Ooo! Due to being Internet absent and relying on The Salt Lake Tribune stone tablets for my news, my friend, Melanie, just alerted me of the following:
Melanie pointed out the following, however, "What floored me were the comments made by one representative, ...", U.S. Representative Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., in dissent against the bill:
At least Virginia is right about one thing, sorta - it is a wise strategy to base the hate crimes bill on what happened to Matthew Shepard. Good thing us minorities have learned from the oppression of others and their struggles for equality throughout time.
I wonder if Virginia would consider Ghandi a master of "hoax" when he said, "I have found that mere appeal to reason does not answer where prejudices are age-long and based on supposed religious authority. Reason has to be strengthened by suffering and suffering opens the eyes to understanding."
A Decade After Matthew Shepard's Brutal Murder, Feds Finally ActWooo! Trans peeps are included, too!
April 30, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, known more commonly as the Matthew Shepard Act. This act, which passed by a vote of 249-175, expands protections of people based on race, color, religion and national origin to also include actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. The next step is a vote in the Senate. If it passes the Senate, President Obama has already stated that he will sign the bill into law.
Melanie pointed out the following, however, "What floored me were the comments made by one representative, ...", U.S. Representative Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., in dissent against the bill:
We know that man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn't because he was gay. The hate-crimes bill was named for him, [but] it's really a hoax that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills.It's astounding, the desperate convoluted political shenanigans bigoted individuals have always grasped for throughout time in the face of inevitable social progression. The oppressed are eeeevil and using a hoax to fool you all!
At least Virginia is right about one thing, sorta - it is a wise strategy to base the hate crimes bill on what happened to Matthew Shepard. Good thing us minorities have learned from the oppression of others and their struggles for equality throughout time.
I wonder if Virginia would consider Ghandi a master of "hoax" when he said, "I have found that mere appeal to reason does not answer where prejudices are age-long and based on supposed religious authority. Reason has to be strengthened by suffering and suffering opens the eyes to understanding."
I agree - in 50 years, this public statement will rank right up there with Strom Thurmond and other well-known politicians who dictate public policy, yet force their antiquated views of society on our contemporary culture.
ReplyDeleteI'm really feeling pretty happy that there are at least 5 states which now recognize civil unions for any couple, including same-sex partners. I think it's as significant as the Berlin wall falling or the end of the cold war.
So I have a niggling/odd question. If you gender identify as male and were to go through a legal gender change, and then, say, join the LDS church. Would you be identified as male by the LDS folks?
I'm truly interested. You wouldn't necessarily have to identify yourself as having been biologically female, if you'd have had a m-t-f surgery. Would you be able to take part in the temple ceremonies?
I was reared LDS, but I really don't feel like I can feel accepted into the 'flock' until all of my friends and family can go and feel welcome in a traditional service. I think the LDS church has made a lot of progress in this area lately, but about 20-30 years after everyone else.
I really can't justify going to a regular service there until anyone can feel welcome. If that's myself, or my lesbian neighbors, or my transgendered friends; I think they need to do a lot more to be truly welcoming to all of God's children.
/soapbox
Dscokween: No, you would not be recognized as a male. First off you would be advised to talk to your bishop about your feelings, then advised that how you are feeling is simply Satan tempting you. The LDS faith believes you are born in the image of god, and god doesn’t make “mistakes” like that. If you were to change your physical gender it would be considered succumbing to Satan, and therefore not recognized by the church. In fact they consider this to be grounds for excommunication.
ReplyDeleteIf you were to come into the church after changing your gender it is possible they would accept you and you may be able to get married in the temple and whatnot (which actually happened about 15 years ago). However, if it were discovered that you were transgender you would be excommunicated
Like I said, this actually happened some years ago. A M2F lady fell in love and married a man. She never actually got the full gender reassignment surgery but changed her sex legally. She also never divulged to her husband that she use to be man, she converted to the church and they were married in the temple. For the next few years of their marriage she managed to never let the guy see her lower parts, well one day he did and of course there was this big ordeal of how this “Man” duped another man, and the church into letting him get married in the temple. Needless to say, she was excommunicated when all was said and done.
Here is even a quote which semi shows you how they feel. This was issued on September 23, 1995 by the President of the church, at the time, Gordon B. "All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose."