Lots of Canadian Transgender News this last week (3rd-9th August).
What We Know About: The Brain and Gender Dysphoria
Like in many areas of science, it is difficult to unravel cause and effect. It is important to iterate that none of the studies presented provide us with a definite cause for gender dysphoria. It is also likely that gender dysphoria, and the social experiences it confers, also shape the brain.
Additionally, many of these studies hint at different mechanisms affecting trans-men compared to trans-women. It could very well turn out that gender dysphoria has completely different root causes affecting trans-men and trans-women.
We don’t know a lot, yet. We do know that what you think changes the brain, look at London UK cab drivers for example. Is the brain different at birth or becomes different – that’s going to be tricky to answer.
Source: transcience project
Bakersfield Earth – Comic
… a few years ago, after seeing a straight white guy save the world for the millionth time, I started to fantasize about a different scenario and … Shazam! the idea for Bakersfield, Earth was born.
This first issue, from USA duo David Quantic and Tamra Bonvillain, is interesting, I’d like to see where this is going. You should try it too. Also see https://twitter.com/BakersfieldEar
Source: Bakersfield Earth
NDP presents its gay agenda on eve of Vancouver Pride
On the eve of Pride celebrations in Vancouver, gay NDP MPs unveiled what they describe as their “gay agenda,” a list of initiatives that have been introduced in Canada’s House of Commons.
That unfinished business includes three bills — C-279, C-600 and C-448 — that aim to guarantee equal rights for transgender and gender-variant Canadians, suspend the criminal records for gay offences that are no longer illegal, and repeal the unequal age of consent for anal sex, respectively.
Esquimalt–Juan de Fuca MP Randall Garrison, the federal NDP’s LGBT critic, also highlighted three motions the party is pressing forward with, namely ending discriminatory policies on blood and organ donations by gay men, ensuring that the service records of people discharged from the Canadian Forces because of their sexual orientation or gender identity are revised, and getting an apology for civil servants who were fired for their sexuality or gender identity.
NDP, love them or loath them, have the reputation of being the most LGTB friendly of Canada’s main political parties. I think this bills are godo and regardless of where you are on the political spectrum – please help push these through!
Source: Daily Extra
Iranian transgender refugee struggles for acceptance
Tannaz Mehraban woke in the middle of the night to find her brother standing next to her. He told her they had to leave the house — immediately. Her family was going to kill her the next day.
Mehraban, who was only 13 at the time, had recently been kicked out of school for being someone who looked like a boy but dressed as a girl.
“Because this was a great tragedy for my family — I had destroyed my family’s reputation in the community — my family wanted to kill me,” Mehraban said, speaking in Farsi through an interpreter.
This was just one of many hardships that Mehraban had to face as a transgender woman in Iran. After being persecuted her whole life Mehraban, now 38, arrived in Canada as a refugee eight months ago. She currently resides in Burnaby.
Immigration when you are transgender is damned hard, but it can beat the hell out of where you come from. I’m an immigrant to Canada too, really no services exist for transgender immigrants so it is a tough lonely road.
Source: CBC
LGBTQ groups come together for pride despite differences
For the pride society, it’s about changing the historical perception that mainstream pride celebrations are dominated by white gay men. This perception has contributed to the growth of alternative celebrations around North America over the years. Vancouver’s trans march and Dyke March events are good examples of this. Neither is affiliated with the pride society.
This article is talking about Vancouver Pride Parade, I live in Victoria, so close but not the same. Where I live trans* wasn’t at all visible in the local pride march. It was gay white dudes, lesbians, oh and banks and political parties. A bank gets centre stage at pride but trans people don’t? Huh.
I wish seperate trans* parades were not required, I wish we were included in the the pride, but we’re not. The reality is we’re marginalised and that is not changing fast enough. So a trans* parade right now is a requirement.
Source: CTV
A lifelong approach to LGBTQ healthcare
Imagine the embarrassment of being called a man if you lived your life as a woman.
Or the frustration of having to explain to your doctor why, as a woman in a same-sex relationship, you don’t need birth control — even though you are sexually active.
To many in the LGBTQ community, moments such as these are not only upsetting— but scarring.
Dr. Jacqueline Gahagan, professor and director of the Gender and Health Promotion Studies Unit at Dalhousie University, says negative experiences with healthcare providers often discourages LGBTQ people from seeking medical care in the future.
Go Halifax! This is a real requirement. When you getted treated poorly, embarressed or even mocked when you seek medical help you stop seeking medical help as readily. The results of that are obvious.
Source: Media Co-Op
UK: LGBT youths harassed online ‘three times more often’ than rest of population
42% of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youths have experienced bullying online, compared to 15% of non-LGBT people.
They were also twice as likely to report being hassled via mobile phone message, with 27% reporting harassment, compared to 13% for non-LGBTs.
As a result of this bullying, the middle and high school pupils surveyed suffered low self-esteem, a higher chance of developing depression, and lower school grades.
This is not exactly a shock for anyone how has looked at a mainstream website when they cover LGBT topics. People seem to think that bulling and abuse using the Internet is no big deal. It is, and a lot of the time it is illegal.
In Canada:
What can you do if someone is stalking, harassing, or cyberbullying you?
First, if the harassment is attempted communication with you, tell the person to stop. Otherwise, they may not know that they are harassing you. Never reply to harassing messages – except to tell the person to stop.
Call the police to report the problem. Record the details of every incident, including time, date, place, who was involved, and what was said and done. Keep letters, notes, voicemail messages, emails, texts, instant messages, and social media and internet posts. Give them to the police.
If the harassment happens at school, report it to the school authorities, as well as to the police. If it happens at work, report it to your boss, plus the police.
Report cyberbullying or other harassing communication to your internet or cell phone company. Most companies have policies on acceptable use of their services, and can cancel the service of a customer who violates those policies. The company can also help police find a cyberbully who is using their network.
If you get a harassing phone call on a landline, dial *57 immediately when the call ends. The phone company will record the phone number that made the call, so the police can get it. If you receive harassing calls on your cell phone, call the phone company for help in tracking the calls.
You can also seek a civil restraining order in court. But to do this, you need legal advice.
Source: Pink News
