FRESH FROM THE FRESH FROM THE BODY SHOP VOLUME 3 ISSUE 1 FEBRUARY 2015 Inside This Issue: Remembering Leelah Alcorn 1 Reproductive Health & Wellness Program Guide to appropriate vocab 2 THIS ISSUE A Path Appears documentary 2 Appropriate terms to use when referring to someone who is transgender Team Member Spotlight 3 A new brand of emergency contraceptive pill Remembering Leelah Alcorn In recent weeks, you have probably that her best friend was not allowed to trans people are now more frequently in heard about the death of a transgender attend, and it was made clear in her sui- the public eye than ever before, we still teen just north of Cincinnati. You have cide note that her parents had removed have a long way to go. Trans actress also probably heard her called two differ- her access to her friends and other social Laverne Cox of the popular show Orange ent names (and gender pronouns) de- media outlets. The type of reparative is the New Black and the television show pending on the news source you are lis- therapy they forced her to endure has Transparent have garnered praise and tening to. Leelah Alcorn was a been condemned by many. For example, awards this year. However, in a state- transgendered teen girl who was born Human Rights Campaign states the follow- ment to the Boston Globe, journalist Par- Joshua Alcorn. She was a talented artist ing: “Beyond studies focused solely on ker Marie Molloy says, “’Time [magazine] and musician. She identified as female, but reparative therapy, broader research proclaimed that we’ve reached a to her peers at school she had come out clearly demonstrates the significant harm ‘transgender tipping point’… Declaring a as a gay boy. In the suicide note that was that societal prejudice and family rejection tipping point is great for raising trans set to publish online a couple of hours has on lesbian, gay, bisexual and awareness, but it makes it far too easy to after she stepped in front of a tractor transgender (LGBT) people, particularly ignore the struggles—such as health care trailer on I-71, she wrote about the psy- youth. Furthermore, there is significant discrimination, poverty, unemployment, chiatrists and religious counseling her anecdotal evidence of harm to LGBT peo- and increased risk of becoming the victims 4 parents sent her to (commonly called ple resulting from attempts to change of violent crimes .” Cincinnati even be- conversion or reparative therapy), their their sexual orientation. Based on this came the first city in the Midwest to in- insistence that she would “never truly be body of evidence, every major medical and clude trans-specific health care in benefits a girl, that God doesn’t make mistakes, mental health organization in the United for city employees. But that probably and that I’m wrong.”1 In statements re- States has issued a statement condemning doesn’t help a young woman learning who leased by her parents in reaction to her the use of reparative therapy.”2 Beyond she is when her parents are telling her death, they said things like “we don’t sup- this, they list the specific positions of the they don’t want her to be who she is. port that, religiously… we loved him no American Medical Association, American Leelah’s untimely death and subsequent matter what. I loved my son. People Association for Marriage and Family Ther- suicide note catapulted her story all over need to know that. He was a good kid, a apy, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the world. In her own words, “Gender good boy1.” Despite the fact that her American Psychiatric Association, among needs to be taught about in schools, the suicide note clearly spelled out that she many others, all condemning the use of earlier the better. My death needs to identified as a girl, her parents continued these types of therapy. After Leelah’s mean something. .... Fix society. Please.” to insist on calling Leelah their son, and suicide, a petition was created on referring to her given name, Josh. In a Change.org seeking to establish “Leelah’s facebook post after her death, Leelah’s Law” that would ban conversion/ mother insinuated that the teen had simp- reparative therapies on a national level. ly gone out for a walk and been hit by a No matter your beliefs, Leelah’s sui- truck, not that she had walked 4 miles cide note makes it clear that she was living from home and stepped onto the high- her life in pain. While being transgender is way. nothing new, it is something that society The outcry after her death reflected a as a whole is only now coming to terms truly negative opinion of her parents. The with. A survey study in 2010 showed that memorial service was moved due to 41 percent of transgender people who threats of protest, there were rumors responded had attempted suicide.3 While FRESH FROM THE BODY SHOP VOLUME 3 ISSUE 1 Page 2 If you are interested in learning more Gender/sexuality Vocabulary Guide about international and domestic efforts to impact the rights of women and girls, There are a lot of words out there that Transgender man: Those who are la- you may want to watch a new three part seek to define gender and sexuality. If beled as female at birth but identify and documentary series that premiered on we’re going to talk about these topics, it live life as a man. Can be shortened to PBS on January 26th (but will be repeated needs to be done in a manner that is ap- trans man, but some people just prefer to in the coming weeks). The first episode is propriate, sensitive, and uses the correct be identified as men. This is up to the available online, with the next installments terminology. Here is a list of some terms individual, and you should ask what he airing on February 2nd and 9th. The crea- we think you should be familiar with. prefers! Generally, the pronoun used to tors started the Half the Sky Movement Please be aware that this list is not com- refer to a trans man is “he” unless the (referring to women “holding up” half the prehensive, and ultimately, only each indi- individual prefers otherwise. sky as they comprise half of the world’s vidual person can identify their preferred population) which gained traction in re- gender and sexuality definition. Transgender woman: Those who are cent years. They turned this project into labeled as male at birth but identify and a documentary called Half the Sky: Turning Sex: classification as male or female as- live life as a woman. Can be shortened to Oppression into Opportunity for Women signed at birth, usually male or female and trans woman, but some people just prefer Worldwide which showed women and girls usually based on the appearance of the to be identified as women. This is up to in incredibly difficult situations around the external genitalia. Sex is actually based on the individual, and you should ask what world, and their efforts to change their things like internal and external reproduc- she prefers! Generally, the pronoun used own circumstances. tive organs, chromosomes, and bodily to refer to a trans woman is “she” unless From the same creators comes a new characteristics the individual prefers otherwise. documentary called A Path Appears. While Half the Sky focused more on inter- Gender identity: a person’s own, inter- NOTE that transgender people may be national situations in ten countries, A Path nally felt sense of gender. For the average straight, gay, lesbian, or bisexual. For exam- Appears focuses on stories within the US person, this is either male or female, and ple, a person who transitions from male to and only three other countries, utilizing usually “matches” the physical classifica- female and is attracted to only to men would personal stories to illustrate broader top- tion of male or female. be considered a straight woman ics. The three episodes are called ‘Sex Trafficking in the USA,’ ‘Breaking the Cy- Gender expression: this is the ex- Cross-dresser: this word has replaced cle of Poverty,’ and ‘Violence and Solu- pressed manifestation of one’s gender. the term “transvestite” in common ver- tions.” There are a number of actors This manifests through choices such as nacular. This a term used to describe het- who are also advocates for the various one’s name, pronouns used to describe erosexual men who occasionally wear causes addressed in the film, and they are you, the way you dress and cut your hair, clothing and makeup usually associated working to “uncover the harshest forms and the bodily characteristics one has con- with women, and is a form of gender ex- of gender inequality, the devastating im- trol over. pression. Cross dressers do not want to pact of poverty and the ripple effects that permanently change their sex nor live life follow: including sex trafficking, teen- Sexual orientation: this is one’s physi- full time as a woman. (Transgender wom- pregnancy, gender-based violence, child cal, emotional, and/or romantic attraction en are NOT crossdressers, nor are they slavery and the effective solutions being to another. drag queens. Drag queen is a term used forged to combat them6.” The film fur- to describe homosexual men who occa- ther addresses the systemic impact and Transgender: this is an overarching term sionally dress as women for entertainment roots of these issues, while demonstrating for someone whose gender identity and/or purposes.) proven ways to change them. gender expression is different from what is usually associated with the sex they were Cisgender: A term used to describe peo- assigned at birth.