of possible interest to young FTMs

[ginoushka.livejournal.com]

I am on the trans allies email list on yahoo, and the following discussion took place. I thought this might be of interest to young FTM folks.

Best ~
*Ginoushka*

***********
Message: 1
I was asked a very interesting question, which was, "Do FtMs have to register with the Selective Service?" I never thought of it, but it is a great question. I called the Selective Service at (847) 688-6888 and found out that Female to Male transsexuals are exempt from registering with the Selective Service, but they need the Selective Service to give them a letter stating so. This question has come up before, and the Selective Service will type up this letter saying plainly that you are exempt from registering, but will not say why. This letter is important if an FtM applies for educational loans and a few other things where that question is asked, "Did you register for the draft?" They have to have that letter, or face the possibility of getting into serious trouble.
Since there are a lot of FtM's who are between the ages of 18 and 26, then this is important information for them to have, whether there is a draft or not. This has to get out to all the young men in our community. Spread the word. The Selective Service is prepared for this, so call them if you have any questions. Each young FtM must have this letter in their files.
Monica

Message: 2
It might not always be so easy to get the letter from Selective Service stating that one is exempt from registering. I've known several FTMs who have been unable to get this letter, so have gone ahead and registered (knowing that they would be ineligible for military service) in order to qualify for Federal financial aid at their colleges or universities.
Best,
Jake

National Trans Day of Remembrance November 20th

[ginoushka.livejournal.com]

(Cross posted to many places.)

For Immediate Release:
Information on Transgender Day Of Remembrance events around the US is available online at

http://www.gender.org/remember/day

Contact: Gwen Smith -- gwen@gwensmith.com

Now, More Than Ever: Transgender Day Of Remembrance Honored with National, International Events
Event Honors Twenty-Four Victims since 2001 Memorial


In a year marked with two dozen reported anti-transgender murders, members of the transgendered community will be holding events on November 20th to honor those lost.

"Too often people want to make our dead into forgotten people," said event founder Gwendolyn Ann Smith, "Now, more than ever, we need to stand together and say that taking life from anyone is not acceptable. Now, more than ever, we must remember, and let those memories spur us to more education and more action to safeguard the diverse character of our communities."

The event is designed to draw those from across the community to come out and say that each and every human is valuable and honored, that no one should ever be so marginalized that their death doesn't matter. From candlelight vigils to performance events and art installations, each city finds a unique way to make the lives of those murdered visible.

A total of 19 states and the District of Columbia will have Transgender Day of Remembrance events, and four countries -- the United States, Canada, Chile and Spain -- will have them within their borders. In addition, several prominent transgender websites will also be blacking out their main pages on November 20th, as a show of solidarity with the cause.

Events this year include a candlelight march down Market Street in San Francisco, California, a rally in Washington D.C., the dedication of a permanent memorial space in West Hollywood, California, an on-campus event at Ohio State University, and a memorial service in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Transgender Day Of Remembrance began in San Francisco in 1999 as a response to the murder of Rita Hester, a transgendered woman who was stabbed to death in her apartment. A murder that, like most transgender killings, remains unsolved.

Through the work of the Remembering Our Dead project which spawned the Transgender Day of Remembrance, it was discovered that an average of one person is reported dead due to anti-transgender violence every month. In 2002 this figure has doubled, with 24 cases since last year's event. Organizers point to better reporting, rather than an increase in crime, as a primary reason for this jump.

"Some might think that the rise in numbers points to an increase in deaths this year," Smith said, "While I think there may be some weight in that, I personally feel this points more to aa heightened sensitivity to these cases in the media and amongst our community. The sad thing is that it could well mean that these cases have always happened in numbers like what we are finding now -- and that there is a chance, perhaps a good one, that there are even more still out there we are missing."

Although not every person represented during the Transgender Day of Remembrance self-identified as transgendered -- that is, as a transsexual, crossdresser, or otherwise gender-variant -- each was a victim of violence based on bias against transgendered pe