IntenseDebate - dentedbluemercedes

11 years ago @ TransGriot - Conservative Party Sen... · 0 replies · +1 points

A few corrections: The Conservative Senator's name is Don Plett, and REAL Women of Canada are not a TERF group, but rather anti-feminist religious conservatives like the Eagle Forum under Phyllis Schlafly (the name dates back to 1971, and is a reaction to feminism, not to the trans* movement).

Nancy Ruth's role is a bit more complex than that. Her primary stated objective was to ensure that the category of sex was added to the protected clauses in hate crimes portions of the Criminal Code of Canada. It was always a very weird and serious omission in our legislation, and ended up being fixed this year in another piece of legislation. That said, there are rumours that Ruth is from the trans-exclusionary branch of feminism, going back to the days when donors to Egale told the group they explicitly didn't want their money going toward trans* causes. I've never seen evidence to prove or disprove that, so it has to be considered hearsay, but it persists nonetheless. Did she have a negative influence on the bill? I don't know.

Exactly what path the bill takes now is still being discussed. But at least the rift that happened when gender expression was removed from the bill is over.

11 years ago @ TransGriot - Future Trans* · 0 replies · +1 points

Blogger apparently won't accept a comment this long, so I have to post my thoughts here instead: https://dentedbluemercedes.wordpress.com/2014/10/...

Sorry. I will be watching for a replies here too, though.

11 years ago @ TransGriot - What's The Latest News... · 0 replies · +1 points

There is considerable pressure being put to the committee (the makeup of which has changed considerably from when the original testimony was heard) to replace the (unnecessary) Yogyakarta definition of "gender identity" with a much narrower one.

The one Conservatives are pushing for thus far would limit protections to post-operative persons (which more or less means that protections will be limited to people who will no longer really need them).

There has also been talk about amendments to address washrooms / public accommodations and to address sports, but for the moment, there are no specific amendments put forward and no text on record. The next committee hearing will be on Thursday Oct. 9th, and more on Tuesdays and Thursdays following.

It remains to be seen if there are enough votes on the committee to pass any amendments.

In either case, if the bill is amended at all, it will have to return to the House for approval, which will almost certainly mean a long enough delay for the bill to die when the election is called.

The danger with that, though, is that if the Committee amends the bill, any changes will be expected in a subsequent bill, and if they're not present, conservatives will make an enormous fight about it.

Watch this space for schedule and webcast links: http://www.parl.gc.ca/sencommitteebusiness/AllMee...

12 years ago @ TransGriot - Gay, Inc Needs A Trans... · 0 replies · +3 points

I doubt that this alone would change anything. I do recognize that there are many groups that try more honestly for trans inclusion and do well at it -- almost always at the grassroots level. But once you get to the level of GayInc., I get a lot more skeptical.

In my experience, when they do try to be trans-inclusive, large LGB(t) organizations simply look for someone who will shut up, acceptably fit lookist expectations (either trans male or pretty, usually white -- still trying to fit the non-threatening "we're just like you" narrative), and toe whatever they've already decided the party line should be. Meanwhile, they still brand anyone with an opinion as an outsider and a troublemaker.

And once in awhile they will find someone who has some strength and opinion and will persist on despite being fed breadcrumbs for opportunities, in hope of eventually breaking that pattern, but I've only ever found that to be a waste of time and energy.

As is railing against GayInc. I still believe that trans acceptance will come neither with nor against GayInc, but *regardless* of it.

And this is from someone who has seen / encountered / occasionally interacted with such a group post-marriage.

12 years ago @ TransGriot - Where In The World Can... · 0 replies · +1 points

If you do decide to do the north-of-the-border trip, A & I would be happy to show you some of the sights, if you have the time: the badlands, Kananaskis... southern Alberta has some unforgettable countryside....

12 years ago @ Womanist Musings - Down time · 0 replies · +1 points

Take care, and wishing you a smooth recovery.

13 years ago @ TransGriot - Claude 'Rick' Roberts,... · 0 replies · +1 points

I'm so sorry to hear this.

I lost my dad a little over a year ago, and can relate.

If you feel like you need some support, help, an ear, etc, don't hesitate to ask.

13 years ago @ TransGriot - http://transgriot.blog... · 0 replies · +1 points

Very excellent. Congratulations on a well-deserved honour.

14 years ago @ TransGriot - Manitoba Human Rights ... · 0 replies · +1 points

The reports I've seen so far don't indicate that gender expression was included in any way. This could be just reportage, but will need to be looked at further.

14 years ago @ TransGriot - Unjust Trans Rights Bi... · 0 replies · +1 points

Worse, it creates a precedent for legislation elsewhere, and creates the impression that there must have been just cause for the omission.

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