LGBT Coffee House for Older Adults

The Simsbury Senior Center invites you to a Coffee House at Eno Hall

Everyone is welcome at our first coffee house for members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) older adult community.

We’ll have live acoustic music by Chip Ames, savory and sweet bites, and of course…..coffee.

Thursday, January 15

5:00pm to 6:30pm

Eno Memorial Hall Auditorium

754 Hopmeadow Street ~ Simsbury, CT

This Free event is co-sponsored by The Avon Senior Center and The Canton Senior Center.

The Simsbury Senior Center is committed to offering a safe and welcoming space to everyone. 

For more information, call;
The Simsbury Senior Center at 860.658.3273, 
The Avon Senior Center at 860.675.4355 or 
The Canton Senior Center at 860.693.581.

Survey Request

We have received a request to pass along a survey from a PhD candidate about the importance of access to surgical transition procedures.

Redefining Trans* Persistence and Desistence Toward A More Inclusive Account of Trans* Populations

"I am a fourth-year, trans*/genderqueer identified doctoral student. I would like to invite your followers to consider participating in my dissertation research. My social justice based study is an examination of what, if any, impact access to surgical transition procedures have on transgender (trans*) gender identity. The study explores the following: Is access to surgical transition procedures an important aspect of a trans* gender identity? What barriers exist for trans* populations to accessing surgical transition procedures? Finally, what extent do barriers limit access to surgical transition procedures? Participation will take about 20 minutes and will involve responding to two brief questionnaires presented online. All data related to your participation will be kept anonymous. To participate in this study, you must be a transgender individual at least 18 years of age, self-identify as a trans* individual, live in the United States, and read and comprehend English."

Here's the link: http://bit.ly/15Octy8 

Two events this week...

The movie Gen Silent is playing at the UConn Scool of Social in West Hartford on Wednesday and on Thursday is the Transgender Day of Remembrance

Gen Silent
Wednesday, November 19 at 5:00pm
Gen Silent is a critically acclaimed, award-winning documentary produced by Stu Maddux. The film follows the lives of six Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) seniors living in the Boston area who must consider whether they will hide their sexuality in order to survive in the health care system.
http://ssw.uconn.edu/archives/17553

2014 Transgender Day of Remembrance
Thursday, November 20 at 7:00pm
Metropolitan Community Church of Hartford
155 Wyllys St, Hartford, Connecticut 06106

Join us as we gather this year, to remember, honor, and commit to action that will prevent more transgender lives being senselessly lost. Join us for a night of community, compassion, and hope.
https://www.facebook.com/events/845564998807935/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

The Transgender Day of Remembrance is also being held at the following locations...
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Thursday, November 20th, 2014 17:00PM (5:00PM)
Amistad Memorial

Westport, Connecticut, United States
Thursday, November 20th, 2014 19:00 PM – 20:30 PM (7:00 PM-8:30 PM)
Unitarian Church in Westport, 10 Lyons Plains Road, Westport, Connecticut 06880

New Britain, Connecticut, United States
Thursday, November 20th, 2014 19:00 PM (7:00 PM)
Central Connecticut State University, 1615 Stanley Street, New Britain CT, 06050

16th Annual

Transgender Day of Remembrance

REMEMBER ** HONOR ** ACT 

7:00pm Thursday November 20, 2014

 To be held at the Metropolitan Community Church of Hartford
 155 Wyllys Street, Hartford CT 06106
 (Parish House, Church of the Good Shepherd, entrance in the back)

Office: (860)724-4605 Pastor: (860)990-1225
www.mcchartford.com

This is a day we reserve each year to memorialize those whose lives were lost due to anti-transgender fear, bigotry and hatred.  Around the world, communities have planned vigils to come together in community to remember those who have died in the past year.  As we gather this year, we remember, we honor, and we commit to action that will prevent more lives being senselessly lost.  Join us for a night of community, compassion, and hope.

Also being held at the following locations in Connecticut...

New Haven, Connecticut
Thursday, November 20th, 2014 17:00PM (5:00PM)
Amistad Memorial

Westport, Connecticut
Thursday, November 20th, 2014 19:00 PM – 20:30 PM (7:00 PM-8:30 PM)
Unitarian Church in Westport, 10 Lyons Plains Road, Westport, Connecticut 06880

New Britain, Connecticut
Thursday, November 20th, 2014 19:00 PM (7:00 PM)
Central Connecticut State University, 1615 Stanley Street, New Britain CT, 06050

Have You Been Discriminated Against In Housing?

We are looking for trans-people who have been harassed or discriminated against in housing and/or in homeless shelters here in Connecticut.

If you were told that you were not welcome when you went to rent an apartment. Or a homeless shelter refused to let you stay there or the shelter required you to stay in the shelter of your birth gender. We want to know about it.

Did the other residents harass you and the landlord or the shelter do nothing?

Email us and briefly tell us what happen and where and when.
Or fill out the “Contact Us” form
Or call us at 860 255 8812 and leave us a voice mail.

And please help us get the word out for this.

Housing Discrimination

Press release from the CHRO...

SAVE THE DATE!

August 20, 2014

The Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

The National Center for Lesbian Rights

Symposium on New State and Federal Protections Against LGBT Discrimination in Housing

Join CHRO, HUD, NCLR, and our community partners for a day of education about the rights of LGBTQ individuals to equal opportunity housing.

The program will include presentations on:

• what constitutes housing discrimination
• the impact of housing discrimination on LGBTQ persons and communities
• protections provided by federal programs with a focus on the new protections under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s LGBT Equal Access Rule
• protections provided by Connecticut State Law
• the impact of the Equal Access Rule on homeless LGBTQ individuals
• resources for protecting LGBTQ rights to housing
• the rights and obligations of housing providers and lenders

We hope to see you there!

When: Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Where: Legislative Office Building
300 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
Time: 9:00a.m. - 4:00p.m.

Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities 25 Sigourney Street Hartford, CT 06106
860-541-3423
http://www.ct.gov/chro

United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street S.W.
Washington, DC 20410
202-708-1112
http://www.hud.gov

National Center for Lesbian Rights
1100 H Street, NW Suite 540
Washington, DC 20005
202-734-3545
http://www.nclrights.org

Changes in the California Birth Certificate and Name Change Laws

California just made it easier to change your birth certificate and your name, the Transgender Law Center reports,

The first phase of the law, which went into effect January 1, made it easier for transgender people born in California to obtain an accurate birth certificate by removing the requirement that they present a court-ordered gender change in order to amend a gender marker on a birth certificate. Instead, they now have the option to just submit a form and a doctor’s letter directly to the state Department of Public Health along with a $23 fee.

Under the second part of the law, which becomes effective today, those seeking a name change to better match their gender identity are no longer required to publish the change in a local newspaper.  Also effective today, those seeking to obtain a name change for purposes of gender transition will no longer be required to attend an in-person court hearing unless another person challenges the name change request. These new protections were created to improve the safety and privacy needs of transgender people seeking to obtain accurate and consistent identity documents.

Read the article here.

Transgender Cinema and Theater at HartBeat Ensemble

Looking for something to do Friday & Saturday Nights?


Transgender Cinema and Theater at HartBeat Ensemble with playwright Enrique Urueta

Enrique Urueta (How to be a Latina, The Danger of Bleeding Brown) spends the weekend at HartBeat Ensemble--first as host of the film screening 20 Centimeters, and then with his new play Forever Never Comes. Join the conversation as we look at issues within the transgender community through film and theater. Post show conversations to follow after both events.


 June 27
Film screening: 20 Centimeters
7:00pm
FREE
A 2005 film about a narcoleptic transgender woman's life as she works to get the surgery to fix her "20 centímetros" problem.

June 28
Forever Never Comes by Enrique Urueta
7:00pm
$10
Dylan, a transgender young man who returns to his West Virginia home town for his parent's 25th anniversary finds that death and betrayal is tearing apart their world

Tickets are FREE from June 25-27.
Single Play Reading $10
Closing Party $10
Single Play and Party $15
Full Day Pass $30 (includes Closing Reception)

All Events at The Carriage House Theater 360 Farmington Avenue Hartford, CT
For more information call 860.548.9144

Click Here For Tickets

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Right New Guidelines

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Right just came out with new guidelines for charter school; warning them not to discriminate.

I am writing to remind you that the Federal civil rights laws, regulations, and guidance that apply to charter schools are the same as those that apply to other public schools. For this reason, it is essential that charter school officials and staff be knowledgeable about Federal civil rights laws.

These laws extend to all operations of a charter school, including recruiting, admissions, academics, educational services and testing, school climate (including prevention of harassment), disciplinary measures (including suspensions and expulsions), athletics and other nonacademic and extracurricular services and activities, and accessible buildings and technology.
[…]
These Federal civil rights laws and the specific legal obligations discussed in this letter apply to all public charter schools in the United States, regardless of whether they receive Federal funds under the Department's Charter Schools Program. In addition, charter schools that receive funds–either directly or through a State educational agency (SEA)–under a Department grant program, such as the Charter Schools Program, are subject to the additional requirements of each grant program.

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Right also just released a “Questions and Answers on Title IX and Sexual Violence” that said in part…

“Does Title IX protect all students from sexual violence?

Answer: Yes. Title IX protects all students at recipient institutions from sex discrimination, including sexual violence. Any student can experience sexual violence: from elementary to professional school students; male and female students; straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students; part-time and full-time students; students with and without disabilities; and students of different races and national origins.”

This reiterates earlier “Dear Colleague” letters where they said the “sex” in Title IX also applies to gender identity and expression.

The Q&A goes on to say this about First Amendment rights,

How should a school handle its obligation to respond to sexual harassment and sexual violence while still respecting free-speech rights guaranteed by the Constitution?

Answer: The DCL on sexual violence did not expressly address First Amendment issues because it focuses on unlawful physical sexual violence, which is not speech or expression protected by the First Amendment. However, OCR’s previous guidance on the First Amendment, including the 2001 Guidance, OCR’s July 28, 2003, Dear Colleague Letter on the First Amendment, and OCR’s October 26, 2010, Dear Colleague Letter on harassment and bullying, remain fully in effect. OCR has made it clear that the laws and regulations it enforces protect students from prohibited discrimination and do not restrict the exercise of any expressive activities or speech protected under the U.S. Constitution. Therefore, when a school works to prevent and redress discrimination, it must respect the free-speech rights of students, faculty, and other speakers.

Title IX protects students from sex discrimination; it does not regulate the content of speech. OCR recognizes that the offensiveness of a particular expression as perceived by some students, standing alone, is not a legally sufficient basis to establish a hostile environment under Title IX. Title IX also does not require, prohibit, or abridge the use of particular textbooks or curricular materials.

Medicare ends trans-exclusion!

NCTE reports that...

Today, an independent review panel in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ruled that Medicare cannot categorically exclude treatment for gender dysphoria, including transition-related care.

This decision eliminates the nationwide rule that transition-related surgeries cannot be covered by Medicare. Now, decisions on coverage for transition-related care, like hormone therapy or surgeries, will be made on the basis of individual medical need and clinical standards, not outdated prejudices.

Repealing this rule means Medicare will now treat transgender healthcare just as other healthcare procedures are treated under Medicare. It puts decisions about our healthcare back in the hands of doctors and patients rather than bureaucrats or insurance companies.

We congratulate our friends at the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights for the smart advocacy that won this victory.

The National Center for Transgender Equality will continue to advocate with our partners to make sure no insurance plan in the United States discriminates against the healthcare needs of transgender people.

Sincerely,
Harper Jean Tobin
Director of Policy
National Center for Transgender Equality

FACT SHEET ON MEDICARE COVERAGE OF TRANSITION-RELATED CARE

New Support Group for Partners of Trans-People

There is a new support group for partners of trans-persons.

The group will meet once a month at the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective at 1841 Broad St. in Hartford. The group will be initially co-facilitated by Marta (a spouse of a trans-person) and Jule (a clinical social worker who worker with trans-persons) until the group is functional as a peer support group.

For more information see their Facebook page or call Jule @ 860 916 5124 or email her at jhmichel@w4w.de

https://www.facebook.com/groups/270466939781216/

Help End Housing Discrimination in CT

 

For more information contact María Cuerda (remove the "X") or visit their website Fair Housing Center

UConn Healthcare Study

As many of you know CTAC has an annual conference at the UConn Health Center in Farmington and they asked us to help spread the word about a survey they are doing. Now is the chance to help them understand our needs...

Perceptions of Healthcare Practices: The LGBT Community study

It is being conducted through the University of Connecticut Health Center. The goal of the study is to learn more about the health concerns, expectations, experiences and healthcare seeking behaviors of the LGBT community. The results of this survey will be used to advocate for better health care access and quality for LGBT individuals.

You are invited to participate in this study if you are at least 18 years of age. Your participation is voluntary and all data will remain anonymous and confidential; your responses will not be linked to you in any way. If you choose to participate, please click the link below. While complete surveys will provide better data, you may skip questions that you do not feel comfortable answering. Your response to these questions should take about 15-20 minutes to complete. After completion, please click the “submit” button. Completion of this survey signifies your consent to participate in the study.

We truly appreciate your participation in this research study. For any questions regarding the study, please feel free to e-mail stbrown@uchc.edu

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LGBTHealthcarePerceptions

Madicaid & Husky Insurance

We just received a report from someone who contacted the State Insurance Commissioner office that "They have no control over Medicaid and Husky state insurance."

Maine's Supreme Court Rules Trans-Students Must Be Treated As The Gender That They Identity As

In a landmark case Maine Supreme Court rules that trans-students must be fully integrated in to the schools including using the bathroom of their gender identity.

Breakthrough Ruling in Favor of Transgender Student
GLAD
January 30, 2014
Transgender Students Must Have Full Access to School Facilities, Says Maine High Court
Today, Maine’s highest court ruled that denying a transgender girl the use of the girls’ restroom at her school violated her rights under Maine’s Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination against transgender people. The decision in GLAD’s lawsuit Doe v. Clenchy marks the first time a state court has ruled that transgender students must be allowed to use the bathrooms that match who they are.

The ruling stated in part, “[The school] agreed with Susan’s family and counselors that, for this purpose (as for virtually all others), Susan is a girl.  Based upon its determination that Susan is a girl, and in keeping with the information provided to the school by Susan’s family, her therapists, and experts in the field of transgender children, the school determined that Susan should use the girls’ bathroom.”

This will have far reach impact on Connecticut because our law is very similar to Maine's

New Form for Changing the Gender Marker on Your Driver License

We have just been informed by one of our readers that there is a new DMV form to change your gender on your driver's license (Just what we need more paperwork)...
GENDER DESIGNATION CHANGE FORM B-372