Courtney O’Donnell: Readers’ Top 12 Transgender Stories of 2012

Courtney O’Donnell as “Lexie Cannes”

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT – [I wrote this for The Huffington Post] During 2012 I wrote approximately 400 articles for The Guerrilla Angel Report, the vast majority of them transgender-related.

[Read this article at The Huffington Post site here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/courtney-odonnell/transgender-stories-2012_b_2361282.html

The following are the 12 most read stories of the year:

12. Miss Universe Pageant Generates Loads of Positive PR for Trans People: Trans beauty contestant Jenna Talackova brought more positive public attention and good will for trans people than any other individual. I wrote about half a dozen stories related to this topic during the year, and the most recent one is still being shared and may end up as #7 or #8 overall.

11. Transgender Student Banned, Then Later Unbanned After Showing Headmaster UK's Equality Act: Trans student Ashlyn Parram is only 16 years old, but she surpasses her teachers at the Giles Academy in Boston, Lincolnshire, when it comes to knowing the UK's law on sex discrimination.

10. Catholic School Tells Trans Student His Name Will Not Be Recognized: The Archdiocese of Indianapolis told a transgender student at Cathedral High School that they would not use his new male name.

9. ESPN Radio Hosts Unleash Horrifying Anti-Transgender Rant On Player: Hosts Steve Czaban and Andy Pollin were suspended following their transphobic remarks on the air about transgender college basketball player Gabrielle Ludwig.

8. Brooklyn Trans Woman Dies in Suspicious Apartment Fire: Well-known NYC performer Lorena Escalera was the only person who failed to escape a burning building.

7. Mexican Transgender Leader Agnes Torres Tortured, Killed: Arrests have been made in Torres' brutal death in Mexico.

6. Artist Who Drew Covers for 'The Phantom' Comic Books Is Now Openly Transgender: The comic book phenomenon is nothing to sneeze at, and Lindsay Walker is a role model for trans artists everywhere.

5. Trans? Boys? Girls? Andrej Pejic Is Not Telling. Good for Andrej I Say!: Andrej Pejic is a highly popular, androgynous, high-fashion model, posing as either female or male, depending on the needs of the client.

4. Don't Donate to Anti-Transgender Salvation Army This Holiday Season: There are other trans-friendly charities more deserving of your dollars.

3. Judge Tells Trans Person's Neighbor to Pay Up for Years of Harassment and Hate Comments: South African magistrate M J Thobela told Wilna van Staden that her behavior toward her trans neighbor amounted to unfair discrimination and hate speech.

2. Rapist Acquitted in Sweden Because Intended Female Victim Turned Out to Be Transgender: A higher court in Sweden eventually overruled this lower court ruling, and the rapist was fined and sent to prison.

1. First Openly Transgender Mayor in the U.S., Stu Rasmussen, Re-elected to Fifth Term: Silverton, Ore., voters reelected Mayor Rasmussen for a fifth term. Rasmussen previously gained national attention in 2008 as the U.S.'s first trans mayor.

Thanks for reading, and your comments are always welcome!

via Courtney O'Donnell: Readers' Top 12 Transgender Stories of 2012.

Courtney O’Donnell as “Lexie Cannes”

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Filed under: Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, 2012, Agnes Torres, Andrej Pejic, Andy Pollin, Ashlyn Parram, Gabrielle Ludwig, guerrilla angel report, Jenna Talackova, lindsay walker, Lorena Escalera, Salvation Army, Steve Czaban, Stu Rasmussen, Swedish Court, Transgender Issues, Wilna van Staden

Judge tells trans person’s neighbor to pay up for years of harassment and hate comments

Attorney Michal Johnson

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — Among other things, the trans person’s neighbor, Wilna van Staden, would call her neighbor “it”, routinely tell people of the trans person’s gender change, circulated a petition to get the trans person evicted, and invited visitors to watch her trans neighbor over the bordering fence.

After complaints to the housing management and the police failed to curtail the neighbor’s harassment, the trans person’s attorney took van Staden to court.

Earlier this year South African Magistrate M J Thobela ruled van Staden’s behavior amounted to unfair discrimination and hate speech. Thobela ordered van Staden to pay damage for moving expenses, for the pain, suffering and humiliation she endured as well as counseling expenses. Thobela cited the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act of 2000 as the basis for the decision.

The trans person’s attorney Michal Johnson: “People have been allowed to say what they wanted to vulnerable groups of our society for far too long without suffering the consequences. The ruling sent out a clear message that the act afforded protection to victims of hate speech and that the courts would enforce their constitutional rights.”

[Trigger warning!] Transsexual triumphs over abusive neighbour – Crime & Courts | IOL News | IOL.co.za.

Attorney Michal Johnson

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You’re welcome to share this entire article!
Follow this topic on Lexie Cannes’ Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/lexiecannes
Support this site, get the transgender-themed feature film “Lexie Cannes“ DVD here: http://www.lexiecannes.com/id13.html

Filed under: Judicial, Courts, Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, Violence, Hate, Magistrate M J Thobela, Michal Johnson, Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act of 2000, South Africa, Wilna van Staden