IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: ANTI-HATE CRIMES MARCH & RALLY IN NEW YORK, NEW YORK!!

by Cheryl Courtney-Evans
posted May 19, 2013

"abitchforjustice": There has been a spate of anti-gay attacks and hate crimes in New York City of late, with the most heinous, vicious and senseless being the murder of Mark Carson, a 34 year old gay man, out for an evening in Greenwich Village last Friday night [May 17]. He was, by all accounts, shot in the face after being verbally attacked by the suspect (who was caught about a block away) with anti-gay epithets. What I'd like to share with all my readers now is an announcement from The LGBTQ Center in NYC, about a march and rally to be held  Monday, May 20th at 5:30 p.m. beginning at the Center, 208 W 13th Street, and proceeding to West 8th Street and 6th Avenue, in protest of LGBT hate crimes. 

Some additional safety information that we'd like to share with you is...The Anti-Violence Project encourages you to report violence you experience or witness to their free and confidential 24-hour, bilingual (English/Spanish) hotline at 212-714-1141, where you can speak with a trained counselor and seek support. You can also report violence anonymously online at www.avp.org, and learn about upcoming Community Safety Nights beginning Friday, May 24. And remember, for immediate police assistance, dial 911.

It is beyond time that we, as a Gender Non-Conforming (GNC aka LBGTQI) community, get back to the fight back attitude that fueled the Stonewall riots! We've got to stop laying down and taking abuse. and not go back to a time when we had to hide who we are for fear of retribution or repercussions from fools who are not satisfied with their lives; sometimes to the point of death.

We've also got to make sure that the "powers that be" enforce those anti-hate crime measures that we waited so long for, that were finally passed. They were passed as a supposed deterrent to hate crimes, but they can't deter if they aren't enforced...if prosecutors consistently "question whether the act was a hate crime", when it's so obvious Stevie Wonder could see it. Additionally, this anti-hate crime legislation should hold more weight in the instances we are forced to protect ourselves from it (as in the case of CeCe McDonald).

I urge all of my New York City readers to come out on Monday for the march and rally...if you don't live in NYC, do whatever you can do to get the word out and send your support in any way you find possible. 

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PLEASE Don't "Take Your Eyes Off the Ball"!

by Cheryl Courtney-Evans
posted May 5, 2013

My last posting was dealing with a draconian measure being attempted in Atlanta, GA. around banishment of "prostitute populations" from the city and a new 'Working Group' established to find some plan to "reduce prostitution in the city", because there was such an immediate backlash to this proposal...

As noted in my post, this group is suppose to meet regularly [a meeting a month] for 5 months, and come up with a recommendation for our mayor to "fix the situation" in a more humane, sustainable way.

As this 'project' stretches out for these five months, I'd like to urge the transgender community, its allies, friends and family NOT TO TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE PROCESS...we must make sure that time does not allow them to simply offer basically the same "remedy", perhaps worded differently.

As I listened to one of the APD officers enumerate the data of prostitution arrests in various precincts of the city of Atlanta, I couldn't help but wonder how many of those arrests were valid, as opposed to being fueled by quotas, profiling and just plain falsifying of information?? (And let us remember this 'Working Group is half made up of APD.) After all, this is the same APD that mounted an unconstitutional raid on the gay Eagle nightclub and told plenty of lies to try covering it up and justifying it. Is their word any more valuable against sex workers (and predominantly African American) than those gay men (predominantly white) from the Eagle raid? Why should this be? We need to do some thinking about this as we go forward trying to find solutions.

We must remember that they are claiming this effort is suppose to be about finding alternatives to 'banishment/punishment/arrest' in reducing "prostitution" in Atlanta, so it's hoped that we're looking at some comprehensive possibilities for employment and housing proposed in the mix. 

As a community, may I urge you all to keep as close an eye on what is going on with this action (that is sure to affect Atlanta's largely unemployed, survival sex work transgender community) as was kept on what was going on with the Eagle raid and the results from it.

Are They Gonna Try to "Put Lipstick on This 'Pig'??"

by Cheryl Courtney-Evans
posted April 15, 2013

On January 28, 2013 it was learned that Atlanta's Chief of Police George Turner, in order to address this city's "prostitution problem", was introducing the resolution to the City Council's Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee, that 'offending individuals' convicted of prostitution (in certain areas of the city) be banished; first from so-called "areas of prostitution" (first offense), then from the city of Atlanta...period (upon second conviction). WOW! ....well, I suppose it's proper to use such medieval language when discussing the "oldest profession in the world", but really, Chief Turner?? I'm really suspicious that this push was precipitated by a certain old woman, known as the Queen of Mean of Midtown, leader of the Midtown-Ponce Security Alliance [MPSA] (and harassers of transgender individuals unlucky enough to be in the Atlanta Midtown area at night); I'm not calling any names, but her initials are Peggy Denby. (She has been found to be behind virtually anything "nightlife/LGBT [particularly "T"]" being eliminated in Midtown (the gayborhood) Atlanta; this includes everything, from nightclubs to prostitution.)

I believe they felt this would be easily done, in that the population they were affecting by this proposed ordinance (street/sex/survival workers; both transgender, cis and male) have to this point had no voice; that this population has been so marginalized that no one would pay attention and if this was done, it would happen fairly quietly and these people would be caught by surprise, as a new law levied against them caused them even greater problems. This ordinance would include "a mandatory jail sentence of [for first offense] fifteen days, with a $250 fine..." (and we'd just like to know where is someone who is on the street for "economic reasons" expected to get $250, except back on the streets???; especially if these people are not offered a job somewhere)... 

What Does Dyslexia Mean to Transgenders?

by Cheryl Courtney-Evans
posted Feb. 15, 2013

I was watching a program on dyslexia a couple of nights ago and was amazed at just how prevalent this disability is, when most of us (I believe) don't really think much about it. It's one that crosses all lines...race, ethnicity and (as I've thought about it for the last couple of days) sexual orientation & gender identity.

What is dyslexia? Wikipedia defines it as " a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, processing speed, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, language skills/verbal comprehension, and/or rapid naming." 

I remember, being the fan of "The Cosby Show" that I was, an episode of this program depicting Theo's difficulty with learning; Cliff and Claire Huxteble couldn't understand why he was having so much trouble with his studies compared to his siblings. Tutors, extra hard efforts on his part and threats could not correct the problems he was having in school. Of course, Theo couldn't understand why he was seeing things so 'differently' than his classmates either. They finally take Theo to a learning specialist, who determines that he has dyslexia (after a series of tests; dyslexia, coming in many different forms [some forms even involve dyslexics seeing letters backwards and/or different sequences than they are printed], they had to see which was his) and they put him in a special program for correction of the results from the disability...and all ends happily....

But what happens in real life, to the individual who's not affluent enough for learning specialists? Or even aware of the disability? There are many "everyday" people who most likely don't even think of their children possibly suffering this obstacle to their offspring's learning; they only know that the child continues to bring in grades that they can't live with. Additionally, with school overcrowding, there are teachers who may not take the time to pay attention enough to catch the clues that could possibly lead to the discovery of the disability.

Now you add to this brew, the transgender child who is more than likely suffering through bullying (because she [or he] can't seem to blend in with the rest of the kids) and misunderstanding at home, and you've got a recipe for complete failure to succeed and take their place in society like those who are not so challenged.

Dyslexia is not a lack of "thinking ability". As I understand it, dyslexia is (for lack of a better way for me to say it) sort of a 'misfiring in the brain' that causes people with it to see certain reading  [learning] materials differently from others. It is not a lack of logical intelligence.  

I once knew a young woman (one of my trans sistahs) who was very intelligent; she could carry on a conversation about everyday things, could do makeovers for her friends and talk trash [during "reading" sessions, her mind was quick with the quips] with the best of them...but when it came to written material, she needed help; she had not, at the age of 20 years old, even learned to sign her name! She had left school without graduating, been put out of her mother's house shortly after because she was trans and had begun to earn her way through sex work. 

Watching this program a couple of nights ago and thinking of my friend from so long ago, I wondered if this girl may possibly have been  one of those people with dyslexia. Coming from the 'hood as she did, it seems as if she just didn't have a chance to "get a better break" in her circumstances. Often times dyslexics haven't a clue what the problem is, they just know that they're having a real problem "getting it" in school. And just as often, they are too self-conscious or embarrassed to express what they're experiencing to others (or can't find the words to explain it; they just feel 'dumb'), not to mention the fact that they're being made to feel daily their "difference" from every one else due to their transgender status. This added obstacle can play a tangible role in "derailing" societal achievement, increasing as it does the number of things already stacked against the transgender individual.

I think that if we are to make strides in addressing the ills that affect the progress of our transgender community, we should do it in a holistic manner. I think dyslexia is one of the things we may need to take a closer look at. Our organizations that expect to provide support and advocacy to the transgender community, should perhaps find ways to figure out how to assist these individuals through connecting them with those programs that correct this condition. I'm convinced that there is a portion of our young  transgender community that is affected by this condition to the degree that they are not being all that they can be. 

I just want to put this thought out there. If you know of a transperson out there who you think may be affected by this condition and you're close enough to them for them to listen to you (if not, try to talk to someone you know is close to them), try to talk them into seeking assistance [do your research; there are places out there]. If you yourself feel from what I've said, that it's you with dyslexia, know that you are not alone in this. There are many more dyslexics than you may think...I urge you to connect with a program in your area. It can only be a plus in helping your/our advancement.

You may start your research here:

http://www.dyslexiclikeme.org/organizations-2/national-dyslexic-learning-disabilities-resouces/ 

We Outlive Our "Pasts" When the Judging STOPS

by Cheryl Courtney-Evans
posted Dec. 14, 2012

Recently there was a death of a transgender woman in our community. Notice was sent out of a planned memorial service by her family in the city where she lived (this was not the family she was born to, but we all know this one is every bit as important to a transperson's life and survival). Someone else who knew her only very superficially, knew of her through a previous life as a performer, and wanting to pay tribute to her [as he is a transgender ally and supporter], posted another announcement with a picture from her performer past. Known only to those closest to her, this woman had wanted to forget her performer beginnings; she had worked hard, gotten a degree and begun a life of public service to the community that anyone could be proud of. So this contradiction of what so many of the general community knew of her and her closest, grieving local family knew,  caused some consternation and friction between those concerned [the "performer" announcements have since been removed, as the poster whose heart was in the right place, had no intention of hurting her local family further]. 

This incident weighed on my mind and reminded me of the conundrum that continually faces the transgender community (particularly those of us from lower income backgrounds). How do we face survival in a society that leaves us with feelings of "no alternative", yet survive or succeed in manners that we can be proud of (particularly when societal judging is so pervasive as to cause us to judge ourselves negatively)? I feel that we have to get beyond judging ourselves! Let's look at a few "notables" who have also come from humble beginnings...

AT LAST! Someone Takes Maury Povich & Jerry Springer to Task for Transgender Treatment!

by Cheryl Courtney-Evans
posted Dec. 6, 2012

"abitchforjustice": For some years now I personally have had a problem with the television talk shows "The Maury Povich Show" and "The Jerry Springer Show".

I have felt that they did the transgender community no favor by their sensationalist depiction of our demographic on Jerry Springer as "tricksters" (tricking men to bed us; transgender men are not subjects most of the time), prostitutes, homewreckers, etc. We are, in their episodes [that are mostly scripted for the most 'exciting' results] displayed as freaks, to be verbally abused by audiences and physically attacked by biological women (to the cheers of the audiences). Maury is no better, with his "Is It or Isn't It??" shows, where biological women are compared to transwomen by the audience to see "if they can tell the difference" ("Isn't it grand how a MAN can fool you?" is their stock in trade here.)...

Rather than providing a better understanding of our already-marginalized community, they cultivate a climate of fear, distrust, disgust and further separation of the transgender community from mainstream society, propagating stereotypes that belittle, demean and discredit us a HUMAN BEINGS deserving the respect of others.

At last Kayden H., of Miami Beach, Florida, has started a petition on "Change.org" to at long last address this issue; she's taking it directly to the producers of these shows with a petition that demands they stop this type of programming. 

The following link is to that petition. Although yours truly is able (for the most part *embarrassed chuckle*) to post here and administrate this blog, I am a little "challenged" when it comes to total computer ability, so if you cannot simply click this link to reach that petition, I urge you to copy & paste it to your browser, but PLEASE make every effort to sign it and make these "Dark Ages" idiots accountable for their media programming and resulting negative affects on the  transgender community!

The link: https://www.change.org/petitions/stop-exploiting-transgender-women


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Beware the "Stunt Queen" so-called Ally!

by Cheryl Courtney-Evans
posted Dec. 4, 2012

"abitchforjustice": It's ironic that even after I wrote the piece "Paying REAL Homage to Our Transgender Fallen", for the Transgender Day Of Remembrance (TDOR), where I urged all of us to "call our allies to account" for claiming the title 'ally', I found myself an object of the con job of a so-called ally in the person of a "gay church member". 

As the Executive Director of a transgender support/advocacy organization here in Atlanta, GA. (TILTT, Inc.), I am often approached regarding transgender-focused events and activities; the following is my facebook posting on our "TILTT, Inc." facebook group page, detailing the results of my enthusiasm for TDOR and my trans community, coupled with the devious mind of someone who claims "ally" while wearing the 'cloth of the church'...

=========================================================

• Cheryl Courtney-Evans

  I am posting this in the "TILTT, Inc." group, because this situation had the potential to affect the reputation of not only my name, but that of TILTT, Inc., which was connected to the event in question. I have waited for communication from responsible parties for a week now with no luck, so I feel obligated to publish this here...
  
  In the last week, I have had a number of phone calls, questioning my lack of participation/absence in "Transgender Weekend Celebration 2012" that was supposedly co-sponsored by the Shepard's Table Covenant Church and TILTT, Inc. (and after their initial contact with me, the Juxteposed Center for Transformation). I feel it necessary to issue an apology to any and all persons that participated or attended due to my request, as well as Ms. Imani Evans of the Little Five Points Community Center...this includes Shauna Pleas, Necaela Penn, Alicia Minister, Simaya Charlize Fogle, and Kelcy Calhoun...also Cole Thaler and Pat Hussain. I was in the midst of being manipulated/duped by someone that I'd never had any dealings with before and didn't realize the extent of the lie.