Seven Years

[gennee.livejournal.com]

I have been out for nearly seven years now. There have been many improvements and changes. Protections for GLBT persons are law in many counties, towns, states, and countries. There is also more backlashes because we dare to make our voices heard. Transgender Day of Remembrance reminds me that we’re still in a fight.

What is encouraging is that more people are seeing through the labyrinth of lies thrown up by our enemies. I am seeing cracks in the armor of seemingly impenetrable social institutions because people are being educated about gender and sexuality. The church is one such institution. I am part of a task force that forming a ministry for LGBTQI persons. I’m very happy about this because I’m involved with the church. No longer can churches ignore part of their congregations because we are everywhere. One of my desires is share my story and educate the church about what it is to be transgender.

On a personal level, I’m very comfortable with where I am at the present time. The gender has been fluid the past several days. I have been interacting with the public quite a bit. I enjoy speaking with others. Others hve taking notice because I’ve been sent emails and notes. I even have an admirer at the community center.

My spouse is still trying to understand my being transgender but she has
made progress. I’m making new discoveries as I continue on this journey. I’m really happy about life.

US: GLAD Publishes Groundbreaking Transgender Family Law Book

[ftmichael]

GLAD Publishes Groundbreaking Transgender Family Law Book
Resource for practitioners to foster quality representation for transgender clients

Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders is proud to announce the publication of Transgender Family Law: A Guide to Effective Advocacy, the first book to comprehensively address legal issues facing transgender people in the family law context and provide practitioners the tools to effectively represent transgender clients. Featuring chapters by attorneys with expertise in both family law and transgender legal advocacy, the book was edited by Jennifer L. Levi , director of GLAD’s Transgender Rights Project, and Elizabeth E. Monnin-Browder, a litigation associate in the Boston office of Ropes & Gray and a former GLAD attorney. Transgender Family Law: A Guide to Effective Advocacy will be available in bound and electronic versions on May 16, 2012.


“Some of the most heartbreaking stories I have heard in my career as an LGBT legal advocate involve transgender people in family courts,” said Levi, a nationally recognized expert on transgender legal issues. “The rights of transgender people – as parents, spouses, and simply as human beings – are often trammeled in family court because of pervasive bias and misunderstanding. Transgender Family Law: A Guide to Effective Advocacy is a road map for transgender individuals and their attorneys to navigate the family court system in this evolving area of law.”


“This book tackles a cutting edge area of family law and we’re thrilled to have contributions from some of this country’s most well-respected experts in this field,” said Monnin-Browder. “Transgender Family Law: A Guide to Effective Advocacy details the unique needs and vulnerabilities of transgender people in the family law context. I hope transgender people will read and share it with their attorneys as they plan a family, navigate the dissolution of a relationship or a custody dispute, or simply seek to protect their rights and those of their children.”


The chapters address a broad range of topics, including:


* Culturally Competent Representation
* Recognition of Name and Sex
* Relationship Recognition and Protections
* Protecting Parental Rights
* Relationship Dissolution
* Parental Rights after Relationship Dissolution
* Custody Disputes Involving Transgender Children
* Protections for Transgender Youth
* Intimate Partner Violence
* Estate Planning and Elder Law


In addition to chapters authored by Levi and Monnin-Browder, contributors to Transgender Family Law: A Guide to Effective Advocacy include Kylar W. Broadus, Patience Crozier, Benjamin L. Jerner, Michelle B. LaPointe, Morgan Lynn, Shannon Price Minter, Zack M. Paakkonen, Terra Slavin, Wayne A. Thomas Jr., Esq., Deborah H. Wald and Janson Wu.


For more information, or to purchase a copy of Transgender Family Law: A Guide to Effective Advocacy, visit http://glad.org/TFL .
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders is New England’s leading legal organisation dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status, and gender identity and expression.