The ED will report to the Steering Committee and is responsible for programming and fundraising, as well as financial and administrative management of the organization. MTPC’s new leader will be expected to play a strong, visible and strategic role in developing and implementing plans to promote growth, impact and long-term sustainability.

MTPC is spreading the word about this opportunity as widely as possible.  Please share this information to those in your network who should be aware of this opportunity.  For the complete position profile and application guidelines, please visit http://www.tsne.org/jobs/ed_ma_transgndr_poli_coalition/

We thank you so much for your assistance in getting the word out.  If you know of someone whom I should contact directly, please don’t hesitate to let me know.  Your involvement in outreach can have a big impact on MTPC’s future!

Screening of transgender short films

TRANS PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD screens Sunday, May 12 at the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square, Cambridge, at 4 p.m. This collection of shorts especially lifts up voices from the global trans community, including many trans women and people of color. Tickets to the shorts screening are available on a sliding scale to make this event accessible to everyone in our community.

• QUEEN OF THE DESERT, directed by Alex Kelly, takes us on the road with the flamboyant hairdresser trainer and youth worker Starlady Nungari. Starlady’s hair salons began in the indigenous community of Kintore in 2002. Armed with only a bottle of bleach and a pair of clippers, it was a big success. No wonder–hair has always been important in Aboriginal culture. The desert is harsh and cultural traditions stand strong; not everyone lasts long out here. Initially employers were skeptical, saying “you look a bit strange.” Starlady proved them wrong and now drives thousands of kilometers taking her mobile hair workshops to some of Australia’s most isolated teenagers.
• TRACED IN LIGHT, directed by Daniel Martins (Brazil, Portuguese with English subtitles). A lighting designer in a small independent theater prepares the place for the presentation of the day. His work is extremely lonely, going up and down stairs, testing lamps one after another. Between the complete darkness and the radiance of colored lights, the designer reveals the preambles of a psychological violence suffered due to his gender identity: as a child, he had been forced by his mother to wear an uniform matching to the feminine body that he was born with. This is the turning point in his life that leads him to reflect and speak about the perception society has on gender and trans-sexuality.
• BODY DIALECTIC, directed by Matt Fillmore, surveys the life and work of Kris/Kristen Grey/Justin Credible, a performance artist who mobilizes trans* issues by means of personal experience and reflection. As such, this film embraces the interminglings of the personal, the artistic, and the political. Tactile and poignant in its approach, the film employs the historical use of personal experience to make larger political claims that do not attempt to neatly categorize the polymorphous relationship between gender and bodies. Like the performance art of the film’s subject, this film is primarily invested in a crucial issue of queer theory and social life: the accessibility of complex questions of gender to a person of any gender and sexual identity or expression.
• LOVING THE BONY LADY, directed by Scott Elliott, tells the story of Arely Gonzalez, who has built what she believes to be New York’s largest shrine to La Santa Muerte, the Holy Death. Since devoting herself to the skeletal saint, Gonzalez, who is an immigrant and transsexual, has seen her life transformed. The Catholic Church condemns La Santa Muerte, also known as La Flaca, the Skinny Lady, but in the past ten years her popularity has exploded among those living on Mexico’s margins: the poor, drug runners, prostitutes, prisoners. Now, Sante Muerte has crossed into the U.S. In Mexico, Arely Gonzalez suffered discrimination and was kicked out of Catholic churches. In the U.S., she has become a leader among Santa Muerte devotees, regularly opening her doors to anyone who wishes to seek her saint’s protection and comfort.
• Repeat screening of LA IDENTIDAD DE JUSTICIA, directed by Lucas Waldron (Spanish with English subtitles). In the summer of 2012, filmmaker Lucas Waldron was working in Cochabamba, Bolivia, with an NGO and he connected with several transsexual women who are leaders in the transsexual community’s battle against transphobia in the Bolivian government and society. The result is this powerful documentary about the experiences of transsexual women in Bolivia in relation to sex work, HIV, and discrimination.
• VOICES OF WITNESS: OUT OF THE BOX, directed by Louise Brooks, is a groundbreaking documentary giving voice to the witness of transgender people of faith. Courageously inviting the viewer into their journeys, the film is ultimately a celebration of hope and the power of God’s love to transcend even seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Produced by Integrity’s late communication director Louise Brooks, the film is being offered by Integrity USA as a gift to the Episcopal Church, as a resource for both teaching and transformation.

Additional transgender films

Saturday, May 4

2 p.m., Emerson College Bright Family Screening Room at the Paramount Center, Boston
MR ANGEL, a feature documentary directed by Dan Hunt about transsexual educator, activist, and porn star Buck Angel. Buck was born female yet always knew he was male. The film follows Buck as he creates a new genre in porn trying to change the belief that you need a penis to be a man. MR ANGEL packs a universal lesson of acceptance and is a portrait of an unlikely hero.

Along with MR ANGEL will be a screening two short films, a narrative and a documentary:

NOA, directed by Gal Kadosh (Israel): Noa tries to take care of her trauma struck friend, attempting to cure and bring him back to normal life while hiding from him her personal instinctive wishes.

LA IDENTIDAD DE JUSTICIA, directed by Lucas Waldron. (In Spanish with English subtitles.) In the summer of 2012, filmmaker Lucas Waldron was working in Cochabamba, Bolivia with an NGO and he connected with several transsexual women who are leaders in the transsexual community’s battle against transphobia in the Bolivian government and society. The result is this powerful documentary about the experiences of transsexual women in Bolivia in relation to sex work, HIV, and discrimination. This film will also be screened as part of TRANS PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD (see above).

4 p.m., Emerson College Bright Family Screening Room at the Paramount Center, Boston

Panel discussion. Join the Boston LGBT Film Festival and filmmakers, activists, and academics, including MR ANGEL director Dan Hunt, photographer Caleb Cole and activist Michelle Figueiredo, as we discuss representations of the trans community in contemporary media. The trans media panel discussion will be free to the public. Ticket prices for the film screening is $11 and can be purchased on-line.

Sunday, May 5

3 p.m., Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
WILDNESS, directed by Wu Tsang (in Spanish and English with Spanish and English subtitles). This film is a portrait of the Silver Platter, a historic bar in the MacArthur Park area that has been a thriving part of the Latin/LGBT immigrant communities since 1963. Chronicling what happens to the bar when art student, Chicago transplant, and director Wu Tsang falls in love with the bar and sets up a weekly dance/performance art party, it raises the questions of how popular is too popular. What happens when the safe spaces in our community start to go mainstream?

Saturday, May 11

4 p.m., Brattle Theatre, Harvard Square, Cambridge
CHUPPAN CHUPAI (HIDE AND SEEK), directed by Saad Khan and Saadat Munir (in Urdu with English subtitles). The documentary shows the secret, yet open lives of a group of Pakistani sexual minorities, raising questions about trans-gender activism, religion, underground gay life, social acceptance and collective familial customs of trans-genders in urban Pakistan.

10 p.m., Brattle Theatre, Harvard Square, Cambridge
IAN HARVEY: SUPERHERO, directed by Liam Sullivan. This debut stand-up comedy concert film from Ian Harvie is the culmination of his very personal journey of having been born a girl and later becoming a self-made man.

Sunday, May 12

2 p.m., Brattle Theatre, Harvard Square, Cambridge
TOO COLD OUT THERE WITHOUT YOU, a feature documentary about local Episcopal priest Chris Fike directed by Amy Gattie. When the Rev. Christopher Fike was ordained in the Episcopal Church in 1999, he was a straight, married mother of two adorable children. By 2004 he had completed his transition and now identifies as a man. Too Cold Out There Without You is a post-transition story that looks beyond the act of transitioning and instead focuses on the transformation that takes place in Chris’s relationships with those closest to him.

4 p.m., Brattle Theatre, Harvard Square, Cambridge
TRANS PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD, a collection of documentary shorts featuring the lives of trans people from all over the world. (See bulleted list above.)

Other films of note

Sunday May 5

7 p.m., Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
LAURENCE ANYWAYS, directed by Xavier Dolan (French with English subtitles).
An epic romance about an untenable love affair, Xavier Dolan’s third feature is his most stylish and mature work to date. The film centers on the tortured, on-again, off-again relationship between Laurence (Melvil Poupaud), a writer and teacher, and his girlfriend Fred (Suzanne Clément), a line producer on film productions. As the film opens, they’re ensconced in one of their favorite places: the car wash, a fitting emblem for their claustrophobic relationship. Devout bohemians who have little interest in conventional mores, they lead a charmed existence buoyed by their contempt for virtually everyone else on the planet. That is, it’s a charmed existence until Laurence breaks down in tears and confesses that he believes he’s a woman trapped in a man’s body. Initially shocked, Fred soon decides to carry on as if nothing has happened. But as family pressures and her own doubts begin to mount, the couple drifts apart.

Thursday, May 9

7 p.m., Brattle Theatre, Harvard Square, Cambridge
MY OTHER ME: A FILM ABOUT COSPLAYERS, directed by Josh Laner, is a documentary that chronicles a year in the life of three different cosplayers: a veteran cosplayer who launched a career from cosplay, a young fourteen-year-old first timer, and a trans person who found himself through cosplay. The documentary covers everything from each cosplayer’s home life to their costume process, their journey through the convention circuit, and the profound effect cosplay is making on each of their lives as it grows with them.

Location: Boston, Mass.
Posted: 04/26/2013
Apply by: 05/31/2013

Founded in 2001, MTPC is dedicated to ending discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression. MTPC envisions a world where persons of all genders are treated with respect and fully participate in all areas of society, free from fear of prohibition, harassment or violence based on their gender identity and/or expression. The organization has accomplished major advocacy successes including passage of the Massachusetts Transgender Equal Rights Act in 2011. By attracting and mobilizing the under-utilized talents and skills of the transgender community, it has increased the visibility of transgender people and built a vibrant and supportive transgender and allied community across the state. Its current annual budget is $100,000 under the fiscal sponsorship of the Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth (BAGLY). MTPC currently has in place an Interim Director, part time staff and interns, and a volunteer Steering Committee.

The Opportunity

MTPC is small, powerful, nimble and ready for its next stage of evolution. As the go-to transgender advocacy and education organization in Massachusetts, it is also frequently called upon to assist individuals in the role of direct service provider. Though committed to staying closely attuned to its community’s needs, it has been spread thin as a small organization with limited capacity. Recognizing and managing these (and other) disparate demands will be a key challenge for the new director.

The Steering Committee and staff have identified the following focus areas for the next three years:

• Advocacy (coalition building and legislative strategy)
• Education (community advocates program, trainings and speaking engagements)
• Community (organizing effective community events)

The Position

The new Executive Director will lead an organization of diverse transgender activists and advocates seeking to continue an ambitious agenda of improving the lives of transgender people in Massachusetts. The incoming ED will share this goal and commitment to the organization’s mission, bringing aspirations, perspective and experience to guide the organization. The ED should be passionate, knowledgeable, and politically savvy. The ideal candidate is a seasoned manager with imagination and purpose, able to successfully implement ideas and plans, a skilled collaborator, committed to open dialogue and transparency, and a hardworking self-starter who is dedicated to social justice. The ED will have demonstrable successes as an innovative, facilitative and collaborative leader, able to create a vision and inspire others through positive, inclusive engagement.

The ED will report to the Steering Committee and is responsible for programming and fundraising, as well as financial and administrative management of the organization. MTPC’s new leader will be expected to play a strong, visible and strategic role in developing and implementing plans to promote growth, impact and long-term sustainability.

Application Process

Click here to see the full position description and instructions for how to apply.

Due to the pace of this search, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible with a deadline of May 31, 2013.

The main text of the speech is below, but I recommend watching the full video. It will make your heart grow three sizes today.

We should all be outraged when people suffer discrimination, assault, and even murder simply because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. We should all speak out when someone is arrested and imprisoned because of who they love or how they look. This is one of the great neglected human rights challenges of our time. We must right these wrongs.

Governments have a legal duty to protect everyone, but far too many still refuse to acknowledge the injustice of homophobic violence and discrimination. We need to document this problem and share information with the states on a regular basis for discussion and action. We must institutionalize our efforts to address discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We need public education to change popular attitudes.

Some will oppose change. They may invoke tradition or religion to defend the status quo. Such arguments have been used to try to justify slavery, child marriage, rape in marriage, and female genital mutilation. I respect culture, tradition, and religion, but they can never justify the denial of basic rights.

My promise to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender members of the human family is this: I’m with you. I promise you that as Secretary General of the United Nations, I will denounce attacks against you and I will keep pressing leaders for progress. I’m committed to leading a global campaign in partnership with the United Nations Human Rights Office.

I count on others to join us. Together we can make the world safer, freer, and more equal for everyone.

We are grateful to the first responders and all the community heroes who rushed toward the danger in order to save others. We are all so very lucky to have you protecting us, and we hold you dear in our hearts.

In particular, we are proud (though not surprised) to see Javier Pagan caught being a hero in this now-famous photo from the scene of the blast. Pagan, in uniform on the far right, is the Boston Police Department’s liaison to the LGBT community, and he has been a hero to us for years.

Photo by John Tlumacki / The Boston Globe

In times like this, we must respond to senseless hate and tragedy with love and community.

This LTR cocktail reception and silent auction brings together lawyers, law students, law firms, legal organizations, bar associations and law schools to network and build support in the legal community for MTPC’s work on behalf of transgender rights.

“Lawyers for Transgender Rights provides an important opportunity to hear about MTPC’s exciting work while raising money for this amazing organization,” said Bri Lacy, co-chair of LTR’s Host Committee.

2013 Transgender Ally Award recipient Carl Sciortino has been a leading progressive voice in the Massachusetts House of Representatives since his election in 2004. In addition to being a lead sponsor of both recent transgender rights bills, he has led battles for preserving marriage equality and establishing a buffer zone around reproductive healthcare facilities. He has also advocated for a range social and economic justice issues, including raising the minimum wage, closing corporate tax loopholes, passing the state’s landmark universal healthcare law, pushing for improvements in education and testing policies and increasing access to public transportation.

“Carl Sciortino is the very definition of a strong ally,” said MTPC Interim Director Jesse Begenyi. “He has been there at every step of the process in securing equal rights for the Commonwealth’s transgender community, and he understands the complex systems of oppression creating the need for legal protections. You can tell that even beyond fighting for legal equality for our community, Carl is very invested in people as individuals and works to make sure everyone has an equal chance to lead a full and rich life.”

2013 Community Advocate Award recipient Dylan Orr serves as Special Advisor to Assistant Secretary of Labor Kathy Martinez in the Office of Disability Employment Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor, contributing to the development of national disability-employment-related regulations and policy. He also represents the Department of Labor on the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Among Orr’s volunteer pursuits, he is a founding member of Trans Legal Advocates of Washington and is the first openly transgender person appointed to a U.S. presidential administration. Prior to this appointment, his legal and policy background focused on civil rights and social justice issues.

“MTPC plays an invaluable role in Massachusetts,” Host Committee Co-chair Lacy said. “It led the fight for the transgender equal rights legislation that passed in 2012 and is still working to broaden the legal protections available for gender identity and expression. MTPC also establishes best practices and provides much-needed educational opportunities. I’m thrilled that the legal community has become such a strong supporter of its work.”

2013 Lawyers for Transgender Rights event sponsors include Ropes & Gray, WilmerHale, Foley Hoag LLP, Hirsch Roberts Weinstein LLP, Edwards Wildman, Kauffman Crozier LLP, and many other organizations and individuals (the full listing is available on MTPC’s website).

This year’s event will include live music by Urban Myth and a silent auction featuring items such as Red Sox tickets and a limited edition (only 1 of 39) 20×16 framed photo of the 2004 Patriots signed by 29 players. Tickets will be on sale at the door the night the event: $70 for lawyers, $40 for non-profit and $20 for students. For more information please see masstpc.org/community-events/ltr2013.

LTR Host Committee Co-chair Catherine Deneke said, “We are so proud that the legal community continues to stand on the side of equality and has shown such tremendous support for MTPC and this event.”

###

Founded in 2001, the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) is a 501(c)(3) that works to end discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression. MTPC educates the public; advocates with state, local and federal government; engages in activism; and encourages empowerment of community members through collective action. MTPC is a member of the Trans Advocacy Network, the Equality Federation and the Massachusetts Transgender Equal Rights Coalition.

Tuesday, March 26, 8:30 am
Mass. Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148

Please let us know you can make it by contacting Andi Wheeler at andiwheeler@massequality.org.

Our opponents also tried to pass a hateful resolution at a recent Medford City Council meeting. Medford council members mentioned our strong trans-positive showing more than once at that meeting. We outnumbered the anti-equality contingent 20 to 1, and the matter was resolved in a positive way. The council supported diversity and equality in the Medford community and agreed to leave the education experts to decide what’s best for students.

If you can’t be at the DESE meeting on Tuesday, you can call the Commissioners to thank them for their ongoing support of transgender youth and the creation of a safe learning environment for all students.

Commissioner Mitchell Chester: 781-338-3100

Associate Commissioner John Bynoe: 781-338-6300

Now Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester and Associate Commissioner John Bynoe are receiving a flood of calls from scared and misinformed parents and other Massachusetts residents who don’t understand what it means to be transgender and to face discrimination, harassment, and violence in schools.

Commissioner Chester and Associate Commissioner Bynoe need to hear from us that we support the DESE guidelines protecting transgender students and appreciate that they won’t water down the rules.

Research shows that transgender and gender non-conforming students suffer higher rates of verbal harassment, physical harassment, and physical assault in school. MTPC is grateful to DESE for issuing such practical guidance and identifying the steps that schools can take to create a safer and more welcoming environment for transgender youth in Massachusetts schools.

“Transgender students, like all students, need a school environment where they are treated fairly and respectfully so that they can focus on getting the education that they need and deserve,” said Grace Sterling Stowell, the executive director of Boston Alliance of GLBT Youth (BAGLY). “The DESE guidance gives our public schools the tools to create just that environment.”

Please call the Commissioners NOW to thank them for their ongoing support of transgender youth and the creation of a safe learning environment for all students.

The contact information for the DESE is:
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148
Commissioner Mitchell Chester: 781-338-3100
Associate Commissioner John Bynoe: 781-338-6300

Many of you are aware that Gunner Scott has left MTPC and is en route to his next adventure, as the Director of Programs for Pride Foundation in Seattle. Here at MTPC, we will miss him greatly. We are also more motivated than ever to continue to educate the public; advocate with state, local, and federal government; engage in political activism; and encourage empowerment of community members through collective action in order to make our vision of equality a reality.

As the recent community organizer and a former MTPC steering committee member, I am honored that I was asked to step in as interim director. For the next six months, I have the privilege of working with you as we engage in an intentional, community-driven process for finding the next MTPC director.

During this time, MTPC will also be launching a Community Advocate Program to provide ongoing training and support for community members across the state who wish to take on leadership roles. We will also be partnering with GLAD and Life Skills at Fenway Health to hold an event for transgender folks to reflect on the experience of being discriminated against while accessing public places. The event will focus on ways to take care of ourselves when experiencing this kind of discrimination as well as empowering ways to share our stories while helping to advocate for the Equal Access Bill to add transgender protections in these public places (public accommodations) to existing laws. We will also be participating in Northampton Pride, Boston Pride, and Youth Pride and will have another push to gather new I AM: Trans People Speak video stories.

In addition to our new events and initiatives, we will continue to lead the legislative effort on An Act Relative to Equal Access in Hospitals, Public Transportation, Nursing Homes, Supermarkets, Retail Establishments, and all other places open to the public. MTPC will also be supporting An Act Regulating Use of Credit Reports by Employers, An Act to provide housing and support services to unaccompanied homeless youth, and An Act Relative to Abusive Practices to Change Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity in Minors.

Our committees are responsible for so much of the hard work MTPC accomplishes and are a great way for community members to join our ongoing efforts. Our Policy Committee develops transgender-inclusive policies and best practices for state agencies and other organizations. Kaleidoscope develops programming, provides leadership opportunities, and holds a bi-monthly gender discussion group for people of color of all genders and sexualities. Our Interfaith Committee (ICTE) educates faith communities on inclusion and celebration of trans youth, adults, and families in all congregations. Please contact us if you’re interested in joining us in this important work.

Thank you in advance to our hardworking staff in the MTPC office, to the dedicated members of the steering committee, and to each and every one of the incredible transgender individuals and allies who make up the MTPC family. I know that I will have a successful experience as interim director because of all of you amazing folks. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Best,
Jesse Begenyi

Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition
P.O. Box 960784, Boston, MA 02196
Office: 617-778-0519 x5
jesseb@masstpc.org

These best practices provide additional tools for school administrators, teachers and superintendents in implementing the 2011 Act Relative to Gender Identity for gender identity non-discrimination in K-12 public schools. These recommendations were developed by the MTPC Policy Committee and reflect the best educational practice models used in other school systems with existing gender identity non-discrimination laws, policies and regulations in other states, in addition to policy recommendations developed by LGBT think tanks and LGBT education policy specialists.

MTPC’s Executive Director Gunner Scott said, “The evidence is overwhelming that transgender and gender non-conforming youth need active school support and protection for their physical and mental health and educational well-being. I applaud the Massachusetts legislature and Governor Deval Patrick for the passage and enactment of the 2011 Act Relative to Gender Identity law, which requires non-discrimination on the basis of gender identity in the areas of education, employment, housing and credit/lending.”

Transgender and gender non-conforming youth experience overwhelming amounts of harassment and discrimination in schools across the Commonwealth and throughout the nation. The 2007 National School Climate Survey conducted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) found that 87% of transgender students had been verbally harassed in the previous year because of their gender expression, and more than a quarter had been physically assaulted. More than half of those who were victimized did not report the events to school authorities.

“We look forward to collaborating with school administrators, superintendents and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in utilizing these best practice recommendations in all Massachusetts school districts,” said Julian Cyr, chair of the Massachusetts Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth.  “The Commission is committed to continuing to collaborate with educators, policy makers and community partners such as MTPC to provide technical assistance and professional development to ensure that teachers and schools have the tools they need to fully support transgender and gender-nonconforming students.”

Scott said, “These recommendations were prepared by the MTPC Policy Committee and reflect the best educational practice models used in other school systems with existing gender identity non-discrimination laws, policies and regulations in other states, in addition to policy recommendations developed by LGBT think tanks and LGBT education policy specialists.”

These recommendations include examples of: how to address transgender students by their preferred names and pronouns in records and in the classroom; how to provide updated copies of high school diplomas when students’ names are changed; and ways to keep students’ transgender status confidential, unless necessary to ensure the students’ safety.

In addition to the 2011 law, the Massachusetts Superior and Appeals Courts ruled in October 2000 and February 2001, respectively, that Massachusetts public schools may not prohibit transgender students from expressing their gender identities and are afforded the same protections and rights under the law as other students.

###

Founded in 2001, the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) is a 501(c)(3) that works to end discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression. MTPC educates the public; advocates with state, local, and federal government; engages in activism; and encourages empowerment of community members through collective action. MTPC is a member of the Trans Advocacy Network, the Equality Federation, and the Massachusetts Transgender Equal Rights Coalition.