Alexis Arquette has passed away
 

http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/11/entert...arquette-obit/

Very sad.

First Transgender Marine (FtM)
 

OOOOOOOOO RAHH!!!!! :cheer:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/19/politi...icy/index.html

I never thought I'd ever see this in my lifetime. :winky:

~Theo~ :bouquet:

This is excellent! Is this the first person to come out as trans and indicates his intent to physically transition? Or is this just the first in the Marine corp?

If so, I am VERY glad there is someone who began this process prior to Donald Trump coming into office because it would be harder for him to "undo" the federal order I would think (if he could?), since it is not like he will be able to "prove" that it has been disruptive to the military.

I do know that there are some FTMs already, who have been on hormones and such. There was that one guy, Army, who when overseas lived as male. When he returned (>6months ago?, his command allowed him to continue to live as male).

I really appreciate this post, as I have been worried about this specific issue. Cis women being allowed in the Army infantry has already gone into effect, right? I think it was supposed to occur this past June and I may have read that 3 women have already moved into those positions...or were in the process and 1 made it in...or something like that?

Hey, Theo. Yes, I know that trans people have been serving forever in the military, I was just wondering if to your knowledge if this was the first marine to take advantage of the new policy of coming out while living in your birth sex and then transitioning within the military system, or just the first person in the military

But, I see that I misread the article and he is not even the first FTM marine to transition with the military's help. I hadn't heard of any military personnel yet taking advantage of the new policy, so that is why I was asking. Even though I have never been in the military, I have been excitedly waiting to hear about the first trans person coming out and then medically transitioning under the new policy. This is the first I have heard that it has happened.

Thank you for the link. It answered my questions. <thumbs up>

How the heck did I miss this last June? :blink:

Oregon court rules that ‘nonbinary’ is a legal gender

Dec. 8, 2016 11:38 AM ET

Major survey of transgender Americans finds pervasive bias

By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The largest-ever survey of transgender Americans paints a grim picture of pervasive discrimination and harassment, to the point that many of them attempt suicide at some point.

Released on Thursday by the National Center for Transgender Equality, the survey assesses input received in 2015 from 27,715 respondents from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories. The largest previous transgender survey, conducted by the center and a partner organization in 2008-09, had 6,450 responses.

There have been some important gains for transgender rights in the years between the two surveys, but the new survey showed little or no improvement in terms of transgender people's day-to-day experiences with bias.

One finding remained virtually unchanged from the earlier survey: 40 percent of the respondents said they had attempted suicide at some point. Researchers have estimated that the overall attempted suicide rate in the U.S. is less than 5 percent.

Another notable finding: 59 percent of survey respondents said they avoided using a public restroom in the past year because they were afraid of confrontations or other problems. About one-third said they limited the amount that they ate and drank to avoid using a restroom.

"Discrimination and violence threaten transgender people's ability to have even the basics: food, a place to sleep, or a job," said Mara Keisling, executive director of the national center. "This survey demonstrates that there is a lot of work ahead to achieve simple parity and full equality for transgender people."
According to a recent estimate by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, there are about 1.4 million transgender adults in the United States.
In the year prior to completing the survey, 46 percent of the respondents reported being verbally harassed and 9 percent said they were physically attacked because of being transgender. Forty-seven percent said they had been sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime.

The abuse can start before adulthood. Of the respondents who were out or perceived as transgender while in school, 24 percent said they were physically attacked because they were transgender and 13 percent said they were sexually assaulted. Seventeen percent said they left school because of severe mistreatment.

The survey found significant economic disparities, with 29 percent of respondents saying they lived in poverty — roughly double the percent of the overall U.S. population. The unemployment rate among the respondents was 15 percent, three times higher than the national rate at the time of survey was conducted. Only 16 percent of the respondents said they owned their own home, compared to 63 percent of adults nationally. And 30 percent of the respondents said they had experienced homelessness at some point.

According to the survey, problems of discrimination were particularly high for transgender people of color, those with disabilities, and those living in the U.S. without legal documentation.

More than one-third of the survey respondents identified themselves as "non-binary" — a term used to describe people whose gender identity is not exclusively male or female.

Karen Parker, director of the Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office at the National Institutes of Health, hailed the survey as "an unprecedented and comprehensive insight into the experiences of transgender people."

In an email, she also said the survey's detailed findings on health care could potentially help ease the barriers that sometimes deter transgender people from obtaining appropriate care. Nearly one-quarter of the respondents to the survey said they did not see a doctor when they needed to because of fear of being mistreated.

The report's release comes at a time of uncertainty for transgender Americans. President Barack Obama's administration has taken many steps to expand transgender rights — including some workplace protections and a directive advising public schools to let transgender students use restrooms and locker rooms based on their gender identity. Transgender activists fear that some of those initiatives might be slowed or reversed after President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

They also are concerned by possible developments at the state level — such as a proposed bill in Texas that would limit transgender people's bathroom access. The Texas proposal is similar to legislation enacted in North Carolina in March that triggered an extensive economic and political backlash.
___

Associated Press
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.

http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c...5f88b5104479b7

Ah, thanks for the reminder Anya! :)

Here is the link to the 2015 US Transgender Survey Complete Report & the Executive Summary that was just recently released.

I meant to post this the other day when I received it in my email box but life got in the way.

http://www.ustranssurvey.org/report

Also, here is the live video:

First research study on chest binding published in a medical journal, partial post but link included
 

Inside the Landmark, Long Overdue Study on Chest Binding

by Zing Tsjeng

SEP 28 2016

Chest binding is an everyday reality for many transgender and non-binary people, but healthcare professionals know little about the practice. The first ever medical study on the practice says that it's time to change that.

"I remember the first time I put on a binder," recalls Naomhan, a non-binary trans activist from Belfast, Northern Ireland. "An ex-boyfriend gave me his old binder and after I put it on, I remember looking down at my chest and then into the mirror, feeling euphoria at how happy it made me feel."

Chest binding is a fact of life for many people, including trans men, some gay women, intersex people, and gender non-conforming individuals like Naomhan. Flattening the appearance of one's breasts—whether that's through Ace bandages, compression undergarments, layered T-shirts, sports bras, or commercial binders—doesn't just make it easier to pass in public as the correct gender or wear masculine clothes. For many, it's a matter of psychological well-being.

"I couldn't take my binder off except to sleep," Naomhan says. "It would be the first thing I put on when I woke up in the morning, and I would feel dysphoric even sitting at home without my binder on."

Outside of the queer community, chest binding remains a relatively unknown phenomenon. It is more commonly discussed by trans vloggers (the search term "my first binder" brings up about 114,000 results on YouTube) than it is by healthcare professionals. But new research conducted by The Binding Health Project and published in Culture, Health, and Society—which they say is the first study on chest binding published in a medical journal—shows that a discussion on how to help people bind safely and effectively is long overdue.

A qualitative report from the five-person strong research project goes into more detail about the benefits of binding for those they surveyed: "Based on our preliminary analysis, for most participants, binding was a positive experience and led to improvements in mood and self-esteem, minimized gender dysphoria, anxiety, and depression, and helped them to feel in control of their bodies," a report they published on the study reads.

"In fact, some reported that a positive impact on emotional and behavioral health makes the physical discomfort of binding worth it.""Binding is a part of daily life for many, but it can have negative impacts on your physical health—ranging from minor to severe—across a wide range of symptoms, from pain in different parts of your body, to shortness of breath, to bruising or other skin changes," explains researcher Sarah Peitzmeier. She is a member of the Binding Health Project, which hopes to "expand and contribute new information on the physical and mental health effects of chest binding." It comprises of Boston University medical students and graduates, as well as a PhD student at in public health at John Hopkins.

The researchers hope that the study will provide an initial roadmap for change, educating physicians on the benefits and impacts of binding and allowing those who bind to take charge of their health. They scoured peer-reviewed literature and information from health clinics, LGBTQ organizations, and online community resources, coming up with 28 potential health outcomes from binding. 1,800 respondents answered an online survey with questions ranging from how often they bound, what they used to bind their chests with, and their gender identity.

According to the study, binding was a "daily occurrence" for its participants. Just over half of respondents bound their chests seven days a week, with people binding for an average of ten hours a day.



https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/artic...nsgender-study

Growing Up Trans
 

This reminded me of a really good one I saw recently which focuses on the younger generation. Not sure if it's already been listed, but free to watch:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/fi...wing-up-trans/

Lets hope she doesn't ask anyone what is in their pants this time. :seeingstars:

I did hear positive things about it.

I agree this is a good video. I used a clip of it when talking with some medical residents end of last year.

[QUOTE=Gemme;1124489][B][SIZE="3"][COLOR="YellowGreen"]National Geographic gender documentary, hosted by Katie Couric, airs on February 6th.

I've heard great feedback from it so far.

I just wish it were ANYONE else rather than Couric! There is just this gut feeling I get from her and not in a good way:|

So the last couple of days I've been immersed in watching the panel discussions at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland (What? Doesn't everyone?) and came across this, the last place I would have thought;



It is hosted by the National Geographic coinciding with the release of this months issue that the NG Gender show is apparently derived from. There is interesting discussion also about binary/non-binary millennial perceptions and the idea of a post-identity world that I found interesting too.

From NPR last month but the issues are just as concerning this month
 

Transgender Americans Race To Finish Paperwork Before Trump Administration

December 17, 2016

Jeff Brady/NPR

Many transgender people in the U.S. are rushing to change their designated gender on government documents before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. They worry the next administration may take that ability away.

There's no indication so far that this is a priority for Trump. Mara Keisling with the National Center for Transgender Equality says Trump's positions on trans issues are not clear. But she's concerned about people he's nominated for key positions in his administration.

"Virtually every — if not every — appointment he has announced so far has been an extremely anti-LGBT person," says Keisling. She says trans advocacy groups around the country have been fielding calls from concerned people ever since the election. And they are not alone.

"The calls to our office have increased a lot," says Benjamin Jerner, managing partner of the Philadelphia law firm Jerner & Palmer, which specializes in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender legal issues.

States control many government documents, such as birth certificates and driver's licenses, Jerner reassures his clients. A new president won't affect those.

Of more concern, he says, are gender designations on federal documents such as passports, immigration papers and Social Security accounts.

Jerner says passports are the biggest concern because State Department rulescould be changed relatively easily under a new administration.

Deciding whether to change gender designations on documents can be an especially tricky question for parents of transgender children. Jerner recently held a legal clinic for such parents in Philadelphia and says 18 families showed up.

"I think that just tells you the level of fear and anxiety that's out there," he says.

Among those attending were the parents of 10-year-old Dylan, who was born a boy but — with her parents' encouragement — has long hair, wears pink and lives as a girl.

That fits with guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the leading U.S. group of doctors serving children. The general idea is that parents should support their child and not make any big decisions that could limit the child's options in the future. That's because some children who appear to be transgender early on are not when they grow up.

NPR agreed to use only first names for Dylan and her family. Some groupsconsider it a form of abuse to allow a child to transition to the opposite gender — even though it's in line with the AAP. Dylan's parents — Marla and Jennifer — say other families have had child abuse reports filed against them after they were identified in news stories.

Marla says Dylan has identified herself as a girl for as long as she could talk. "It took us about three years to really sort out with Dylan what that meant," Marla says. "We kept telling her, 'Oh, there's lots of ways to be a boy — you can be a fancy boy, you can be a sparkly boy.' " But Marla says Dylan steadfastly insisted she's a girl.

Marla says they plan to administer puberty blockers when Dylan reaches that stage. That will make it easier for Dylan to physically transition to female later if she chooses.

Dr. David Levine, a professor of pediatrics at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, says this is a good approach.

"I predict this 10-year-old is going to do great, because the parents are so on board and so supportive of their child," he says.

Levine says he's not too worried that a Trump administration will make big changes that will affect transgender people. But he also is not opposed to parents who want to change their child's gender designations now because, technically, that's something that could be reversed in the future if it became necessary.

Dylan's parents had planned to change her gender on government documents when she got a driver's license. Because of their concerns over the political climate, they are doing that now instead.

So, on a recent evening — just as Dylan and her siblings were finishing up homework — a notary came to their home to witness Marla and Jennifer signing a short stack of papers. Once filed, they will change the gender listed on Dylan's birth certificate, Social Security account and passport — when she gets one — to female.

Correction
Jan. 12, 2017

A previous Web version of this story labeled the American College of Pediatricians an "anti-LGBT group." That is not an accurate description because the group holds opinions on a wide variety of issues.

http://www.npr.org/2016/12/17/503753...administration

It is relatively easy to change one's gender on a passport and it is also easy with social security. No surgeries required. All trans people should do this right away. The other pieces are connected with states, so don't believe that he can touch those.

Balanced and Interesting Documentary:
 

I have not watched the documentary....

What is this about? What is balanced? And what is your goal in posting this?

Honestly, if it is another post where you, as a cis person, are questioning the accepted medical care/looking to debate the care or rights given to trans people, I wish you would create another thread for that.

It doesn't feel good to see those kind of posts in a trans thread, by a cis person. I will be honest and tell you that I am not sure of your agenda and it makes me uncomfortable.

It's a documentary discussing the varying ways of treating GNC and/or trans kids. I thought this WAS the appropriate thread. It doesn't "feel good" for me to post a documentary on this issue and I must have some nefarious agenda? My *agenda* was only to give people the link if they were interested. I don't appreciate the accusatory and arrogant tone of your post or suggesting that I create another thread. As for the word "balanced"--there is much to be discussed with not just one way of treating children who are GNC or trans. I can't help that you are uncomfortable with a link to a documentary that presents different approaches, personal stories, and medical opinions/treatments. You haven't even *watched* the documentary and you're coming at me like this b/c of the word "balanced" in the title of my post? Wow.

ETA: As an educator who teaches GNC and trans kids, this phenomenon of children transitioning is of great interest to me. This IS the Trans Zone. It is a documentary on this issue. I thought others may wish to view it. Don't watch it if you're not interested.

I frequently post articles or medical peer reviewed studies in this thread that I think may be of interest to trans folks and I am a cis person, too.

Are we not allowed to?

I have never posted anything in this thread that was insulting or transphobic and have always posted coming from a place of genuine care.

I suppose anyone can post anything that they want as long as it is not against the TOS. I have enjoyed the things you have posted. I have never thought anything that you posted was insulting or transphobic. :)

An FYI for California residents.

The state has just proposed a bill allowing California ID's to have 3 choices for gender. There will be male, female and non-binary options. The bill (which is expected to pass easily), will also include making the process of changing gender markers on birth certificates streamlined and less time consuming.

It looks like trans folks are getting hit first
 

Hey, guys. So the shit has already started for us trans folks.

Transgender Rights are under attack in these 11 states

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/...wyoming-kansas

I would strongly suggest that you get whatever document changes you can do in your state ASAP, even those that are democratic states.

I would even more strongly suggest you change these two federal documents:

1) passport
2) change your gender marker with social security.

Boy Scouts is FINALLY letting trans boys join!
 

Although the change is not due to acceptance that we don't have any control over our gender, at least our kids are no longer being turned away from scouting!

I didn't expect this to happen with Trump in office, but gender identity discrimination laws are keeping them from being able to access meeting areas and such. It impacts them from being able to run their business, you see...


"For more than 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America, along with schools, youth sports, and other youth organizations, have ultimately deferred to the information on an individual’s birth certificate to determine eligibility for our single-gender programs,” Delimarkos said in explaining the thinking behind the new policy. “However, that approach is no longer sufficient as communities and state laws are interpreting gender identity differently, and these laws vary widely from state to state.”

https://www.buzzfeed.com/dominichold...XAG#.mr5Qb0wlE


Of course, the Girl Scouts have always let all girls in... :cheesy:

San Francisco to name part of Tenderloin as first transgender historic district

By Dawn Ennis · Friday, February 3, 2017

San Francisco politicians, local activists and a hotel and condominium developer came together this week to announce the designation of the first transgender historic district in the United States.

“I’m excited that for the first time ever, and and as far as I know in the world, that we are commemorating a social cultural district for Transgender and non-gender conforming community,” said San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim on Tuesday.

The location is within the Tenderloin, which is where what’s believed to be one of the first LGBTQ protests originated. It will be called the Compton’s TLGBT District and will cover six blocks in the Tenderloin district from Market including two blocks of 6th street.

The new historic district gets its name from the Compton Cafeteria riots of August 1966.

A cafeteria owned by Gene Compton was a local gathering place for the transgender community. Staff complained about the cross-dressing patrons and asked police to crack down, because cross-dressing was illegal at the time. Police raided the business, sparking demonstrations and riots.

Although an LGBTQ protest at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on July 4, 1965 preceded the uprising, the Compton Cafeteria riots are considered the first transgender riot in the United States, preceding Stonewall in New York City by three years, and a deal was struck with the developer to preserve that history.

“This is a great thing. Everyone ended up a winner. The SRO housing will be built. It will be a thriving district and not just a plaque on the wall”, said Honey Mahogany of the Compton district to KTVU-TV.

The station reported the boarded and vacant building in the 900 block of Market will be replaced with a hotel and condo complex which will transform the district and create a safe haven for the transgender community as well as low-income people.

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2017/02/s...oric-district/

It's tomorrow
 

I hope it is good. I think I will tell my mother to watch.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.co...-katie-couric/

Trans Folks are getting hit again....
 

Wisconsin pulled the plug on their trans healthcare that was required to go place as of January 1, 2017 (Section 1557 of the ACA = Affordable Care Act)

They have no fear they will be held accountable as Trump made an executive order to [go easy] on states/companies not following the ACA rules.

I am sure we will see other red states follow...


http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...ampaign=buffer

As I said on another post/thread, Trump won't give a shit who is stepping on trans people...they are lowest on the socio economic scale. They don't have the money or power or influence that the Gs in the LGBT community have. (Gs = gay men).

Hi all.

My spouse is trans, but not transitioning.

Kasey is on the phone as a travel agent all day long, and at 64 something is happening with his voice. Kasey is being called ma'am by everyone he speaks with...this has just started the last few weeks and is driving him batty.

Any suggestions?

Does Kasey feel safe? Is Kasey feeling stressed out? Is Kasey holding his breath? Anything that would tighten the vocal chords would make the voice higher. I'm sorry it is driving him batty, that is just probably making it worse. Maybe its time for a check-up.

Best of luck.

Transgender Law Center
 

If anyone is unaware of the Transgender Law Center, please take the time to click, and check it out. Based here in San Francisco, they are such wonderful folks, and like every other marginalized group of people, they are trying to raise funds right now. They know that they have a busy year ahead. Even if you can't donate something to them, check out their web site, its full of all kinds of information.

BREAKING: On February 10, just two days after Jeff Sessions was sworn in as Attorney General, the Department of Justice took a first step toward dropping their defense of the transgender student guidance in court. While the guidance is still in place, this is a major signal that Attorney General Jeff Sessions is likely planning to stop defending the guidance entirely and may try to reverse the guidance. It is more important than ever to take action now to stop this from happening...

http://www.transequality.org/school-action-center

Lovely. I just spent a year explaining what this was to school administrators (over and over and over again), and pushing them to support our trans kids in using the right restroom. I don't expect that the schools who have trans kids will tell them to go back to using the "nurses office", but no longer having the "federal guidance" in place certainly isn't helpful when trying to work with new schools to let trans kids use the right restroom.

Thanks for posting this Jesse.

Welp, it's done. Hit number 3 for trans people since Trump has come into office
 

Jeff Sessions has removed his support from the "federal guidance", that we let our children use the bathroom and locker rooms that are appropriate for their gender identity.

http://www.commondreams.org/news/201...ampaign=buffer

Trump said that he will not take back protections on LGBT people, but really what he means (and what most people mean when they use that acronym), is that they will not take away protections from lesbians and gays. You can discard trans people in a way that you cannot discard LGB people. There are less trans people and they have no power. They have no money. They are the lowest of the socio economic classes. They make less money than any other minority group. If Caitlyn Jenner wasn't such a douche, she could fight for our kids.

I actually CAN imagine school administrators calling parents with glee saying, " Psych! Your "daughter" has to go back to the boys bathroom. hahahaha" I feel fortunate to live in a state that I am pretty confident that I won't have one of my adolescent clients walk into my office any time soon and say that they have to go back to using the "wrong" bathroom, but they are the lucky ones. I am the lucky one because I don't have to see this happen to them. But, many other states? It breaks my heart...

41% of trans people attempt suicide? Yeah, lets watch that number increase. :(

I wish Rachel Maddow talked about this.

Trump shows his true hand on LGBTQ rights
 

Trump shows his true hand on LGBTQ rights, by Tim Holbrook

(Tim Holbrook is a professor of law at Emory University School of Law. He is a member of the boards of directors of the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Stonewall Bar Association of Georgia. The views expressed are his and his alone.)

There has been some uncertainty as to how President Donald Trump would treat the rights of members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community. For example, during the Republican National Convention, President Trump became the first Republican presidential nominee to mention the LGBTQ community. Of course, he did so in a very narrow context -- protecting LGBTQ persons from terrorism by radical Islamists.

The President noted that Caitlyn Jenner was welcome to use the bathroom of her choice in Trump Towers. He also stated the issue of same-sex marriage is "settled."

These statements could be viewed as a gesture by Trump to be more inclusive to the LGBTQ community. In contrast, his choices of Vice President Michael Pence and Attorney General Jeff Sessions were viewed as troubling, because both Pence and Sessions have opposed LGBTQ rights.

So, what direction would the Trump administration take?

The Trump administration showed its hand on Friday, when the Department of Justice withdrew its request that a Texas district court lift its stay in a case dealing with access to bathrooms for transgender students. The Obama administration had issued guidance that schools should permit transgender students to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity. The Texas court blocked implementation of this approach.

Under the Obama administration, DOJ had asked the appellate court to reject the stay. The Trump DOJ has withdrawn support, removing its backing for these transgender students. It turns out the Trump DOJ, under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, is not a friend to the LGBTQ community.

This move may be a harbinger. Across the country, there are a number of lawsuits arguing that federal law should prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. During the Obama administration, most of these lawsuits had the backing of the DOJ, Department of Education, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Part of the arguments in these cases is that the courts should give deference to these agencies' interpretations of the relevant federal civil rights statutes.

For example, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in Gloucester County School Board v. G.G. on March 28. The lower court determined that a trans boy should be able to use the boys' restroom in his public high school. One of the issues the Supreme Court is addressing is whether courts should afford such deference to these types of agency pronouncements.

If the Trump administration changes its position in the case, it may remove that issue from the case and, seemingly, could tip the case against the transgender student. DOJ's action in the Texas case strongly suggests it will no longer support the trans student.

Similarly, a case out of Indiana is pending before a federal court of appeals, addressing whether federal anti-discrimination laws protect gays, lesbians and bisexuals against discrimination based on their sexual orientation. The EEOC has supported this position. Again, if the Trump administration alters its position on this issue, it could result in a loss to the LGBTQ plaintiff and a defeat for LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections.

The Texas withdrawal of the challenge to the stay is an ominous omen. It suggests the Trump administration will pivot away from protecting the civil rights of LGBTQ persons. The withdrawal of support may tip these cases against the LGBTQ litigants.

While losses in these cases would be detrimental, there is even more at risk, such as marriage equality. Trump, in his pre-inauguration "60 Minutes" interview, stated that marriage equality was "settled" under the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. But he has also promised to appoint justices who will overrule the over 40-year precedent of Roe v. Wade. Of course, justices opposed to Roe are likely to be opposed to the far more recent establishment of marriage equality.

The same objections that judges and justices opposed to Roe have made apply equally to marriage equality: They argue that the court has manufactured new "rights" that do not exist in the Constitution. Additionally, there can be considerable overlap among those opposed to abortion and same-sex relationships, particularly on moral and religious grounds. If a case gets to the Supreme Court with Trump-appointed justices, the court could reject marriage equality.

Such challenges to marriage equality will not be difficult to manufacture by the states. Tennessee has already introduced legislation again to ban same-sex marriage. Any judicial challenge could end up at the Supreme .

At present, the broader threat to marriage equality is not as pressing. Even if Judge Neil Gorsuch is confirmed to the court, his presence will not change the court's political composition. The five justices who voted for marriage equality are still present, so, in the near term, marriage equality is safe. And it would be unlikely for the court to undo any existing same-sex marriages. But, if one of those five justices retires or dies, it is not difficult to fathom Trump appointing a justice who would be happy to overrule Obergefell.

The action by the DOJ in Texas on its face seems minor. In fact, it is quite revealing. LGBTQ rights will not be defended at the federal level. Those in favor of LGBTQ equality will need to defend themselves against efforts in states to ban the use of restrooms and to embrace so-called religious-liberty bills. The fight is now our own. We won't be able to look to this administration for help.

Everything is about money for Trump. Gay men make just as much as heterosexual men now. They are WAY too powerful. I don't see Trump wiping away same sex marriage. He's not stupid.

I also don't think that he is "pro life". But, Republicans are and the one thing that could have kept him from the nomination and winning the presidency is if he was pro choice.

With all the women Trump has been with over the years? Hell, he had to have handed over some cash to make sure things were "taken care of" 3 or 20 times. I don't see him as a guy who is carries a condom around in his wallet.

"Parents of transgender children plead with Trump to maintain protections"
 

Article in response to Jeff Sessions supporting removal of protections.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local...=.5a180e9cd0ba

Just to add a bit of advice that's not been mentioned. Has he seen an otolargynotologist (doctor who specializes in throats) for an exam just to make certain there's not a problem there? He's within the age range that I'd start looking at that.

Also, you might want to get an evaluation from a voice therapist which (depending) on your insurance may require a referral from his primary physician.

Fight Erupts in Trump Administration Over Transgender Students’ Rights
 

"WASHINGTON — A fight over an order that would rescind protections for transgender students in public schools has erupted inside the Trump administration, pitting Attorney General Jeff Sessions against the secretary of education, Betsy DeVos.

Ms. DeVos initially resisted signing off on the order and told President Trump that she was uncomfortable with it, according to three Republicans with direct knowledge of the internal discussions. The draft order would reverse the directives put in place last year by the Obama administration to allow transgender students to use the bathrooms of their choice.

Mr. Sessions, who strongly opposes expanding gay, lesbian and transgender rights, fought Ms. DeVos on the issue and pressed her to relent because he could not go forward without her consent. The order must come from the Justice and Education Departments.

Mr. Trump sided with his attorney general, these Republicans said, telling Ms. DeVos in a meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday that he wanted her to drop her objections. And Ms. DeVos, faced with the choice of resigning or defying the president, has agreed to go along. The Justice Department declined to comment on Wednesday.

Though an official order from the administration was expected to be released as early as Wednesday, Mr. Sessions and Ms. DeVos were still disputing the final language..."
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/22/u...pgtype=article