The 'Being Nikki' Reality TV Series

Well I did say in my last update that Nikki has been busy

She's got that big court appearance in Wharton tomorrow and now it seems that home girl is turning her lemon of a last year into lemonade with a reality TV series.   She's teamed up with Houston based filmmaker Cressandra Thibodeaux teamtogether to announce the launch of the new reality show, “BEING NIKKI.”

I've cataloged some of her trials and tribulations on this blog over the last year, and here's the press release for it.  Will have to make sure I keep September 29 open.

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BEING NIKKI

New Reality Series:

Transsexual Widow of Fallen Firefighter, Nikki Araguz andHouston Based Filmmaker, Cressandra Thibodeaux, team together toannounce an original new reality show, “BEING NIKKI.”

This uniquely innovative, intriguing and inspiring realityshow follows Nikki, through her grief a year after the sudden death of herhusband, the daunting pressures of a major legal battle regarding her latehusband’s estate, lobbying for marriage equality, participating in adocumentary about her life, writing her autobiography, and her quest to findpeace again, as a single transsexual woman. Nikki has an engaging personalityand zeal for life that is so refreshing and her antics will keep you intriguedwondering what is she going to do next.

Nikki’s story has been featured on ABC’s 20/20, PBS, FOX,NBC, CBS and major newspapers around the world from Houston, Texas to New York,New York and Paris, France to Sydney, Australia. The world has been watching asher life unfolds right before her own eyes. Watch as she takes her life back to her own hands and allows us to be apart of the journey.

The series offers viewers an honest, up-close and personalview at real life complexities of being a transsexual in this modern age.  Nikki has overcome many obstacles through herexperiences, and is thoroughly comfortable with who she is.  During the show you will get to see whatdating is like for Nikki and getting a glimpse into her day-to-day life. As wemove towards a transparent society, Nikki is looking for someone with whom toshare her life, honestly, fully, and deeply.

We are in search of single men willing to date thebeautiful, dynamic, smart and driven woman – Nikki Araguz.  We are looking for college-educated,physically fit, handsome men – a sense of humor is a must.

Please submit photo and bio (one page).

DEADLINE – JULY 1, 2011. 

All applicants will be videotaped.  Photograph submitted will be used inproduction.  Include contact information:name, address, email, and phone number. 

Please submit to info@beingnikki.comand check out our website www.beingnikki.com

Premiere screening of PILOT: 14 Pews, Houston on September29, 2011 @ 7PM. Produced by Thibodeaux Productions.

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.”

Transgender American Veterans Association Salutes the Repeal Vote of DADT

TransGriot Note:  The press release from TAVA concerning the DADT repeal

Transgender American Veterans Association Salutes the Repeal Vote of DADT

Contact: Monica Helms: president@tavausa.org
Denny Meyer: media@tavausa.org / (718) 849-5665

We are proud of our democracy that Congress passed this monumental repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. Even though transgender people are still going to be separated from military service, Transgender American Veterans Association salutes this passage. We who have served our nation proudly now anticipate our own progress to freedom and equality.

Monica Helms, President of TAVA said, "For 17 years the US has made their gay lesbian and bisexual service members second class citizens and caused them to have to lie about who they are and who they love. No longer will that be the case. We now turn our attention to allowing transgender people to serve openly."

"It should be recognized that DADT has never included directives concerning Transgender people serving in the military." Angela Brightfeather, TAVA's Vice President stated, "Therefore, there was no call from Transgender Americans to equally serve in the military of their country, without persecution and discrimination. However, Transgender people who have and still do serve under the same pre-DADT conditions, still find it necessary to lie and hide who they are, contrary to the best traditions of the military. We now press our GLB brothers and sisters to finish the job and help provide the means for Transgender people to be able to serve their country openly and equally as do all Americans."

Many of America's allied nations have long since allowed open transgender service along with the service of those with alternate sexual orientation. The next frontier is for the United States is to progress to full and complete inclusion of the right to serve our nation. It is TAVA's expectation that now that DADT has been repealed that all those involved in achieving the repeal will now turn their attention to help transgender Americans also be able serve openly.

Founded in 2003, the Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA) is a 501 (c) 3 organization that acts proactively with other concerned civil rights and human rights organizations to ensure that transgender veterans will receive appropriate care for their medical conditions in accordance with the Veterans Health Administration's Customer Service Standards promise to "treat you with courtesy and dignity . . . as the first class citizen that you are."

Further, TAVA will help in educating the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) on issues regarding fair and equal treatment of transgender individuals. Also, TAVA will help the general transgender community when deemed appropriate and within the IRS guidelines.

Transgender Law Center Investigating Offensive Anti-Trans Letter From DMV Employee

 The Transgender Law Center is outraged that a California Department of Motor Vehicles employee sent a letter to the home of a transgender woman calling her "an abomination" and telling her that she is going to hell.

Last week Amber Yust, a transgender woman living in San Francisco, went to the San Francisco Department of Motor Vehicles to change her name on her driver's license. With her court ordered name change and all of the DMV paperwork in hand, Amber was able to get a new driver's license in her new name. But her experience with the DMV did not end there.

Unbelievably, on Monday, Amber received a letter from the person who had processed her name change at the DMV. In the letter, which had been mailed to her at home, the DMV employee quoted from the Bible and stated that Amber had made a "very evil decision." The strongly-worded letter told Amber that she was "an abomination" and said that homosexuals should be put to death.

"I was shocked to receive this letter from the person who processed my paperwork at the DMV," said Amber. "I would never have expected that a DMV employee could use information from my name change application to reach out and personally attack me. This has been a traumatic experience for me and I want to ensure that nothing like this happens to anyone else."

The Transgender Law Center is investigating the incident.

"This was an egregious act committed by a government employee," said Masen Davis, Executive Director of the Transgender Law Center. "Transgender people deserve to be treated with respect at agencies like the DMV. What happened to Amber is despicable, and we intend to do everything we can to hold the responsible parties accountable and to prevent this from happening again."

Houston Federal Hearing on Bullying Issue Monday

TransGriot Note: There are many reasons the local wingers here hate on my congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Not only has she been a tireless advocate for the city and warrior for POC issues, she's been supportive of LGBT issues as well.    Here's a press release for an upcoming local federal level hearing on bullying.

MEDIA ADVISORY

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Holds a Local-Federal Hearing on the Growing Nationwide and Local Epidemic of Bullying to Call for Passage of a Federal Anti-Bullying Statute Along with a Local Response

“The problem of bullying has been a persistent issue for years but has now become a national crisis. Newspaper headlines and news broadcasts across our Nation have been flooded with chilling stories about victims of bullying. This local-federal hearing will be an opportunity to hear from Houstonians in order to help establish national solutions.”


WHO:                             The Honorable Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee
                                        Council Member Al Hoang, Houston City Council
                                        Parents of victims of bullying
                                        Additional Local, State and Federal Representatives
                                        Representatives from Houston School Districts
                                        Representatives from Local Law Enforcement
                                        Experts on Children, Education, Mental Health, and Social Services

WHAT:                       A Local-Federal hearing on Bullying where local, state, and federal officials can come together with schools, law enforcement, experts on bullying, parents and students to facilitate an important hearing about bullying and come up with solutions to address this growing national crisis. Witnesses will provide testimony on the impact of bullying while calling for help.


WHEN:                         Monday, October 18, 2010; 4:00 – 7:00pm CDT
                               
WHERE:                        Houston City Hall, Council Chamber, Second Floor
                                      900 Bagby Street, Houston, TX
                                      Parking Behind the City Hall Annex

Asia-Pacific Transgender Network Statement on Ms. W Case

TransGriot Note:  Press Statement from APTN Developed Asia Representative Leona Lo concerning the Ms. W case.

For Immediate Release (this version dated 6 Oct 10)

For any enquiries, please contact acraks@gmail.com.  This quotation has to be cited in its entirety. 

“It has come to my attention that the Hong Kong High Court has struck down Ms W, a post-operative transgender women’s right to get married to her boyfriend.  Ms W is a woman who simply wishes to settle down with the man she loves and have her marriage legalised.  I cannot see any reason for the Hong Kong High Court to deny her this basic human right.   Ms W deserves to live life on an equal footing with her fellow Hong Kong citizens.  I hereby call upon the Hong Kong High Court and government to respect her basic human right.

Throughout Asia, transgender women remain largely unprotected and unrecognised in the eyes of the law.  We are exposed daily to verbal and physical abuse, not to mention workplace and institutionalised discrimination.  This abuse has to stop.  It is time for the Hong Kong government to truly commit to being a world-class, developed country that is known not only for its financial services but also its humane treatment of its transgender population.  

I agree with the Director of Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor Law Yuk-Kai’s comment that “A person’s basic human rights are not dependent on majority acceptance” and “The public doesn’t have the right to impose its values on other people” (Source: AP article)

This is an excellent opportunity for the Hong Kong government to show its readiness to embrace the role of a genuine global citizen.  I urge the Hong Kong government to act now to grant Ms W the right to get married.”

Ms Leona Lo

Representative, Developed Asia, Asia-Pacific Transgender Network

Founding Working Group member, Asia-Pacific Transgender Network

NBJC Statement On Failed DADT Repeal

Yesterday the Senate failed to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT),” a law that calls for all gay and lesbian people who serve in the armed forces to be discharged without benefits if their sexual orientation is revealed. Supporters voted 56-43 in favor of starting debate on the 2011 Defense authorization bill, short of the 60 needed. A Republican-led filibuster blocked efforts to reverse DADT, shelving an Obama administration priority until after the November election.

In response to the delayed repeal, National Black Justice Coalition Executive Director Sharon Lettman-Hicks stated,

“The battle to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ has been stalled temporarily, but the fight is not over. We thank our ally organizations and informed leadership for staying the course to reverse an unjust and outdated law that compromises the moral integrity of our armed services by forcing gay and lesbian servicemembers to lie about who they are and who they love. More than thirteen-thousand servicemembers have been discharged due to DADT, including a disproportionate number of Black women. Those women have been left without health benefits and pensions and with a stained professional record simply for being lesbians. We look forward to the day when, even in our short-term memory, this will seem absurd--the fact that people debated whether servicemembers who sacrifice their lives every day to keep our country safe also have the right to be honest about who they are without becoming victims of government-sanctioned identity suppression.”

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The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. NBJC's mission is to end racism and homophobia.

NTAC ACTION ALERT: Urge Senators to Pass ENDA Out of Committee Now!

National Trans Advocacy Coalition (NTAC)
Contact: Vanessa Edwards Foster
ntacmedia@aol.com

ACTION ALERT: Urge Senators to Pass ENDA Out of Committee Now!

As time is ticking away on this session of Congress, we still have no ENDA (Employment Non Discrimination Act) bill active in process in the House of Representatives. The window of opportunity to bring a bill up for vote is extremely tight now, with only three and a half months before the congressional summer break. After that break, it’ll be peak re-election campaign season for most on Capitol Hill.

Translated, it means nothing will be done on ENDA if it has not passed both houses of Congress before the end of July. We lose ENDA’s window of opportunity completely.

With Rep. Barney Frank continuing to tamper with the original bill language, it’s anyone’s guess what the ENDA bill’s end result will be. It’s obvious that the House will not be leaders on this.

Moreover, the silence and lack of clear direction from our community’s political leadership in Washington is not a good sign.

We must begin contacting the Senate and requesting them to lead on this effort, and need to do so immediately. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) is author and lead sponsor of ENDA (Senate bill S. 1584), and we have adequate language on the Senate bill as it currently stands [you can view the bill at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:S.1584:] We have 44 sponsors in all, including twelve of the 23 senators on the Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee it’s assigned to.

Special focus on specific senators on committee who could be potential supporters: Kay Hagan (D-NC), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and maybe a straying Orrin Hatch (R-UT) or Judd Gregg (R-NH).

Task One: We need everyone to contact the senators who sit on the Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee to bring this bill onto the calendar for mark-up and committee vote. Additionally make it known that you want this bill to proceed in its current form with no changes. Express that you are against having the language watered-down on any of the provisions in it. When you write to them, if you were formerly a resident of their state then let them know you are a former constituent and add that you are even considering moving back there in the near future (they don’t need to know whether or not that will eventually occur).

If the particular senate office contact asks by phone if you are a constituent, reply to them that as this is a committee vote, not every state has representation on each committee and that you want this bill brought to the floor in order to ensure your elected senator has the opportunity to weigh in on this bill. (That’s all they need to know for now.)

Task Two: If you’re a constituent of any senators not on this committee (see list of committee senators below), contact them and ask for their support on S.1584. Additionally ask if they would write a “Dear Colleague” letter or personally contact their colleagues on the Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee to express their support and encourage them to move this bill without amendment to the Senate Floor.

Task Three: Once you’ve completed this, contact all your friends to do likewise, and remind them how vital this bill is for the LGB and especially T community!

List of Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee Senators:

US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions - http://help.senate.gov/

Democrats by Rank
Tom Harkin (IA) // DC office: (202) 224-3254 // dan_goldberg@harkin.senate.gov // Iowa: 515-284-4574
Christopher Dodd (CT) // DC office: (202) 224-2823 // Fax: (202) 224-1083 // CT office: 860-258-6940
Barbara A. Mikulski (MD) // DC office: (202) 224-4654 // Baltimore office: (410) 962-4510
Jeff Bingaman (NM) // DC office: (202) 224-5521 // NM phone: 505-346-6601
Patty Murray (WA) // DC office: (202) 224-2621 // Fax: (202) 224-0238 // Seattle office: (206) 553-5545
Jack Reed (RI) // DC office: (202) 224-4642 // RI office: (401) 943-3100
Bernard Sanders (I) (VT) // DC office: (202) 224-5141 // Fax: (202) 228-0776
Sherrod Brown (OH) // DC office: (202) 224-2315 // Fax: (202) 228-6321
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (PA) // DC office: (202) 224-6324 // Fax: (202) 228-0604 // christina_baumgardner@casey.senate.gov
Kay Hagan (NC) // DC office: (202) 224-6342 // Fax: (202) 228-2563 // devan_barber@hagan.senate.gov
Jeff Merkley (OR) // DC office: (202) 224-3753 // Fax: (202) 228-3997 // waasil_kareem@merkley.senate.gov
Al Franken (MN) // DC office: (202) 224-5641
Michael Bennett (CO) // DC office: (202) 224-5852 // Fax: (202) 224-5036 // sam_jammal@bennet.senate.gov

Republicans by Rank
Michael B. Enzi (WY) DC office: (888) 250-1879 // Fax: (202) 228-035 // jennifer_barnes@enzi.senate.gov // http://enzi.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactInformation.OfficeLocations
Judd Gregg (NH) // DC office: (202) 224-3324 // allison_dembeck@gregg.senate.gov
Lamar Alexander (TN) // DC office: (202) 224-4944 // Fax: (202) 228-3398
Richard Burr (NC) // DC office: (202) 224-3154 // Fax: (202) 228-2981
Johnny Isakson (GA) // DC office: (202) 224-3643 // Fax: (202) 228-0724
John McCain (AZ) // DC office: (202) 224-2235 // Fax: (202) 228-2862
Orrin G. Hatch (UT) // DC office: (202) 224-5251 // Fax: (202) 224-6331 // bryan_hickman@hatch.senate.gov
Lisa Murkowski (AK) // DC office: (202) 224-6665 // Fax: (202) 224-5301 // karen_mccarthy@murkowski.senate.gov
Tom Coburn, M.D. (OK) // DC office: (202) 224-5754 // Fax: (202) 224-6008
Pat Roberts (KS) // DC office: (202) 224-4774 // Fax: (202) 224-3514

In your communication, please be:

Respectful (even if the office is unsupportive). We want to duplicate the Teabaggers' coverage and efficacy in contacting Congress. We DO NOT want to duplicate their rhetorical rancor or personal invective as that will place us all in a bad light. At the end of the communication, thank them for their time.

Insistent that this legislation is sorely needed. Explain how this economy has made a tough situation even more dire and how we can’t wait for Rep. Barney Frank as we’re losing our chance to address this in this session. (You can additionally remind them of Sen. Kennedy’s words shortly before his death on his support of ENDA).

Stress the Personal. We’re not going to force you to a script – put this in your own words! If all of us parrot the same words, they’ll dismiss it as a carbon copy campaign. If you have an incident of discrimination in the workplace (and most all Trans people do), detail that. If you have friends or relatives who’ve been discriminated against in the workplace place, recount their stories too. Personal stories make impact and work!

We can’t speak on behalf of other groups, but if needed, you may mention you were encouraged to contact them by the National Trans Advocacy Coalition (NTAC).

After the Senate Committee vote, NTAC will issue a follow-up Action Alert on ENDA.

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Founded in 1999, NTAC – the National Trans Advocacy Coalition – is a grassroots civil rights group and the longest-tenured organization advocating for federal legislation on behalf of the America’s Trans Community.