Transpass Is Still A Trans Problem In Philly

When I had the honor and pleasure of speaking on the Bryn Mawr campus back in October 2009 I took a SEPTA train from the airport to downtown Philly and kicked it with Dionne Stallworth for a few hours before heading to the campus.

After finishing my speech and spending some quality time afterwards with my Bryn Mawr hosts I rode the  train back to the airport to catch my fight back to Da Ville with no fuss, no muss and no problems short of falling asleep on the train and riding past my stop on the way to Bryn Mawr.

I also had a SEPTA day pass to do it with.

But for transpeeps in the Philadelphia area, they are still locking horns with SEPTA over their policy of putting 'M' or 'F' stickers on monthly transit passes in order to stem the tide the transit agency claims of $4.9 million in annual revenue losses from people allegedly sharing passes.    But opponents and even SEPTA admits there is no way of determining if the alleged fraud is actually occurring, much less have any way of tracking it.

The sticker system that was put in place to combat it has led to gender policing by SEPTA personnel and Philadelphia area transpeople such as Christine Arcila being affected by it.

Four years ago Christine was prevented by a SEPTA driver from using a weekly Transpass because of a gender sticker that didn't match her presentation.

She has used tokens ever since that incident and filed a complaint against SEPTA with the Philadelphia Human Rights Commission.   Because SEPTA is considered a quasi state agency and not subject to local regulations, the complaint hasn't been heard

In addition, when you ask the PHRC about it, all you get is either a 'no comment' or 'they can't discuss pending cases'.

The sticker system doesn't do what SEPTA officials claim it's supposed to do because the agency's antiquated fare collection system is only capable of tracking how often a card is used.   It doesn't track the gender of its user, or whether the card is being shared by same gender riders as the agency alleges.

In the meantime, the SEPTA gender policing issue hasn't gone away in Philadelphia.   It not only has a deleterious effect on trans patrons of the system, but affects cis people who have ambiguous gender presentations as well.   It's not only humiliating to the person who gets questioned, but could put them in a situation in which they could face abuse or bodily harm.


Philadelphia Councilman Bill Greenlee is among those voices who question the need for SEPTA gender policing. “It just seems to me it’s causing problems for people I’m sure are already having enough problems,” he said. “Unless they can really show or prove they’d lose [millions of dollars], why do this?”

SEPTA Chief Financial Officer Richard Burnfield stated, “I look at it as one of the tools that is in our toolbox to help the authority prevent fraud and misuse of our passes.” .

Interestingly enough, since January 2010 SEPTA reported receiving eight complaints about gender stickers, with two complaints regarding to specific instances of discrimination.   

SEPTA also keeps pointing out the problem will go away when they implement their new smart card system in three years, but that's not good enough for Arcila or transpeople in the area who continue to protest and speak out about the issue.

"I feel like they’re trying to sweep it under the rug,” Arcila said. “Once they put the smart card [system] into effect that would close the door on this case.”

A photo ID pass would have done the trick if they were serious about stopping the sharing of SEPTA passes. Since the smart card system is still three years from implementation, that's a moot point now. 

The gender policing problem will persist until SEPTA shows some leadership and stops it.  But unfortunately  until they do, you'll have some SEPTA employees implementing and enforcing the policy in ways that will be problematic in people's lives.

This Ain't Stayin' In Vegas-Cosmopolitan Hotel Has Trans Bathroom Issues

It is becoming increasingly clear as we see transpeople getting attacked, hassled or arrested for simply using the bathroom that the 'bathroom predator' meme needs to be utterly attacked, debunked, ridiculed and destroyed before we end up having to memorialize a dead transperson at a TDOR near you.

The latest episode of cis people gone wild over transpeople using the restroom happened at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas and first becomes known to us due to a hotel review website.

This transperson known as Stephanie is in Vegas for a conference.  She's enjoying a few hours at the hotel's bar and feeling the need to answer nature's call.  She uses the restroom at 4 AM Vegas time and as she exits it finds herself met by security guards, hassled and barred for life from the just opened hotel for doing so.

Of course once the word of what happened gets out to a community already in high pissivity and fed up over the revelations of other bouts of bathroom transphobia breaking out , the Cosmopolitan's FB page gets lit up with complaints to the point in which the hotel has to release a statement about it.

"The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is committed to maintaining a community that recognizes and values the inherent dignity of every person, by fostering sensitivity, understanding and mutual respect of our guests and employees.We sincerely regret any misunderstanding or inappropriate actions that any member of our staff may have taken. And to ensure increased sensitivity within this area, the organization will focus on continued training and on-going awareness initiatives. In addition, we apologize to the individual guest and welcome her back to the resort anytime.Again, we would like to apologize to the LGBT community and anyone concerned and hope to demonstrate our firm dedication to fair and unbiased treatment of all." - The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

Umm hmm.   Well, y'all need to write that into the security guards post orders.. 

And while you're at it, are you amenable to doing some training on TBLG issues for your staff?.   Because in an age of instant communications and the mood this community is in right now, what's transphobic in Vegas won't stay in Vegas for long.

More Maryland Mickey D's Bathroom Transphobia

Here we go again.    Another Maryland transwoman who is getting transphobia served with her Big Mac.

A security guard is caught on tape at a McDonalds in Langley Park, MD denying use of the facilities to a transwoman.   This incident according to Denise LeClair of IFGE happened in January.



Address of the latest McDonald's with transphobia on the menu is 7911 New Hampshire Ave in Langley  Park, MD

 Ba ba ba ba ba, not lovin' it..

Think it's time to seriously consider coordinating a nationwide (or worldwide) trans pee-in at McDonald's.

Ohio GOP Governor Cuts Trans People Out Of Anti-Discrimination Executive Order

From now on, I don't want to hear ANY Republican or independent tell me the bull feces that there's no difference between the two parties..

When you're part of a marginalized community, which party control the government at the local, state and federal level when one party pushes civil rights and the other is hell bent on rolling them back is of ginormous importance.

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland (D) issued an executive order in 2007 that banned discrimination in state employment for TBLG people.  The order declared that no state employee could be fired from or denied a state job on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Fast forward to 2010 and GOP control of the Ohio state government.    Governor John Kasich (R) let that executive order expire despite a campaign promise to the contrary.   But after getting major flack over it issued a revised executive order that left out guess who?

The list of protected groups in the revised anti-discrimination order is a bit lengthy, protecting state employees or job candidates from discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, military status, disability, age, genetic information or sexual orientation.
 

Gender identity, which was in the Strickland executive order, is missing from the Kasich one.

“The governor is opposed to discrimination in state employment and has made that clear in this executive order in the way that he feels is most appropriate,” said spokesman Scott Milburn in a statement to reporters.

Umm hmm.   Yep, screw the transpeeps..

So for all you Ohio transpeople who voted GOP or didn't vote at all on November 2, elections have consequences.   It's also past time for you to realize that the Republican Party, when it comes to civil rights issues, is not your friend.

International Trans Activist Laksmi Discriminated Against

Note to haters.  If you're going to discriminate against a transperson, it would be wise not to pick one who is an internationally known trans activist and who will call you out on your BS.

Check out this video from Mumbai, India.

NY State Supreme Court Rules Trans Discrimination Case Can Proceed

TransGriot Note: Press release with good news about a trans discrimination case in New York City. 


NEW YORK STATE SUPREME COURT RULES THAT TRANSGENDER DISCRIMINATION SUIT AGAINST NYC TRANSIT AUTHORITY CAN MOVE FORWARD  

Landmark Decision Rejects Constitutional Challenges to New York City Human Rights Law Prohibiting Transgender Discrimination



January 21, 2011

In a landmark decision just obtained by Housing Works, Justice Kenneth P. Sherman of the New York State Supreme Court, Kings County, has upheld the New York City Human Rights Law’s provisions prohibiting transgender discrimination against the challenge of the New York City Transit Authority (“TA”).  Among other things, the TA argued that the anti-discrimination provisions violate the First Amendment to the United States Constitutions; are constitutionally vague; and should not apply to non-supervisory TA employees.

In the first ruling of its kind, Judge Sherman ruled that “the prohibition of bigoted behavior in the public accommodation context contained in the [Human Rights Law] does not violate the constitutional guarantee of free speech.”  Judge Sherman explained that “the State of New York and its subdivisions, such as the City, have a compelling interest in combating invidious discrimination,” and found the Human Rights Law “sustainable as a regulation of a transit system, which is not a ‘First Amendment forum.’”  The Human Rights law is “narrowly tailored,” Judge Sherman noted, and applies “only to agents of public accommodation companies who engage in discriminatory conduct that suggest victims of bias are unwelcome.”  Judge Sherman ruled, finally, that “[t]here is no authority” for limiting the scope of the Human Rights Law “only to supervisors or managers.”

Plaintiff Tracy Bumpus, represented by Housing Works, filed suit against the Transit Authority and one of its employees in 2006, alleging that Transit employees subjected her to a series of transgender-phobic ("transphobic") incidents, beginning with a vicious and sustained transphobic tirade on a subway platform after she requested assistance with her MetroCard.  This is the latest in a string of victories in the case of Bumpus v. New York City Transit Authority.

Armen H. Merjian, Senior Attorney at Housing Works, commented:  “Sadly, we are still in the nascent stages of establishing the basic civil rights of transgender citizens in New York.  This was just the latest attempt by the Transit Authority to greatly circumscribe or even eliminate the transgender discrimination provisions of the New York City Human Rights Law, enacted in 2003.  We are delighted that the Court has rejected these unfounded challenges and reaffirmed the continuing vitality of this critical law, particularly on behalf of a community long excluded from the antidiscrimination protections afforded other groups.”

Monica Carss-Frisk, This Is An Example Of The Discrimination You Enabled In Hong Kong

British attorney Monica Carss-Frisk was hired by the Hong Kong government to successfully litigate on its behalf in the recent Ms W marriage case.

Hope you're enjoying the money you made on the case and can sleep well at night knowing that you contributed to the continued oppression of transpeople in Hong Kong.

As we marginalized peeps know all too well, court cases we lose have negative consequences and ripple effects that not only affect things locally, but sometimes travel beyond the jurisdiction in which they were litigated. 

STRAP chair Naomi Fontanos recounts on her PinayTG blog a recent trip with Santy Layno to lecture on trans discrimination issues at Hong Kong University at the invitation of Dr. Sam Winter.

After a successful lecture they went out for a drink with Dr. Winter only to be whacked with the same discrimination that they had just lectured about.

Okay Hong Kong, when are you going to stop discriminating against my trans family living there? 


It's ironic they have more rights in mainland China than the so-called freedom loving former British colony and world class city that is now a Chinese Special Administrative Region.. 
 
And thank you, Monica Carss-Frisk, for doing your part to ensure that the discrimination against transpeople in Hong Kong continues.