Thank You!
Thank you to all who participated in Congressional Summer School, NCTE's program of visits to members of Congress in their district offices during the summer recess. Communicating with our Senators and Representatives is a vital part of our movement for transgender equality and you can do it any time of the year. For our "how to" guide, check out Making Your Voice Heard: A Transgender Guide to Educating Congress at Making Your Voice Heard: A Transgender Guide to Educating Congress.

New Resource Coming on I-9 Letters
Many of you have been following the controversy over employment "no match" letters, in which the Social Security Administration may inform employers when an employee's gender (or other information) does not match previous records. NCTE is actively working on this issue and has made official comments to the Commission on the reporting of name and gender markers. We are continuing to closely monitor the situation. NCTE will soon release a new resource of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the SSA's "no match" policy. For more information about the policy, and NCTE's official response, click here: No Match Letter Information.

Legislative and Policy Update

In late August, the California legislature passed the "Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act," now headed to the governor's desk. Named for a California teenager murdered in 2002 when other teens discovered she was transgender, the legislation would ban the use of the "panic defense" that was unsuccessfully employed by defense attorneys for her killers. The "panic defense" attempts to argue that defendants are not responsible, or should receive a lighter sentence, for acts committed when they panic as a result of transphobia or homophobia. The bill would require that the state create training for court officials and that jurors be instructed to not consider bias based on gender identity, sexual orientation or other characteristics. This legislation is unparalleled and provides a new approach to addressing the aftermath of bias-motivated violence.

The Pension Protection Act was signed into law last month. This important federal legislation makes it possible for people to transfer their retirement plans and pension benefits to a beneficiary to whom they are not married. This means that people can designate a partner who is not a legal spouse to receive their benefits, which provides some economic protections for same-sex couples. This is helpful to married transgender people because the spousal status of the beneficiary will no longer be relevant. The new law also increases access to retirement savings in the event of a qualifying medical or financial emergency. This law will only help you, however, if you have named your partner as the beneficiary of your retirement plan; contact your benefits administrator to ensure your information is up to date.

The City Council of Hillsboro, Oregon voted unanimously in August to ban discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. The law addresses employment, public accommodations and housing, with exceptions for religious groups and owner-occupied residences. During the public hearing held on this bill, the only speakers were those in favor of the bill. No one present opposed the legislation and the City Council received a standing ovation when the bill passed. There is no state-wide anti-discrimination legislation in Oregon but nine cities offer protections like those enacted in Hillsboro.

In Kalamazoo, Michigan, the County Commission amended its personnel policy to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and expression, sexual orientation or political affiliation. The policy applies to employment, promotion, pay and discipline for county employees. Opponents of the measure testified about their fears of transgender people in county restrooms, among other concerns. In the end, the Commission voted 9-8 in favor of the hotly debated policy and it has now been enacted.

The American Bar Association has gone on record encouraging the passage of legislation to ban discrimination based on gender identity and expression in employment, housing and public accommodations. At a recent meeting, the ABA's House of Delegates urged federal, state, local and territorial governments to pass such legislation.

A conservative group in Cincinnati, Ohio failed in their effort to recall of an anti-discrimination ordinance passed in the city last March that protects citizens from discrimination based on gender identity and expression and sexual orientation. More than 1,300 of the signatures on the recall petition were challenged as improper, including some obvious forgeries, like the "signatures" of prominent figures such as Cuban president Fidel Castro.

NCTE Urged Caution in Reporting on John Mark Karr

Amid the controversy surrounding John Mark Karr-the man who confessed to killing JonBenet Ramsey but who investigators say was not involved-came stories that he was transgender. NCTE urged media outlets reporting on the story to avoid sensationalistic coverage of John Mark Karr's inquiry into undergoing a "sex change operation"-an inaccurate term for sex reassignment surgery (SRS) that violates preferred terminology in the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Media Reference Guide.

"Whether Karr is transgender is not relevant to the Ramsey story," said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. "Sensationalizing this one aspect of his life is not only hurtful to all transgender people, it distracts from the seriousness of this unsolved case."

Resources about Transgender Youth

The Child Welfare League of America has just published a resource outlining issues of concerns to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer children who are living outside of the home. This resource includes very specific information about the needs of transgender teens and children and the challenges they face. Those who work with transgender youth may be particularly interested in information on dealing with transgender youth in group settings and the unique health care needs of trans teens. The resource offers concrete recommendations for organizations to accommodate the needs of trans youth, such as housing transgender youth according to their gender identity, rather than their anatomical sex.

The resource can be downloaded for free at Legal Services for Children. A print version is also available for purchase; more information can be found by clicking here: Child Welfare League of America

Transgender Inclusion and Exclusion at Michigan's Womyn's Music Festival

NCTE recently responded to the furor surrounding transwomen's participation in the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival. In past years, a transwoman was evicted from the festival and transwomen were told at the box office that they could not purchase tickets. This year, however, a transwoman was sold a ticket and allowed access to the festival grounds. Following the festival, however, festival producer Lisa Vogel clarified that the space was only for "womyn-born-womyn" and asked transwomen to stay away. More information is available on our website by clicking here.

A number of media outlets and blogs covered NCTE's position on the controversial policy. Some examples are at: 247gay.com and the Metro Weekly: Metro Weekly

The Eastman Kodak Company just announced revisions to their employee health coverage, including SRS for those who are transitioning. The benefits package includes new and ongoing hormone treatments and psychotherapy, as well as surgery. The Lambda Network at Kodak, an LGBT employee group, had advocated for the changes. Eastman Kodak ranks 155 on the Fortune 500 and has received a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index.

Abigail Van Buren, the advice columnist better known as "Dear Abby," responded to a letter from a reader who encountered a transgender person in a public restroom. In addition to giving some general information, Van Buren clarifies the rights of transgender people to use the restroom, saying, "It is not against the law, and it was no threat to you.

You can read the full text of the question and her syndicated column here: Dear Abby

Banned Books Week 2006 is September 23-September 30. Read something trans-gressive! One book under fire is GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Queer and Questioning Teens, by Kelly Huegel. A group-Parents Protecting the Minds of Children-in Arkansas is petitioning to have it removed from school libraries, in part because the book provides positive information for transgender teens. You can read the story in The Morning News, a local paper, by clicking here.

For more information on Banned Books Week from the American Library Association, visit the American Library Association. Their theme this year is "Read Banned Books: They're Your Ticket to Freedom."