PRESS RELEASE: on Mr Trump’s tweet July 26, 2017

The president’s tweet today announcing a blanket prohibition on transgender Americans from serving the nation we love is needlessly discriminatory and dishonors the selfless service of the thousands of transgender people who have served with distinction for 242 years, including the countless number who serve here in the greater Washington DC area today.

The question is not whether transgender people can or will serve. They have, they are, and they will serve. The question is whether patriotic Americans who have volunteered to lay down their lives in defense of this great nation will be subject to pointless discrimination by the very government they serve.

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Transgender Lobby Day – 2017

Three TGEA board members, Randi Johnson, Chaiya Mohanty Ortiz, and Sarah Huggins (pictured above, from left to right) attended Transgender Lobby Day on June 8th and 9th, sponsored by the National Center for Transgender Equality. They met with the staff of their Congressmen and also of Senators Kaine and Warner. In addition to sharing their personal stories, they spoke on the importance of the Equality Act (H.R. 2282; S.1006), the End of Racial Profiling Act (H.R. 1498), and concern and opposition over the American Health Care Act (H.R. 1628). We, in Northern Virginia, are fortunate to have legislators who support the LGBT community. In all, attendees came from 40 states and included many parents of transgender youth. The transgender community and allies are making sure our voices are heard on Capitol Hill!

Transgender Lobby Day 2017 – June 8 & 9

Thursday, June 8th
Training Session 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Opening Reception 7:30pm – 9:00pm

Friday, June 9th
Breakfast 8:00am
Training Sessions 8:30 – noon
Congressional Meetings noon – 5:30pm
Rally for Transgender Equality (optional) 5:30pm

The Rally for Transgender Equality will feature speakers who do different types of advocacy and will be open to the public.
Share your knowledge and experience with elected officials, as we continue to press Congress to pass life saving legislation at the national level.
Register for Transgender Lobby Day 2017!
http://www.transequality.org/TransLobbyDay
(Registration has been capped for residents of DC, VA and MD. We still encourage participants from all other states. )

TGEA Discusses Transgender Medical Issues with California Nursing Students and Providers

On a recent trip to California, TGEA Board Member Sarah Huggins had the opportunity to mix outreach with vacation time when she provided her insights of transgender medical issues to first-year medical students at Orange County’s Saddleback College, and also to the medical and administrative staff at the College Hospital of Costa Mesa.
The events were arranged by Sarah’s sister-in-law, Dr. Barbara Huggins, who is the Department Co-Chair of Nursing for Saddleback College. Sarah addressed questions from both groups as they sought to understand more deeply some of the medical issues many in the transgender community face, and how best to provide a more supportive environment for the transgender community they serve.
Read the full article here

TGEA presentation to class at Georgetown University

On April 7, 2017, TGEA was invited to make a presentation to a class at Georgetown University during a seminar series in Transgender Issues organized by Dr. Kathleen Guidroz. The course is based on a growing field of transgender/ transsexual (or “trans”) studies, starting with the ideas that individuals are born into a society whereby gender is socially constructed. The course discusses transgender identity and gender expression by challenging the gender binary. TGEA President and board member, Randi Johnson, attended the class in early April and presented her transition experience as they discussed emotional issues and resilience.
Read more here

Press Release – Title IX

For the safety of our transgender students – Fairfax, VA, March 1, 2017

On Wednesday, February 22, 2017, schools received a “Dear Colleague” letter jointly issued from the Department of Justice and the US Department of Education explaining a new interpretation of Title IX, which affects all public schools within the US that receive federal funding. Under the previous administration, Title IX’s protection from discrimination based on sex was interpreted to protect students based on their gender identity. However, that interpretation has now changed and the Education Department and the Department of Justice will allow states to decide to what extent this new interpretation will affect transgender students. This interpretation increases the fears that transgender students, and their families, have for their safety in an environment that now emboldens further bullying and threats.
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“Transgender, at War and in Love” Movie Screening – Mar 4 Annandale, VA

Join TGEA at 6:00 pm on Saturday, March 4, 2017 at the George Mason Regional Library, 7001 Little River Turnpike Annandale, VA 22003, for an evening with award winning director and producer Fiona Dawson as she presents a special screening of her Emmy®-nominated short documentary, “Transgender, at War and in Love”. You can watch the film directly on the NY Times website here – its 12 minutes long.
https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000003720527/transgender-at-war-and-in-love.html

Interview W/Brett Parson & Jessica Hawkins of Metropolitan Police Dept

On January 13, 2017, District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department acting lieutenant Brett Parson, manager of the District’s Special Liaison Division, and Sergeant Jessica Hawkins, supervisor of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Liaison Unit (LGBTLU) attended a meeting of the Second Friday Peer Support Group for transgender people, parents and allies. The two discussed civil rights protections in the District, the role of the LGBTLU, formerly known as the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit, or “GLLU,” how trans people can protect their safety and rights in the District, and gave a few dos and don’ts for those choosing to engage in peaceful demonstrations. Hawkins also sat down for an interview prior to the meeting.
Click here to read Short version of interview
Click here to read Long version of interview!