 FTMInternational EVENTSFTMI NEWS AND EVENTS: Educate Communities Worldwide FTMInternational and cognate groups represent FTMs at numerous events worldwide, informing and educating diverse communities about our lives. Upcoming FTMInternational Events
Recent FTMInternational News
Find out about legal rights, female-to-male transition, health and successful FTMS in all walks of life at FTMInternational Law Resources, Mens World FTMInternational HealthCare and Trans-Medicine and in 2009 expect a new conference on trans health to debut in Ohio, another edition of FORGE Forward that was held to acclaim in Milwaukee in 2007 and more. 
MSNBC Covers National Transgender Religious Leadership Summit (Photo: MSNBC) January 2008
FTMI Member Diego Sanchez First FTM on the Democractic National Committee Boston--Diego Sanchez says he is "truly humbled" as the first transgendered person on the Democratic National Platform Committee. He will be instrumental in framing the Democratic Convention in Denver this summer. Sanchez has long supported LGBT rights and HIV prevention and treatment.
February 2008
FTMI San Buenaventura Chapter Mourns Local Teen Ventura CA--FTMI San Buenaventura Chapter turned out in force at the Vigil in Ventura February 15th for slain local 15 year old Lawrence King. FTMI is spearheading the FTMI Strategic Youth Initiative at the invitation of Ventura schools in a comprehensive response to the violent hate crime.
March 2008
April 2008
An FTM activist responds to the media coverage of Thomas Beatie after his article appeared in The Advocate. By Robert Haaland Transgender man Thomas Beatie set off a firestorm in the LGBT population and the world when he announced that he is having a baby and continues to identify as a man. His article in The Advocate, “Labor of Love,” left many, even some transgender people, wondering how someone can identify as male and yet be pregnant. Some have even gone so far to suggest that by bearing the child he is less, or even not, male, despite Beatie’s declaration that he continues to identify as male. But nature is full of pregnant males. Male sea horses, pipefish, and weedy and leafy sea dragons are examples of males that can get pregnant. Some intersex people with XY chromosomes develop female bodies and the pregnant person has a Y chromosome, which is usually associated with males. The argument that it is unnatural for him to have a baby flies in the face of real, live examples from nature where males get pregnant. Beatie, who has had various surgeries and hormone therapies over the years but did not have his ovaries and uterus removed, has chosen to carry a child because his wife could not conceive. The baby is due in July. This is about the birth of a child, and this birth is no more or less miraculous than the birth of any child. Some suggest that by not fitting in as an everyday man, Beatie makes it harder for the rest of the FTM population. Being “out” is a complicated question for transgender people. Many feel there is nothing to be out about. They don’t see themselves as transgender per se, but rather transitioned, as they are finally able to be the man or woman that they felt they were. That said, we, the transgender community, should never discourage people from being out, nor should we dictate what they should do or say once they are out. I remember that in the early '90s many would say we should prohibit outrageously dressed people from marching in pride parades because hate groups would tape them and then use the footage to raise funds to be used against us. The Beatie story has limited relevance to the larger transgender experience, but I am happy for the Beaties, and it is my hope that we will embrace all of our diversity, proud of all our differences because it strengthens us more than we will ever know. It is astonishing how the Advocate article has sparked media coverage around the world -- from the BBC, The Guardian, People, 20/20, The Oprah Winfrey Show. BBC Radio interviewed Rabbi Levi Alter, president of FTM International, an organization that spans 18 countries, and has been serving the female-to-male community for 22 years. In response to Beatie’s decision, Alter said, "We support stable, loving families as the best environment to raise children and support reproductive rights as human rights. Everyone has the right to be fully included, fully equal, fully visible, and fully empowered." Well said. For those who are concerned about transgender people having children, The Guardian, a British newspaper, interviewed Lewis Turner, an English FTM and vice president of the U.K. trans group Press for Change, who stated that studies have shown the children of transgender parents do not face any problems because of their parent being transgender. Other major press included an interview by People of Mara Keisling of the National Center for Transgender Equality in Washington, D.C., and an interview by 20/20 of social worker Ray Carannante of the Gender Identity Project in New York City. Oprah interviewed Beatie himself. To the extent possible, most interviewees have tried to steer away from sensationalism and to some degree have been successful. It is difficult but not impossible to talk about this story in thoughtful, nuanced, and sensitive ways, and I would argue that we must all come together as a community and do our best to do so. The entire LGBT community needs respect and support for our lives and our families. We need to be prepared to grant respect and support to others who are different from our own particular configuration. What else can we do? We can make statements in support of diversity, the right of everyone to self-determination, and the desire for family, and we can correct misinformation when we hear it. We can tell our own stories and can join in advocating for our rights by telling our stories to our elected leaders and the public that elects them. In the 21st century people have many reproductive choices. The Beatie pregnancy is simply the Beaties’ way of using the reproductive choices that were available to them. Most Americans can understand that. (Transgender male leader Robert Haaland is an FTM advocate for LGBT rights who serves on the national board of Pride at Work and is a union organizer.) Men to Take Major Role in IFGE 2008 Conference In keeping with its theme "Toward a Greater Diversity" the IFGE Conference has successfully engaged many leaders and champions for the FTM community to take part in its 23rd Annual Conference. The conference runs from April 1-5, 2008 in Tucson, Arizona. Wingspan"s Southern Arizona Gender Alliance (SAGA) is the local host committee. The conference program kicks off Thursday morning, April 3, with a plenary session featuring renowned activist Jamison Green. Moonhawk River Stone MS will present "Being A Guy (For the FTM identified only);" "How To Successfully Transition In Your Employment;" and "Moving Beyond Gender Identity Disorder (GID): Creating A New Paradigm For Transgender Gender Identity." Other FTM-led sessions include "Privilege: Who has it?" chaired by Lore M. Dickey. Mr. Dickey will also present "Sexual Identity Development in the FTM: A Qualitative Study." Clark A. Pomerleau, PhD will discuss "Masculine Spectrum Identity, Alliances, and Feminism," and artist Rae Strozzo will discuss "Queering the Lens: The History of Photography in Transgendered Art (especially by transmen)." "Ways that Work to Build Your Group: Harness the Power of Community" will be presented by Rabbi Levi Alter, and Nathan Levitt is slated to discuss "Defend Your Health: Trans Health Empowerment for FTMs." Finally, TC Tolbert of the Pima County Health Department will participate in discussing "The Prism Project: Building a support program for transgender youth." Local FTM leader Kevin Q. Maxey, MD, co-founder of SAGA will take part in the plenary session.
MAY 2008
BERLIN, May 4 - Dr Stephen Whittle, Professor of Law at Manchester Metropolitan University, President of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and Vice-President of Press for Change, was elected President of Transgender Europe (TGEU) at an international conference in Berlin May 4th. There were over 200 representatives from 83 groups and 38 countries, among them Peru, Namibia, Japan, Armenia, the USA, Turkey, Israel, Kyrgyzstan and Iceland. NEW YORK, May 9 — Khadijah Farmer, denied the right to use a public restroom due to gender non-conformity, was awarded a settlement May 9th as a result of work by the The Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund to combat gender discrimination. SAN FRANCISCO, May 15 - The California Supreme Court released its judgement for marriage equality in California, listing FTMs Shannon Minter Esq, Alex Cleghorn Esq and the Reverend Sky Anderson who advocated successfully for the decision. WASHINGTON, May 28 — The NGLTF is questioning the American Psychiatric Association' s (APA) recent appointments of Kenneth Zucker, Ph.D., to chair the Committee on Gender Identity Disorders for the revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), and Ray Blanchard, Ph.D., to serve as a committee member. These appointments are raising great concerns within the LGBT community. Zucker has built his reputation on the position that children can be directed away from nonconforming gender expression via therapy, while Blanchard has a long list of articles pathologizing commonplace expressions of sexuality and gender. "We are very concerned about these appointments. Kenneth Zucker and Ray Blanchard are clearly out of step with the occurring shift in how doctors and other health professionals think about transgender people and gender variance. It is extremely disappointing and disturbing that the APA appears to be failing in keeping up with the times when it comes to serving the needs of transgender adults and gender-variant children." SAN FRANCISCO, May 29 - The Bay Area Reporter quoted FTMI Past President James Green and therapist Arlene Istar Lev, author of Transgender Emergence, on the APA's pathologizing of gender diversity in the DSM.
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
FTMInternational Year in Review Highlights of 2007 for FTMInternational include
From the Chronicle: FTMI-OHIO President Wins Transgender Leader Of The Year Award Cleveland--“Today is usually reserved simply as a day to mourn the loss of our everyday heroes--those gender-variant people who chose to stand up for what they felt, rather than hide behind society’s norms,” organizer Jake Nash told the crowd assembled for Cleveland’s fourth commemoration of the Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Transgender Leaders Resign from HRC On November 27 FTMInternational Past President James Green resigned from the Business Advisory Council of the Human Rights Campaign due to the failure of the HRC to take a stand for a transgender inclusive United ENDA along with over 350 other organizations including FTMInternational, FTMI Ohio, FTMI San Buenaventura and FTMI San Diego. MTF board member Donna Rose resigned October 3 from the central HRC board and resigned jointly with James from the Business Advisory Council November 27, 2007. Vigils on Both Coasts Urge Inclusive ENDA: Candlelight vigil outside of Human Rights Campaign Store in SF by FTMInternational Member Robert Haaland Over 70 people showed up October 6th for a vigil in front of the HRC. I am incredibly moved by the outpouring of support and proud to be a member of a community that rejects divide and conquer tactics. While we held a vigil in San Francisco, activists on the East Coast picketed the HRC annual dinner. According to Mara Kiesling and Shannon Minter, they held an active picket with over 100 people participating. The House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was the keynote speaker for the dinner, and according to those inside, spoke to the need to protect transgender people from discrimination. Pride at Work was a sponsor, we started out with “We shall not be moved,” and State Senator Carole Migden and Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi spoke. Reuben Zellman, a nical intern spoke, then Rebecca Prozan, co-chair of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, Debra Walker, former President of the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, John Newsome, founder of And Castro for All, and Ben Lunine, attorney for the Transgender Law Center, all came out in support of including gender identity. 
Robert Haaland SF Vigil Organizer | Reuben Zellman speaks (Photos: Andy Blue) San Francisco, CA: Three San Francisco FTMInternational community leaders have been honored with awards at the 8th annual Gender Odyssey national conference August 31-September 3, 2007 in Seattle, Washington. “FTM men across America, Canada and the world are proud of the accomplishments of our dedicated members Mr. Marcus de Maria Arana, Sergeant Stephan Thorne and Shannon Price Minter, Esq.,” stated Levi Alter, President of FTMInternational, spanning 21 years and 18 countries serving the FTM community. Marcus de Maria Arana is a Discrimination Investigator for the SF Human Rights Commission. Marcus has been an activist for gender identity rights since 1995. Marcus designed and conducted transgender cultural competency trainings for the SFPD, UCSF, the Red Cross, etc. Marcus is a Board Member of the Native American AIDS Project (NAAP) and the Native American Cultural Center (NACC), and authored the Commission report Discrimination By Omission, which documents discrimination against Native Americans in SF. Sergeant Stephan Thorne 45, came out thirty years ago in Lincoln, Nebraska and promptly was forced out of high school. Stephan joined the SF Police Department in 1984 and transitioned on the job in 1994. Stephan has provided ongoing transgender cultural competency trainings for the SFPD. Shannon Price Minter, Esq. and other community members succeeded in a campaign to secure equal health-care benefits for transgender SF city employees. Minter founded NCLR’s Youth Project, the first legal-advocacy group to address the needs of LGBT youth and supervises the Safe Homes Project at NCLR, which helps LGBT youth who face discrimination in foster care, group homes, or the juvenile-justice system. Shannon writes publications such as Transgender Equality: A Handbook for Activists and Policymakers, and speaks in forums, hearings, and gatherings around the country. Shannon is the Legal Director of NCLR and was lead attorney on Sharon Smith's groundbreaking wrongful death suit and has litigated many other impact cases in California and across the country. He received the Ford Foundation's "Leadership for a Changing World" award, the Anderson Prize Foundation Creating Change Award by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the distinguished national service award from GAYLAW. From the Bay Area Press: San Francisco, CA—FTMInternational and Southern Comfort announced the 17th Annual Southern Comfort Conference to be held September 10-16, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia. “This year the Southern Comfort Conference is proud to support the first ever Transgender Career Expo. The Transgender Career Expo is open to anyone who self identifies as transgender and wants to engage with proactive companies where recruiting people based upon talent, experience, skills and abilities is the primary focus. This event will take place in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday, September 14, 2007 in conjunction with the Southern Comfort Conference.” announced Southern Comfort's organizing committee. “FTMInternational has provided a $3,000 grant to help get the word out about Southern Comfort 2007 to our community,” stated Levi Alter, President of Female-to-Male International, spanning 21 years and 18 countries serving the FTM community. Southern Comfort and FTMInternational are pleased to announce that this year's conference will include the 7th Annual Robert Eads Health Project on September 13, 2007, a no cost clinic including exams and lab work for individuals along the transmasculine spectrum. Individuals along the transmasculine spectrum face unique challenges in the area of healthcare needs. Southern Comfort prides itself on being an all-inclusive conference. FTMInternational invites all our members and families to register, get your travel tickets and your hotel reservations for Gender Odyssey this coming Labor Day Weekend--don't delay! Gender Odyssey breaks new ground this year in offering a Family Conference within Gender Odyssey. There is something for everyone at this outstanding conference and all are welcome. FTMInternational has awarded a $5,000 grant to help get the word out about Gender Odyssey. Hats off to Aiden Key and everyone who works hard all year behind the scenes to make the conference a success. Summer is the time for Pride! FTMInternational was in Pride in the three largest cities in California. FTMInternational was co-sponsor of Trans March, the largest transgender event in the world, in San Francisco. FTMI San Buenaventura Chapter performed at Christopher Street West in the largest city, Los Angeles. Thanks to everyone who participated! FTMI San Diego Chapter in the third largest city not only is in San Diego Pride, but Chapter President Connor Maddocks is on the board of directors of San Diego Pride! From the Bay Area Reporter: After considerable dialogue with members of the transgender community and after careful consideration of the issues raised by Catherine Crouch’s film The Gendercator, Frameline has decided not to screen The Gendercator in Frameline31. Given the nature of the film, the director’s comments, and the strong community reaction to both, it is clear that this film cannot be used to create a positive and meaningful dialogue within our festival. We are grateful to the many Frameline members, filmmakers and Transgender community leaders who brought this issue to our attention and assisted Frameline’s senior staff in making this important decision. We are deeply committed to promoting the work of transgender filmmakers and films about transgender issues. Frameline Distribution distributes over twenty transgender themed films and over one third of our free monthly Frameline at the Center screenings have been transgender themed. Through the Frameline Completion Fund, we have given funding to the following films: The Brandon Teena Story, Southern Comfort, A Boy Named Sue, By Hook Or By Crook, Screaming Queens: The Riot At Compton's Cafeteria, Red Without Blue, The Believers, Cruel & Unusual, F. Scott Fitzgerald Slept Here, and Maggots And Men. "Frameline has partnered with Female-to-Male International in jointly sponsoring screenings of transgender films for our community and the public. We have enjoyed our association with Frameline and welcome their timely and community-minded response to the concern we expressed on this issue," stated Levi Alter, President of FTM International. "We look forward to continuing our partnership with Frameline to present films of interest by, for and about the transgender community." Frameline’s Board of Directors and staff are proud of our work with and on behalf of our Transgender community members. Going forward, we will continue working with the community to further our own education and encourage more discussion and understanding within the filmmaking community as a whole. Again, we thank all of our community members for respectfully expressing their concerns and we look forward to sharing our ideas and expanding our partnerships. FTMInternational has been actively supporting a trans-inclusive ENDA through NCTE and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act with gender identity protection was introduced to the Congressional committee! But we need you to work with us. Please contact your legislators to increase support for this excellent legislation as it faces threatened opposition from legislators who do not believe that all citizens should be able to support themselves and their families in a workplace that treats workers fairly. FTMInternational former Board Members Rev. Dr. Justin Tanis and Andre Wilson are on the NCTE staff and FTMInternational member Masen Davis MSW is on the NCTE Board of Directors. After having lived over half his life as male, after transitioning with all available surgeries in his homeland, FTM Shumail Raj of Pakistan was sentenced to three years in prison for perjury for saying he is male, he is now on bail in a harrowing ordeal that continues. His case is on appeal and FTMInternational is working on his case and also the appeal of his young wife, and to prevent the surgeon who performed Shumail's SRS from being charged and imprisoned. If you would like to help us in this effort, contact Levi@FTMI.org. From the Bay Area Press: San Francisco, CA—FTMInternational and FORGE announced the 1st National FTM/SOFFA Conference to be held in the Heartland March 29 – April 1, 2007 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “We’ve met on the West Coast. We’ve met on the East Coast. We’ve met in small groups at larger conferences in Atlanta and Philadelphia and elsewhere, but never before have hundreds of those of us on the transmasculine spectrum and SOFFAs (Significant Others, Friends, Family, and Allies) invaded Middle America – until now! ” announced michael munson and Loree Cook-Daniels, co-founders of FORGE, an FTM organization entering its 13th year. On March 29 – April 1, 2007, the “heartland” city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin played host to the FORGE Forward 2007 Conference and Intensives. One of the most ambitious transmasculine/ SOFFA conferences to date, the event offered nine full-day pre-conference “Intensives” focusing on specific topics in addition to 2-1/ 2 days’ worth of plenary keynote speeches and entertainment, a film festival, authors’ readings, a vendor hall, a dance, and nearly 90 planned and propose-it-on-the-spot workshops and caucuses. “FTMInternational has provided a $5,000 grant to help get the word out about FORGE Forward 2007 to our community,” stated Levi Alter, President of Female-to-Male International, spanning 21 years and 18 countries serving the FTM community. The FORGE Forward 2007 Conference and Intensives were designed not only to give individuals the information they seek, but also to build community. To that end, all official programming was open to all identities. The Conference’s co-chairs, michael munson and Loree Cook-Daniels, made efforts to recruit participation by LGB and mainstream Midwesterners in order to raise trans awareness. | |
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