In preparation for the NSRC live blog on the state of transgender rights taking place on Monday, March 30th at 11 am PDT, this week’s edition of “We get around the web” highlights the best blogs and news stories related to transgender rights published this week.
Legislators in New Hampshire battle over non-discrimination bill aimed at protecting transgender individuals. While, Hijras in India are organizing to demand rights. And a GLSEN report on transgender students in the United States found that transgender students face more discrimination by their peers than lesbian, gay, and bisexual students, they also reported that transgender students are resisting discrimination by making their voices heard in classrooms.
Racialicious re-posted three articles by TransGriot. One article examines the contradictions involving representations of transgender people in Japanese culture and the difficulty in living as a transgender person in Japan. Another analyzes transphobia in Hollywood and asks why a transwomen can’t play a transwomen in upcoming films. The third article promotes a documentary called Pecah Lobang (or “Busted”) that chronicles the struggle of a Muslim transgender women in Malaysia who faces increased scrutiny by fundamentalist Muslims and Christian missionaries and increased discrimination by the law.
Malaysia is not the only predominantly Muslim country that criminalizes non-traditional gender expression. Feministing reports that Dubai has started cracking down on women who “said to dress, behave and speak like men.” Dubai's new policies is aimed at both transgender men and lesbains.
Another story making waves this week is the re-introduction of the REAL act (Responsible Education About Life) in Congress and the Senate. NSRC Director of Education, Chris White, challenged lawmakers to move beyond abstinence plus or comprehensive models included sexual literacy frameworks in federally funded sex education in his blog yesterday. However, Chris wasn’t the only one discussing sex education for teens.
We thought every one was with us when we read a MSNBC article that seconded Chris’ call for sex education that addresses issues of sexuality across the lifespan. And a non-profit in New Zealand launched a SMS service for teens questioning their sexual identity.
But the cold reality of homophobia sank in when we read an Oklahoma teacher was forced to resign for teaching the Laramie Project. We encourage you to take action with RH Reality Check and write or call Superintendent Turlington.
Eric Anthony Grollman, the campus organizer for the IU chapter of Campus Coalition for Sexual Literacy published an insightful blog about The Pope’s declaration condemning condoms in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa. If you missed it, make sure you check it out here.
Racewire echoed Eric’s disappointment with the Pope’s condemnation and The Advocate reports that Spain countered the Pope’s words with actions, announcing on Wednesday it would send millions of condoms to Africa in protest.
