I'm not labeling Manning a hero at all; I think she was a victim of Assange and friends' manipulation at best, and possibly a traitor at worst. But how is she different than Agee 2: Electric Snowgaloo? Among other things, she didn't seek publicity at first, while Snowden went public almost immediately and has basked…
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xn--wdi
For what it's worth, I was pleasantly surprised when the oft-maligned DNI James Clapper referred to her as Chelsea in a recent statement about leaks. A lot of people have misgendered her/used her old name largely out of spite, i.e. that Fox idiot that said "I'm not going to do what Bradley Manning wants me to do!"…
Yes, she had mental issues which were highly relevant that they could have stuck to: narcissistic personality disorder, outbursts of violence. But the defense brought up her trans-ness anyway, painting it as inter-related. (And of course, they introduced the infamous wig picture as evidence.)
They repeatedly cited her "gender identity disorder" as part of their defense, and called up a witness who said, "I think being in the military and having a gender identity issues does not exactly go hand in hand."
It's true that she isn't as blatantly smug and traitorous as, say, Snowden, but she still put countless lives at risk with her indiscriminate leaking of mountains of sensitive information. I think she was more a tool of Wikileaks than anything else.
Not-very-fun fact: they're also one of the last states in Europe where changing one's gender marker is disallowed—the last in Western Europe, with the exception of tiny Catholic fiefdoms like Andorra.
There's no reason it would impact the cost of Tricare to the Federal government any more than it affects private employers: Tricare is still insurance, and it spreads the costs around like all other insurance plans do, even more so when you're talking about a huge pool like the U.S. military. Gender transition is rare…
I'm not familiar with the regimen for trans men, but most trans women take two pills, which are readily available from any pharmacy: estradiol (commonly used by menopausal women) and spironolactone (officially an anti-hypertensive medication, but also a potent anti-androgen; I feel bad for any men that get prescribed…
Trans people are banned by DoDI 6130.03, "Medical Standards for Appointment, Enlistment, or Induction in the Military Services." Specifically, it disallows anyone with a "history of major abnormalities or defects of the genitalia such as change of sex…" (sections 14f and 15r; these also ban intersex people), or a…
Thing is, trans people are already serving: trans women are twice as likely as cis men to be veterans. But they're forced to hide it for years, which mental-health-wise just makes things worse—and more costly—in the long run.
What I wonder is, will the Obama administration or Hagel actually do anything to correct this? This administration has been rather pusillanimous on trans issues, seemingly afraid of negative headlines from the right wing getting their gender-normative undergarments in a bunch. (I don't think Obama has ever even…
Indeed, which is why there are plenty of gay Republicans out there, too: invariably white, male, and well-off, so conservative homophobia doesn't affect them in practice (who cares about the benefits of marriage when you've got money to burn, and who cares about anti-discrimination laws when I've already got mine?),…
Eh, that's a bit different. The sometimes-overzealous Tumblr crowd have pointed out how Colbert and his writers tend to lean on tired "predatory trannies with big hands, LOL" jokes for cheap laughs rather than satire, as does The Daily Show. (It's more obvious when The Wörd is the one making the "adam's apple" joke,…
Yes, Mock totally responded appropriately and professionally. (And I wish I could have that picture of her and Laverne Cox’s reaction as a poster on my wall.) I suspect Morgan’s unhinged and unprofessional response was primarily due to the responses of others from Twitter, though.
There’s no need to apologize, but I do…
Situations like this are so difficult.
Situations like this are so difficult.
(I'll move this to its own thread.)
There's a law here in D.C. that requires all single-occupancy restrooms to be designated as unisex, District-wide. It was passed as part of a trans-rights bill, but it just makes logical sense for everyone. (Well, I guess you could argue it disadvantages men since women need more time in there. OMG, misandry.)
There's…