmakers to show his support for the Girl Scouts, saying "I purchased 278 cases of Girl Scout cookies in the last four hours." 

***

***ANOTHER UPDATE: Feb 23, 2012***

A Church in Virginia has kicked out the Girl Scout troops that were meeting in their church and school buildings, saying the group is allied with planned parenthood.  "St. Timothy Catholic Church said that scouts won’t be allowed to meet or wear their uniforms on church property."

The response from the Girl Scouts was upbeat, but make no mistake: they're under attack.

""This location change presents us with an opportunity to serve not only the girls from St. Timothy’s, but to invite more girls from the area to join Girl Scouts. After all, this is our 100th anniversary year and a great time to be part of Girl Scouting."

And it's a great time to buy Girl Scout cookies in support!


There's also a new on-line petition you can sign, showing you support the Girl Scouts!

***

Namaste,
Lee


ps - a standing ovation to my husband, who had this brilliant idea!  Love you!

pps - want to help the Girl Scout Troop in Colorado who welcomed the transgender child?  Trans Youth Family Allies has set up a donation page here. 

Gender 101, Episode #18: Being Trans Enough

Continuing my discussions with my gender queer friend Lucy, we explore Lucy's experiences with being seen in different circumstances as being either too trans or not trans enough.



Thanks, Lucy.


This will be the last Gender 101 episode for 2011.  Look for the videos to start up again in Spring 2012!

Namaste,
Lee

Today is the 13th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance

You can go here to see a list of events all over the world observing this year's Transgender Day of Remembrance:

From their website:

The Transgender Day of Remembrance serves several purposes. It raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgender people, an action that current media doesn’t perform. Day of Remembrance publicly mourns and honors the lives of our brothers and sisters who might otherwise be forgotten. Through the vigil, we express love and respect for our people in the face of national indifference and hatred. Day of Remembrance reminds non-transgender people that we are their sons, daughters, parents, friends and lovers. Day of Remembrance gives our allies a chance to step forward with us and stand in vigil, memorializing those of us who’ve died by anti-transgender violence.

So much still to do in making our world a better place for all of us, including the Transgender members of our community!

Namaste,
Lee

Outrage works! The Malawi Queer Couple Who Had Been Sentenced To 14 years get Pardoned!

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon (left) and
Malawi's President, Bingu wa Mutharika

Our outrage, and the political pressure brought to bear on Malawi seem to have worked. It was announced on Saturday that after meeting with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Malawi's President

Bingu wa Mutharika announced the pardon on "humanitarian grounds only"...

"These boys committed a crime against our culture, against our religion, and against our laws," Mutharika said. "However, as head of state, I hereby pardon them and therefore order their immediate release without any conditions."

What was missing from the news reporting (even from the NY Times) was any mention of the fact that this was NOT a gay couple, but a man and the transgender person he was in love with.

I'm so glad they were pardoned - and I'm also empowered to see that our outrage - the outrage of the world community - can affect change in situations like this.

However, I wish the media would take greater pains to report the story correctly. We should be working on combating transphobia at the same time that we fight homophobia!

I will say that it was heartening to hear the U.N. Secretary General be so firm about his support for gay rights:

"It is unfortunate that those that criminalize people on the basis of their sexual orientation still exist in some countries, this outdated penal code should be reformed."

(You can check out the whole clip on this Reuters news video here - there is an ad first, sorry.)

The pardon of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga is a good reminder that our world is changing for the better - and how important it is for our voices to rise up and insist that it continue to change for our own - and everyone else's - basic equality and rights as human beings.

I hope you feel empowered by this story, too.

Namaste,

Lee

My thanks to Angela for letting me know the news had broken on this!

*CORRECTION* Queer couple sentenced to 14 Years In Jail for... LOVE

I've actually never had to do this before in more than two and a half years and 700 posts, but I'm publishing this *CORRECTION* of this story I blogged about earlier today.



How the story appeared in the newspaper in Malawi, clearly showing that this couple are not "two men" but rather a man and a person who presents as a woman.


But in this photo from the trial, the transgender person is denied wearing the clothes she normally wears, and thus the Western media shout about the injustice to these "two men" - They're certainly part of our Queer community, but we have to call this what it is.

It is still too crazy.

But it's happening. A transgender male-to-female twenty-something and a twenty-something guy fall in love. The couple invite their friends to a party where, even though their marriage isn't legal in their country (due to the lack of transgender rights), they can celebrate their engagement.

Word gets out that the transgender woman is not a 'real' woman, and the couple is arrested.

And last week, convicted to 14 years of hard labor.

For daring to love each other.

The couple are Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, and they are citizens of Malawi, in Africa.


Here's a petition you can sign, urging the President of Malawi to release the couple immediately.

You can also check out and support Amnesty International, which publicizes cases like these and other "prisoners of conscience" around the world - people - male, female, and transgender, who are jailed and persecuted unjustly.

My thanks to Andy over at Towleroad for the online petition link and for sharing what Madonna and President Obama had to say (Madonna made the same mistake I did earlier, referring to the couple as "two men", while the White House did a better job of stating:

The criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity is unconscionable

And my Thanks to Angie for helping me see this as the trans-phobic story it is.

Check out this great blog post over at Skip The Makeup for more on the trans-phobia surrounding the reporting of this story!