6/14/14

Transgender and immigration activist Zoraida “Ale” Reyes suspicious death uniting comunities in a common cause

Found dead behind a Dairy Queen, the police refused to release any details Thursday only saying that she might have been moved after she died leading them to be suspicious about the cause of her death.

On Friday evening, Macrina Reyes addressed a crowd of 120 people in Santa Ana, referring to them as her daughter’s family.

They had gathered to honor Zoraida “Ale” Reyes, a 28-year-old transgender woman whose body was found in a parking lot behind an Anaheim restaurant Thursday morning.

Some held signs that said, “Trans lives matter” or “Love and respect our transgender community.”

“I didn’t know the family my daughter had, but I thank you,” Macrina Reyes said in Spanish. “I know she’s here uniting us.” Source LA Times











If you can please help raise funds for her funeral.

We are deeply saddened by the news that one of our Trans-Sisters Zoraida Reyes was a victim of violence. Her body was found in a lot in Anaheim and there are not many details as investigations are still undergoing. We are reaching out to all of you for help to be able to provide some aid to her Family during these tought times. Those of you who knew Zoraida know that she was a loving girl, one that was always calm, a bit shy and wore a smile in her face when surrounded by loved ones. She was always sweet and willing to help in any way that she could. Zoraida always gave back to her community by advocating for Trans-Rights as well as the rights of the rest of the LGBTQ community. Please share this page and know that any amount big or small is very well accepted and appreciated.


May she be in a better place, We love you and miss you greatly amiga.

Estamos muy entristecidos por la noticia de que una de nuestras hermanas Trans, Zoraida Reyes, fue victima de violencia. Su cuerpo fue hallado en el estacionamiento de Anaheim y los detalles de su muerte aun estan bajo investigacion. Estamos pidiendo ayuda para apoyar a su familia durante estos dificiles momentos. Aquellos que conocieron a Zoraida saben que ella era una muchacha tierna, tranquila y un poco timida. Siempre tenia una sonrisa en su rostro cuando estaba rodeada de sus seres queridos. Ella siempre fue muy dulce y dispuesta a ayudar en todo lo que pudiera. Zoraida siempre contribuyo a abogar por los derechos de las personas Transgenero y la demas comunidad LGBTQ. Por favor comparta esta pagina y sepa que cualquier monto grande o pequeno sera apreciado.

Esperamos que estes en un lugar mejor. Te queremos y te extranamos mucho, amiga.


Krystal asks If she kissed a transformer before she transitioned does that make her a homeysexual?

"Its time we told our own jokes, don't you think?" asks Marlo Bernier.

After being deluged ad nauseam with cisgender people playing problematic stereotypically oppressed trans roles the past few years the question is rhetorical. So what better way to express the true trans narrative than with comedy by a veteran of the genre?

2007 when I was faced with a choice; transition or die.  I chose to live and in so doing I knew it would be impossible to continue to keep secrets and so I pulled on my Big Girl Panties and put it all on the line, publicly, as I transitioned from male-to-female/Mark-to-Marlo.

Yes, I have lost a few friends and family along the way.  The calls to audition ceased.  I sacrificed much, but in return I gained much more,  so much more.   And amazingly once I'd stopped hiding from myself, relationships with an overwhelming majority of my family, friends and colleagues only flourished and strengthened and that has certainly never before been more evident than in seeing the quality of artisans who have graciously and enthusiastically attached themselves to Myrna.


I do very much desire for you to understand that though Myrna will tackle some pretty serious issues that it is in no way going to be a funeral dirge,  nor some sordid peek into the transsexual world,  but rather a celebration of life.



Two transsexuals and a Rabi go into a bar.......



As if to add an explanation point to the question producer Marlo Bernier asked regarding telling our own stories, a episode of 'catfish' appears in the 'recomended' videos after her promo.

My friend Darlie offered her personal insight....

"The role of Jan in Myrna was actually my partners, Beverly, who died Nov 1 2012 of stage 4 lung cancer. She loved Marlo and wanted so badly to work with her again but unfortunately she died before the the production solidified. Both of us had worked on Marlo’s play "At Least I will Own a Dress". When the opportunity came up to do it it felt like a chance to do something for her memory."

"Marlo is a terrific actress and a crazy creative person who had been a rock for me before and after Bevs death. Her abilities have no limits. She writes , directs, acts and knows the biz to its core. Myrna is a story she personally knows to it’s soul. It’s an ongoing thing with her own life experience and incorporates a far deeper understanding of the issues than most could write. People will have criticism of the “and then I decided to change my life and become a woman” but that was an intentional comedic mislead. It’s really time to twist up the knowledge of people who don’t fit the mold. I’m looking forward to some fun."

They've nearly raised her funds but its not to late to add your name to this ground breaking effort on the Myrna Fan backed page



Shes also on Twitter,,,,,




6/12/14

Southern Baptists Issue a religious fatwa to murder transgender people

Unlike previous years the 2014 baptist convention pictures are blurred so faces in the forefront are not recognisable.

Hate is a fatal disease.

The Southern Baptists from here on to be referenced as 'the disease' issued a religious edict calling on the largest Protestant denomination in America to murder transgender people.

The southern diseased baptists are afraid, lashing out at the most venerable target available hoping to destroy transgender progress, now that we have passed a tipping point.

This is a cult of hate. A Christian church knows that transgender people are welcomed expressly three times in the Bible.

Yes transgender people have passed the tipping point and we have done it by being normal, considerate affable people. We do it by increasing our visibility and integrating openly into the workplace, getting health care and decent housing.

Breaking: The Transgender Violence Tracking Project has designated the SBC a hate group in response to their decree.

The southern Baptist disease will do anything in their power to deny us life, so its war. The only difference is I am not going to shroud my hate of you with faux love. If war is what you want you bastards want, its war you got.

The disease isn't only focused on transgender people. They hate Islam too.

Its not known if the Muslim scholar studying at the Fort Worth Texas seminary was expelled, but the idiot in charge there apologized profusely for admitting him there. Way to go, you just disenfranchised the worlds 2nd largest religion. Like they need another reason to hate American Christians.

At the center of this hate is a piece of crap called Denny Burk. He co authored the resolution and gloated over it's passing without discussion on his website.

When you cut away all the bullshit the meat of Burks resolution is this:

"RESOLVED, That we oppose efforts to alter one’s bodily identity (e.g., cross-sex hormone therapy, gender reassignment surgery) to refashion it to conform with one’s perceived gender identity; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we continue to oppose steadfastly all efforts by any governing official or body to validate transgender identity as morally praiseworthy (Isaiah 5:20); and be it further

RESOLVED, That we oppose all cultural efforts to validate claims to transgender identity"

This Fatah challenges my faith in a way that no other could. I believe that the disease is not a christian organization. It is a cult, a sect that is a threat to our very existence. The fully understand by following this edict the will substantly increase injustice at every turn. They fully understand this will result in more transgender people becoming unemployed, homeless and murdered.

We must take this to them. We must not allow these diseased people to kill us.


6/10/14

Caught on video: Guy brags about attacking transgender woman Rye Silverman on the way to WEHO Pride

Comedian Rye Silverman wrote on Tumblr about being attacked on her way to the Los Angeles Pride in West Hollywood aka WeHo Pride. Later the prep was filmed bragging about the attack to Mo Fathelbab of "The Experiment" who was interviewing pride attendees and serendipitously recorded him confessing to the hate crime.

Ms. Silverman described the attack:

"I was just getting on the train to go down to Dyke Day as part of Pride weekend. As I was coming down the steps into the station I overheard a guy on the escalator yell “why the fuck are you wearing a skirt?!” I ignored it and just kept walking to buy my ticket.:

"As I’m standing there waiting in line this piece of shit puts his arm on my shoulder and says “Hey women wear skirts.” Because he’d put his hands on me I reacted out of instinct and grabbed him in case he was planning on doing any thing else. He must have only intended to walk away because instead what happened was I ripped his tank top (because of course this fuckwad was wearing a wife-beater) and then he started swinging at me."




Click Here to watch Opens in new window




From here on it’s kind of a blue but it basically turned into a fight. My glasses got flung across the room and we both hit each other a few times before both backed away from each other. He kept putting his fist out like he was planning to hit me again and he started yelling that I started it, that I came after him and that for someone who wears skirts I was “acting like a man,”which he said over and over again. I told him to get the fuck away from me and then some other guy coming off the escalator heard me and stepped in and told him to get away from me too and then a Metro employee showed up so I’m sure someone had gone to get him.



I almost went home but I decided I couldn’t let him ruin my day or my pride weekend. I got my train pass and leaned against a wall to compose myself for a few moments. And then get ready to go down for the train and he’s right there at the bottom of the escalator. I took a wide path around him and got in a car on the other side of the train.

This all just happened less than an hour ago. I typed most of this in the notepad on my phone on the train trying to process it. Mostly I’m still shaken up that it happened at all, that it happened in broad daylight with a group of people around. But at the same time, I’m feeling super proud of myself for having stood my ground. I am not a victim. Not this time. Not ever.

We all love Rye Silverman here at The Experiment. She is not only one of our favorite standup comedians toiling away in the Los Angeles comedy scene, she is also one of our favorite people. (Check out the ‘Why Aren’t You Following?’ profile we did of her in April.) So it pained us to hear that some piece of shit (who is pictured above) attacked her at an L.A. Metro station on Saturday simply because she’s a transgender woman.

She later posted:

The thing that keeps flashing back to me about earlier today is how my attacker kept trying to say “you started it” when he was backing away from me.

The thing is that I can actually understand why in his simple mentality that he truly believes that’s true. Because basically he saw me as less than him, he saw me as someone who he had a right to put his hands on and he never ever expected that I would do anything in response to defend myself. In his mind I actually broke some sort of social contract where he thinks I’m just supposed to take it. That’s why he kept saying I was “acting like a man” for defending myself.

I really want to hear the version of the story he tells where he’s the hero and I’m the villain. I’m morbidly obsessed with that kind of mental process. But I hope that he’ll think twice before putting his hands on anyone else again.

And then a surprise hit the Internet in the form of a Funny or Die video — which featured the attacker… at fuckin’ L.A. PRIDE!

Holy crap!!! This video, 1:40 in, that’s the guy, this is the guy who attacked me. Notice he just says he asked me why I was wearing a skirt, no mention of him grabbing me and getting in my face. Anyone know this piece of shit?




6/8/14

The ENDA Schism: HRC is once again on the outside looking in

A protester begins shadowing this years HRC DC Pride contingent
Photo Oblogdeeoblogda.me
I admit it. I really didn't care that much about this years ENDA religious exemptions. I mean, its obvious the bill would never be introduced into the House with its Republican strangle hold. But its become increasing difficult to ignore,  There is something seriously wrong, and its not just this doomed legislation.


The splitting of the T from the GLB was the impetus that flung planetransgender into the blogosphere with our first crude posts in 2007.

Now once again HRC is being seen as a outsider with ulterior motives regarding the current ENDA Legislation. This time ENDA seems to be overstepping TittleVII religious exemptions making the bill worthless.

So how hard is it to fix?

It could be as it was in 2007 that HRC is a led by a testosterone driven egocentric man who would rather drive his organization over a cliff for a gay win than admit to an error?

And I will admit, I do not fully understand exactly what makes this version of ENDA's religious exemptions so erroneous. What began with GetEqual's protestations, easily dismissed as reactionary by gay.com, is blossoming into a yet another full scale HRC showdown.

So is HRC listening this time?

When the people who were carrying the signs at this years DC Pride (right) went to the front of the HRC contingent they were pushed away. After all these years there's still no place in HRC for dissent.

This years ENDA no matter how doomed will have an effect on next years legislation. So its important to note when ENDA was introduced four trusted human rights organizations, American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Transgender Law Center expressed their concern over the religious exemptions it contained in a Joint Statement.

That concern has evolved into outright condemnation as HRC continues to push this problematic bill.


Thomas Library of Congress S.815 Religious Exemptions
COMPARE THAT WITH TITLE VII religious exemptions

OK so what about HRC and why are we focusing on them?

Towleroad is reporting that while HRC is raking in millions promoting this bill they have requested an audience with the Pope to protest the firing of LGBT people from Catholic Schools, a practice that this bill would enshrine into law.

HRC is caught with its politically expedient duplicitous beeratches down. Again.


Mark Snyder, spokesperson for the Transgender Law Center, reaffirmed the concerns expressed over the religious exemption in that letter on Thursday via an email to the Washington Blade.

“We reaffirm the joint statement we issued last spring that outlined our very grave concerns with the religious exemption in ENDA that is significantly broader than the exemptions in other federal civil rights laws like Title VII,” Snyder said. “Our laws should not treat discrimination against LGBT people as a more acceptable form of discrimination.”

But Snyder went further on Thursday by unequivocally saying his organization won’t support ENDA as long as the current religious exemption remains in the legislation.

In addition Equality Illinois broke from HRC issuing a statement condemning the religious exemptions. Now that's news.

So what are these religious exemptions and how would they affect you individually? Well for starters do you work for a corporation?






Pumper says her cause was 'noble' and she's 'remorseful' for death caused by silicone injections

Padge Gordon, the transgender woman charged with murder after injecting a fatal does of silicon to enhance the physique of dancer Claudia Seye Aderotimi, says she's 'remorsefull' in a letter to the DA but contends her actions were 'noble'.

The letter  to Philly AG Seth Williams published in part by Philly.com aka the Daily News reads:
"The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office would like to promote [the] thought that it was greed, recklessness and malice that fueled my conduct," she wrote.

"However, I swear that my aim was noble in nature. I simply really just loved the feeling of . . . helping others feel more beautiful, wonderful and magical about themselves - just as someone once helped me."
Aderotimi's friend testified Gordon sealed the puncture wounds caused by the needles with super glue and left Aderotimi in the motel room to die after after she complained she couldn't breath.

Gordon turned down a plea bargain by Williams which would have landed her behind bars for 15 to 30 years. The maximum she can receive for third degree is 40 years. Gordon is seeking a conviction of involuntary manslaughter for which she could be out in as little as 2 1/2 years in her letter to the DA saying:

This woman eventualy died a horrific death.

Gordon was arrested at yet another 'pumper party' Click HERE to watch video

Gordon's letter continues...
"Please let us amicably put this case to rest without any more negative press and media attention on our city . . . which a trial like this would bring," she wrote.

Gorden was charged with murder while in custody for aggravated assault after she gravely injured a woman with industrial grade silicone injections earlier in 2012.

At the time of Windslowe's 2012 arrest, Williams had called her arrogant and greedy.

"Her conduct cost one young woman her life and placed countless others in danger," he said. "The defendant put her own greed above the public's health and safety, and instead of being remorseful she bragged about prospective clients."

Windslowe's murder trial is scheduled for Feb. 17, 2015