Inoculated City

Another Trans Woman Murdered in Washington D.C.

inoculatedcity — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:00:19 +0000

A few days ago, yet another trans woman was killed in Washington D.C. Even just counting documented reports that made it into the media (albeit, naturally, with overall piss-poor coverage), this is the third murder attempt (two of which — including this one — have been fatal) on trans women in Washington D.C. in the last six months alone. Stop the trans-misogyny! Stop the violence! Or, you know just keep focusing on gay marriage as the all-important “LGBT” issue. It’s not like people are dying as a result.

And yes, the ignorance that results in this kind of violence is directly related to the fact that organizations and activists that claim to work for “LGBT rights” focus on the most privileged of the group’s marriage rights, rather than the right to live of the most vulnerable in the group.

Comcast: NOT Trans Friendly

inoculatedcity — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:23:07 +0000

Not only is Comcast a typical shady corporation, but they also have a policy regarding name change that’s very poor customer service, period, and actively potentially dangerous to people who have had trans-related name changes. If you’ve had a legal name change, Comcast will not change the name on your account unless you appear at an office of theirs in-person. Many people don’t even have the means of transportation to get to the Comcast office closest to them, let alone having to then put themselves in danger by going up to a stranger and functionally telling them, “Hey, I’m trans!”

Out of all of the bills I pay, and other major services I use (i.e.: Paypal, PG&E, etc.), I have never had to appear in person in connection to my legal name change. Yet Comcast actively ducks this corporate trend and refuses to accept mail/fax/etc. of proof of name change instead of an in-person outing. Comcast is asking transgender people to out themselves as transgender in public. UNACCEPTABLE! Nobody should ever have to out themselves in this manner, especially a group — trans women of color — who have a 1 in 8 murder rate for being who they are as it is.

OPD are Addicted to Brutality

inoculatedcity — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:11:02 +0000

The Oakland Police Department is addicted to brutality. Ha – I say that like most police departments are full of non-power abusing, non-corrupt, moral activity.

members of Oakland Police Department who tear-gassed nonviolent protestors

After getting tear-gassed yesterday, seeing members of OPD push peaceful, unarmed people off bikes and beat them with batons, arrest hundreds of others, and all of this for marching in protest, I can only laugh if they really think that’s going to silence us. They wreak havoc on their own community daily, so sure, leave some of your usual victims alone and call more attention to your actions by doing them while being live-streamed and filmed at every angle, OPD.

And in terms of official response, gotta love it – Oakland councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente called Occupy Oakland activity yesterday, “domestic terrorism.” Riiight, unarmed people marching, and wanting to use a vacant building that hasn’t been occupied in six years as a center for the community is domestic terrorism. Not the members of the Oakland Police Department firing tear gas and flash bangs at us, beating nonviolent people in the streets, and locking up others. No, it’s the people walking around and chanting who are the “domestic terrorists.” Of course, my mistake.

National Lawyers Guild Asks Federal Court to Certify Class Action Against OPD by Oscar Grant Protesters

inoculatedcity — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:09:20 +0000

The National Lawyers Guild made a filing today asking the federal court to allow a lawsuit against the Oakland Police Department as well as the Alameda County Sheriff in response to an illegal arrest of 150 protestors (including me) on November 5, 2010. We were protesting the light sentencing (to put it mildly) of Johannes Mehserle, the white BART police offcer who shot Oscar Grant as he was handcuffed, unarmed, and lying on his stomach.

members of OPD

Given the recent OPD treatment of many Occupy Oakland protestors, this lawsuit is as timely/relevant as ever – shoutout to NLG for following through with it!

Tennessee Rep. Richard Floyd is an Asshole

inoculatedcity — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:57:05 +0000

[tw for trans-misogyny]

As the title says, Rep. Richard Floyd (R-Chattanooga) is an asshole. Not only did he create the transphobic TN House bill HB2279, but he also had this to say about the potential of trans women using, you know, women’s dressing rooms:

“I believe if I was standing at a dressing room and my wife or one of my daughters was in the dressing room and a man tried to go in there — I don’t care if he thinks he’s a woman and tries on clothes with them in there — I’d just try to stomp a mudhole in him and then stomp him dry.”

Threatening assault on trans women for merely existing as the gender they are. And as a public figure, no less. What a shining star of a human being!

If you want to e-mail him and give him a piece of your mind, go for it:

rep.richard.floyd@capitol.tn.gov

Autism and the Empathy Myth

inoculatedcity — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:08:46 +0000

People on the autism spectrum, including those with Aspergers like myself, do not lack empathy – or at least not the form of empathy that comes to mind when one hears the word. What we lack is cognitive empathy, or the ability to completely discern/understand what someone else is thinking/feeling via nonverbal cues. What we don’t inherently lack is affective empathy, meaning the ability to have sympathy and care for others. By perpetuating the “people with autism lack empathy” byline, you are reinforcing the harmful myth that those of us on the spectrum are cold, uncaring sociopaths. To be sure, there are people with autism who lack sympathy for others, just as there are neurotypical people who lack sympathy. But it is certainly not a trait of the disorder.

To the person who landed here by googling…

inoculatedcity — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:45:12 +0000

[Trigger Warning for Transphobia]

“transgender people are sick”

You’re spot on – I do have a sinus infection right now. How’d you know?!

Transgender Day of Remembrance 2011

inoculatedcity — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 01:16:35 +0000

Today is not “transgender day.” It’s Transgender Day of Remembrance, so remember the victims – predominantly trans women of color. Every 38 hours, a cis person kills someone who is transgender (again, typically a trans woman of color – a fact that should not be ignored) – 211 documented murder victims in the last year. Here are just a few of the victims. Their lives mattered, and we need to keep fighting against all forms of trans-misogyny and transphobia to prevent future deaths.

This violence happens as a result of living in a world where these things are accepted. Making trans-misogynistic and transphobic statements allows it to continue. Being inactive and apathetic to it allows it to continue. Centering white trans guys when talking about transgender issues allows it to continue. Remember that the murderers do not live in a vacuum, and they are not an isolated problem when we live (for those of us privileged enough to still be alive) in a world in which their actions are accepted and supported.

RIP to Idania Roberta Sevilla Raudales, Luisa Alvarado Hernández, Lady Óscar Martínez Salgado, Reana ‘Cheo’ Bustamente, Génesis Briget Makaligton, Krissy Bates, Fergie Alice Ferg, Tyra Trent, Priscila Brandão, Marcal Camero Tye, Shakira Harahap, Miss Nate Nate (or Née) Eugene Davis, Lashai Mclean, Didem, Camila Guzman, Gaby, Gaurav Gopalan, Ramazan Çetin, Shelley Hilliard, Jessica Rollon, Astrid Carolina López Cruz, Chassity Nathan Vickers, and the countless untold others.

Today in Transgender History

inoculatedcity — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 22:57:32 +0000

Today, October 14, 2011, a legal gender change petition was approved by an openly transgender judge for the first time in American history. The petition took place in Oakland, California, with Judge Victoria Kolakowski presiding. The source for this is that I was the one petitioning, and she (Judge Kolakowski) announced this fact prior to signing the order.

I hope this is the first of many to come, and that the fight continues to make the legal gender change process more accessible to everyone, not just those with the money/legal information necessary to file.

Bil Browning, Step Off!

inoculatedcity — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:19:43 +0000

This post goes out to Bil Browning, the (cis) man behind Bilerico. Bil, trans people are sick and tired of your bullshit. Your site needs to stop claiming to be trans-inclusive when you pull shit like comparing trans women and drag queens, participating in erasure, or accusing trans women of whining. Man, you couldn’t even handle a day of the shit trans guys go through, let alone trans women! You are a walking example of why the cis gay community is so toxic to the trans community – refusal to recognize your privilege, actively talking down to us… this shit needs to end. If you’re going to spew the bullshit that you do about the trans community, that’s your right. But you can’t have your wedding cake and eat it too – stop promoting the falsity that you’re any sort of “ally” to the trans community. Just because someone doesn’t actively make cissexist, anti-trans comments doesn’t make them an ally – let alone someone who DOES!

Just a few references from the last few months:

Bil Browning compares drag queens to trans women

"Cue the outraged trans women in 3, 2, 1..." -Bil Browning in response to gay marriage passing over GENDA, a bill that would have prevented trans people from, among other things, being fired for being trans

This kind of shit is unacceptable from ANY cis person, let alone one who actively runs a site that’s allegedly representing us.

Whether it’s defending high-profile gay men who use trans-misogynistic slurs or making fun of trans people who have an issue with, you know, cissexism/anti-trans sentiments, people need to see through the facade that is Bil Browning and many of the other cis people on his team of contributors.