Featured Editorials

Imagine

Submitted by burnt out on Fri, 09/11/2015 - 4:29am

We celebrated our grand daughter's 8th birthday this evening and watching the joy in her face and hearing the laughter in her voice as she opened her presents was almost enough to get my mind off the world situation for a little while, if it hadn't at the same time magnified my concern for her future.

The 14th Anniversary of the War on Terror

Submitted by gjohnsit on Thu, 09/10/2015 - 4:14pm

As the nation looks back on that terrible day, we should spend some time looking back on what's been done and what we are doing in the 14 years that have followed. The act that started this war is no more important than the acts that have followed.

What does this say about us as a nation?

A day at the Louisiana OMV

Submitted by Robyn on Thu, 09/10/2015 - 2:06pm

photo glover_zpsbrba5jms.jpgAlexandra Glover of Denham Springs, LA needed to update her drivers license. That's not a fun thing to do for anyone, but it was worse for Alexandra. You see, Alexandra is transgender and she lives in Louisiana.

Transgender advocates say Louisiana is one in a minority of states that are behind when it comes to accommodating transgender and gender non-conforming people in ID laws. Recent efforts by transgender people in South Carolina and West Virginia have helped to change driver’s license practices in those states.

After being denied at a couple of OMV offices, Alexandra's friend thought she should document a visit with video.

You can’t present as a woman if you’re listed as a man.

If you have makeup on or anything like that you’re supposed to take all that off, because you are actually a man.

--OMV worker

The social costs of denying health care for transfolk

Submitted by Robyn on Wed, 09/09/2015 - 2:12pm

For background you might read Joan McCarter's How bad is health insurance for trans people? Really, really bad.

A new nationwide survey measures the social cost of health care providers denying care to transgender people.

As a result of being denied insurance coverage for transition-related medical care, 35% of survey respondents reported needing psychotherapy, 23% became unemployed, 15% attempted suicide, 15% ended up on public assistance programs and 14% became homeless.

The report also discovered that 37% of respondents who were denied care turned to drugs and/or alcohol and 36% developed other physical symptoms.

Nursing schools didn't want "her kind"

Submitted by Robyn on Tue, 09/08/2015 - 1:49pm

photo blossom-brown-1-600_zpsic7dvh7f.jpgBlossom Brown is a graduate of Mississippi University for Women, with a degree in public health, and a native of Jackson, MS. Having earned what she descibes as an "awesome GPA," nd wanting to be able to give back to her community, she applied to some nursing schools.

She received six rejections which she thinks were unfair.

People always say, 'You're going to confuse the patients,' or, 'We don't want your kind here.'

People were looking at that, and you need to be looking at my hard work and dedication that I put into that hard work.

--Blossom Brown

You see, Blossom Brown is a transgender woman.

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