Pentagon Lifts Ban on Transgender Troops

Important News with regard to our military...

“This is the right thing to do for our people and for the force,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said. “We’re talking about talented Americans who are serving with distinction or who want the opportunity to serve. We can’t allow barriers unrelated to a person’s qualifications prevent us from recruiting and retaining those who can best accomplish the mission."

READ THE FULL ARTICLE:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pentagon-lifts-ban-on-transgender-troops/ar-AAhOIG1?ocid=spartanntp

 

 

Path2Parenthood Resource for Trans- Men and Women Interested in Growing Their Family

path2parenthood1Here at RainbowWeddingNetwork.com, we are proud to partner with the team at Path2Parenthood.org.  This wonderful organization supports the LGBTQ community by offering insightful, respectful information in exploring options toward building a family.

Path2Parenthood assists everyone in our community; however we'd like to bring special attention to their handbook that is specifically focused on helping trans- men and women.

"This informational handbook is designed to provide an overview about family building for transgendered men and women, through both medical means and adoption. Everyone deserves to have the family of their dreams! Path2Parenthood hopes this book gives you the tools you need to make that happen."

http://392a0974f784a8a8b88c-3a99f1ca367373be2d273b2af6ac1a79.r93.cf1.rackcdn.com/p2p_TRANS_handbook_2016-2.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stat/s on Same Gender Marriage since SCOTUS

Can you believe it's been a full year since marriage recognition was enacted here in the USA??  WOW.  A lot has happened since then, with regard to pushback, headlines, ongoing heated dialogues and bathroom bills...  We're also now seeing some numbers.  This article is a quick read and has some helpful, quantitative info!

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/gallup-123000-same-sex-marriages-since-high-court-ruling/ar-AAhsVUg?ocid=spartanntp

 

 

South Carolina Elementary School Comes Through

Transgender child can pick restroom at South Carolina school

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. — The U.S. Education Department says a South Carolina school district has agreed to let a transgender elementary student use the restroom with which she identifies.
 
The Department's Office for Civil Rights said in a statement that Dorchester District 2 had violated Title IX, which protects students from sex-based discrimination. The office said the district originally had not given access to the girls' bathroom as a result of her transgender status.
 
READ FULL ARTICLE:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/transgender-child-can-pick-restroom-at-south-carolina-school/ar-AAhrbls?ocid=spartanntp

 

 

Transgender actress and activist Shakina Nayfack brings comedy to N.C. in response to the HB2 "Bathroom Law"

shakina1With the recent passage of North Carolina’s HB2 Law, aka “The Bathroom Law,” and its message of exclusion, high-profile corporations and celebrities have spoken out, canceled events or threatened sanctions if the law is not repealed. Last month, transgender actress and activist Shakina Nayfack launched a crowd funding campaign on YouCaring.com to raise money to bring her Manifest P*ssy Tour to North Carolina. With the success of the campaign and the amazing groundswell of support from local presenters and organizations, Nayfack is proud to announce the venues for her North Carolina leg of the Manifest P*ssy Tour. The tour will begin on June 11 through 19 with stops in Raleigh, Ashville, Wilmington, Charlotte, Greensboro, Chapel Hill and Durham (more stops may be added). Funds raised at these shows will be donated to local LGBT organizations. Manifest P*ssy Tour of North Carolina will be bookended by two performances at Joe's Pub at the Public Theater in New York City, June 8 and 23
 
Manifest P*ssy combines two solo shows, written and performed by Ms. Nayfack, ONE WOMAN SHOW, which tells the story of her life leading up to her ultimate transition, and POST-OP, which follows the six weeks she spent in Thailand before, during, and after the surgery. Both shows were originally produced by Musical Theatre Factory and premiered at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater in New York.
 
“We are thrilled about the outpouring of support in response to our announcing this tour. I look forward to performing in the beautiful state of North Carolina while following the law as it is currently written. In New York City, my transition has been very public and widely accepted. My shows have opened up a fantastic dialogue about what it means to transcend the gender binary, politically, socially, sexually, and spiritually. The passage of HB2 is not only hurtful, but has much wider implications than most people realize. I very much appreciate the vocal and quick actions taken by such people as Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, and Stephen Schwartz and companies such as PayPal, Google and the NBA. In their strength to stand up and speak out, I find my strength to bring my story to the very place that my community is being excluded. I hope people will support this tour and help bring pride and empowerment to LGBT people and their allies in North Carolina.” Actress/ Activist Shakina Nayfack
 
For showtimes & dates, as well as for info on the funding campaign, visit:
 
 
 

Oriented, the Film

To be released June 21st, in celebration of Pride - Check out the new documentary "Oriented"!
 
ORIENTED follows the lives of three gay Palestinian friends as they confront their national and sexual identities in modern Tel Aviv, Israel. There's Khader, a nightlife "darling" who lives with his Jewish boyfriend David. Fadi, an ardent Palestinian nationalist finds himself falling in love with an Israeli soldier. Naim, must find the courage to come out to his conservative family. Determined to change their reality, the three friends form a non-violent, cultural resistance group called "Qambuta" (Cauliflower) to advocate for sexual, ethnic and gender equality.

Be sure to look for it in June on DVD and VOD (Itunes, Indemand, Amazon, Google Play, Dish!)

www.OrientedFilm.com