Maine Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Transgender Female

Nicole, a transgender female student attending public school in Maine, is finally receiving the justice she deserves. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled yesterday that Nicole, or any transgender individual for that matter, has the right to use the bathroom that matches his or her gender identity. This is the first court ruling in the entire NATION in which it was stated to be unlawful to force a child in public school to use the bathroom of the sex he or she was born with.

Nicole's legal battle began in 2007 when she was still in elementary school. Identifying as female, she was using the women's bathroom in her school. After a complaint from a few other parents in the school, the school decided that she must use a bathroom designated for staff only because it was not a gender specific bathroom. Nicole's parents were outraged, and for the first time in history, the Court listened and upheld her rights as a human being.

Justice Warren Silver, writing for the majority, had this to say- “Our opinion must not be read to require schools to permit students casual access to any bathroom of their choice. Decisions about how to address students’ legitimate gender identity issues are not to be taken lightly. Where, as here, it has been clearly established that a student’s psychological well-being and educational success depend upon being permitted to use the communal bathroom consistent with her gender identity, denying access to the appropriate bathroom constitutes sexual orientation discrimination in violation of the MHRC (Maine Human Rights Commission).”

 Although the outcome was positive, Nicole stated that "She was glad the court heard her case but wouldn't wish her experience on another trans person." Hopefully her experience highlights the important issue that we need gender neutral bathrooms available for ALL in public places and creates legal controversy in which it becomes possible to enact positive change.

Can We Eliminate Homelessness?

Some people think so! In fact, Utah’s State Homeless Coordinating Committee hopes to eliminate homelessness entirely in their state by 2015.  Over the past eight years, they have reduced rates of homelessness by 78%.  How could one state make so much progress in the last decade on one of the most prevalent issues in America?  The answer seems simple: they gave people homes.

First, let's zoom out and look at homelessness from a wider perspective.  It's an issue plagued by stigma, and generally, that stigma is unwarranted.  So often, the homeless are portrayed as the low lifes, the leeches of society.  That stigmatized image has a very real effect on the way America (as individuals and in government) addresses homelessness.  States like South Carolina and Florida has implemented laws that were targeted at homeless people to result in their arrest.  North Carolina and the very nearby city of brotherly love, Philadelphia, made it illegal to feed people without homes (even charitable organizations were banned from donating food on the streets, though many disobeyed that law).  Hawaii state representative Tom Bower took matters into his own hands by rousing people sleeping on the street and smashing their shopping carts with a sledgehammer.  Does our government really think this is an effective way to address homelessness?  What did these people do to deserve this?

In reality, some homeless people were struck by economic crisis in the worst way, a tragedy that could happen to anyone.  Many more homeless youth are queer people who were rejected from their homes by their families.  Along similar lines, poor mental health is a widespread problem among the homeless, usually because their families are unwilling or unable to provide long-term care.  Another large portion of the homeless population is represented by our own veterans.  Following their service in the American military, many people are left without established plans back home.  It doesn't take much in the way of unfortunate circumstances to push our veterans into homelessness.  So the reality of homelessness is a much more human issue than the one that is painted by stigma and the media.

Despite the ineffective measures taken by some officials, it turns out that government funding toward ending homelessness has been at its highest since 2008.  The most successful program was implemented in Utah in 2005.  Following some in-depth research, it was discovered that the cost of emergency room and jail stays were over $16,000 per person!  Take that number and compare it to the cost of providing each homeless person with a place to stay and a social worker--$11,000.  This isn't just throwing money at the problem, and in the long-term, it isn't just giving away free housing for life either.  By providing a home, one of the primary life concerns and sources of major stress is removed from the mind.  By providing a social worker, people are able to learn skills and be connected with resources that will result in employment, and eventually, financial and life stability.  The idea is that the system encourages and creates active and self-sufficient citizens over time.  The hard part--getting started--is what many homeless people find impossible, and exactly what Utah is addressing.  For a more detailed explanation of the theory behind the program, and the ways it addresses prevention as well as short- and long-term solutions, visit the Housing Works website.

Live Journal: Introduction

I have decided to create a live journal in which I will document my experiences and explorations in social justice.

The fight for social justice has always been important to me, a queer woman of color born and raised in an urban community to immigrant parents. Now, some of you may have raised an eyebrow. Yeah, I’m pretty much the walking-talking poster child for intersectionality, and yes, I do possess multiple minority identities that are reflected in my every day life experiences. How’s that for an introduction?

Being the very introverted child that I was growing up, I developed a talent for picking up on things that nobody ever seemed to notice (and over-analyzing seemingly simple matters). Unsurprisingly, this carried on into my adult life and has helped me in deconstructing a lot of the patriarchal garbage that we are fed right out of the womb (literally…but don’t get me started on gender roles).

While feminist theory and queer politics have played a major role in helping to formulate my identity as I know it today, I realize now that nothing— not even my high school sociology courses— could have prepared me for the ineffable growth and development that I would experience as a social justice advocate in college.

I don't claim to have mastered social justice because, frankly, no one can. That's right, no one, but I will share with you all my personal exploration and self-discovery in bi-monthly blog posts.

Until next time,

xoxo

Can We Not Talk About It?

First and foremost I would like to welcome everyone back to a new semester and hopefully you have enjoyed your break. On behalf of the Women's Center staff, we wish you the best of luck on all of your studies, programs, projects, etc.

Now let's kick things off into high gear!

Diversity; the scary word that people tend to quiver at or think of as taboo because they do not want to be offensive or discriminatory to any specific group of people. Every time this subject is brought up into discussion in the classes I have taken, conversations tend to be very limited and safe. Bear in mind the ratio of white people to people of color is extremely skewed; just about 25 to 2. I am aware of my background as a person of color and that does not make me feel uncomfortable to talk about diversity. What makes it uncomfortable is when students in the class who are not of color try to portray life as if racism does not exist and everyone is the same. Granted there is a definite cultural and experiential difference which may hinder the realization of how prevalent this issue is still today....but still it's time that  these topics be put in place into the curriculum as requirements so they are introduced and exposed to the ideas.

However, it's not just the students that need educating; professors also need to understand how to teach a diverse class. Too often have professors turned to me for validation as the token person of color to give support for whatever argument they have made and immediately have marked me as the sole representation for that group. It gives the false impression that all people of color think the way that I do or feel similarly on topics discussed in the class as I do. It is too much pressure for one person to now become the best representation of that group. We cannot continue to claim our society as a progressive one, working towards equity and social justice if people do not recognize their own contributions to why the world is the way it is.