Thailand Bans Transgender Film

http://blogout.com/?p=25584

Story of banned film from Thailand with story of transgender family.

New Reports available online

The National Coalition for LGBT Health has published a new report on Federal government response to Homeless LGBTIQ Youth,

New LGBT-Inclusive Federal Guidelines on Multiple Chronic Conditions Earlier this week, the Department of Health and Human Services issued its new Strategic Framework on Multiple Chronic Conditions, “an innovative private-public sector collaboration to coordinate responses to a growing challenge.”  According to the report, “More than one in four Americans have multiple (two or more) concurrent chronic conditions (MCC), including, for example, arthritis, asthma, chronic respiratory conditions, diabetes, heart disease, human immunodeficiency virus infection, and hypertension.”  In response to comments submitted by the National Coalition and several of its partners on the draft framework, the final version includes recognition of HIV as a chronic condition and notes, “It is likely that as racial and ethnic, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, age, geographic, and socioeconomic disparities of access to care and health outcomes exist in the total population, those disparities also exist in the MCC population.” For a link to the report and supporting information, please see http://www.hhs.gov/ash/initiatives/mcc/

Center for American Progress Releases New Reports on Mental Health Services for LGBT Youth
The Center for American Progress, with the support of the National Coalition for LGBT Health, has released new fact sheets on mental health services for LGBT youth. The two fact sheets, “Providing a Lifeline for LGBT Youth: Mental Health Services and the Age of Consent” and “How to Improve Mental Health Care for LGBT Youth: Recommendations for the Department of Health and Human Services,” detail the obstacles LGBT youth face in accessing appropriate mental health services and offer recommendations for advocates working to connect LGBT youth with vital mental health resources. The fact sheets can be found on the website.

DOJ's Civil Rights Division Releases Anti-Bullying Video

On December 9, 2010, The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division released a video that focuses on stopping bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth, as well as other youth who do not conform to traditional expectations about gender roles or appearance. The video is part of the Division's "It Gets Better" project, in which LGBT adults and straight allies share experiences to show youth that life gets better after high school.
The video features DOJ employees, who share stories of their own experiences with bullying and harassment and provide personal messages of support to youth. It emphasizes that DOJ is committed to ending bullying and harassment in schools, and highlights the Department's authority to enforce laws that protect students from bullying because of sexual orientation or gender stereotyping.

http://blogs.usdoj.gov/blog/archives/1088

Facebook Needs to Update!

Facebook currently has only two options to describe your gender. The question itself improperly asks what your "SEX" is.

Tell Facebook to additionally ask your "GENDER" and to give a open field so a person may self identify.

The survey establishing transgender/transsexual identity "Who we are" has now been closed. Thank you!

2 CLICK ADVOCACY 2 TELL FACEBOOK!

Copy the message below and click the 'website' link on the groups info page to the fb profile suggestion form.

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SUGGESTION: Include Transgender in Profile options

Facebook currently has only two options to describe gender. The question itself improperly asks what your "SEX" is.

I am asking that a profile option "GENDER" be added and a open field be presented so a person may properly self identify.

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Send the above message to Facebook via there contact form

http://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=ui_profile

Quotes from Recent Ruling on DADT

Judge Phillips ruled that the plaintiffs had proven to her satisfaction that the military policy does not "significantly further" the government's interests and, indeed, undercuts those interests. She wrote:

. . . by impeding the efforts to recruit and retain an all-volunteer military force, the Act contributes to critical troop shortages and thus harms rather than furthers the Government's interest in military readiness;

by causing the discharge of otherwise qualified service members with critical skills such as Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, and Korean language fluency; military intelligence; counterterrorism; weapons development; and medical training, the Act harms rather than furthers the Government's interest in military readiness;

by contributing to the necessity for the Armed Forces to permit enlistment through increased use of the "moral waiver" policy and lower educational and physical fitness standards, the Act harms rather than furthers the Government's interest in military readiness;

Defendants' actions in delaying investigations regarding and enforcement of the Act until after a service member returns from combat deployment show that the Policy is not necessary to further the Government's interest in military readiness or unit cohesion;

by causing the discharge of well-trained and competent service members who are well-respected by their superiors and subordinates, the Act has harmed rather than furthered unit cohesion and morale;

the Act is not necessary to protect the privacy of service members because military housing quarters already provide sufficient protection for this interest.

Study Finds Few LGBT Youth Experiencing Mental Health Problems

Although a new study finds one-third of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) adolescents have attempted suicide in their lifetime, few are experiencing mental health problems. Researchers, who reported their findings in the American Journal of Public Health, said the prevalence of mental disorders among LGBT youth was higher than that in the general population, but comparable to that of urban and minority youth. The study found seventy percent of youth did not have any mental disorders. Fifteen percent met the criteria for major depression and nearly 10 percent met criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. (HealthDay News, 12/08/10)

Journaling Project for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse

Fill Your Paper With The Breathings Of Your Heart

– Wordsworth

A FREE event with light snacks and beverages to encourage healing effects of journaling for male survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence.

Please join writer Debbie Hanchin of The Raye Foundation and Chad Corbley of Affirmations for a workshop exploring the healing power of expressing your feelings, thoughts, and experiences through expressive writing and journaling.

When:

Saturday, December 18, 2010 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Where:

1299 Olentangy River Road

Columbus, OH 43212

Register by contacting one of the following:

Stephanie Smith Bowman, 614 566 3933 or sbowman@ohiohealth.com

Gary Heath, 614 294 7867 or gary@bravo-ohio.org

Chad Corbley, 614 445 8277 or affirmations@rrohio.comSARNCO