Ben Shapiro Vs Trans Reporter

Ben Shapiro really got into it with trans reporter Zoey Tur last night. Mediaite reports:

Asked by host Dr. Drew Pinsky whether Jenner deserved the ESPY award after “courageously coming forward, for having been an athlete of great prowss, and now fighting a new battle,” Shapiro spilled his disdain for the entire concept of transgenderism: “What exactly is the battle? I mean, self-definition is what you do, and my baby’s doing it at 18 months old. I was unaware that you get a medal for it.” And when Shapiro refused to call Jenner and Tur by anything but male pronouns, the segment went straight down the tubes. “Forget about the disrespect,” Shapiro said, in the full clip first reported by Breitbart.

“Facts don’t care about your feelings. It turns out that every chromosome, every cell in Caitlyn Jenner’s body, is male, with the exception of some of his sperm cells.” We both know chromosomes don’t necessarily mean you’re male or female,” Tur replied, and then put her hand on Shapiro’s shoulder. “So you don’t know what you’re talking about, you’re not educated on genetics.” That prompted Shapiro to ask: “What are your genetics, sir?” And off we go. “You cut that out now, or you’ll go home in an ambulance,” Tur shot back while holding Shapiro by the back of his neck.

The battle continues from there. Shapiro has spent the day tweeting and retweeting ugly anti-trans messages including the usual rainbow swastika flag from fellow Breitbart knuckledragger John Nolte. The headline above is from Raw Story.

Ireland Approves Gender Identity Bill

Buzzfeed reports:

Ireland’s parliament adopted one of the world’s most progressive gender identity laws on Wednesday, following the country’s historic popular vote for marriage equality in May. In June, Ireland’s cabinet announced that it had agreed to change a draft gender identity law first unveiled in December last year to remove a provision that would require a doctor to sign off before someone can change their legal gender. The final version approved just over a month later means Ireland will go from being one of the last countries in Europe to give trans people a way to change their legal gender to one of just five countries in the world where someone can make their change simply by filing a declaration.

The law will go into effect by the end of the summer.

MINNESOTA: Trans Man Goes Viral With His #Occupotty Selfies Campaign

Via Rochester, Minnesota's NBC affiliate:

Minnesota lawmakers introduced legislation that would require high school students to use the locker rooms and restrooms determined by their birth sex. Now, local transgender advocates are fighting back and the response is going viral. "I don't think any women want me walking into the bathroom with them,” laughed Michael Hughes. Hughes is a transgender man living in Rochester whose mirror selfies are drawing attention to a commode conundrum.

"So I come in, go right to the mirror with a female friend behind me, and we quick get the selfie, and get back out before anybody comes in and gets startled by my presence in the women's restroom,” Hughes said, pointing his cell phone at the mirror of the women's restroom at the People's Food Co-op. Just four days ago Hughes posted a photo of himself in a women's restroom with a female friend in the background. One glance can affirm – Hughes does not look like one of the girls.

Using hashtags like #Occupotty and the caption "Do I look like I belong in the women's facilities?" Michael Hughes is showing what it would be like if he was required to use the restroom determined by his birth sex. The response has been huge.

Hughes is interviewed in the below report.

Today In Assholery

Crowder, an alleged comedian, was the main host of CPAC in 2011 and gained national attention in 2012 after he was exposed as having selectively edited a video that he claimed showed him getting sucker-punched during a brawl at a union protest in Michigan. He was fired by Fox News in 2013 shortly after insulting Sean Hannity. These days he makes videos for the Liberty Alliance, which runs websites for Matt Barber, Victoria Jackson, Alan West, Kirk Cameron, and dozens of other crackpots.

TODAY: Day Of Action To Pass Trans Rights In New York State Senate

The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act has passed in the New York Assembly SEVEN times, but shamefully it has never been allowed to come to a vote in the state Senate. Today openly gay Sen. Brad Hoylman (above right) and Sen. Daniel Squadron will attend a rally at the state capitol building. Via press release from the Empire State Pride Agenda:

“It is unconscionable that, in most of the state, an individual can lose his or her job or home or be denied the right eat at a restaurant based on gender identity or expression," said New York City Public Advocate Letitia James. "These are not hypothetical scenarios—one out of every three transgender New Yorkers have been homeless; two out of three experience discrimination at work; and one in five have been fired explicitly for being transgender. New York City is one of only 11 cities and counties in New York State that have passed local GENDA laws. Outside these communities, this despicable discrimination is perfectly legal. GENDA is a basic human rights law and it must be passed statewide and it must be passed this year to secure the most fundamental protections against discrimination."

Come on New York, this is embarrassing.

#WeJustNeedToPee

CHARLOTTE: Christians Rally Against Proposed LGBT Rights Ordinance

Follow local journalist Matt Comer as he reports from the scene via Twitter.

ARKANSAS: Eureka Springs Approves Sweeping Anti-Discrimination Protections, But It May All Be For Naught

City officials in the popular LGBT resort town of Eureka Springs last night unanimously approved a sweeping rights ordinance just days before the Arkansas legislature is due to enact a ban on any such laws in the state.

Ordinance 2223 was rushed through three readings at Monday's meeting so it would become city law before a bill in the state Legislature passes making the creation or enforcement of such ordinances illegal. Council member James DeVito said it was imperative to pass the ordinance Monday because Senate Bill 202 passed on the Senate floor that day and is on its way to the state House of Representatives. "We passed the first domestic-partnership law in the state, married the first same-sex couples in the state. Yet as a community, we don't have laws to protect those people," DeVito told the council. "So I think it is imperative that we pass this in three readings." The ordinance passed unanimously on all three readings, as did a resolution opposing SB202. The council also passed an emergency clause to put the new ordinance into effect as soon as possible. Eureka Springs Mayor Robert D. "Butch" Berry said he'll sign the ordinance today or Wednesday after document changes requested by the council have been made and a fresh copy of the eight-page ordinance is available. When that happens, Eureka Springs will become the only city in Arkansas with such an ordinance.

According to GOP state Rep. Bob Ballinger, Eureka Springs is wasting their time because his bill "trumps" any municipal legislation. Fayetteville, the first Arkansas town to enact such an ordinance, gained national attention after the Family Research Council and the Duggar family launched a successful repeal campaign in December. (Tipped by JMG reader Michael)

RELATED: During the brief period that same-sex marriage was legal in Arkansas, Eureka Springs was the first to issue licenses.

ExxonMobil Adds LGBT Protections

JMG reader Mike forwards us yesterday's message from ExxonMobil's LGBT employee group, which notes that the company's board of directors has approved the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes. In July 2014 ExxonMobil announced that it would comply with President Obama's executive order regarding companies with federal contracts, but at that time a company spokesman would not say if that compliance would mean a formal change to ExxonMobil's equal employment opportunity policy. ExxonMobil's shareholders had long rejected such a change, voting it down for 17 consecutive years and earning the lavish praise of Tony Perkins, who will surely have the sadz about today's news.

TEXAS: Plano's Just-Approved LGBT Rights Ordinance Has Some Big Loopholes

Some of us listening closely during last night's LGBT rights debate in Plano, Texas picked up on a worrying comment by the city attorney that seemed to indicate that there are "religious freedom" and other loopholes in the ordinance. There are and they are troublesome.

According to the revised ordinance, discrimination based on a resident’s sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited in regards to public accommodation, employment, housing transactions and city contracting. However, religious and political groups as well as nonprofit organizations are exempt from the ordinance.

City Attorney Paige Mims said the ordinance also includes a waiver process for businesses to be exempt if the owners feel the policy would not allow them to conduct business based on their personal faith. Individuals and organizations found in noncompliance to the ordinance would be charged with a Class C misdemeanor, the least severe class of misdemeanor. While the ordinance does make it illegal to discriminate against gender identity in a public place, Mims said that would not extend to public restrooms and locker rooms which would still be segregated based on physical anatomy.

“We realize that privacy interests need to be balanced with equality interests,” Mims said at the meeting. “We took a lot of care to look at constitutional issues and freedoms that people have that are protected under the law ... We’ve recognized in this ordinance that due process needs to be allowed and if people do have those [religious] defenses, they’re required under law to give the city notification ... and we’re going to evaluate that.”

So. Trans folks still can't use public restrooms. Businesses with a "religious waiver" can still turn away LGBT customers. And all non-profits are exempted. The rest of the bill IS a lovely advance, of course, but we certainly did not get a compete win last night after all. And even with those loopholes, the anti-gay Plano-based Liberty Institute is vowing to sue.

FBI Issues 2013 Hate Crime Statistics, Gender Identity Bias Listed For First Time

From the FBI:

Today, the FBI released its annual Hate Crime Statistics report, which revealed that 5,928 hate crime incidents involving 6,933 offenses were reported by our law enforcement partners to the Bureau’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program in 2013. These hate crime incidents impacted a total of 7,242 victims—which are defined as individuals, businesses, institutions, or society as a whole. Hate Crime Statistics, 2013—the first UCR publication to contain data collected under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act of 2009—has a few changes from previous reports. First, biases against gender (male or female) and gender identity (transgender and gender nonconformity) have been added to the list of bias categories. And in response to the Shepard/Byrd Act, we modified our data collection so that reporting agencies can indicate whether crimes were committed by, or directed against, juveniles.

From the report: "60.6 percent of the reported 1,402 hate crime offenses based on sexual orientation were classified as anti-gay (male) bias." Next year's report will compile crimes based on anti-Arab bias for the first time.

Michigan Pastors: We'll Go To Jail Rather Than Obey Proposed LGBT Rights Law

A coalition of anti-gay pastors rallied on the steps of Michigan's capitol building on Friday to declare that they will go to jail before obeying the proposed inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in state anti-discrimination laws. From a press release published by Christian Newswire:

"We, the undersigned Christian Pastors of the State of Michigan declare our opposition to adding sexual orientation, gender identity or other similar designation to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act." -- Pastor Doug Levesque, Immanuel Baptist Church, Corunna, Michigan, reading a pastor's joint statement. The Pastors said that legislation in other states that were allegedly intended to protect homosexuals actually ended up discriminating against people of faith, citing the recent case in Houston, Texas, where the sermons, notes, and text messages of pastors were subpoenaed by the mayor.

"The homosexual agenda is an anti-freedom movement which has led to the persecution of pastors and Christian business owners across the nation, whose freedom of speech and freedom of religion are being taken from them, under the guise of so called gay rights. There is nothing civil about that!"-- Minister Stacy Swimp, President, National Christian Leadership Council "Those wanting special rights for sexual orientation are seeking to rewrite the traditional moral fiber of our society." -- Tim Berlin, senior pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Warren

"I don't know of another example of pastors' sermons being subpoenaed, except for in Nazi Germany and Communist Russia. I find it ironic that the first example of that happening in America is from the LGBT community." -- Pastor R.B. Ouelette, First Baptist, Bridgeport, Michigan. The pastors asserted that the job of the Michigan Legislature is to affirm and uphold constitutionally protected freedom for everyone – including business owners – not pass laws that grant special favors, give special status or guarantee special protections for some while coercing and punishing others.

Swimp: "Let there be no doubt that, if you should decide to go forward with this grave injustice, I, every born again believer I know, as well as every pastor you see here today, shall disobey your unjust law. Here we stand, Black and White together, ready to go to jail!"

The group has launched a Twitter account, a Facebook page, and the website seen in the screenshot above, where they cite Porno Pete's list of outrages committed by homofacsists. Tony Perkins cheers via press release:

Despite the obvious moral and religious implications of stigmatizing disapproval of homosexual behavior, the proposed bill contains no religious exemption of any kind. It was bad enough when religious agencies were forced out of the adoption business, and people in the wedding industry were told they must participate in the celebration of same-sex weddings. Now, ordained ministers in Idaho are told they must perform same-sex weddings and pastors in Houston, Texas are being subjected to intrusive, harassing subpoenas in an effort to silence their effort to let the people vote on a SOGI law in that city. I’m heartened, though, that pastors and Christian citizens around the country, like those in Michigan, now see the direct threat to religious liberty that laws like these pose and they are standing up and speaking out in defense of our first freedom. They are clearly counting the cost.

Here's the full 30-minute hate rally.

RELATED: Public employees in Michigan are protected from anti-LGBT discrimination by executive orders from the governor that must be regularly renewed. While there are no statewide private sector protections, over 30 Michigan municipalities have enacted such ordinances, including the major cities of Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Sterling Heights, Lansing, and Kalamazoo.  The state law that would be amended, the Elliot-Larson Civil Rights Act, was approved in 1976 and is named in part for its co-author, Melvin Larson, who went to become chairman of the Michigan Republican Party.

Of the 38 members of the Michigan Senate, 12 have co-sponsored the proposed amendment. Coincidentally, there are currently 12 Democrats in the Senate. Of the 110 members of the Michigan House, 51 have co-sponsored the proposed amendment. Coincidentally, there are currently 50 Democrats and one Independent in the House. As you can see, the numbers are against us in both chambers, much more so in the state Senate. The bill's primary Senate sponsor is Sen. Rebekah Warren, the former executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Michigan. The bill's primary House sponsor is Rep. Sam Singh, the former mayor of Lansing and the first Indian-American elected to his chamber. Read the proposed amendment.

COLORADO: Denver Gay Bar Found Guilty Of Discriminating Against Man In Drag

Colorado civil rights officials have ruled that a Denver gay bar discriminated when its bouncers refused entry to a man in drag. Via the Associated Press:

The civil rights division of the state's Department of Regulatory Agencies has ordered the Denver Wrangler to resolve the dispute with Vito Marzano, a gay man who was wearing a dress and wig when he went to the bar Aug. 31, 2013. The order obtained Monday says the bouncer turned Marzano away because his appearance didn't match the one on his driver's license. But regulators determined that the bar wrongly favors those with a masculine appearance because its dress code bars high heels, wigs and perfume. A bar employee who answered the phone wouldn't comment. Marzano says the order will help protect others from discrimination.

Vito is an "avid JMG reader" and may be participating in the comments. A press release has been posted to the Boycott The Denver Wrangler Facebook page:

Representatives from Marzano’s Boycott the Denver Wrangler protest group (“the Boycott”) has previously made numerous attempts to meet and discuss with the Wrangler staff, including requesting mediation through DORA, but were ignored each time. The Wrangler has no choice now but to comply. Members of the Boycott could not be more thrilled with the determination issued by DORA. This decision helps to protect everyone in the State of Colorado who is gender non-conforming in any capacity from discrimination in places of public accommodation. It also reaffirms the State’s commitment to its lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, asexual, and intersex constituents by saying loudly and proudly that discrimination against anyone for any reason is never acceptable. The Boycott will continue its fight against the Wrangler until all of our trans*, gender nonconforming, and effeminate family members are no longer mistreated, excluded, or abused by the Wrangler staff.

You can read the full DORA ruling at the above link.

I'm particularly annoyed that this action had to be taken against a nightclub that markets itself as a bear bar. Every bear event I've ever attended has been very drag-friendly.

UPDATE: The Denver Post just published a story about the ruling.

Chris Dawkins, owner of The Wrangler, says that several of the premises DORA uses to come to its conclusion are false. "Their opinion has a lot of errors in it," Dawkins said. "I mean, it says we don't serve to women. There are women in all the time. Women love my bar." He goes on to highlight how rigid liquor laws are, noting The Wrangler recently had to pay a fine because "we messed up" and served alcohol to an underage person in 2012. "In this case, it is different from the gay men who wanted a cake for their wedding because we have to comply with liquor law," Dawkins said referring to a recent civil rights case in Colorado where a cakemaker refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. "The cake maker doesn't have to check an ID, we do."

However, DORA's investigation, which included interviews and research into the bar's policy history, found that The Wrangler is known as a "bear bar" that prides itself on being a popular watering hole for gay men displaying hypermasculine characteristics. "At face value, the (bar's) policies appear legitimate and non-discriminatory," wrote Steven Chavez of Colorado's civil rights division in the order. "However, the evidence indicates that the (bar) uses its policies to select patrons whose appearance is masculine, whether or not they are male or female, for entry into its club."

Obama Announces Executive Order On Gender Identity At LGBT Pride Event

Via Politico:

President Barack Obama said Monday that the White House is preparing an executive order banning job discrimination among federal employees on the basis of gender identity. Obama mentioned the planned measure while addressing a White House reception marking LGBT Pride Month. The White House announced earlier this month that the president also intends to sign an executive order banning federal contractors from discriminating against employees on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity — a measure for which LGBT rights groups have long clamored.

More from the Associated Press:

At least two other measures already prevent the federal government from firing people for being transgender, so Obama's announcement is largely symbolic. Still, advocates hailed the move as a powerful act of recognition for transgender Americans by the first American president to even utter the word "transgender" in a speech. "The majority of Fortune 500 companies already have nondiscrimination policies to protect their employees because it's the right thing to do and because many say it helps to retain and attract the best talent. And I agree. So if Congress won't act, I will," Obama told a supportive crowd in the East Room of the White House during a reception marking Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month.

And in one of the event's lighter moments:

President Obama has a sweet tooth and a weakness for pies made by White House Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses. The pies are so good, in fact, the president admitted to wondering "whether he puts crack in them" on live camera. During a LGBT Pride Month reception at the White House Monday, the president took some time to acknowledge members of the administration and his staff who were present with their partners, including "a man who's made life at the White House very sweet, our executive pastry chef." "We call Bill the crustmaster, because his pies, I don't know what he does, whether he puts crack in them...but..." the president paused, perhaps realizing what he just said in front of a live camera. The first lady quickly mumbled, "No he doesn't. There is NO crack in our pies."

UPDATE: The Human Rights Campaign reacts:

“Today President Obama proved yet again why he will be remembered as the most pro-LGBT president in history. Each and every American worker should be judged based on the work they do, and never because of a fundamental aspect of who they are – like their gender identity. And the federal government, like employers across America, is best served by ensuring every qualified individual are able to serve without fear of discrimination. We thank President Obama for announcing this crucial and historic measure, and we look forward to seeing it signed soon.” Currently, there’s no federal law that explicitly bans workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. And 32 states lack explicit laws banning discrimination based on gender identity, while it's legal under state law to fire or refuse employment to a person based on sexual orientation in 29 states.

UPDATE II: From Labor Secretary Tom Perez:

As we celebrate Pride Month and approach the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, the Labor Department is reaffirming its commitment to equal opportunity for all. That’s why we are updating enforcement protocols and anti-discrimination guidance to clarify that we provide the full protection of the federal non-discrimination laws that we enforce to transgender individuals. These changes reflect current law. In Macy v. Holder, for example, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission concluded that discrimination because a person is transgender is sex discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and Civil Rights Center, along with the Employment and Training Administration, will issue guidance to make clear that discrimination on the basis of transgender status is discrimination based on sex. While the department has long protected employees from sex-based discrimination, its guidance to workers and employers will explicitly clarify that this includes workers who identify as transgender. The department will continue to examine its programs to identify additional pportunities to extend the law’s full protection against discrimination to transgender workers. Our workforce and our entire economy are strongest when we embrace diversity to its fullest, and that means opening doors of opportunity to everyone and recognizing that the American Dream excludes no one.

HOUSTON: Anti-Gay Nut Launches Drive To Repeal Gender Identity Protections

Anti-gay activist Dave Wilson has launched a drive to repeal the gender identity portion of Houston's just-approved LGBT rights ordinance. It reads:

Except as required by State or Federal law, the City of Houston shall only define “Gender Identity” as an individual’s innate identification, as either male or female, which is assigned at birth. Perceived gender Identification is not allowed in defining “Gender identity”. Furthermore, the City of Houston shall require entities doing business with the city to adopt the same definition of “Gender identity”. If any portion of this proposed Charter amendment is declared unlawful, then such portion shall be removed and the remainder of the Charter amendment will remain in effect. Any ordinance or executive order in conflict with this section of the Charter is hereby repealed and declared invalid.

Wilson is locally infamous for pretending to be black in order be elected to a community college board of trustees.

As a conservative white Republican running in a district whose voters are overwhelmingly black Democrats, the odds seemed overwhelmingly against him. Then he came up with an idea, an advertising strategy that his opponent found "disgusting." If a white guy didn't have a chance in a mostly African-American district, Wilson would lead voters to think he's black. And it apparently worked. In one of the biggest political upsets in Houston politics this election season, Wilson -- an anti-gay activist and former fringe candidate for mayor -- emerged as the surprise winner over 24-year incumbent Bruce Austin. His razor thin margin of victory, only 26 votes, was almost certainly influenced by his racially tinged campaign. "Every time a politician talks, he's out there deceiving voters," he says. Wilson, a gleeful political troublemaker, printed direct mail pieces strongly implying that he's black. His fliers were decorated with photographs of smiling African-American faces -- which he readily admits he just lifted off websites -- and captioned with the words "Please vote for our friend and neighbor Dave Wilson."

Wonder Woman Sends Love To Tomboy

Last night LGBT ally Lynda Carter posted the above message on her Facebook page. Her fans are applauding and one responded, "Lynda Carter just became more of a hero to me for this post. This was me in the late 70's early 80's." (Via the Randy Report)

RELATED:  In 2011 Lynda Carter was the grand marshal of the NYC Pride parade, which took place less than 48 hours after Gov. Cuomo signed the marriage equality bill into law. She told the press that it was a privilege to have participated on such a historic day. Last year Carter was the grand marshal of Washington DC's pride parade.

Liberty Counsel Offers To Defend School Against Lawsuit From Tomboy's Family

Earlier this week a Christian grade school in Roanoke, Virginia earned international headlines for telling an eight year-old tomboy that she could not return to class until she looks more like a girl because her style of dress was sexually immoral. Yesterday the anti-gay Liberty Counsel offered to defend the school if the child's family decides to sue.

On Wednesday, Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel and dean of the Liberty University School of Law, issued a statement saying Liberty Counsel would publicly represent the school. “This matter is far beyond a simple ‘hairstyle and tomboy issue’ as inaccurately portrayed,” the statement said. School business administrator Earl Prince said Wednesday the school would hold off on commenting further, at least for the night. Doris Thompson said she heard an apology from a Timberlake Baptist Church pastor who told her she should have been contacted for an in-person appointment, rather than receiving those concerns in a letter. She said forgiveness is something she’ll have to pray and think on.

The child's great-grandmother has told the press that Sunnie is too young to understand concepts like gender identity, but if Sunnie were to grow up to be lesbian or transgender, "I would love her that much more." (Tipped by JMG reader Smith)

Facebook Offers 50 Gender Options

CNN reports:

You don't have to be strictly a man or a woman on Facebook anymore. In a nod to the "it's complicated" sexual identities of many of its users, the social network on Thursday added a third "custom" gender option for people's profiles. In addition to Male or Female, Facebook now lets U.S. users choose among some 50 additional options such as "transgender," "cisgender," "gender fluid," "intersex" and "neither." Users also now have the ability to choose the pronoun they'd like to be referred to publicly: he/his, she/her, or the gender-neutral they/their. "When you come to Facebook to connect with the people, causes, and organizations you care about, we want you to feel comfortable being your true, authentic self," Facebook said in a post on its Diversity page.

I don't recommend the comments on the below clip.

Parents Of Cross-Dressing Children Appear On The Today Show

A blog post written by a mother about her son dressing in drag for Halloween has spawned a national discussion about gender identity in children.

College Of William & Mary Elects Trans Homecoming Queen

The students of the College of William and Mary have elected their first ever transgender homecoming queen.

Jessee Vasold [left] took the field Saturday at halftime of the Williamsburg school's football game against James Madison. The junior and other members of the homecoming court were introduced to the crowd and posed for pictures. Vasold identifies as "genderqueer," a term for those who don't adhere to either strictly male or strictly female gender roles. Students nominated and elected Vasold, who will represent the Class of 2011. An e-mail message left for Vasold on Saturday wasn't immediately returned.