NewsNewshttp://dctc.squarespace.com/news/2008-04-07T00:54:45ZSquarespaceAll out to fight anti-trans bill in MD!http://dctc.squarespace.com/news/2008/3/11/all-out-to-fight-anti-trans-bill-in-md.htmlDCTC2008-03-11T01:18:41Z2008-03-11T01:18:41ZURGENT HELP NEEDED! (again)
The Montgomery County Board of Elections certified the signatures that the anti-LGBT extremists collected to take away rights for the residents of Montgomery County, so the heat is on now! We have 10 days to file a lawsuit disputing the validity of the signatures, and we need your help! We've had a stellar group of people coming in all week to help, and we are getting in the next batch of signatures next week and so we'll need all hands on deck again!

The hours to volunteer are as follows:
Monday, March 10 - Thursday, March 13 from 10am-8pm
Friday, March 14  - 10am-6pm
Saturday/Sunday (March 15-16) hours: to be determined

**if you have a laptop that has the program Microsoft Access and
wouldn't mind bringing it in to volunteer that would be very helpful
(or if you want to loan it to us that would be great too!) **
Where: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's headquarters in
Washington, DC
1325 Massachusetts Ave, NW, 6th Floor (note: The building reads "Nat'l
Air Traffic Controllers" and after office hours, you need a cell phone
to call to get let in)

Send an email to Anna, at saverightsnow@gmail.com, or call (202)
639-6330 to sign up for a specific time. We need you!

Some background information:

Last November the Montgomery County Council (Maryland) unanimously
passed a law to ban discrimination on the basis of gender identity and
expression. Anti-LGBT extremists created a campaign of scare tactics
to collect 25,000 valid signatures (even creating an outrageous
website www.notmyshower.net). The opposition turned in more than the
required amount of signatures to the Board of Elections in hopes of
putting this issue on the ballot in November, which if passed, would
take away rights for the residents of Montgomery County.

We need to stop them! Equality Maryland has hired an attorney to make
the case that many of these signatures are invalid, and the law
shouldn't be put on the ballot.

]]>Hearing on Hate Crimes Legislation January 3rdhttp://dctc.squarespace.com/news/2007/12/24/hearing-on-hate-crimes-legislation-january-3rd.htmlDCTC2007-12-24T18:24:23Z2007-12-24T18:24:23ZA public hearing has just been announced for the addition of gender identity to the hate crimes legislation of DC. It will take place January 3rd at 10am. If you have testimony or want to testify, get in touch with us ASAP at dctranscoalition@gmail.com -- they need tetimony by 12/28.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2007 – 10:00 A.M.

THE JOHN WILSON BUILDING
1350 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W.

COUNCIL CHAMBER - ROOM 500

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004 ]]>Event December 15th: Know Your New! Improved! Rightshttp://dctc.squarespace.com/news/2007/11/27/event-december-15th-know-your-new-improved-rights.htmlDCTC2007-11-27T23:47:19Z2007-11-27T23:47:19ZHey everybody,

Grab a friend and c'mon down to:

Know Your New! Improved! Rights with the DC Metro Police
This is a community forum by the DC Trans Coalition to inform us about the General Order the MPD has issued and how we enforce and demand our new rights.

Saturday, December 15th
3pm-5pm
@ St. Stephen’s Church
1525 Newton Street NW,
Washington DC
(Near Columbia Heights Metro, and bus lines S1, S2, S4, H8, H3, H4, 54, 53 and 52)

Find out about our recent victory on our rights and the Metro Police Dept., what it means for you, and where we’re going to bring the fight next!
For more information about the Coalition, or to get involved, email dctranscoalition@gmail.com

Tell your friends, spread the word!

]]>The General Orderhttp://dctc.squarespace.com/news/2007/10/19/the-general-order.htmlDCTC2007-10-19T01:55:32Z2007-10-19T01:55:32ZHere's the MPD announcement and link to the PDF version of the General Order that went into effect October 11th. Click here:

http://newsroom.dc.gov/show.aspx/agency/mpdc/section/4/release/12001/year/2007


]]>We won! MPD General Order signed by Chief Lanierhttp://dctc.squarespace.com/news/2007/10/17/we-won-mpd-general-order-signed-by-chief-lanier.htmlDCTC2007-10-17T21:10:01Z2007-10-17T21:10:01ZAfter many meetings and lots of hard work, we won General Order PCA 501-02, "Handling Interactions with Transgender Individuals", the most progressive order in the country. It was covered in the Post, the Examiner, and on WAMU radio.

Read on the Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/15/AR2007101501258.html

Listen at WAMU:

http://wamu.org/audio/nw/07/10/n16071017-18020.ram 

On DCist today:

http://dcist.com/2007/10/16/mpd_to_be_more.php 

And Queerty (a blog):

http://www.queerty.com/news/dcpd-gets-trans-friendly-20071016/

Once we get a final version with Chief Lanier's signature, we'll post it here so you can download it. 

 

]]>We're moving forwardhttp://dctc.squarespace.com/news/2007/6/26/were-moving-forward.htmlDCTC2007-06-26T16:05:04Z2007-06-26T16:05:04ZNearly 40 people came together on June 23 to set priorities and make decisions about our campaign for respect from police, jails, and emergency services.

Many of us took on responsibilities and pledged to reach out to others in our community to get them involved. We're meeting on July 10 (7:30 at HIPS) to plan what's next.

If you want to help, contact us.

]]>Trans activists hope to improve police, jails, and fire/EMShttp://dctc.squarespace.com/news/2007/6/18/trans-activists-hope-to-improve-police-jails-and-fireems.htmlDCTC2007-06-18T06:20:27Z2007-06-18T06:20:27ZOn June 23, a community plans for action

 
NORTHEAST D.C. — On June 23, DC’s transgender community will come together to agree on draft policies that could help DC’s police, fire/EMS, and corrections departments better serve and protect transgender people.

Then comes the hard part: getting city agencies to put the new rules in place.

“Some of the worst cases we hear about come from DC’s most critical services,” said Gigi Thomas, a client advocate for the transgender community. A judge ruled last month that the Fire Department harassed and intimidated the diversity specialist they hired after losing a high-profile lawsuit in 1998 over the wrongful death of Tyra Hunter, a transgender woman.

“If you’re assaulted or denied lifesaving medical care, a lawsuit can’t undo the damage,” Thomas said. “These departments should set a higher standard, by providing better training for their frontline staff and making sure transgender people are treated with dignity.”

What: Transgender Community Forum

When: Saturday, June 23, 2:00–4:30 PM

Where: Northeast Neighborhood Library – 330 7th St. NE at Maryland Ave.

Who: The DC Trans Coalition, an organization of transgender people and allies united to improve the lives of trans people in DC.

Background
Over the past three years DC’s transgender community has won a string of victories in law and policy, starting with the addition of “gender identity or expression” to the Human Rights Act in 2005. Last year, the Office of Human Rights voted to enact the strongest anti-discrimination rules in the country, and the Department of Motor Vehicles changed its policy to make it easier for transgender people to get accurate identification cards.

Spokespeople and participants will be available for interviews before and after the event.
To protect the safety of members of our community who want to talk about experiences with DC police and jails, the forum discussion is not open to working members of the media.

[Contact]

]]>June 23 Trans Community Forum on Police/Jails/EMShttp://dctc.squarespace.com/news/2007/5/29/june-23-trans-community-forum-on-policejailsems.htmlDCTC2007-05-29T02:18:46Z2007-05-29T02:18:46ZWhat if YOU made the rules…
And the police, jails, and & emergency services had to follow them?

As transgender and genderqueer people, we face brutality, harassment, sexual assault, and basic disrespect while being arrested or even during emergency situations when we need support.

Come to a community forum where we can make the rules for how we should be treated by DC’s police, jails, and emergency service workers. Had good or bad experiences with these city agencies? Let’s share our experiences and decide what changes our trans communities need from DC’s city agencies.

Saturday June 23rd, 2007, 2pm-4:30pm

Trans & Genderqueer Community Forum
on Police, Jails, and Fire/EMS

Northeast Neighborhood Library
330 7th St. NE at Maryland Ave, NE, near Union Station Metro

This event is wheelchair-accessible. Child care can be made available, but you must call to confirm: 202-917-0446. If you aren’t transgender or genderqueer, but want to support our efforts, please call or email us. While participation in this forum is for people who identify as trans and genderqueer, there will be many opportunities for your support.

Print a flyer [PDF] 

]]>DMV victory!http://dctc.squarespace.com/news/2006/12/31/dmv-victory.htmlDCTC2007-01-01T03:54:25Z2007-01-01T03:54:25ZIn December, 2006 we won a new policy from the DMV on changing the gender marker on DC-issued ID cards. The new form can be signed by a doctor, counselor, or social worker, and requires no additional evidence. Information about a change of gender will be kept confidential under the new policy. Forms are available in all DMV offices and on the DMV web site.

Gender Designation Form and Policy [PDF]

]]>Strongest anti-discrimination rules in the U.S.http://dctc.squarespace.com/news/2006/10/28/strongest-anti-discrimination-rules-in-the-us.htmlDCTC2006-10-29T03:21:16Z2006-10-29T03:21:16ZOn Oct. 27, 2006, DC's new transgender anti-discrimination regulations went into effect. These rules are what give our law teeth, and make it enforceable against the real forms of discrimination trans people face.

Learn your rights.

]]>