Being referred to as him or sir

[Anonymous]

i know it is only the year of our lord 2007, and not so long ago (1955), in montgomery, alabama, rosa parks refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white passenger when asked to do so by the driver. and, it was only in 1972 when the american psychiatric association decided to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders.

how far has equality for blacks and gays come in the united states? how much fear, hate and discrimination do you think we should expect when there is such a huge amount of discrimination against gays and other minorities, let alone transgendered people.

according to wikipedia (alright, not everything there is necessarily true or correct):

Disapproval of homosexuality and of gay people is not evenly distributed throughout society, but is more or less pronounced according to age, sex, social class, education and religious status. According to UK HIV/AIDS charity AVERT, low educational level and social status, lack of homosexual feelings or experiences, religious views, and lack of interaction with gay people are strongly associated with such views.

One study of white adolescent males conducted at the University of Cincinnati by Janet Baker has been used to argue that negative feelings towards gay people are also associated with other discriminatory behaviors. The study claims to have found that hatred of gay people, anti-semitism and racism are “likely companions,” suggesting it is an abuse of power. A study performed in 2007 in the UK for the charity Stonewall reports that 90% of the population support the ban on discrimination against gays and lesbians.

so there may be some hope … 90% is a lot of people who do not “seek to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood” (martin luther king’s wife on homophobia). but i wonder how many of those 90% include transgender people amongst the definition of gays and lesbians. note – no mention of the transgendered.

i guess you have to remain positive and fight the good fight though.

in the mantime, when i read about incidents like the one on border security (maybe it is an isolated incident – how many transgendered people pass through border control points and are not hassled? we don’t know – my personal experience arriving in adelaide recently was one of no problem whatsoever), all i can think of are the words of billy joe armstrong from green day (excuse the french … that’s the way it is):

I want to be the minority
I don’t need your authority
Down with the moral majority
‘Cause I want to be the minority

Stepped out of the line
Like a sheep runs from the herd
Marching out of time
To my own beat now
The only way I know

One light, one mind
Flashing in the dark
Blinded by the silence of a thousand broken hearts
“For crying out loud” she screamed unto me
A free for all
Fuck ’em all
“You are your own sight”

I want to be the minority
I don’t need your authority
Down with the moral majority
‘Cause I want to be the minority

just my two cents worth …

love and peace, girls

virginia
oxo

[Anonymous]

Quote:

This has seriously affected the way I view our so called border security people. Just officious scum I’m afraid.

Hi Gwen

I actually do a lot of work for WA Quarantine and as such I have a lot of contact with Australian Customs and AQIS staff… although I did not see the show you mention, I can guarantee that they aren’t all like that. In fact only a very very small percentage of them are. The one prick I have met got “a new one torn for him” by his boss according to the other guys and girls (and I might point out that I never complained about him so the complaint must have come from one of his other work colleagues.)….. No organisation will ever be squeaky clean, but rest assure there are always more nice people than there are scum.

Cathii

[Anonymous]

Gwen

I actually take exception to your comment., especially your personal view of customs. My wife works for customs. Firstly it WAS NOT customs that detained the lady it was Australian Imigration, totally different. Secondly, TS or not he had over thirty pieces of ID with him, all in the name of Ronald, so what should they call him.

Rule 1 is if you are going to abuse somone, gets your facts right first!!

[Anonymous]

Gwendolinen

Quote:

I watched tonights episode of Border Security. Not only did they detain an overseas transexual woman with no apparent reason apart from being transexual, they constantly referred to her as him, sir etc. To whom do I scream at this injustice. No matter what the passport may or may not say surely simple courtesy would apply. This has seriously affected the way I view our so called border security people. Just officious scum I’m afraid.
Not a happy girl.
Gwen

Wish I got as much support from the community when Justice Latham called me “Sir” and “Mr [lastname]” for two hours during a hearing on 22 August this year.

I did ask for comment, but no one seemed to really care. Maybe if you are interested, you could write to the Judge herself and ask her to explain her actions given that I made my appearance as Miss Prudence.

I can provide transcript for anyone who is interested. I have a scanned copy and the Supreme Court posted one to me when I wrote and complained. Although I have no apology from the Judge, in fact the letter I sent to the Judge has not even had a reply.

If you want more details in private to write a letter or would like me to publish details specifically please ask. If you want to just followup on the breif:

1. Apperance by Miss Pridence in 20133/06 in the NSW Supreme Court on 22 AUgust 2007 before Justice Megan Latham

2. Latham referred to Miss Prudence as Mr and Sir through the 2 hour hearing.

3. Letter sent to Latham by Miss Prudence in September has received no reply.

Justice Megan Latham
NSW Supreme Court
Queen Square
Philip Street
Sydney 2000

If you write, please send me a copy by email.

Thanks.

If you don’t, well that’s OK. I have been learning to look out for and reply on myself the last few months.

[Anonymous]

Quote:

Secondly, TS or not he had over thirty pieces of ID with him, all in the name of Ronald, so what should they call him.

Rule 1 is if you are going to abuse somone, gets your facts right first!!

SJR…..You are an ***** Edited after thinking maybe calling you what you truly are might break the terms of service for TR……

A simple Ma’am, might have garnered better results. ID or not, SHE is a woman and deserves to be treat with respect.

On a side note: If you are going to be that disrespectful that you wilfully and deliberately call a TS HIM again, then I think you should re-evaluate why you are here in the first place….

[Anonymous]

Quote:

Rule 1 is if you are going to abuse somone, gets your facts right first!!

Perhaps SJR (could you get a real name?) it is YOU that should get your facts straight.

Quote:

I actually take exception to your comment., especially your personal view of customs.

At no time did Gwen mention the Australian Customs Service. She mentioned Australia’s border security. The last time I checked, Customs, AQIS and Immigration are all part of the border security network…..

So before abusing people GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT..

[Anonymous]

I saw the program discussed above and am sure the officer asked the lady at the beginnin of the interview by what name she wanted to be called. To my surprise she answered Ronald maybe because her documents were in that name. The officer was courteous throughout, again perhaps becausw he knew he was on camera.
Hugs Janet

[Anonymous]

Quote:

Gwen

I actually take exception to your comment., especially your personal view of customs. My wife works for customs. Firstly it WAS NOT customs that detained the lady it was Australian Imigration, totally different. Secondly, TS or not he had over thirty pieces of ID with him, all in the name of Ronald, so what should they call him.

Rule 1 is if you are going to abuse somone, gets your facts right first!!

Actually I never mentioned customs. Better follow your rule 1.
And in any event she was clearly a transexual female. Once again common coutesy should apply. And as for us, our passports will identfy us as male until we have srs and have divorced our partners. Must call us sir/him because our passports say so? Charming.

[Anonymous]

Well first of all I must ask if I may eat humble pie, to one and all I was wrong, judgemental, and far to quick in responding, For that I appologise to all. I am sorry. I should have got my facts right, read the article properly and thought before I spoke.

[Anonymous]

Quote:

Wish I got as much support from the community when Justice Latham called me “Sir” and “Mr [lastname]” for two hours during a hearing on 22 August this year.

I did ask for comment, but no one seemed to really care. Maybe if you are interested, you could write to the Judge herself and ask her to explain her actions given that I made my appearance as Miss Prudence.

I can provide transcript for anyone who is interested. I have a scanned copy and the Supreme Court posted one to me when I wrote and complained. Although I have no apology from the Judge, in fact the letter I sent to the Judge has not even had a reply.

If you want more details in private to write a letter or would like me to publish details specifically please ask. If you want to just followup on the breif:

1. Apperance by Miss Pridence in 20133/06 in the NSW Supreme Court on 22 AUgust 2007 before Justice Megan Latham

2. Latham referred to Miss Prudence as Mr and Sir through the 2 hour hearing.

3. Letter sent to Latham by Miss Prudence in September has received no reply.

I do not wish to criticise you, Ella, but to clarify a point, I ask the following questions.

1. Have you legally changed your name with the Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages? If so, was it changed before the 22nd August 2007?

2. Did you file a copy of said change of name with the Court in question?

3. If not, why then should you expect any other treatment at the hands of Justice Latham than that which you did? You were treated as you were registered with the Court, as Mr **** ****, as appears on the court file, unamended by you, in the required manner. During the matter, your own mental health was called into question, was it not? YOUR behaviour, appearing one day dressed en-femme, demanding to be called Miss Prudence, was most likely seen as your having ‘cracked’ completely, an embarrassment to yourself and an act of less than desirable behaviour in a courtroom.

4. Why didnt you change your name, file it with the court, which then could have been then used to delay the court process and the handing down of judgement, giving you time to exhaust every other possible legal avenue, indeed, to delay the court from issuing the eviction of you and your family from your home, for even a short time, possibly affecting the long term decision of the court to maybe not do so, taking pity on you rather than seeing you as disrespecting the Court and Latham J, and taking your fathers side in the matter as a slap to you in return?

Maybe I am wrong in putting all this here, if so, I apologise to anyone whose sensibilities I have offended, but I feel this has been needing to be said for a while.

Ella, I have no personal issue with you, but you asked, so I said it…..

[Anonymous]

Sometimes I think we have to take a lead in corrcting things that go wrong. I flew over to Melbourne from perth to see my children, as isway I HANDLE THINGS I RANG AND EXPLAINED ABOUT SELF AND ASKED IT BE NOTED ON THERE SYSTEM IM TRANSEXUAL AND PLEASE DONT CALL ME MR..
I was treated with respect AND AS A FEMALE throughout with VIRGIN.
I as I HAD BOOKED ON CHEAP FARES Trip back flew qantus. Having rang spoke and explained i expected same my boarding pass reffered to me as MR
As I WAS DRESSES IN SKIRT FEMALE HAIR STYLE MAKEUP ETC
I didnt make a deal expecting to be treated well.
Upon boarding the flight steward in a what seemed a loud voice said welcome aboard MR MASON
I had the worst feeling and flight ever back to Perth.
I took time to calm down and rang there public relations office and complained explaining my situation. The woman was great saiod she had a friend who ahd transitioned and would speak to her boss and seek a change of policy and clarity be sent out . She rang me back saying next tiem you fly state please put on the boarding pass Ms or MISS and it will be done.
I am yet to test this but i believe it wil occur and I THINK BECAUSE I WAS CALM and rational rather than screaming yelling etc I achieved more that way.
As she said maybe the flight steward read my boardign pass and said it without thinking and to be honest I COULD NOT SAY i may not do same thing if i was in that position just looking at a pass seat location name and ok next..)
We have a long way to go with society but i believe we have a far easier time of it than our sisters that have gone before us:))