Illinois House committee approves bill to ease birth certificate updates

Illinois State Capitol (Photo by Éovart Caçeir
at English Wikipedia)

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois House Human Services Committee on Tuesday voted through a bill that would make it easier for trans people in the state to change the gender on their birth certificate.

The committee also held back a bill that would have required trans students to use restrooms for the gender of their birth.

Equality Illinois said the bill, HB 6073, modernizes the standard in Illinois for an individual to correct the gender marker on their birth certificate. This is important to trans Illinoisans because they may face embarrassment, discrimination, and harassment if their core identification documents do not reflect their authentic gender identity.

Silicon Valley welcomed the NCSF Coalition Partners

SAN JOSE - The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom's annual Coalition Partner Meeting took place March 4-6, 2016, in San Jose, CA. For the first time, the annual meeting was made accessible by video conferencing for Coalition Partners and NCSF staff members, so they could actively participate in the meeting.

"Opening up the NCSF annual meeting to everyone regardless of whether they can travel will allow more people to get involved in our work," says Susan Wright, spokesperson for NCSF. "NCSF has made a lot of progress over the past 19 years fighting for our rights, and we are seeing a drop in persecution because of our successful efforts with the American Psychiatric Association. We look forward to more progress with our new American Law Institute project to make consent a defense to BDSM in criminal proceedings."

Results of the Mental & Emotional Health Study with NCSF

BALTIMORE - University of Alabama and University of Central Florida researchers surveyed over 800 kinky people recruited by the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) and found they were mentally and emotionally healthy.

"I was curious about the stereotypes from a mental health standpoint and we found that these kinky people are well functioning, with little mental health concerns," says Tess M. Gemberling, M.A., Co-Principal Investigator, University of Alabama. "They also have healthy romantic relationships."

The study, "Psychological Functioning and Violence Victimization and Perpetration in BDSM Practitioners from the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom," also investigated people's preferences for BDSM activities and fantasies, and explored whether violence is perpetuated against kinky people. It joins a growing body of research that refutes the stereotype that people who are kinky are inherently dangerous to themselves and others, which is at the root of the discrimination and persecution that kinky people experience.

RAD Remedy launches ambitious crowdfunding campaign

CHICAGO - RAD Remedy is pleased to announce its first crowdfunding campaign, aiming to raise $20,000 by November 17th (www.radremedy.org/funding-campaign/). Donations will fund initiatives that address the significant health disparities and care barriers faced by trans, gender non-conforming, intersex, and queer (TGIQ) communities. The most impactful of these projects is the Referral Aggregator Database (RAD), a Yelp-style database designed specifically to connect TGIQ folks to safe, affirming, and comprehensive care nationwide. This database currently has 2,000 resources throughout the country, with each state represented. Each and every week, new resources are added and old ones are updated. Additionally, new features are being added to improve functionality and user experience.  

St. Louis police officers’ group demands Rams players be disciplined for ‘hands up, don’t shoot’

From Raw Story:
Reacting to five members of the St. Louis Rams coming onto the field for Sunday’s game displaying the ‘hands up, don’t shoot’ gesture, a St. Louis police officers fraternal organization is demanding the team discipline the players, and that the team and league issue a formal apology, reports KSDK.
In a statement released Sunday evening, the St. Louis Police Officers Association condemned the display, calling it “tasteless, offensive and inflammatory.”
Prior to player introductions before Sunday’s game, five players — Stedman Bailey, Tavon Austin, Jared Cook, Chris Givens, and Kenny Britt — came out onto the field first with their hands in the air prior to being joined by their teammates.
Full story at St. Louis police officers’ group demands Rams players be disciplined for ‘hands up, don’t shoot’

Exhibition Opening: "I Define Myself: Undocumented and Unafraid"

Jane Addams Hull-House Museum

The Jane Addams Hull-House Museum at the University of Illinois at Chicago opens "I Define Myself: Unapologetic and Unafraid" a collaborative portrait project between the Museum and members of immigrant campaign “Coming Out of the Shadows.”

“The portraits call into question complex notions of visibility and identity. The faces on display conjure images of the thousands of immigrants who passed through the doors of the Hull-House Settlement, illuminating the Museum's rich tradition of supporting immigrant rights,” says Harish Patel, Program Coordinator at the Museum.

The portrait collection plays with themes of legitimacy and authority in both the content and formal aspects within the installation.

Wheatpasting, a popular and expedient method for displaying “unauthorized” images was employed as the primary technique in mounting the portraits to canvas around the Museum.

The “I Define Myself” project was inspired by Inside Out, a global art initiative focused on the power of art and ideas to change perceptions, attitudes, lives and ultimately the world.

Inside Out is a large-scale participatory art project created by the French street artist JR, who is the 2011 recipient of the TED prize. JR was awarded this honor for the massive photographic images he displayed on the sides of buildings, bridges, trains, buses, and rooftops in cities across the globe.
Inside Out project group actions, transform messages of personal identity into pieces of artistic work. Participants of an Inside Out Project Action Group are challenged to use black and white photographic portraits to discover, reveal and share the untold stories and images of people around the world.

These digitally uploaded images are made into posters and sent back to the projectʼs co-creators, for them to exhibit in their own communities. Posters can be placed anywhere, from a solitary image in an office window, to a wall of an abandoned building, or in a full stadium.

These exhibitions will be documented, archived and be made available online at http://www.insideoutproject.net/. For more information on TED prize visit www.tedprize.org.

The Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, part of the UIC College of Architecture and the Arts, serves as a dynamic memorial to social reformer and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jane Addams, who with her colleagues changed the lives of her immigrant neighbors and influenced national and international public policy. The museum preserves the original Hull-House site to interpret and continue the historic settlement house vision, linking research, education, and social engagement.

The museum is free and open to the public Tuesday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. For information, please call (312) 413-5353 or visit http://www.uic.edu/jaddams/hull/.

WHEN: Opening reception: June 28, 2012 5:30-8 PM. Art opening will include music, performances and a migration story booth.  Exhibit on view through July 29, 2012.
WHERE: Exhibit and reception: Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, 800 S. Halsted St. Chicago, IL 60607. Reception will be held in outdoor courtyard, weather permitting.  Event is free and open to the public.
DETAILS: 15 large-scale portraits hang on the property of the historic Hull House Museum. 

Conservatives Freak Out Over Depiction Of Homosexuality In Video Games

Justin "Filthy Liberal Scum" Rosario
AddictingInfo.org

Courtesy of AddictingInfo.org

From the FFA website. Actually,
this is pretty funny although they
were going for insulting. They
can't even do THAT right!

Video games are not terribly progressive and that is putting it mildly. For an industry that is over thirty years old, it is still primarily a boys’ club. Its protagonists are macho and bulging with muscles. They get the babes and drink the beer while tossing out one-liners. The few female characters are invariably sexy and well endowed or cutesy and cartoonish. Some games almost literally drip testosterone.

With that being the case, it is a sign of the times that even this somewhat immature industry has begun to introduce a broad range of realistic relationships to its games. Specifically, homosexual relationships. The pioneer in this field is Electronic Arts who has allowed same sex relationships into its games as far back as 2000 with the introduction of the best selling The Sims. While the relationships were completely nonphysical aside from some awkward smooching, the fact that any character could flirt and fall in love with any other character caused a bit of a stir. This outrage didn’t last long as the overwhelming popularity of the game and its dollhouse-like nature drowned out whatever opposition there was. The offended parties might as well have complained about little girls making their Barbie dolls kiss each other.

Since then, EA has continued to incorporate the option for same sex relations into its open world games. The key word here is “option.” It is rare that a video game with a scripted narrative will introduce a realistic (as opposed to comedic or stereotypical) gay character. Rather, in games where the player is free to make their own choices (like the Fable series), EA has wisely included homosexuality as part of the virtual world.

Ninety Occupy Chicago Activists Go to Court Wednesday Seeking Dismissal of Charges

Occupy Chicago

Motions to dismiss the charges against at least 90 Occupy Chicago activists will be heard Wednesday at 1:30pm in Daley Center. The cases stem from arrests in October of more than 300 people who were charged with violating a city-imposed curfew at Grant Park. Nearly a third of those arrested have chosen to fight their charges based on First Amendment grounds. National Lawyers Guild will be arguing for dismissal on behalf of the Occupy Chicago defendants before Municipal Court Judge E. Kenneth Wright.

What:Court hearing to dismiss the charges against at least 90 Occupy Chicago defendants
When:Wednesday, February 15th at 1:30pm
Where:Room 1307 of the Daley Center, 50 W. Washington Street, Chicago

“It’s an outrage that the city is spending precious tax-payer dollars to prosecute frivolous cases, while being unwilling to give an inch to accommodate the free speech rights of Occupy Chicago activists,” said Sarah Gelsomino with the People’s Law Office, and one of the Guild attorneys who filed motions to dismiss on behalf of the defendants. The Guild has been defending Occupy Chicago activists since their arrest at Grant Park.

"This intolerance of political protest in Chicago casts serious doubts about the city's respect for and ability to uphold the rights of dissidents in advance of the NATO/G8 demonstrations," continued Gelsomino. "The needless arrest and prosecution of hundreds of Occupy Chicago activists sets a distressing precedent as thousands of people are expected to protest here in May." Just last week, the city settled an NLG-led class action lawsuit for $6.2 million, in which more than 700 anti-war protesters were wrongfully arrested in 2003.

Approximately 175 people were arrested on quasi-criminal charges in the early morning hours of October 15th as activists remained protesting in the park after 11pm. A week later, on October 22nd, another 130 people were similarly arrested. Not only did the city refuse to grant Occupy Chicago an ongoing presence in any of the city's public parks, it also has so far refused to dismiss any of the cases unless defendants agree to perform 10 hours of community service.

Of the 90 Occupy Chicago defendants who are seeking a dismissal of their charges, nearly half say they will go to trial if their motions to dismiss are denied. A ruling by Judge Wright is expected on Wednesday or shortly thereafter.

The Guild has also supported the Occupy Wall Street movement in dozens of other cities around the country through its Legal Observer™ program and by defending hundreds of people who have been arrested.

The National Lawyers Guild was founded in 1937 and is the oldest and largest public interest/human rights bar organization in the United States. Its headquarters are in New York and it has chapters in every state.

Further information:
Sample NLG motion to dismiss: http://nlgchicago.org/wp-content/uploads/NLG-Motion-to-Dismiss.pdf

Occupy Chicago Rallies for Civil Liberties, Attempts Dismissal of Court Cases

Occupy Chicago

On February 15th, Occupy Chicago activists who were arrested trying to establish an encampment in October will go to court in an attempt to have their cases dismissed. In response to this Occupy Chicago will be hosting a day of action, culminating with a 6pm rally at the Daley Center. We ask that you and your organization join us not only in demanding the cases against the Occupiers be dropped, but also in demanding economic justice.

Civil Rights are under attack in Chicago because the 99% are fighting back and demanding economic justice. Over the past four months we have seen the increasingly selective enforcement of minor ordinances to harass and arrest protesters and activists. Mayor 1% took it to the next level when using the NATO/G8 summits as an excuse to further suppress the growing dissent with his "Sit Down and Shut Up" ordinances. While the applied political pressure of Occupy Chicago, Labor Unions, Community Organizations, and the People of Chicago did help to scale back the most blatant violations of free speech proposed in those ordinances, they still passed.

The new ordinances cannot go unchallenged; they must not become the new normal, building up the base for the ongoing disenfranchisement of whole generations. We must not allow the rights of free speech and assembly to be taken away from the 99% and to be made luxuries exclusively for the 1%. Unless we anticipate the immediate withdrawal of corporate influence on politics and our education system, unless we anticipate easy concessions by management in favor of labor during contract negotiations, unless our money is immediately diverted away from the coffers of the 1% and toward the needs of the 99%, unless local corporations refuse to use the money they saved in tax breaks to help fund the police crackdown on protesters during the NATO/G8 summits, these ordinances will only benefit those who have profited from our sweat and broken dreams.

We must continue the fight. We must go on the offensive, continuing to stand up and speak out against economic injustice.

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/271423562930015/

Komen For The Cure Senior VP Resigns Over Planned Parenthood Flap

By Wendy Gittleson
AddictingInfo.org

Karen Handel, Senior VP is the Susan G. Komen foundation, and the person widely held responsible for last week’s public relations debacle of pulling funding from Planned Parenthood, has resigned.
According to her resignation letter, as printed in the Atlanta Journal Constitution (emphasis mine):

Dear Ambassador Brinker:

Susan G. Komen for the Cure has been the recognized leader for more 30 years in the fight against breast cancer here in the US – and increasingly around the world.

As you know, I have always kept Komen’s mission and the women we serve as my highest priority – as they have been for the entire organization, the Komen Affiliates, our many supporters and donors, and the entire community of breast cancer survivors. I have carried out my responsibilities faithfully and in line with the Board’s objectives and the direction provided by you and Liz.

We can all agree that this is a challenging and deeply unsettling situation for all involved in the fight against breast cancer. However, Komen’s decision to change its granting strategy and exit the controversy surrounding Planned Parenthood and its grants was fully vetted by every appropriate level within the organization. At the November Board meeting, the Board received a detailed review of the new model and related criteria. As you will recall, the Board specifically discussed various issues, including the need to protect our mission by ensuring we were not distracted or negatively affected by any other organization’s real or perceived challenges. No objections were made to moving forward.
 (More of the letter after the jump!)

Breaking News: Appeals Court says Prop 8 Unconstitutional

From Chicago Den, WCB's sister site

News broke early Tuesday afternoon that the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has upheld an earlier court's ruling that California's Propostion 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state after it had been legalized, is unconstitutional.
The news first came out on gay news sites such as Towleroad before hitting every major media website.

Equality Illinois, the state's largest gay rights organization, had a response within minutes.

"The inexorable march to full marriage equality achieved a significant milestone with the historic ruling that Proposition 8 violates the U.S. Constitution," EI's statement read. "The court’s gratifying decision makes a clear statement that marriage equality is a fundamental freedom." The organization also called on lawmakers to take Illinois' civil union laws to the next step to full marriage.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force celebrated the ruling and called on Congress to repeal DOMA.

“Today’s decision affirms what we all know to be true – our Constitution protects the basic civil rights of all Americans, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese on the groups website. "Proposition 8 does nothing to strengthen or protect any marriage. Instead, it singles out thousands of loving California families for different treatment, simply because they are gay and lesbian couples. We applaud the Ninth Circuit for recognizing that our Constitution cannot tolerate such egregious discrimination."

The Huffington Post reported that the ruling stated: "Although the Constitution permits communities to enact most laws they believe to be desirable, it requires that there be at least a legitimate reason for the passage of a law that treats different classes of people differently. There was no such reason that Proposition 8 could have been enacted."

The internet newspaper also reported that Love Honor Cherish, a gay rights group based in Los Angeles, is planning to start gathering signatures for a November ballot initiative asking voters to repeal Proposition 8.

Burge to still get pension

According the the Chicago Tribune, former CPD commander Jon Burge will still be able to get his pension... while he serves four years for perjury. It was a narrow vote with board members elected by members of the police force voting to let him keep his pension. Those appointed by the city government, who may have had an idea about the message sent, voted to deny him the pension.

Kenneth Hauser, president of the pension board and one of the four who voted to let him keep it, told the Trib this:

Burge's federal conviction "had nothing to do with things he did when he was on the job. He was retired 10 years when they convicted him. . .It wasn't on charges of what he did when he was a police officer. It was on a lie that he made in front of a civil jury."

Shields added, "This question all comes down to one issue: Did Jon Burge have any law enforcement duties when he was accused of this perjury? In 2003, he did not."

Burge was accused of torturing suspects for years to get confessions for crimes. He was fired for that suspicion the Trib said. By the time suspicions were proved 2006, the statute of limitations has passed. In other words, even if he had done it, no charges could be brought.

Flint Taylor, who represented one of those tortured had this to say to the Trib.

“To say that he should still be paid is mind boggling,” said Taylor when reached by phone. “It is a total slap in the face to the entire city and particularly the African American community.”

Burge will get $3,039.03 per month, according to the Trib. The paper also reported that police officers convicted of a felony  "relating to or arising out of or in connection with" their service as an officer are not eligible to collect their pensions. Unless of course the board votes otherwise.