Celebrate Women’s History Month Together with Women/Trans/Gender Non-conforming People!

SALGA Women/Trans/Gender Nonconforming People Celebrate Women’s History Month Together!

Date: Saturday, March 27th

Time: 2:00 PM

Place : P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center
22-25 Jackson Ave at the intersection of 46th Ave
Long Island City, NY 11101

Why: Because the installation by the artist Mickalene Thomas sounds very cool!

Let’s meet outside P.S. 1 at 2.00 PM on Saturday, March 27th. Please email priyanka@salganyc.org if you are interested in a free ticket. The first 20 people to respond will have their ticket paid for by SALGA. The donation is otherwise $5. We’ll get coffee after viewing the installation!

HISTORIC VICTORY: WELFARE PROCEDURE APPROVED TO ADDRESS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST TRANS AND GENDER NON CONFORMING PEOPLE, BRINGING NYC CLOSER TO BEING INCLUSIVE FOR ALL NEW YORKERS.

NEW YORK CITY HUMAN RESOURCES ADMINISTRATION (HRA) APPROVES PROCEDURE

FOR SERVING TRANS AND GENDER NON CONFORMING CLIENTS

(New York City, February 5, 2010) – TransJustice of the Audre Lorde Project, Housing Works, Queers for Economic Justice, and the Sylvia Rivera Law Project will announce a victory for their Welfare Justice Campaign at a press conference on February 10, 2010 at 10AM at the Housing Works Bookstore, 126 Crosby Street (between Prince St. and East Houston), Manhattan, NY.  On December 23, 2009 — after five years of organizing by Trans and Gender Non Conforming communities — the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) passed a procedure to stop rampant transphobic discrimination and harassment in New York City’s welfare system.  Speakers include Jane Corbett, Executive Deputy Commissioner of HRA, Erik Bottcher, the LGBT Community Liaison for NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn and members of the Welfare Justice Campaign.

Transgender and Gender Non Conforming people face extreme, abusive, unjust discrimination when trying to access government benefits in New York City. Some transgender people are denied the ability to even apply for benefits and told to come back when they “dress more like a girl, or boy.” Since 2005, Trans and Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC) communities in New York City have been fighting back by urging HRA to address the widespread Transphobia, discrimination, and harassment that Trans and Gender Non-Conforming people in New York City face when accessing public assistance.  In 2005 HRA and a Citizen Advisory Transgender Sub Committee developed Best Practice Protocols for Serving Trans and Gender Non Conforming Clients (the new procedure is based on this document). Unfortunately, these protocols sat on the shelf for years and were never implemented nor adopted by HRA.

Jane Corbett, Executive Deputy Commissioner of HRA and Kavita Pawria, HRA Director of Office of Refugee and Immigrant Affairs have been working a long side community groups for the last two years to develop a HRA procedure on serving Trans and Gender Non Conforming communities.  On December 23^rd, 2009, after years of organizing and advocacy by the community, HRA Commissioner Robert Doar finally approved the new procedure.  HRA Executive Deputy Commissioner Jane Corbett stated that, “After much cooperation both within the agency and with community leaders outside of HRA, the procedure was finalized and distributed to staff last December.  We expect that this reinforcement of City rules will improve our customer service.”

According to Mya Vazquez, of TransJustice of the Audre Lorde Project, “Due to wide spread prejudice in order to survive we’re forced to apply for public benefits, yet when we go to welfare centers, we’re harassed, jeered at, and faced with discrimination because of our gender identities and/or expression.”  She states that, “The ‘don’t ask, don’t tell campaign’ has taken up so much national attention and resources, yet the issues of daily survival that Trans and Gender Non Conforming People of Color deal with go unnoticed”.

Tracy Bumpus of Housing Works states, “This procedure is important because the greatest fundamental human right is to be free to love and live as our minds and hearts guide us. But for Trans and Gender Non Conforming people what is the value of freedom if we are afraid to seek the life sustaining services offered by HRA because we are discriminated against, made fun of and made to feel less than human.  Hopefully this procedure will change the outdated ways of thinking that people seem unable to let go of.”

While approval of the HRA procedure is a major win, it is only the beginning.  Reina Gossett, of Queers for Economic Justice states, “The approval of this procedure is a major victory for Trans and Gender Non Conforming communities, however we still have far to go.  In the past, similar city policies have failed in the training phase using inadequate curriculum and trainers lacking cultural competence.  We need everyone’s support to insure that all HRA employees are trained on the new procedure and that our communities are central to the development and implementation of these trainings.”

The Audre Lorde Project (ALP) is a Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Two-Spirit, Trans and Gender Non Conforming People of Color Community Organizer Center in NYC.  TransJustice, a project of ALP, is a Trans and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color organizing group.

Housing Works provides homeless and low-income New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS and their families with housing, meals, medical care, drug treatment, social support, employment opportunities and other lifesaving services.

Queers for Economic Justice is a progressive organization committed to promoting economic justice in a context of sexual and gender liberation.

The Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP) works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination, or violence.

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http://alp.org/content/historic-victory-welfare-procedure-approved-address-discrimination-against-trans-and-gender-

Nepal to Court Gay Tourism

By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk • January 20, 2010 - 11:38

Nepal is set to legalise gay marriage later this year and will celebrate the change by promoting the country as the gay tourism capital of Asia.

Last year, the Supreme Court approved same-sex marriage and the government is expected to begin drafting a law allowing in in the coming months.

Next month, a conference will be held to discuss how the country can attract more gay couples.

The country’s only out gay MP Sunil Babu Pant, has launched a travel company called Pink Mountain which will offer wedding ceremonies at the base of Everest and processions on elephant-back.

He believes Nepal’s economy could see a substantial boost if the country can attract ten per cent of global gay tourism.

Pant, a hero to many gay activists worldwide, told the Daily Telegraph: “Most Asian countries don’t welcome gay visitors, so we can have the maximum benefit for the Nepal economy which is fragile after years of war.

He added that the government had a target of increasing the number of tourists from 400,000 to one million in the coming year.

Nepal was once strongly conservative and gays in the Himalayan kingdom previously suffered persistent persecution from security forces during the absolutist rule of King Gyanendra.

The harassment of lesbian, gay and trans people continued at the hands of Maoist rebels.

Until 2007, homosexuality was illegal in the country but the past few years have seen profound changes for gay rights.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/20/nepal-to-court-gay-tourism/

Pride Reception!

Come to SALGA’s annual Pride Reception for the community as well as out-of-towners! This year, it will be at the very trendy, very hip Le Royale.

Don’t miss DJ Rekha who will be spinning beats all night long!

Where: Le Royale 21 7th Ave. South
When: Saturday June 27th at 9pm
Cover: $5 before 11pm, $10 after; $5 for students all night

Tears of Joy for Nepali Gays, Transgender Persons over Supreme Court Decision

Government is directed to address discrimination – and even same-sex marriage

■ Sunil Pant MP: “It is the most beautiful news”.

SOURCE:  UKgaynews.org.uk

KATHMANDU, November 17, 2008  –  There were tears of joy in the Nepali LGBT community today when the Supreme Court published its full written decision on a petition demanding both protection and rights for sexual and gender minorities.

“Reading this decision my eyes were filled with tears and I felt we are the most proud LGBTI citizens of Nepal in the world,” admitted Nepal’s only openly gay Member of Parliament Sunil Babu Pant, who heads the country’s Blue Diamond Society.

“It is the most beautiful news,” he added.

The petition was filed by the Blue Diamond Society and three other LGBTI groups in Nepal.

The Nepali Supreme Court is translating its decision into English, but highlights from the published Nepali decision are (unofficial translation):

■  In relation to this matter, directive order has been issued to the Government of Nepal to enact new laws and amend all existing discriminatory laws so that all individuals with different sexual orientations and gender identities can exercise equal rights like any other citizens of Nepal.

■  A seven-member committee to be formed by the government of Nepal to study the different same sex partnership/marriage bill/act in other countries and recommend the government to make same sex marriage/partnership act.  Based on the recommendation of this committee, the government must introduce a same sex partnership/marriage act.

■  The decision also addressed “cross dressing saying can’t be taken as “pollution” but should be taken as individual’s freedom of expression.

■  All LGBTI must be defined as “natural persons” and their physical growth as well as sexual orientation, gender identity, expression are all part of natural growing process.  Thus equal rights, identity and expression must be ensured regardless of their sex at birth.