On October 8 the Malaysian Federal Court reversed a lower court ruling that the state of Negeri Sembilan's prohibition on cross-dressing was unconstitutional. On entirely technical grounds, the Federal Court upheld Sharia law that prohibits "a male person posing as a woman."

The judicial decision is a serious setback in a four-year struggle by transgender activists to end arbitrary arrests of transgender women on the basis of discriminatory laws.

--Human Rights Watch

This Federal Court ruling is a major setback for transgender rights.

Trans women in Malaysia, who were buoyed by the landmark lower court decision recognizing their rights to be themselves, have been let down once again.

--Neela Ghoshal, Human Rights Watch

Brought to you by: http://peoplesclimate.org/

On September 30, the Mirror broke the story.

It's National Coming Out Day...not just here but also in the UK.

Washington is busy screaming and crying over Putin's military adventure in Syria, and Moscow is pumping out the propaganda about how they are "destroying" terrorists by the score, the actual facts on the ground is that not all that much has changed.
Russia's offensive ismaking minimal gains

Back when I lived in Arkansas (1984-2000), I would frequently be told, upon seeing outrageous behavior on the part of one of that state's citizens, "You've got to remember, This is Arkansas." As if that simple statement implied that Arkansans were not subject to the laws of the United States or the societal expectation of Planet Earth.

It frustrated me no end.

It got so I would say

Arkansas is a really beautiful place to live, except for the people who live there.

I imagine people in other places may have similar stories...or perhaps, ones that are in total opposition.

The news spins:

Per an e-mail I received from CREDO action --