Fired Transgender Journalist Speaks Out

Fired ‘Marketplace’ Reporter Wonders: Is Objective Journalism Dead?

Lewis Wallace, former “Marketplace” reporter. (Sam Worley / KCRW)

In this week’s episode of “Scheer Intelligence,” Truthdig Editor in Chief Robert Scheer interviews Lewis Wallace, a former reporter fired for questioning objective journalism in the age of Trump.

Wallace had been working for the American Public Media show “Marketplace” for months when he was abruptly fired in February. The reason? He’d written a personal blog post, titled “Objectivity is dead, and I’m okay with it,” in which he explored how journalists will “adapt to a government that believes in ‘alternative facts’ and thrives on lies, including the lie of white racial superiority.”

“Marketplace” executive Deborah Clark stated that the blog post “was a clear violation of our ethics code.” Wallace, who is transgender, tells Scheer that he can’t be objective when it comes to LGBTQ issues in the news — nor should he have to be. The two also discuss diversity in journalism. Listen to the full interview below:

The Fresno State Cross-Cultural and Gender Center

The Fresno State Cross-Cultural and Gender Center is a great place to meet new people and find a sense of belonging on campus.
We are excited to bring new programming, and honor existing, as well as collaborate with groups, clubs, and organizations across campus.

If your group would like to work on a campus event or ongoing programming with us, let us know! We are not limited to the groups listed above, and we would love to partner with you!

We are located in between the Satellite Student Union and the Kennel Bookstore in the Thomas Building, Room 110.

Cross-Cultural and Gender Center
5241 N. Maple Ave. M/S TA35
Fresno, CA 93740
P 559.278.4435

https://www.fresnostate.edu/studentaffairs/ccgc/
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com › Places › Fresno, California › Organization
Resources for Transgender Students
What Are My Rights at School?
The federal Title IX law, which bans sex discrimination in schools, has been interpreted by courts and the US Justice and Education Departments to prohibit discrimination against transgender and gender non-conforming students.

You have the right not to be bullied or harassed because you are transgender or gender non-conforming. If school administrators become aware of bullying or harassment they must take action to end it.
You have the right to equal educational opportunities regardless of your gender identity or expression or your race, nationality, or disability. This includes not being punished or excluded from school activities or events because you are transgender or gender non-conforming.
You have the right to present yourself in a way that is consistent with your gender identity, so long as you follow rules for how to dress that apply to all students.
You have the right to use restrooms and other facilities that are consistent with your gender identity, and can’t be forced to use separate restrooms.
You have the right to privacy concerning your transgender status and gender transition. Any such information kept in school records must be kept private and not shared without your permission.
You have the right to join or start a Gay-Straight Alliance or Pride Alliance, and to have your group treated like other student groups.

In Memory of Hal Hynds

Hal Hynds was a long time personal friend and an active member who served several terms as Secretary of Fresno Stonewall Democrats.

Hal was born in Bakersfield, CA, September 6th, 1957, and died in Fresno, CA, on July 16th, 2017. His sister Berma Absher has several children and grandchildren still living in Kern County and also in Florida. His sister Doris Rogers has one daughter still living in Bakersfield. Hal enjoyed the role of uncle, particularly after both his own sisters passed away.
Hal attended public schools, proudly graduated from CSU Bakersfield, working from a young age. He enjoyed listening and playing music, skiing, visiting Los Angeles. He learned and enjoyed auto repairs, carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, and tile cutting and laying. He worked as a Social Worker for Kern County, liking the challenges of the tasks of counseling, providing evidence in court, and assisting the Sheriff’s Office to move children to foster care when parents were taken into custody. While responding to such a sheriff’s call, he was almost killed in an auto accident in 1989. Hal’s courage and strength enabled him to learn to walk again with over two years of surgeries and rehabilitation. He retired to Fresno.
September 20th, 1996 was our anniversary, the date we first met, as marriage was not available then. For over 20 years, we shared our world of love, work, social and political groups, dining out. We both found peacefulness in life. Hal had the time, tools, and talent to improve our home by painting, landscape improvements, tile and carpet laying, and always had a project underway. He played the piano, harps of all sizes, acoustic and electric guitar, and several brass instruments. He greatly enjoyed his time with the Clovis Community Band, usually playing the euphonium. And, he loved our dogs, and canaries, guppies, and all other animals.
June 20th, Hal suffered a severe stroke in a Bakersfield motel, while on a four-day weekend trip to shop in Long Beach and Los Angeles. He died in a hospice in Fresno on July 16th, 2017. My thanks to Dawn Williams and her family, Matthew Avilez, Jared West, Jared Callister, my cousin Janelle Hiam, my neighbors Karen and Mary, and all the many others who helped through this terrible time. At Hal’s request, his remains were cremated without ceremony. Remember that Hal believed we should all enjoy each other, while we are with each other. I will always mourn the loss and treasure every minute of our many years together. Please allow us all time to mourn in peace.

Trump Speaks at anti-LGBT, anti-Muslim event

Trump Is First Sitting President To Speak At Hate-Filled ‘Values Voter Summit’ President touted religious freedom for right-wing Christians at annual anti-Muslim, anti-LGBT event
by Julia Conley October 14, 2017

Trump Is First Sitting President To Speak At Hate-Filled ‘Values Voter Summit’

Advocates of LGBT rights and religious freedom denounced President Donald Trump as he became the first sitting president to address the Values Voter Summit on Friday.

In his speech, Trump assured his supporters that Judeo-Christian religious values would be protected by his administration and pushed the narrative that social conservatives have been under attack in the U.S.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which classifies the Family Research Council, one of the groups behind the summit, as a hate group, tweeted about the gathering the president had chosen to address.

The FRC’s website reads, “Homosexual conduct is harmful to the persons who engage in it and to society at large, and can never be affirmed…We oppose the vigorous efforts of homosexual activists to demand that homosexuality be accepted as equivalent to heterosexuality in law, in the media, and in schools.”

The annual event is taking on a decidedly anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant tone this year as well, with Brigitte Gabriel, Sebastian Gorka, and Steve Bannon speaking in addition to the president.

In his speech, Trump drew on his ubiquitous “Make America Great Again” slogan, promising a “return” to religious values supposedly upheld by the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Despite a number of references to religious liberty, the president made clear throughout the speech that his concerns lie with the freedom to express Judeo-Christian beliefs. He invoked the alleged “War on Christmas,” promising, “We are stopping cold the attacks on Judeo-Christian values.”

He also addressed the Johnson Amendment, the law signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson eliminating religious organizations’ tax-exempt status if they publicly advocate for political candidates. Trump touted his executive order which weakened the amendment earlier this year, touting his commitment to protecting Christian and Jewish leaders—but made no mention of other religious groups.

“We will not allow government workers to censor sermons or target our pastors or our ministers or rabbis,” the president said. “These are the people we want to hear from, and they’re not going to be silenced any longer.”

Trump, who has spent most of his life in socially progressive New York City, expressed liberal views about the LGBT community prior to his 2016 run, once saying he supported an amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and noting that he “grew up in New York City, a town with different races, religions, and peoples. It breeds tolerance.”

But since announcing his presidential run in 2015, he’s proven to be dependent on the support of groups like the Family Research Council. Opening his speech, he mentioned his affinity for groups that approve of his professed views.

Exporting anti-LGBTQ laws

This morning LGBTQ people in Mississippi woke up knowing that their state now officially has the most discriminatory anti-LGBTQ laws on the books, worse than any state in the country.
Today HB1523, a religious refusal law, took effect in the Magnolia State. The law authorizes Mississippi officials and service providers, such as doctors and store owners, to refuse to serve LGBTQ people on the basis of three specific religious beliefs about marriage between same-sex couples, transgender individuals, and sex before marriage.
It’s a terrible law, leaving all LGBTQ people vulnerable to discrimination – and now that it’s in effect, you can bet that opponents of LGBTQ equality in state legislatures nationwide will seek to replicate its effects in their own states.
The 2018 legislative session is fast approaching – and we need to be ready to resist bills like HB1523 in key states nationwide. Can you help us prepare by donating $4 to Freedom for All Americans’ States Action Team, which was built to fight back against anti-LGBTQ legislative attacks? Click here.
When Indiana passed its distorted “License to Discriminate” RFRA law in 2015, dozens of state legislators held the law up as inspiration for their own attacks. When North Carolina prohibited restroom access for transgender people, many nearly identical bills advanced far in other state houses.
Now, we anticipate our opponents to look to Mississippi’s HB1523 as an example of a “License to Discriminate” that they can pass in their own state – and we can’t let that happen.
LGBTQ people need laws protecting them from discrimination – not laws that ease discrimination altogether. Our States Action Team is gearing up for a busy legislative session in 2018 – and we need you with us.
Click here to donate $4 to the States Action Team and make a difference so we can avoid the next HB1523.
Thank you,
Kasey Suffredini
Freedom for All Americans

Stonewall Inn’s Landmark Status To Be “Reviewed” By Trump

http://www.newnownext.com/stonewall-inn-trump-national-monument/04/2017/?fb_ref=fbshare_web

The Stonewall Inn was declared a National Monument by President Obama just last year.
 by  
 President Donald Trump is expected to order a full evaluation of all the national monuments designated by President Obama, which includes a review of the Stonewall Inn.
 New York’s Stonewall Inn has a unique place in queer history as it’s considered by many to be the birthplace of the modern day LGBT rights movement.

Stonewall Inn, National Historic Landmark

The Stonewall Inn, National Historic Landmark
Stonewall is nationally significant becStonewall_Inn_1969ause it is associated with events that outstandingly represent the struggle for civil rights in America. The nominated sites encompasses a several block area in Greenwich Village that was the location of a series of events, collectively known as Stonewall, that occurred between June 28 and July 3, 1969. Stonewall is regarded as the single most important event that led to the modern movement for gay and lesbian civil rights.

“The Stonewall Rebellion that began on June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn, is the watershed moment in the history of the modern gay and lesbian civil rights movement. Stonewall marked the first time that gays and lesbians as a group forcefully and vocally asserted their rights to equality under the law. The events of Stonewall opened the door for millions of gay and lesbian Americans to begin pressing for full and equal civil rights. Indeed, within a few short years of Stonewall, thousands of gay and lesbian civil rights organizations had sprung up all across America. This historic site, which is commemorated annually in thousands of parades and festivals around the world, must be recognized as a truly significant place in the history of the modern civil rights movement. In June 1999, the Stonewall Inn was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its historic significance to gay and lesbian history.

The event was significant from the day it occurred – creating changes in gay people’s lives immediately. On the one-week anniversary, there was a gay march. On the first year anniversary, the first gay pride march was held in New York City, as well as in other cities. The name “Stonewall” has been used very widely – even internationally – to mark gay pride events. The 15th anniversary saw a post office commemoration of the event. An estimated crowd of more than 500,000 people participated in the 25th Anniversary Stonewall March in New York City.” At 30 years, in June of 1999, Stonewall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and then as a National Historic Landmark, recognizing the significance of the events that took place in 1969.” *

*Andrew Dolkart interview with Department of the Interior GLOBE.

Court Rules You Have No Constitutional Right to Engage in 100% Consensual Rough Sex

Matt Agorist March 7, 2016veroxybd.com

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia released its decision in the case of Doe v. George Mason University et al. and, for some reason, they felt compelled to weigh in on whether there is a constitutional right to engage in consensual BDSM sex. Their answer is, ‘no.’

In the case of Doe v. George Mason University et al., a George Mason student was expelled for allegedly having sex with a woman without her consent because he failed to stop their BDSM sex after his partner said the ‘safe word.’+

The plaintiff alleged that the George Mason University administration “‘disregarded’ the BDSM context of the relationship and how it ‘affected matters like consent and related issues’ and treated a BDSM relationship as ‘per se sexual misconduct,’” and thus violated his right to engage in consensual sexual activity as well.

There is no question, forcing sex on an unwilling partner is rape and is reprehensible in any capacity. However, the court’s ruling went on to address consent as well.

Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/federal-court-rules-constitutional-engage-100-consensual-rough-sex/#zVH5FRuW4EY7cJwb.99