Guest speaker Ed

I am so glad Ed came and talked to our class. I think it was very helpful for us to learn from someone who has his background. I also enjoyed listening to him because he was so open and willing to share his ideas, experiences, and thoughts with us.

Ed shared his experience with us of being transgendered. He talked about being born with ambiguous genitalia. I am so glad he shared this part of his life with us because most of us will never meet someone like this, especially someone who is so willing to talk to us about his experience so openly.

I enjoyed listening to his story and how people reacted. I think we all like to think we are open minded. But then I wonder what we would think if this was someone in our family. I hope we would all still be open minded then! I cant imagine not having the support of one's parents because he or she is born with ambiguous body parts. I am so glad to hear that his brothers are supportive and that his parents are coming around.

The fact that transgendered women are (sometimes) killed by their partners if they partners find out about their change is scary. I can't imagine living in that fear. Ed also said that there are more transgendered people being killed now. I honestly think that it is that people are reporting it. Transgendered is much more accepted now (but still has a long way to go) but I think it is getting out into the world a little more. Meaning that people are actually aware of transgendered. I don't know if they are necessarily targeted more, but the media and law enforcement are probably starting to take better records and are more likely aware that people are transgendered. (I feel like I just wrote in one giant circle)

I wish there was more I could do t help Ed financially. I can't believe how expensive those surgeries are. I also think the surgeries should be covered by insurance. Some cosmetic surgeries are covered by insurance as long as it helps self esteem. So, I think that is a different reason, however, I think the situation like Ed's is a more valid reason. (Just a personal opinion)

I will discuss the articles here but remember, we are also discussing them in class. Keep in mind transgender is DIFFERENT than sexual orientation. However, our focus will be more on transgender because I think it is still a culture that is very misunderstood.

Yahoo News (Barbara bush)
I am very thankful that individuals like Barbara Bush are able to voice their opinions. I really think this is important when her dad was a president. I am glad that she is able to stand up for what she believes to be right.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell
I am going to clump a couple articles together here (Homosexuals in the Military, Chaplain)
So many things in these articles are interesting. I knew that Clinton formed the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy in 1993 as a compromise. That way homosexuals could enlist in the military but could not talk about their sexual orientation. However, I still feel that it was wrong. I am glad that Don't Ask, Don't Tell has been repealed. There have been so many studies that show that troop morale have nothing to do with sexual orientation. Prior to DADT, people were turned away from the military based on their sexual orientation. DADT allowed homosexuals to be enlisted, but not discuss their sexual orientation. They could be discharged if they were open about their sexual orientation. However, most discharges were based on people saying they were homosexual rather than homosexual acts.
It frightened me that homosexuals in Russia are "not liked and most likely will be beaten". However, I am glad Great Britain changed its policy to allow homosexuals in January of 2000.

The Chaplain article...infuriated me. I think his thoughts are unacceptable. He needs to do his job and not honestly on the military bases, it doesn't matter what religion you are, the chaplains are supposed to be welcoming and supportive to help individuals with their problems.

Gay Couples Left in Legal Limbo
I learned there are 19 countries that permit citizens to sponsor same-sex partners for legal residency. I had no idea that there were at least 10,000 gay bi national couples in California.  However, I wonder if people will abuse this (if it is ever made legal here) like some abuse the ability to get married to a US citizen to stay in the country. Thoughts?

The Gayest One
How do you tell? That is my big question here? How do you tell?

10 Reasons Why Gay Rights is a Religious Issues
How did you feel when you read this article? I strongly encourage people to watch this video. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39691906/ns/us_news-life/ The suicide rate is 6 times higher with these individuals.

Why Lesbians aren't gay
The statistic on golf was very interesting. 30% of women in the PGA are lesbians. I also think it is interesting that a good number of leading composers are gay. The lesbian culture is very verbal, which was new to me. I wonder why this is. I really enjoyed reading that the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Atlantic have proof that homosexuality has biological roots. However, many lesbian feminists deny that lesbians are biologically rooted.

Young, Gay, and Murdered
The average age of kids self-identify as gay has tumbled to 13.4. Parents usually find out one year later. What do you think? Do you think Larry's death could have been prevented?

Workers Still Hiding Sexual Orientation
51% hide identity. 42% LGBT lie about their personal lives, 27% have been distracted, 21% have job searched, and 13% have stayed home.  The reasons for hiding their identities were: 39% fear losing connections, 28% are not considered for advancement, 17% get fired, 13% hide for their personal safety. 58% person of LGBT say someone at work makes a joke or derogatory comment about LGBT at least once in a while.

Okay, I could go on, but I think it is better to have a discussion in class about this instead! See you all in a week!