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The House LGBT Equality Conference announced this morning that they will hold the first ever congressional forum on transgender issues next Tuesday.

Following a press conference in the morning to launch the Task Force the forum will specifically address violence against the transgender community.

The forum comes during Transgender Awareness Week, which culminates with Friday's Transgender Day of Awareness.

This week, as we seek to raise awareness of the issues facing the trans community, it is important to renew our commitment to help trans individuals be free of the fear of violence or bullying just for being who they are. It is my hope that by launching this workforce and holding a first-ever forum, we will reach some of my colleagues and encourage them to stand with the trans community. It is only through social change that we can truly elevate the conversation in this country and reach a place of true understanding and embrace all people for who they are.

--Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA), who has a transgender granddaughter

Most of this year's 21 transgender murder victims were trans women of color.

Hey! Good Evening!

This evening's music features soul singer Eddie Floyd. Enjoy!

It's time to break out of the straight jacket of incremental progress or none at all. We are told that we must support the establishment democrat or get stuck with a crazy republican. Either way, the establishment wins. And the people lose.

Hey! Good Evening!

This evening's music features The King of Zydeco, Clifton Chenier. Enjoy!

A ceremony was held today in the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center to announce the opening of the GIVE (Gender Identity Veteran Experience) clinic.

The clinic will have an initial enrollment of 20 transgender veterans, aged 21 to 75. GIVE will be open on a half day each month and will be supervised by Dr. Megan McNamara, who began working with trans veterans two years ago. Dr. McNamara is a primary care and women's health doctor. She will be the clinical lead physician. The treatment team will also include a nurse, a psychologist, and a social worker.

It felt like a good fit for me, professionally, and I felt that a lot of patients could use this service.

--Dr. McNamara

The political establishment of Europe has failed. It's only a matter of time before the full consequences of this failure are revealed.
This failure will have some consequences for the United States as well.

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Well folks, tonight was one of the most exciting nights I've ever had in politics in Texas.

It was a meeting with the state campaign staff of Bernie for President. They laid out the agenda. Then we divided up into working groups.

I met with a few people under the Labor for Bernie banner. And here's where it gets exciting! I met the former long-time editor of Labor Notes. Yes he's moved down here to San Antonio from Detroit and he's now working with Unite Here.

A super great guy. And this is BREAKING NEWS. The Hyatt workers FINALLY have union recognition. It hasn't even been publicly announced yet, so you are hearing this ahead of the public announcement. This has been a SIX YEAR fight. So exciting.

I met a local leader of National Nurses United. She invited me to a Bernie gathering at her house on Saturday afternoon. Great lady. They don't have any hospitals organized yet in San Antonio, but they are here on the ground and active.

Hey! Good Evening!

This evening's music features blues singer, harmonica and guitar player Lazy Lester. Enjoy!

Yesterday The administration officially endorsed the amending of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect LGBT Americans from discrimination.

As of yet, there is no federal law that explicitly prevents people from being fired, evicted, or refused service on account of their sexual orientation or gender identity. A proposal just to ban employment discrimination for LGBT Americans (ENDA) has been continuously stymied since 1994.

The Equality Act, which the White House announced it would support Tuesday, aims to provide a wider range of protections, and in the most direct way possible. The bill would insert language about gay and transgender people into legislation created by the 1964 Civil Rights Act — the historic measure that banned many forms of discrimination by race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

The United States has found itself in bed with a lot of revolting characters in the past 14 years of Global War Against Evil.
Whether it is our Warlord/Drug Lord allies in Afghanistan, our Shia jihadist allies in Iraq, or our Sunni jihadist allies in Syria.