Author's posts
Jun 22 2013
Kenyan judge rules that strip-searching transgender woman to determine her gender undignified
Recently I wrote about Audrey Mbugua of Kenya in my Transgender Heroes series.
Audrey has been busy. Not content to sit on her laurels, Audrey has formed a lobby group, called Transgender Education and Advocacy, to advocate for the rights of transgender Kenyans. It is said to be “at an advanced stage of registration” with the NGO board.
We currently have over 40 members across the country. Our mission is to reduce the stigma and tell the transgender victims that we are stronger together.
–Audrey Mbugua
And low and behold, her group has already paid dividends. Alexander Ngungu Nthungi (legal name) won a case in Kenyan High Court against police, who were declared to have violated her rights and dignity by stripping her naked in public to determine her gender.
Jun 15 2013
Surprise, surprise, surprise! NY Times endorses transgender equality
There are surprises in life. One happened wednesday. At least I never expected to see the Editorial Board of the New York Times endorse Civil Rights for Transgender People.
Note: The original title of the opinion used transgender as a noun (Civil Rights for Transgenders). The paper has acceded to complaints by changing it.
New York stood for equality by approving same-sex marriage two years ago. It is time now for state lawmakers to extend basic civil rights protections to transgender people. The 2002 state statute that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, education, credit and public accommodations does not explicitly cover transgender people.
There’s more about the effort to bring that equality to transgender people on the inside.
