A Florida social and Support Group for TG’s and Their spouses/partners. Located in Central Florida Volume 29 August 2016 Number 8 NEXT MEETING at The Center August 13, 2016 Meeting 6:00PM FEM mailing Address FEM Board of Directors Volunteers President: Carolyn Interviews Sheila Phi Epsilon Mu Vice President: Jessica Interviews Carolyn P.O. Box 158 Treasurer: Lynn GNO Coord. Jessica Highland City Newsletter Editor: Darlene Web Chief Stephanie FL 33846-0158 Librarian: Jennifer Social Activities open Director at Large Denise Social Activities Open Chapter Web Page Director at Large Stephanie http:// crossdressflorida.com/ ed our own Dana Ng. I was lucky enough to at- tend both the Stonewall Reception and the Street fest and both were fabulous, especially with those in attendance showing that we will not be pushed aside by terrorists or draconian politicians who have chose the LGBT community as the en- emy de jour for the upcoming elections. St. Petersburg Pride enjoyed 260,000 attending all the events and a $22,321,700 financial impact on the local economy (I’d like to know how they got the $700.). Our July meeting was held at the LGBT Center in Orlando. It’s an OK place and that we were able to enjoy great food at nearby ASH Restaurant was a plus. We had a very good discussion con- cerning our fears from the recent attack and the anti-Trans legislative proposals and the hatred resulting from them. We were very luck to be joined by Ann Currier, a therapist with Dr. David Baker-Hargrove’s Two Spirit Health Services and welcomed new member Mark and guest SOUTHERN COMFORT CONFERENCE JUST AROUND THE CORNER September 27th through October 1st. If you’ve spoken with anyone who’s been to an For August, we’ll be going back to the Orlando SCC in the past, you know why you shouldn’t LGBT Center located at 946 Mills Ave. The miss this one. Great seminar, events, meals, and phone is 407-228-8272 should you get lost. It’s best of all, friends, new, old, and not yet met. actually in the very same strip center with Ritzy You simply have to go. There’s a great Yahoo Rags. We’re able to get in at 6:00, so we’ll do site called SCC Lounge you can subscribe to that our monthly GNO at The ASH Restaurant begin- will help you find a roomie if you want to share a ning at 4:30. ASH is a few doors east and locat- room. https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ ed at 912 Mills Ave. scclounge/info We will have limited facilities for changing and So get busy and register for the 2016 Southern applying makeup, but should be able to provide a Comfort Transgender Conference today! Sept. little bit of privacy to do so. We’ll have bottled 27th thru Oct. 1st at The Bonaventure Resort & water on hand too. Since we’re saving quite a bit Spa in Weston, FL!!http:// over the Maingate, the meeting fee will be only www.sccatlregistration.org/ $5. We’ll be returning to the Maingate in September Statewide Transgender Resources Guide so we can iron out details for our October Pro- gram on Travelling Trans by Taylor and our Hal- An online guide published by Trans Action Flori- loween Party. da / Equality Florida that includes the entire state of Florida in addition to a wealth of information on St. Petersburg Pride was a breath of fresh air af- subjects near and dear to us, like name change, ter the tragedy at Pulse. A group bussed over driver’s licenses, etc., is available by going to from Orlando to lead the parade carrying signs Transgender Resource Guide or in the Files sec- with the names of the victims. The group includ- tion in our Yahoo Group. 2 ed Alabama’s height and weight requirements for Gender Is More Than Just Anatomy prison guard applicants, a policy that screened out most women. By Gillian Thomas THE showdown between the Justice Department The next year, the court ruled against the Los An- and North Carolina officials over a new state law geles Department of Water and Power, which re- restricting bathroom access for transgender peo- quired female workers to pay nearly 15 percent ple has brought a question into sharp relief: Does more of their paychecks into an employee-funded Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which pension plan, because women, as a group, out- bars discrimination because of sex, also prohibit lived men. That ruling has been cited again and discrimination because of gender identity? again by other courts: Title VII was “intended to strike at the entire spectrum of disparate treat- The Obama administration thinks so, as do sev- ment of men and women resulting from sex ste- eral district and circuit courts. But North Carolina reotypes.” officials call that a “baseless and blatant over- reach” and a “radical reinterpretation” of Title VII. Other court rulings have recognized myriad forms They argue that the authors of the law did not of sex discrimination that would likely blow Rep- have transgender people in mind when they resentative Smith’s mind. A gas company that erased women’s seniority while they were on ma- wrote it. ternity leave, while keeping other leave-takers’ But that position not only misunderstands how credit intact, was ruled in 1977 to have discrimi- legislative interpretation works, it also fails to nated because of sex. A few years later, the Su- grasp the historic complexities of Title VII’s sex preme Court found an employer’s health plan that provision. The provision has always been con- provided less extensive care for the wives of tested. Since we don’t know much about why male employees than for female employees to be Congress enacted it, we have to look at how discriminatory. courts have interpreted it over the years — and they have constantly expanded its meaning. Sexual harassment, a concept that didn’t even have a name in 1964, was finally acknowledged In the original bill, Title VII prohibited on-the-job by the court in a unanimous 1986 decision to be discrimination only on the basis of race, color, discrimination because of sex. About a decade national origin and religion. But shortly before it later, the court expanded Title VII’s coverage of passed the House, Representative Howard Smith sexual harassment by outlawing same-sex har- of Virginia added “sex” — perhaps as a poison assment, too. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the pill, or to protect white women as well as black opinion and responded to critics who argued that women. In any case, because the amendment harassment of men by men was unquestionably was made during floor debate, we have almost not what Congress had in mind when it passed no record of what representatives were thinking Title VII. He wrote that legal protections “often go when they voted on it. beyond the principal evil to cover reasonably comparable evils,” and what matters is the law Once the act passed, it was largely up to courts itself, “rather than the principal concerns of to interpret the sex provision. At the beginning, our legislators.” the most blatant barriers fell — for example, re- jecting employers’ attempts to limit certain jobs Ann Hopkins’s successful lawsuit against Price only to women (flight attendant) or only men Waterhouse in 1989 became the template on (switchman for a telephone company). which later gender identity (not to mention sexual orientation) lawsuits have been based. Ms. Hop- Over the years, the courts deepened and broad- kins claimed that the accounting firm refused to ened their interpretation of sex discrimination. In promote her to partner because she was the Supreme Court’s first Title VII case, in 1971, “macho,” “overcompensated for being a woman” the justices unanimously ruled against a defense and didn’t look or act stereotypically feminine. contractor that refused to hire mothers of small children, but not fathers, because it considered The court ruled, in effect, that punishing a woman them less committed to the job. In 1977, it reject- for failing to conform to her employer’s notion of “womanhood” was just as discriminatory as 3 DeeRay as treating her poorly because she was a wom- an. The punishment a transgender person faces It is with deep regret that I announce permanent for violating sex stereotypes is just as much dis- closeting, nay being locked in a safe and the key crimination because of sex as it was for Ms. Hop- thrown away, of Deeray. kins. Deeray joined FEM in November 2003 and was In May 2016, when Attorney General Loretta VP and treasurer for many years under Carolyn’s Lynch compared today’s bathroom bans on trans tutelage. employees to “white” and “colored” bathroom signs of the past, she placed trans rights on a Two years ago Pati, Frank’s wife, passed away historical spectrum. and Frank has had trouble coming to terms with that. So much that Deeray no longer brought him North Carolina’s supporters don’t get that sex is relaxation, comfort or joy. He said to me many about more than just anatomy. It also includes times that since her death he had never felt more family roles, romantic desires, cultural expecta- lonely as he and Pati had been together 46 years tions and ideas of masculinity and femininity. The courts get that. In its fight with North Carolina, the A few months ago Frank met a lady and has tak- Justice Department asks for something quite sim- en to this lady strongly.