caucus99percent

free-range politics, organic community

Deluxe Financial Services, Inc. is a check printing company. Britney Austin used to work at their Phoenix call center. Then she informed her supervisors that she would be transitioning from male to female. Her managers and co-workers proceeded to shower her with harassment and offensive slurs. The company refused to let her use the women's restroom and refused to change her name and sex on employment records, saying she would have to complete gender confirmation surgery first.

Then Austin's attempts to utilize the company health plan for medically necessary health care were denied even though the company claimed it was a requirement before they would change the documents.

When the company laid off employees at that location, which has since closed, Austin argued, the company denied her severance pay and COBRA benefits.

Austin sued the company in federal court in Minnesota.

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Friday January 21, 1916
Indianapolis, Indiana - Mother Jones Puts an End to Bitter Debate at Miners' Convention

Newspapers across the nation are describing the dramatic confrontation at the United Mine Workers Convention when Mother Jones arrived to find the delegates embroiled in a bitter debate and hurling bricks at one another. The Tacoma Times declared:

OLD MOTHER JONES STORMS CONVENTION

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 20,-Mother Jones stampeded the convention of the United Mine workers today with an address of unpolished oratory.

She raised 1,500 delegates to a fury of enthusiasm and forced Duncan McDonald to the platform to shake hands with President White, ending a bitter struggle between the two which threatened to disrupt the organization for years.

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The 10 U.S. sailors that were held at gunpoint for less than a day, after going into Iranian waters, has been the object of much political debate. However, the ongoing kidnapping of three American security contractors in Baghdad has been met with a wall of silence.

I've said before, on numerous occasions, that I am not particularly religious. But I belong to a community which does not experience wide-ranging acceptance. We are excluded more often than not.

So it should not be a surprise when I highlight any call for us to be welcomed into any community.

Bishop Gene Robinson, who is now a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, has written and published Transgender Welcome: A Bishop Makes the Case for Affirmation. According to the CAP reuse policy, I may publish Bishop Robinson's document in its entirety if I follow a few rules.

Thisdocument was published by the Center for American Progress

This document is a love letter to the transgender community, both a “thank you” and a “welcome” to transgender people. It comes out of my experience of learning so much—about sexuality, gender, and myself—from transgender people. It springs from my belief that God is enriching the lives of us all by bringing transgender people and their insights into our experience and understandings. This resource is an attempt to recognize transgender people as the gift they are to our understanding of God and God’s love.

God is up to something, as God often is! And this time, it’s personal.

Hey! Good Evening!

This evening's music features "The Poet of the Blues," Percy Mayfield. Enjoy!

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Thursday January 20, 1916
From The Outlook: Speculations on Causes of Youngstown Strike & Riot

From The Outlook of January 19th:

YOUNGSTOWN: THE STRIKE
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Ohio National Guard on duty in ruins of East Youngstown.
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If it is true, and we have not seen it contradicted, that the battle in Youngstown, Ohio, in which several men were shot dead and many others wounded was one between detectives hired by employers, and strikers, and was on the public street, then that fight and those deaths were a disgrace to town, county, and State. Private detectives, hired by one party to a quarrel, are not the guardians of public order; they correspond rather to the paid bravos of mediaeval private war.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/01/20/1472177/-More-of-the-same-from-...

We get a break from the high school crowd chanting "Omigod Sanders criticized Planned Parenthood!" A lot of people in the comments section reflecting upon their crap experiences with NGOs.

The rise of Sanders and Trump (i.e. political outsiders) has coincided with the rise of self-described "independents".

Occasionally there are reminders of days long past...days that have receded into the fog of my past. A name might pop up here or there...reminding me that we corresponded with each other once upon a long time ago...that one or both of us might have been exploring a new life...or at least the possibility of one. Our names might even have been different then.

Hey! Good Evening!

This evening's music features early blues guitarist and singer Crying Sam Collins. Enjoy!