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Stiletto
January 2014
Volume 7, Issue 1 Stiletto
Miss Major Honored With Building
Inside this Issue Dedication and Documentary
1
Miss Major Honored
With Building
Dedication and
Documentary

2
In Memory of Melenie
Eleneke

3
Community Mourns
Loss of Transgender
Oakland Minister
Bobbie Jean Baker
Miss Major is also the subject of a new
documentary called MAJOR! which
Letter from Miss Major
will be released in 2014. The
documentary explores the extraordinary

4
Letters From The life and times of Miss Major and
inside features interviews with her, her friends,
and her family. Miss Major's story is the

6
Battles Behind Our story of the LGBT rights movement that
Prison Walls is so often whitewashed, marginalized,
and rendered invisible. Through first-
My Story… trapped TGIJP’s Executive Director, Miss
person narration and innovative visual
Major (aka Mama Major) was recently
story telling, MAJOR! seeks to create a

7
Why a Transgender Woman
Helps the Incarcerated
Janetta Johnson goes to the
WPATH
honored with a building named after her
living, breathing history of a
and follow activist Jay Toole in New
community's struggle and resilience, as
York! The Miss Major-Jay Toole
seen and experienced by those who
Building For Social Justice is the
lived it.
location that houses five of NYC's

8
Transgender organizations committed to social We are excited to see Miss Major and
Community News justice for and by LGBTQGNC people TGJIP members’ stories reflected on the
of color and poor and low income big screen!

12
Passage and Place people, including Audre Lorde Project,
Call for Submissions FIERCE!, Queers for Economic Justice,
Streetwise & Safe, and Sylvia Rivera
Law Project. In August of this year,
Miss Major and TGIJP members flew to
TGI Justice
New York, NY for the dedication
Project (TGIJP)
th ceremony which was attended by
1201 46 Avenue members of the organizations housed in
Oakland, CA the building, as well as many
94601 transgender activists and allies.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

In Memory of
Melenie Eleneke
Letter from Morgan Bassichis, former
TGIJP Leadership Team Member
(above) Melenie Eleneke with her
daughter Kukunaokala
Longtime TGIJP Leader & Stiletto
Editor Leaves a Legacy of Love
In September, our dear sister Melenie
Mahinamalamalama Eleneke passed
away in her home in Daly City at the
age of 53. Melenie was born on Oʻahu,
Hawaii on December 25th, 1959. Her In
nephew Tamalani Auvaʻa, with whom
Melenie had been living for the last
three years, shared that at age 14,
Melenie bravely transitioned and
demonstrated the courage and passion
that she would carry front and center for
the rest of her life. She was beloved by
a vast network of family, friends, and
colleagues, and her loss has been felt
my many.
Melenie joined TGIJP (then called
the Trans/Gender Variant in Prison
Committee) in 2004, and, until her
passing in 2013, played almost every
role in the organization—she visited
trans people at California Medical
Facility (CMF) in Vacaville and other
prisons; she wrote letters with and
organized letter-writing events for
imprisoned trans people in California
and throughout the country; she
organized planning and empowerment
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
retreats for our members; she brought
delicious food to our weekly meetings;
she offered workshops on spiritual
healing to trans people coming out of
prison and jail; she represented the
organization at protests and coalition
meetings; she wrote grants and
organized fundraisers and asked people
for donations; she updated our database;
she helped the organization move
between two spots Market Street and
then to 9th Street and then over the
bridge to 46th Avenue in Oakland; she
edited and wrote for our annual
newsletter, Stiletto, and sent it into
prisons; she flew to Geneva,
Switzerland in 2008 to testify with Miss
Major in front of the United Nations
about the human rights abuses of
transgender women of color (of course
clad in her white knee high boots, long
gloves and faux fur coat to keep her
stylish and warm); and so much more,
both out-in-front and behind-the-scenes.
But even this list does not begin to
describe the contribution Melenie
made to TGIJP over her 9 years with
the organization. Miss Major, TGIJP’s
long-time leader and beloved movement
elder, said, “Melenie brought an aura to
TGI. She was always sweet and open
and generous with her time and
experience. She was a wonderful lady.”
Janetta Johnson, Program Co-
Coordinator with Melenie, said of her,
“She brought a sense of welcomeness
and warmth, a very nurturing spirit for
the people we work with and for. She
always let people know that she cared
about them.” For Beck Witt, longtime
TGIJP leader, “Mel brought a
leadership that was rooted in a deep
spirituality and respect for those who
came before her. She was all about
loving on and including and supporting
everyone around her.” StormMiguel
Florez, TGIJP’s Administrative
Director, said, “Melenie brought
passion and much-needed humor, even
in the hardest of times. She also
brought honesty and a very
compassionate realism to the
organization. The health of TGIJP and
our members meant the world to her.
She gave me a lot of joy—my memories
of her always make me smile.” Alex
Lee, TGIJP founder and longtime TIP
Stiletto
member, said, “Melenie brought her
immense heart to the work we did and
the people we helped. After our first
prison visit together, Melenie told me
how upset she was that our sisters in
prison were so cut off from community
and from resources to help them. She
became even more determined to learn
about the prison industrial complex, and
how she could become a better advocate
for our community inside.” Malachi
Larrabee-Garza, Leadership Team
member, reflected that Melenie brought
“cultural grounding of a tireless
mandate to care for each other and work
for the full recognition of ourselves as
sacred beings, no matter the degree of
exploitation, oppression, personal
triumphs or failures.”
During the celebrations of her life
following her passing, we were moved
to see just how many people and
groups held Melenie as dear as we
did. She was “Auntie Mel” to countless
people in LGBT, Pacific Islander, and
social justice communities—in addition
to TGIJP, Melenie was an active
member of The Ladies of Keolalaulani
Halau and the House of Valenciaga, a
founder of a transgender women of
color hula group, and a long-time leader
in the Asian & Pacific Islander
Wellness Center, among other groups.
A lifelong spiritual healer, Melenie was
a fierce advocate for the preservation of
the culture, language and spiritual
practices of the Hawaiian people, and
brought this commitment to all parts of
her life. The many celebrations of her
life were filled with laughter, dancing,
food, and memories of time spent
together.
All of this speaks to the legacy
Melenie has left behind. For Miss
Major: “Melenie left a sense of humor,
to be able to laugh at yourself and not
take the world so seriously.” For
Janetta: “She left behind a greater
passion to do and be better, to be more
involved in the movement and work for
the people in the system. She tells me,
‘OK, Janetta, you can do it. Be a part
of.’” For Beck: “Mel leaves behind a lot
of people that miss her and want her
back! She would want us to find humor
in every situation—she greeted even the
2

hardest moments with the deepest
laughter.” For StormMiguel: “Melenie
reminded us how important it is to stay
connected, to remember that we are all
family.” For Alex: “Melenie had that
rare ability to feel compassion and rage
in her gut whenever she saw anyone
being treated unfairly or being
discriminated against. She is leaving
behind a legacy of deep caring and
commitment.” For Malachi: “We are
following in Melenie’s guidance by
working for liberation based in people’s
abilities to survive every day. She
modeled this for us.”
TGIJP works to break the chains that
keep transgender women of color—and
all people—trapped by prison, jail,
detention, police, racism, and poverty.
As our mission states, we are creating
“a united family in the struggle for
survival and freedom.” Melenie
embodied this vision and commitment
in her bones: She believed in people.
She believed that, whoever you are,
your life is worth fighting for.
Although our hearts are heavy with the
grief of losing such a dear sister and
friend, we are grateful to count
ourselves among the lucky recipients of
her bright light, unconditional love, and
generous spirit.
Melenie, we honor you. Thank you for
blessing us with your life. In your
memory we continue the struggle for
survival, self-determination, and
freedom.
Community Mourns
Loss of Transgender
Oakland Minister
Bobbie Jean Baker
See more at:
http://elixher.com/community-mourns-
loss-of-transgender-oakland-minister-
bobbie-jean-
baker/#sthash.oPwqPthU.dpuf
Community members everywhere are
mourning the loss of transgender
activist and religious leader Bobbie Jean
Baker. Baker, 49, tragically died in a car
crash on New Year’s Day.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“It’s a big community loss. She [was]
huge in the African-American
transgender community and the
community at large,” said Tiffany
Woods, the program coordinator at the
Tri-City Health Center in Fremont, the
only transgender program serving
transgender women in Alameda County.
“She was grooming the younger
[generation] and mentoring them.”
A staunch advocate and role model,
Baker worked with trans women
overcoming substance abuse,
homelessness and more. The Memphis
native moved to the Bay Area in 1992
and later became an ordained minister at
the City of Refuge United Church of
Christ in San Francisco. She was the
lead singer in the transgender group
Transcendence Gospel Choir for a
decade and was returning from a
nighttime service when the crash
happened.
The unfortunate incident is currently
under investigation.
Stiletto Submissions
Thank you for all of your submissions. We are working on including these
submissions in the next issue of Stiletto. Please note that if you would like us
to include your submission in Stiletto, we will need you to sign the enclosed
release of information along with your submission. If you lose the release form,
please feel free to request one by mail we’ll be happy to send it to you.
Stiletto
The ELIXHER team had the honor of
meeting Bobbie Jean Baker at the 2012
TransSaints in Color Conference in
Charlotte, NC. We are extremely
saddened by this news.
A ceremony was held in Baker’s honor
Saturday, January 11 at 1 p.m. at the
First Congregational Church of
Oakland, at 2501 Harrison Street.
Miss TGI
Miss Major, Executive Director
Hello Beloveds sending lots of love and
well wishes I know that life and its
situations can sometimes have it’s ups
and downs, hold you head up and be
strong , the TGI-JP family has
experience a great deal of loss in 2013
with the passing of MelenieEleneke
who’s been our dear sister and auntie
and friend the beginning 2014 the loss
of Miss Bobbijean Baker which has
caused so much pain in our hearts so
ladies please be extra careful It’s a very
painful thing lose such outstanding
social justice warriors these were very
giving women in our community/family
however we will continued to do the
work that has been placed on our hearts
mind body and souls yes we are in a
transition period our newsletter Stiletto
and retreats Sista’s Doing It for
ourselves will continue please know that
you are loved and cared for by us we
will do our best to keep you updated on
and changes ,and for the ladies that are
getting out stay in touch and allow us to
be a part of your transitioning look
forward to hearing from you sending
lots encouragement love and strength to
move forward even in the midst of a
storm.
Miss Major
xoxoxoxoxo
3
 Stiletto

From the Inside environment, with less privileges, no

The following letters and stories are a
glimpse from the inside and is shared
to give you support in your daily
struggles.
Being Strong
by Lisa Strawn
Stiletto Readers,
I am transgender and currently
incarcerated at C.M.F Vacaville. The
prison is suppose to be so called
transgender friendly. There are around
20 or so transgenders here.
For some reason the transgenders here
are divided. Over the years there have
been groups for us concerning the
transgender issues.
One of the sponsors left to work at
another prison. And since then the
group is no longer meeting. We have
another sponsor that was helping with
the group. But for now it doesn't look
good for us.
So we have nowhere to go when issues
come up in the prison. But I have
always been taught to stand out and be
different. Even in here that can be a
difficult task.
I am trying to revive the group with one
of the sponsors we had. The
transgenders are looking forward to
meeting again. Maybe it will bring all of
us together as one. So I say to all of you
out there. Be strong and stay grounded
and anything you want can be achieved
if you try.
Sincerely,
Lisa Strawn
Transgender Friendly Housing
Criteria Institutional Facilities
By Rodney Quine
These new standards/policies
implemented are due to the
discrimination/harassment/harmful
abuses throughout the CDC to
"LGBTQ" inmates. However, the
Torture continues with no real scrutiny
and many forms of subterfuge practices
within these facilities. . .
I'm a 54 year old, pre-op male-to-female
transgender. Incarcerated for 34 years
now. I'm as productive as possible to
better our environment. In 2008, at the
R.J.D. prison, I was recommended for
hormone therapy. In 1978, I took
hormones for a short period "black
market issues". I had previously
attempted suicide because I had tried all
possible adjustments since childhood to
live with my current male gender that I
felt was nothing more than a mistake.
So I have lived within the prison system
and before as a man even though I have
my whole life identified as a woman. In
2008, I obtained hormone treatment and
attempted to get sex re-assignment
surgery. As a form of disrespect and/or
harassment I'm addressed as Mr., him or
sir with no feminine pronouns such as
Ms. her or transgender and the
description and tone is used as a
weapon. The administrative appeal
process always has negative results. No
matter what relief you may seek I have
needlessly encountered problems and
face discriminatory practices of
harassment that come in many forms
transfers to a more troublesome
grass, or guitars, but even the shukick-
out prison "Delano" that houses
disciplinary inmates have all these
privileges. I'm disciplinary free. I have
my eye lids permanently tattooed blue
and my eye brows and lashes tattooed
black, as a advocate we were provided
sports bras, not bras, in order to smash
our breast down to take our identity and
to manipulate acts of Dominance or
retaliation due to
homophobic/transphobic beliefs of
inflictions under inhumane conditions,
clearly unconstitutional with no secure
environment for G.I.D. or "LGBTQ"
inmates, for a non-hostile housing
comprehensive adequate standard for
equal treatment under the governments
obligation under the united nations
treaty as human rights are rights
inherent to all human beings. Under the
california correctional health care
services policies CDCR employees need
to undergo sensitivity training. I'm not
allowed no real life experiences i.e.
allowed to full-time living as a gender
woman and patient on hormones
therapy. I absolutely want the real life
experience I struggle for and certainly
now that I'm past puberty I no doubt at
my own expense should be allowed
feminine clothing and items just as
women prisoners are allowed to order
and have. Due to my development I
have big hips and buttocks with big
breast and long hair. To which, my
presence creates within the population
confusion and mixed emotions from the
males that go from romantic thoughts to
disgust and explosive turmoil reactions.
I am subjected to constant verbal abuses
from staff and inmates for amusement
purposes. Music and grass is a universal
source of life for religious purposes and
basic human fulfillments for officials to
deny these human basic needs is cruel
and unusual and is not based on no
rational financial reasonings other than
pure hatred. As LGBTQ inmates that
don't get into trouble we should be
treated at least as good as other inmates.
Besides your issue of laundry when you
arrive, you wait 6 months or longer for
laundry exchange. I have painful bone
spurs and have been waiting for medical
shoes for at least 8 months. We are only
allowed 6 T.V. stations, other facilities

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

and prisons are allowed numerous T.V.
stations. These are negative results for
filing 60 appeals.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear TGI,
My name is Jammie Yevette Blake, I
am incarcerated at CSP-LAC in
Lancaster, California. I am a
TransGender women in prison doing a
50 year term.
I received the December issue of TGI
Justice and I was touched by Ms. Grace
Lawrence's story. I felt that it was very
helpful 2 our TransGender Sisters all
over the United States. We as
TransGender Ladies are looked down
upon especially being incarcerated. The
Correctional Officers treat
TransGenders in-human and no matter
what the issue may be the TransGender
is always in the wrong according to the
Administration.
My story started on April 8, 2012 when
a Correctional Officer assaulted me just
based on my femminett
appearance. The Correctional Officer
kneed me in my thigh really hard and
called me a "faggott". Since then I been
on Motrin, Tylenol and Muscle Cream
Rubs. I filed a grievance at this prison
on the Officer and it was denied even
though I had 3 witnesses who seen the
Officer assault me.
After I went through the grievance
process at the institution I filed a 1983
Civil Suit and got a response back from
the court-- they said I have a 8th
Amendment claim and gave me a case
#, I plan 2 take this action all the way 2
the END, as a TransGender Woman I
have legal rights to be protected from
cruel punishment.
I have been in prison for 10 yrs. I've
seen so many TransGenders get
assaulted by Correctional Officers and
not take action by filing grievance and
take it to the courts for help. The
officers assault us for being who we are-
-we are humans first and no one's
personal beliefs should give them the
rights to hurt anyone verbally or
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
physically. My feminine appearance is
who I am and my personality is bubbly.
If a person does not like me for who I
am that's perfectly fine with me, just
keep your hands and hurtful comments
to your self.
My reason for sharing this story is to
inspire other TransGenders who are in
prison to take the proper action if they
are being abused by prison staff--You
are not alone sisters--I feel your pain--
I've been there and I know the
feeling. We as TransGenders have to
fight legally for our rights. We as
mature women have to pave the way for
our young transgender sisters, and our
up commin young generations. I love
all my TransGender sisters and my heart
hurts when I see them getting beat up or
hit on. My soul cries for them because
I'm defenseless and can't do nothing
about it. But what I've learned is our
society has given us a legal system and
through our legal system is a way to get
justice done.
I am not gonna be happy if I receive a
dollar amount for my pain & suffering.
Truthfully I don't care for the money, it
means nothing 2 me. What means
something to me is a judge hearing me
out and me exposing this Officer for his
CRUEL act he inflicted on me. It will
give me some peace of mind that I was
heard and justice was done, and if I do
get money as a reward for this I"m
gonna find an organization such as the
wonderful "TGI" to donate it to.
Keep up the good work TGI--we need
more of you.
Sincerely,
Jammie Y. Blake
P.S. I will keep TGI posted on the steps
of my civil suit. I love u all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TGI Justice Project
Hi my name is Jenna I'm a Transgender
woman incarcerated in an all male
prison here in California. I have been in
prison 10 years now. I am always
trying to reach out to any and all
support groups and programs of LGBT
Stiletto
people. I recently received your
"Stiletto" news letter, I enjoyed it and
related to it thoroughly. I wanted to
thank you for sending it to me and for
all the good you do for people like us.
It's a beautiful feeling to know that I'm
not alone and there are people like me
who can relate to my life and struggle.
I've been here awhile and have
experienced so many terrible things I've
been raped stabbed in the chest and
head and cut on my face and hands by
guys who are hateful and dislike our
kind or are pressured to do these acts by
their friends. It's been a long hard road
in here 4 me and often I feel like it will
never end and I begin to lose hope but I
try to reach out to all the support I can
get even if it's just a newsletter or a
pamphlet of information. Something to
read some form of news or update for
information directly related to or
affecting people like us I would like to
know if at all possible can you send me
the
1) updated resources and self advocacy
tools for people inside and also:
2) the (W.P.A.T.H.) World Professional
Association for Transgender Health 7th
version
It is my hope that I can be updated on
the Standards of Care that us
transgender inmates are to receive.
Thank you for your time and support.
Sincerely In Solidarity,
Jenna Clawson
5

Challenges from Transgenders Battles Behind Our Prison Walls
Searching for True Identity, Her Survival, The Hardships Seeking Love and Peace with Freedom
By Shiloh Quine (aka Rodney Quine) Jan.1 2011, Art by Shiloh Quine: Shy’s Journey Within, January 1, 2013
It has been very difficult, frequently a lot of
times even frustrating simply standing at and
against sometimes these greats of odds in
order to achieve ones coming out with all of
the incidents we face in between, in hope for
our obtained perseverance.
My heart goes out to you seeking (simply) to
have the courage to find your own identity.
It’s wonderful of you all whom made it all
possible, I’m in my golden years now, life is
wonderful, even in prison or where ever you
may be and we should live to the very fullest,
no matter the challenges or circumstances.
My Story… Trapped
I have known since the early age of 3 that
I was different. I knew I liked girl and I
knew I wanted to be a boy. But at 3 your
not really all that developed so you don't
know physically what you got and what
you don't have. I lived from age 3 to 12
feeling angry, odd, “trapped,” and
different, but I was too embarrassed to
say something. Then I turned 13 and I
chopped off all my hair and wore boy
clothes. But I still felt “trapped.” I would
secretly have encounters with other girls
but I felt insecure about my body. I didn't
know why, I had a flat stomach, perky
boobs, nice legs, what was there to be
ashamed of? It wasn't until 10 years later
that I figured out what was wrong... I was
trapped in the wrong body. I was 3 years
into my prison time and this “BOY”
asked me if I was “transgender.” I asked
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I, can only hope for our society to have
tolerant and understanding in regard to the
forces we constantly face inside and outside
prison. Here or there can take on its own
walls, we face a lot of hate stereotypical
images with little tolerance or understanding
because of morals. In the 1970’s we faced
numerous problems in society, I was made by
all kinds of means to be a real man, which
was traditional, I was taught this in
childhood. At some point, I had a true battle
inside for I had been feminine within my
heart and soul and mind. I was however, in a
man’s body, needless to say I did battles
within.
Its been a hostile frontiers of discoveries
along the way of awareness and of
discrimination faced. I had a lot of anger and
even rage which at some point, it has faded
into true beauty (from youth as an outcast).
At last when you find that character that exits
within each beat of your heart pondering at
your soul from within, this ongoing conflict
you must fight alone with all your might,
constantly the mind and heart will do battle
upon your journeys that longs for its identity,
that can get lost, that defines us all.
Sadly enough, it is hard “self-acceptance
seldom is easy” and these challenges of all
the complexities struggles attitudes meant to
de-humanize us. It takes real strengths to
survive your struggles completely felt or
by Julian Davis
what was that, and he went into detail
about feeling like I was born in the
wrong body and actually feeling like I
was a “Man” trapped in a “woman's”
body. When I heard that word
“TRAPPED” I knew instantly thats what
I had been feeling all those years but
couldn't put my finger on it. As soon as I
heard that work all the anger,
embarrassment and shame went away.
Even though I'm still physically trapped,
I am no longer mentally trapped.
There are so many people in the same
situation I was. They either can only
identify as a lesbian or a gay man not
knowing that there is a whole other
“category” if you will. People are other
genders trapped in the wrong body and
its my job and others to reach out and
Stiletto
acknowledge as your advancing, exploring
the aspects of your lifestyle moments that are
attributed with the determination and own
perspectives satisfying to your own true
identity. But only you sometimes, at some
point, when our soul reaches (senses) with all
its being & desires experiences from many
lives before lived.
It will enhance its development. I perceive
myself even with the production of
testosterone. In accordance, because I have
genitals and my sex-description, they say my
condition is a “gender identity disorder”. My
manifestations and characteristics associated
to my sexual orientation from childhood is
inspired because even though I was taught “I
was born a man”; (Then I was a man). I had
the wisdom or basis potential within to know
I was a girl. Incredibly even after our
Christian dominance in Religious traditions, I
still proclaimed what I had been.
In 2008, after all the discriminations seen I
had the strength to have my hormone
therapy, not according to the political plan
that is involving homosexuality. “Don’t ask,
Don’t tell”. Look at our history, incidents in
society of deceptions falsehoods suffering to
others colonized surrounding power through
the suffering of others. Great violence around
the world, look at our burning times.
help. No doubt being a transgender is
hard, a lot of people are uneducated and
physical/verbal abuse befall us, even
death. But God made me this way so I'll
do all I can to reach out to others. I've
had people call me a disgrace, wannabe
man, as well as other things but my
response is always the same...
“If I could go back to the beginning, right
before I was formed in the womb, I'd
either choose to be born a man who is
happy being a man, or a woman who is
happy being a woman. Anything other
than a transgender. Because its hard and
it hurts me how people (especially men)
treat me and others like me. But I am this
way for a profound reason and that is to
be a voice.
6

Why a Transgender Woman Helps the Incarcerated
The California Report interviews TGIJP Program Coordinator, Janetta Johnson
The recent news that Chelsea Manning --
formerly known as Bradley Manning --
hopes to receive hormone therapy in
military prison has sparked
conversations about the treatment of
transgender people behind bars. As part
of our ongoing series of first-person
health profiles called "What's Your
Story?" Janetta Johnson talks about
what it was like to be a transgender
woman in a men's federal prison.
“It’s a devastating experience being a
transgender woman and being in a male
prison and people constantly telling you,
you’re not who you are. I mean, after
hearing this for so long, you start to
question who you are. Even to the extent
where, at one point, I didn’t even
identify as human.
Every single day, this guy would touch
me inappropriately. This guy would pin
Janetta Johnson to Attend the WPATH
A letter from TGIJP Program Coordinator, Janetta Johnson
Dear friends and family,
I have been invited to attend the World
Professional Association for
Transgender Health (WPATH)
Symposium in Bangkok, Thailand in
February to speak on a panel about
incarcerated transgender people, and
their health needs. I'm thrilled to have
the opportunity to attend and I truly
believe in my heart that I can make a
difference by sharing my experience
with the medical and mental health
providers who will also be attending.
My goal in attending WPATH is to
speak directly about the needs and
issues faced by transgender people in
prisons.
Having had the misfortune of spending
three and a half years in prison and the
good fortune to be in leadership at
Transgender Gender Variant Intersex
Justice Project, I am in the unique
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Stiletto
me down and try to take advantage of hopelessness and despair. A lot of times
me sexually. It’s kind of like a situation people don’t want to work with
where you can’t tell because, if you tell, transgender people because they don’t
you’ll be considered a snitch, so you’ll really understand our issues.
be further marginalized.
I’m currently employed at Transgender
There’s times that I felt like I was really Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project,
hanging on to my sanity. which is known as TGIJP. And I work
with transgender people that are
Then when I got out of prison, and I got incarcerated or getting out of
out on a Monday, and I ended up in the incarceration.
hospital on a Friday because I had a
really, really bad panic attack and I It’s kind of like a spiritual thing to me.
couldn’t breathe. It was just a very
fearful situation because all the It’s like Harriet Tubman and the
negativity that I heard while I was in underground railroad. Once you get out,
prison, I began to hear inside my psyche, you know what I’m saying, you gotta go
when I got out here. back and get some of the people and say,
It took me about three months to get into come on, let’s go. Let’s get out of this
mental health care, and that’s too long. mess. Let’s go find something different.
That’s too much of a leeway for Something better.”
somebody to fall into a state of
position to advocate for
incarcerated
transgender people,
especially transgender
women of color inside
prisons and those who
are coming out of
prisons.
All transgender people
need and deserve to have the best care I’ve had so far to be able to be a part of
possible when it comes to our mental the construction of community,
and physical health. All too often, breaking the yoke of Oppression for
transgender women of color, especially trans people of all colors.
those who are incarcerated, fall through
the cracks of the larger discussion and Thanks and love,
policy making around transgender Janetta Louise Johnson
issues.
I am currently fundraising to get the
money together for a plane ticket and
the registration fees, and while there’s
still some money left to raise, I feel
honored and favored to get the support
7

Transgender
Community News
Katheryne Stripling, Member
Hello!
I hope you enjoy reading my column’s
news offerings in this edition of Stiletto.
The following are a list of transgender
law developments. Please let me know
any specific TG news you’d like to read
and I’ll research it for you.
Thanks, Katheryne
Good News
USA
2012
Neil McKenna wrote a book, "Fanny
and Stella: The Young Men Who
Shocked Victorian England" about the
lives and community of two "young
men who liked to dress as women" who
came to public attention when they were
arrested in 1870.
8/6/2012
The U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) clarified that
the Affordable Care Act’s prohibition
on sex-based discrimination includes
discrimination against transgender
people and discrimination based on how
masculine or feminine a person
presents. The HHS announcement
means that transgender patients who
experience discrimination from health
care providers that accept Medicare,
Medicaid, or other types of federal
funding should file discrimination
complaints with HHS.
8/12/2012
The Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) this summer instituted a new
policy eliminating burdensome
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
psychological testing requirements for
transgender pilots seeking or renewing
their pilot’s license.
9/15/2012
TransGriot published a blog
remembering transman Jim McHarris,
born in 1924 in Meridan, MS as Annie
Lee Gordon. He exhibited a distaste for
all things feminine except dating the
ladies. He transitioned in his teens to
living as a man and spent the next 15
years traveling and working odd jobs.
He settled down, got engaged and was
living life as a man until he was arrested
by police and a pat down reveled his
gender. He ended up serving 30 days in
a woman's jail, but dressed as a man
while there. Despite controversy and
criticism, he continued to live his life as
a man.
10/4/2012
Transgender Law Center celebrates its
10th Anniversary.
10/30/2012
Vice President Joe Biden called
transgender discrimination “the civil
rights issue of our time.” The vice
president has been a steadfast ally to the
LGBT community.
11/29/2012
Allyson Robinson was appointed
executive director of OutServe -
Servicemembers Legal Defense
Network. She is the first transgender
person to head an LGBT organization
that is not trans-focused.
11/30/2012
It's the 60th anniversary of Former Army
Private George Jorgenson traveling to
Denmark and returning as Christine
Jorgenson – the first ever MTF sexual
reassignment surgery. Afterward, she
wrote a letter to her parents, saying
“Nature made a mistake which I have
had corrected, and now I am your
daughter.” The first FTM surgery took
place in Bristol, UK in 1942, when
Laura Dillon underwent a double
mastectomy and became Michael
Dillon. She had already been taking
testosterone and dressing as male.
2/8/2013
Stiletto
History article. Christine Jorgenson
was not the first recipient of sex
reassignment surgery by a long shot, but
she had hormones which were new at
the time. Michael Dillon had
testosterone pills and he was the first
recipient of female to male sex
reassignment surgery in 1946-1949.
2/13/2013
After a great deal of debate, the US
Congress reauthorized an LGBT-
inclusive version of the Violence
Against Women Act, which protects
victims of domestic violence. Obama
signed it into law immediately.
2/16/2013
Gallup polls showed that Washington
D.C. has the highest percentage of self-
identified LGBT people – nearly 10
percent of the population. The national
average is 3.5 percent, and Hawaii,
Vermont, Oregon, Maine, Rhode Island
also had high percentages. The study
found that states with higher proportions
of LGBT residents tend to have LGBT-
supportive climates and most have laws
that prohibit discrimination based on
sexual orientation or gender identity.
2/19/2013
Massachusetts passed The Transgender
Equal Rights Law in July of 2012,
which prohibits discrimination against
Transgender persons and includes an
amended definition of hate crime which
now includesany crime motivated by
one's gender identity. As of February
2013, elementary and secondary school
students can now use all school
facilities that coincide with the student's
gender identity, such as restrooms,
changing rooms and sports teams. It is
also required that student records and
diplomas use appropriate pronouns and
names.
2/22/2013
Pope Benedict XVI stepped down from
the papacy in February. There are
rumors that he was part of a network of
cross-dressing gay priests and stepped
down because he was being blackmailed
by male prostitutes at a Roman spa.
2/27/2013
8

Phoenix City Council voted 5-3 to
expand an anti-discrimination law to
include protections for LGBT people in
city contracts, housing, employment and
public accommodations. They had voted
this measure down 21 years ago, and
LGBT advocates said the move was a
long time coming.
2/27/2013
In February 2013, transgender teen,
Devon, was voted Homecoming Queen
after transferring to a new school and
keeping her biological gender a secret.
She then spoke publicly about it in order
to help others in the same situation. In
September 2013, transgender teen,
Cassidy Lynn, was also voted
Homecoming Queen and in October
2013, transgender teen, Ray, was
crowned Homecoming King. All three
were the first transgender students in
their schools to win “royalty” and all
three have used the opportunity to speak
publicly and raise awareness.
3/2/2013
TransGriot published a blog
commemorating Women's History
Month, bringing attention to the
importance of remembering our trans
women of color history. The blog said
“the recognition of our contributions to
women's history has been far too slow
in coming for African-American trans
women, but it hasn't stopped us from
doing what we have to do to fight for
our humanity.” Some of those
mentioned in the blog include Marsha P
Johnson, Miss Major, Janet Mock,
Laverne Cox, Lucy Hicks Anderson and
Patricia Underwood.
3/4/2013
The National Center for Transgender
Equality and Just Detention
International led efforts to strengthen
protections against sexual abuse of
LGBTI in immigration detention as part
of the implementation of the Prison
Rape Elimination Act.
3/12/2013
Maryland is moving forward a bill in
the state legislature to ban
discrimination against trans and gender
non-conforming persons. It is voted
down by the state senate on March 15.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3/29/2013
Monica Roberts' blog post: The Human
Rights Campaign just had another
incident of dissing the trans community,
covering it up and calling witnesses
liars. This time organizers removed a
trans pride flag at a rally, not removing
any other flags; the HRC denied the
incident for 2 days.
4/27/2013
Washington Post: A new book, "They
Fought Like Demons" by DeAnne
Blanton and Lauren Cook Wike, is
about "at least 250 women [who]
dressed like men and fought for the
North and South in virtually every
major battle of the bloody Civil War".
5/3/2013
Huffington Post: Article called "women
who passed as men in pursuit of a
dream" discusses 13 people, who are
authors, musicians, athletes, doctors,
soldiers, politicians and a stagecoach
driver.
5/3/2013
Rhode Island became the 10th U.S. state
to legalize same-sex marriage.
5/14/2013
Minnesota became the 12th U.S. state to
legalize same-sex marriage.
5/17/2013
France becomes the 14th country in the
world to legalize same-sex marriage.
6/4/2013
Transgender Navy SEAL, Chris, comes
out as Kristen after serving multiple
tours as one of the most elite members
of the military. She has published a
memoir called “Warrior Princess.”
6/8/2013
Author Steve Berry recently wrote a
book, The King's Deception, claiming
that Queen Elizabeth I was a male
impostor who replaced the real princess
when she died at age 10.
9/16/2013
A transgender woman in South Dakota
won a landmark settlement in an
employment lawsuit, after the grocery
Stiletto
store where she worked fired her shortly
after she announced her plans to
transition from male to female. She will
be awarded $50,000 in addition to
receiving a formal letter of apology and
letter of recommendation from her
former employer. There will also be
public notice on the company's bulletin
board and a yearly training on
workplace protections.
9/17/2103
Federal court rules that a business
corporation owned by Roman Catholics
is not entitled to claim a religious
exemption: Obamacare requires that
health insurance plans for employees
cover contraception. If the Supreme
Court overturns this decision it could
affect other rulings about religious
discrimination against LGBT people.
9/21/2013
Cassidy Lynn, one of the transgender
teens who won Homecoming Queen this
year, later posted on her Youtube
channel that she was feeling distraught
and unhappy after receiving a deluge of
negative and hateful remarks after her
win. She said she was having trouble
living up to the pressure of being a role
model, even though she knows she
should be strong for the kids she did it
for.
9/27/2013
New Jersey legalized same-sex
marriage.
10/8/2013
California Governor Jerry Brown finally
signed the TRUST Act, which prevents
the police from turning in many non-
violent inmates to deportation officials.
Participants of the Transgender
Leadership Summit educated lawmakers
about the importance of the Act,
because transgender people are at
greater risk for police harassment and
deportation. The TRUST Act will
refocus S-Comm enforcement onto the
most violent offenders rather than those
who committed minor offenses.
9

Around the World
2/20/2013
Ancient rock carvings were discovered
in China that depict scenes of bisexual
and transgender activity. These carvings
may date back to 2000BC.
3/3/2013
Neil McKenna's new book was
published, titled 'Fanny & Stella: The
Young Men Who Shocked Victorian
England.” It tells the story of two
flamboyant and gender-bending gay
men in Victorian London.
3/7/2013
Ireland amended its Employment
Equality Act to protect teachers from
being discriminated against based on
their sexual orientation.
3/7/2013
Peachy Tabilos says that in her heart she
was born to be a woman and born to
play volleyball. She has not yet had sex
reassignment surgery, which means she
cannot qualify to play on a women's
volleyball team. However, she has
found acceptance and support on the
men's team at City College of San
Francisco.
3/8/2013
Greece changed its hate crime
legislation to include gender identity.
Many consider this a huge victory
because this is the first time Greek law
has ever recognized the trans
community.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5/9/2013
Uruguay became the 12th country in the
world (and the 2nd country in South
America, following Argentina) to
legalize same sex marriage.
5/13/2013
A transgender woman has won the right
to marry her boyfriend in a watershed
ruling in Hong Kong. Singapore,
Australia and New Zealand also allow
transgender people to marry as their
new gender. The ruling does not allow
same-sex marriage.
5/17/2013
France becomes the 14th country in the
world to legalize same-sex marriage.
6/8/2013
Author Steve Berry recently wrote a
book, The King's Deception, claiming
that Queen Elizabeth I was a male
impostor who replaced the real princess
when she died at age 10.
9/17/2013
Federal court rules that a business
corporation owned by Roman Catholics
is not entitled to claim a religious
exemption: Obamacare requires that
health insurance plans for employees
cover contraception. If the Supreme
Court overturns this decision it could
affect other rulings about religious
discrimination against LGBT people.
9/25/2103
New Zealand: Anne Toley, Minister of
Corrections, announces that New
Zealand prisoners can now be placed in
the prison that matches their gender, not
their sex assigned at birth.
Stiletto
Bad News
USA
2/28/2013
Drag queen Martha Graham Cracker
was asked to sing and read Dr Seuss at
an after-school program in New Jersey
as part of National Read Across
America Day. The invitation was then
revoked without explanation, but critics
believe it is because he is gay and a drag
queen. A church in Philadelphia then
invited him to perform, in response.
6/10/2013
Sama Chaka Quinland pleaded guilty to
voluntary manslaughter in the death of
DeAndre Fulton-Smith after stabbing
him 22 times and shooting him twice in
the head. Quinland states he did this
after learning that Smith was a man who
was presenting as a woman while
offering sexual services through the
internet. Quinland received the
maximum sentence of 30 years.
7/21/2013
Jeanne Manford, who founded the
straight ally group Parents and Friends
of Gays and Lesbians (PFLAG) died at
the age of 92. She founded PFLAG in
1972.
8/22/2013
Chelsea Manning, formerly Bradley
Manning, was sentenced to 35 years in
prison for leaking hundreds of
thousands of classified documents. She
was found guilty of 20 counts, six of
them under the Espionage Act, but her
lawyers argued during the trial that
Manning was acting out of a sense of
duty to her country. After the
sentencing, Manning announced she
wanted to be referred to as Chelsea, and
that she would undergo sexual
reassignment therapy to become a
woman. She states she leaked the
documents because she is a
"transparency advocate” and feels that
“the public cannot decide what actions
and policies are or are not justified if
they don't even know the most
rudimentary details about them and their
effects.” But Fort Leavenworth military
10
 Stiletto

prison in Kansas, where Manning is due

to serve out her sentence, said that it
would not provide trans treatment
beyond psychiatric support, in a move
criticized as unconstitutional by
activists and LGBT groups.

Around the World

5/1/2013
Twenty-nine countries in Europe are
insisting transgender people are
sterilized before their true gender is
recognized in law. In many European
countries, sterilization and SRS are
required. Many LGBT rights
organizations are calling this a major
human rights abuse and fighting for this
requirement to end.

6/12/2013
Russia's parliament passed
overwhelmingly passed a bill that bans
so-called 'propoganda' of
homosexuality. They will impose hefty
fines for holding gay pride rallies or
providing information about LGBT
issues to minors. Any person or
organization mentioning sexual
relationships considered 'non-traditional'
will be fined. Foreigners may face up to
15 days of imprisonment followed by
deportation. Cher was approached about
being an ambassador at the Games and
performing at the opening ceremony,
but turned it down immediately due to
the anti-gay laws.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
 Stiletto

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

PASSAGE & PLACE Print Project

Organizers: Annah Anti-Palindrome is a 32 year old queer/femme who was raised in the rural, working-class craters at the base of the sierra foothills.
She is interested in exploring the ways that her home of origin constructed her early sense of self, as well as the ways that separation from that home (via
juvenile detention centers, addiction, rehabilitation clinics, travel and relocation) have displaced her from that original sense of self over time. She is
interested in exploring the ways we are often required to reclaim and redefine ourselves as we move (by force or choice) further away from what we once
knew home to be. Lex Non Scripta is a 34 year old, working-class, trans/gender-queer artist and activist invested in transformative racial and economic
justice. They have lived in over 34 different homes throughout the U.S. over the course of their life, and are interested in exploring the ways that
transience and displacement inform how we navigate the world, and how we build, sustain and invest in community.

We're collecting written and visual art submissions in response to the prompt below:

Who/What/Where is Home?

The term 'Home' does not always refer to a geographical or structural location. For some people, Home is more of a concept than it
is a physical place. Some of us may associate particular people in our lives with a sense of Home. For others, Home may be laden in
the sight of an object, a smell, a sound, a phrase. One's concept of Home may be best conjured up by the act of movement, the
practice of tradition, or the retelling of significant events. Our sense of Home is something that lives inside of us regardless of where
we are.

What is it that signifies Home to you? Consider drafting a letter or creating an image to/for that place/person/object/etc.

This is a call for letters written, and visual art created from You to Home. A collection of these letters and images will be bound and printed into an anthology released
in conjunction with the National Queer Arts Festival, 2014. All participants from the inside will receive a free copy of the finished book.

All submissions must be received by March 1st, 2014.

MAIL SUBMISSIONS to:

Passage & Place

PO Box 22469
Oakland CA 94609

Please specify if you would like your original submission returned to you, so that we can include it with your copy of the completed project.
Along with your submission, please include a 2-3 line bio about yourself, as well as your contact information. Please also specify if you would
like to have your contact information published alongside your submission for readers to contact you directly.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12