Black Trans Woman Ashley Diamond Released from Prison After 3 Years
After serving more than three years in a men’s prison, where she reported repeated rapes, the black trans woman was released to family members in Georgia today.
Dawn Ennis
All posts by GayFriendschat.com
Transgender Awareness Training: A Business Essential
Transgender Awareness Training: A Business Essential
We have already reached the tipping point for transgender people in society and are quickly moving beyond it into new, uncharted territory. One seemingly cannot read a newspaper or magazine or turn on the television these days without encountering some mention of the transgender phenomenon. Caitlyn Jenner nearly broke the internet when she publicly revealed her gender realignment. Laverne Cox is winning awards for her acting. Janet Mock is appearing regularly on television news and current affairs programs. More transpeople than ever are coming out and making themselves visible to the world. There has never been a time in history when information about the transgender phenomenon was more readily available.
Due in no small part to this increased interest by the public, gender diversity in the workplace is an issue whose time has come. Over two thirds of the Fortune 500 companies now have non-discrimination policies that include gender identity and/or gender expression. These successful companies are not adopting such policies because they want to be nice — they’re doing it because they recognize that inclusion for gender diverse employees is a beneficial business strategy that works well on a variety of levels. In today’s war for top talent, such a strategy can help create a significant competitive advantage in the areas of recruitment and retention.
However, even for companies with strong Diversity & Inclusion programs, there is often an information gap around the issue of transgender in the workplace. As with most complex issues in today’s society, education is the key. There are many reasons why transgender awareness training is becoming a must for today’s businesses. Here are a few of those reasons.
• The business case for transgender inclusion is strong and irrefutable. In order to be more effective in their work, employees need to understand 1) why this is so and 2) what the ramifications are for their organization. Effective transgender awareness training can help to educate them about this newly emerging business reality.
• Employers should be aware that the visible presence of transgender employees in the workplace is becoming increasingly commonplace. Global business expectations are shifting accordingly and organizations need to be appropriately responsive.
• In the United States, recent federal initiatives make employers directly responsible for the ways in which their organizations treat gender diverse employees. Violators may potentially face legal action.
• The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will actively pursue alleged sex discrimination cases based on transgender status and gender stereotyping. Violations of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act are being taken seriously by the federal government, and associated litigation is increasing.
• A Presidential executive order has been issued that bans discrimination against openly gay or transgender federal employees and government contractors.
• All employees deserve to be able to ask questions, voice potential fears and concerns and engage in meaningful dialogue about the issue of transgender in the workplace. Awareness training can provide such an opportunity in a safe and respectful environment that is conducive to learning, growth and enhancement of an organization’s culture. Also, an effective training situation will offer valuable information about the scope and complexity of gender diversity as a social phenomenon that is receiving increased attention. The results of such initiatives often include improved morale, teamwork and overall productivity.
• Top management as well as HR and legal professionals need to be informed about the existing and emerging business implications of the transgender phenomenon. Certainly, organizations need to ensure they are in compliance with the law. Companies also need to respond effectively to changing public perceptions, new marketing trends and shifting business expectations.
• Transgender awareness training allows an organization to actively demonstrate its commitment to diversity in its workforce, to inclusion in its work environment and to respect for each individual. By offering such training the company is effectively stating that it values every employee’s contributions and intrinsic human worth. In fact, the organization places such important on these principles that it is willing to devote time and money to educating its people about this emerging workplace trend. Efforts like these almost always result in improved morale and enhanced internal branding among the company’s workforce, which is conducive to a stronger, more cohesive organization overall.
A knowledgeable, experienced, professional transgender consultant/trainer can provide lasting value through the sharing of insights and factual information from a unique and personalized perspective. This creates a memorable opportunity for the organization’s employees to learn about the benefits of gender diversity inclusion from a qualified expert. Equipped with accurate information and effective tools, these employees can then return to their jobs better prepared to meet the challenges of a changing marketplace and an evolving work environment.
A company’s own internal trainer can potentially do a good job. However, and primarily because of their status as a recognized expert, an outside transgender awareness trainer may do a better one. The ultimate goal is the creation of lasting value through an enhancement of an organization’s culture. An effective consultant/trainer will ensure that the goal is met and, if at all possible, surpassed.
The world will continue to change and the business community must continue to respond to those changes in effective ways. New information will arise to inevitably impact society’s expectations. The emergence of the gender diversity phenomenon is creating a need for companies to become more aware of the inherent challenges and opportunities created by this significant new social development. The key to success in this leading-edge area of business interest is education, and that is why transgender awareness training can be extremely beneficial for today’s organizations. That is also why such training can help provide significant competitive advantages for companies that wisely choose to educate their people about transgender in the workplace. Finally, that is why transgender awareness training has become an essential initiative for businesses that seek to be more successful through a strategy of intentional inclusion for gender diverse employees.
If your organization is in need of transgender awareness training and/or transgender consulting assistance, please contact Vanessa via www.vanessasheridan.com.
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Political foes Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck clash again
Political foes Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck clash again
There was no split screen involved this time but Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck are clashing again publicly.
O’Donnell took to Twitter on Monday (31 August) to call out her former co-host on The View – and frequent political sparring partner -for a comment she made in her current job on Fox and Friends about the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
‘Why has the #BlackLivesMatter movement not been classified yet as a hate group?’ Hasselbeck asked a guest earlier in the day. ‘I mean, how much more has to go in this direction before someone actually labels it as such?’
The question came in response to the execution-style shooting death of Deputy Darren Goforth near Houston, Texas, by an African-American suspect on Friday. It’s not known if suspect Shannon J. Miles is connected to #BlackLivesMatter which campaigns against what it calls police brutality against African Americans in the US.
In response, O’Donnell tweeted Hasselbeck’s question to her more than 840,000 followers with her own observation that: ‘Some are slow to wake.’
Hasselbeck had on-air clash with O’Donnell in 2007 that was so traumatic (see video below) that O’Donnell left the show nearly a month before her one-year contract had expired.
The two women did not speak for the next seven years.
Then in the spring of 2014, they were reunited for the farewell show of The View’s creator and longtime co-host Barbara Walters. While they were friendly on the air on that day, Hasselbeck pounced when a short time later it was announced that O’Donnell would be returning to the show that fall as a regular co-host.
She said: ‘Here in comes to The View the very woman who spit in the face of our military, spit in the face of her own network, and, really, in the face of a person who stood by her and had civilized debates for the time that she was there – coming back with a bunch of control, ready to regain a seat at The View table’
At the time, O’Donnell said she wasn’t surprised by the tirade.
‘I’ve come to expect nothing from her, even though I feel I continually make the effort to break through,’ she says.
The post Political foes Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck clash again appeared first on Gay Star News.
Greg Hernandez
www.gaystarnews.com/article/political-foes-rosie-odonnell-and-elisabeth-hasselbeck-clash-again/
PHOTOS: Big Brother’s Austin Gets Naked For Straight Housemate, Demands A Rub Down
PHOTOS: Big Brother’s Austin Gets Naked For Straight Housemate, Demands A Rub Down
Not that removing his clothes in front of a camera is really new territory per se, but current “Celebrity” Big Brother UK contestant and former A-List: New York plastic / boyfriend of Marc Jacobs Austin Armacost recently stripped down for housemate James.
Though James is straight, the two have been embarking down a beautiful bromance, bathing together and sharing a bed.
Claiming sore hamsrings, Austin tried tirelessly to get James to massage his aching muscles. In the process, he showed off his ass for all to see.
Click here to catch the full moon rising.
Dan Tracer
What To Watch On TV This Week: Debbie Harry and Amy Sedaris Are ‘Difficult People’
What To Watch On TV This Week: Debbie Harry and Amy Sedaris Are ‘Difficult People’
Check out our weekly guide to make sure you’re catching the big premieres, crucial episodes and the stuff you won’t admit you watch when no one’s looking.
— Rejoice, awful persons! Hulu’s original series Difficult People has been renewed for a second season. Check out the latest installment of the series, starring comedian Julie Klausner and out performer Billy Eichner. This week’s episode also features appearances from gay icons Amy Sedaris and Debbie Harry. It drops Wednesday on Hulu.
— YouTube’s popular purveyor of parody Todrick Hall is bringing his schtick to cable. His show, Todrick, debuts tonight at 10 p.m. on MTV. Find out how his signature songs get the visual treatment as the series follows the creation of a new video each week.
— Do you love learning? Do you love drinking? Celebrate them both with the return of Drunk History, Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. Eastern on Comedy Central. Each episode has a comedian or storyteller get tipsy and then recount important moments from history. Check out a sample of a previous episode above.
— Thank goodness we have Project Runway to get us through the TV wasteland that we’re usually facing in August. It’s a tense team challenge this week, and, this time, they’re armed! See what happens when Project Runway and paintball combine Thursday at 9 p.m. Eastern on Lifetime. Catch up with anything you missed last week with a recap above.
— If you’ve been missing your antiheroes since Breaking Bad and Mad Men ended, tune in to Hand of God on Amazon, debuting Friday. The drama follows a judge (Ron Perlman) as he goes on a rampage of vigilante justice after suffering a mental breakdown.
What are you watching on TV this week?
The post What To Watch On TV This Week: Debbie Harry and Amy Sedaris Are ‘Difficult People’ appeared first on Towleroad.
Bobby Hankinson
What To Watch On TV This Week: Debbie Harry and Amy Sedaris Are ‘Difficult People’
STUDY: One-Third of Israelis Are Bisexual
STUDY: One-Third of Israelis Are Bisexual
New research suggests there are 10 times as many bisexuals in Israel as gays and lesbians.
Eliel Cruz
www.advocate.com/world/2015/08/31/study-one-third-israelis-are-bisexual
Transgender Healthcare Equality (VIDEO)
Transgender Healthcare Equality (VIDEO)
Healthcare access issues for trans people are largely overlooked — often because healthcare isn’t a sexy topic for the media, but it’s an increasingly important part of the LGBTQ movement. Transgender people in particular rely on healthcare and medical support just to live as who they truly are. This film highlights the current issues trans people face in obtaining quality healthcare in America.
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Candis Cayne reveals why she walked out of audition for Curb Your Enthusiasm
Candis Cayne reveals why she walked out of audition for Curb Your Enthusiasm
A guest spot on the comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm would have been a big career boost for transgender actress Candis Cayne.
But Cayne, who has appeared in several episodes of I Am Cait, took herself out of the running once she saw the script.
‘The part was for a trans woman who had to go to the bathroom really bad and decided she was going to go in the men’s line because it was quicker,’ Cayne recalls in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
In front of the show’s creator and star Larry David, Cayne decided to gracefully bow out.
‘I said, “Thank you for writing a trans part, but I can’t audition because a trans woman wouldn’t do this. I have to honor my community,” and I walked out of the audition, exiting with, “But I love the show!”‘
Cayne says another trans actress, Alexander Billings, was also set to audition for the role and had the same reaction.
The scene never made it into any episode of Curb.
Roles in mainstream projects have been far and few between for Cayne since her breakthrough back in 2007 as William Baldwin’s mistress on the ABC drama Dirty Sexy Money.
So this was not an easy job possibility to walk away from.
‘You’re always fighting this because you want to work,’ she says, ‘but you also want to be honest.’
The post Candis Cayne reveals why she walked out of audition for Curb Your Enthusiasm appeared first on Gay Star News.
Greg Hernandez
Another Kentucky Clerk Vows To Die Fighting Against Gay Marriage
Another Kentucky Clerk Vows To Die Fighting Against Gay Marriage
Scoot over Kim Davis and make room for another hater. Casey County, Kentucky clerk Casey Davis — who is not related to the charming Kim — recently appeared on The Tom Roten Morning Show to discuss his aggressively antigay stance on marriage equality, going so far as to say he’d happily die fighting against the Supreme Court’s ruling, reports Right Wing Watch.
Railing against Gov. Steve Beshear for respecting the Supreme Court’s decision, Davis said:
“I think that’s a travesty to think that just because he don’t see it this way or his opinion is to let same-sex marriage go and it’s all right that us as Christians, we as Christians just don’t have rights anymore? That’s wrong, sir. That’s not right… It’s a war on Christianity. There is a travesty taking place with that Supreme Court ruling was completely unconstitutional, completely unconstitutional. They have no right to tell us, the state of Kentucky, that our law that was voted with what was 70 percent of the people that it was wrong, they had no right.”
Related: Kim Davis Breaks Pact With God By Unwittingly Issuing Marriage License To Trans Man
Then Davis started to become even less coherent:
“Our law says ‘one man and one woman’ and that is what I held my hand up and took an oath to and that is what I expected. If it takes it, I will go to jail over — if it takes my life, I will die for because I believe I owe that to the people that fought so I can have the freedom that I have, I owe that to them today, and you do, we all do. They fought and died so we could have this freedom and I’m going to fight and die for my kids and your kids can keep it.”
Listen to the yadda-yadd’ing below.
Jeremy Kinser
South Dakota Lawmaker Proposes Genital Inspection Policy to Determine a Student’s Gender Identity
South Dakota Lawmaker Proposes Genital Inspection Policy to Determine a Student’s Gender Identity
A South Dakota lawmaker proposed an atrocious genital inspection process to determine a person’s gender, including high school students joining sports teams.
The issue was brought up in the 2016 legislative session after a group of lawmakers became upset with a high school athletic group that enacted a trans-inclusive policy, reports The Rapid City Journal.
Rep. Roger Hunt (pictured) introduced the proposal which would strip students from declaring their own gender and would require official birth certificates and “visual inspections,” to determine a person’s gender. Hunt blames gay marriage for spurring the transgender debate:
“This is South Dakota. We haven’t adopted the East Coast culture. We haven’t adopted the West Coast culture. We maintain our own culture.”
The South Dakota High School Activities Association’s policy managed to stave off legislators who attempted to overturn it last winter however, the attention direction at the policy by lawmakers is causing the association to revise pieces of the policy.
Sen. Craig Tieszen cited that a survey finds four in five schools support the association’s authority to determine its own policy with Tieszen agreeing stating “I believe they have the best interest of children as a whole in their hearts.” Despite Hunt’s attempt to derail the association’s progressive policy, other states are introducing transgender protections including a Kentucky school district that overwhelmingly voted to grant protections for its transgender students and employees last week.
The post South Dakota Lawmaker Proposes Genital Inspection Policy to Determine a Student’s Gender Identity appeared first on Towleroad.
Anthony Costello
South Dakota Lawmaker Proposes Genital Inspection Policy to Determine a Student’s Gender Identity
