Swimming to set up 'open category' for transgender athletes

BUDAPEST, Hungary - Swimming intends to set up an 'open category' to allow transgender athletes to compete in a separate class at the elite level, Husain Al-Musallam, president of governing body FINA, announced on Sunday. 

The policy will, however, exclude many transgender athletes from women's elite swimming. 

"I do not want any athlete to be told they cannot compete at the highest level," Al-Musallam told an extraordinary congress of his organization. 

"I will set up a working group to set up an open category at our meets. We will be the first federation to do that." 

He was speaking after FINA unveiled a policy on inclusivity which was then approved by the members. 

Brent Nowicki, FINA's CEO, said the organization was determined to maintain separate men's and women's competition. 

He added that FINA "recognizes that certain individuals may not be able to compete in the category that best aligns with their legal gender alignment or gender identity." 

Under the rules, he said, male competition would be open to all.

But "male-to-female transgender athletes and intersex athletes can only compete as female athletes in FINA competition, or set a world record, if they can prove they have not experienced any element of male puberty." 

In the debate that followed, Dr Christer Magnusson, a Swedish member of FINA's medical committee, was among those who complained that the implication was that boys aged as young as 10 would have to decide to start transitioning. 

Last year, the International Olympic Committee announced guidelines but asked federations to produce their own 'sport-specific' rule. 

FINA set up three expert committees, one medical, one legal and one of athletes, to look at the issue. 

The medical committee found that men who transitioned to woman retained advantages. 

"Some of the advantages males acquire in puberty are structural and are not lost with hormone suppression," said Dr Sandra Hunter of the Marquette University in Milwaukee. 

"These include larger lungs and hearts, longer bones, bigger feet and hands." 

The legal experts concluded that the policy of excluding most transgender swimmers would be legal. 

They were "necessary and proportionate to achieve a legitimate objective," said London-based barrister James Drake. 

For the swimmers, Cate Campbell, an Australian four-time Olympic gold medalist said: "My role is to stand here today and tell trans people we want you to be part of the broader swimming community ... but also to stand here and say... 'listen to the science'." 

In the United States, swimming has moved to the center of the debate over transgender women competing against natal women, as Lia Thomas has become the face of the issue. 

Thomas, a freestyle specialist, competed for the University of Pennsylvania, men's team from 2017-19. 

After transitioning and undergoing required hormone therapy, she raced on the women's team this season. 

Thomas became the first known transgender athlete to win an elite US collegiate title when she edged Olympic medley silver medalist Emma Weyant in the 500m freestyle in Atlanta in March. 

Agence France-Presse

Everlast champions first transgender boxer in 'Be First' campaign

MANILA, Philippines — Patricio Manuel, the first transgender professional boxer, is now part of premier boxing brand Everlast's "Be First" campaign.

Manuel, who was sidelined by an injury while competing in the 2012 Olympic trials, fought his way back into the ring after transitioning to become a male fighter.

"Everlast is humanizing the world of boxing in a way that's never been done before by shedding light on inspiring athletes like Patricio Manuel," said Everlast in an email to UK-based website Mashable.

"This is the first step of many campaigns you can expect to see from Everlast within the next year that defy norms and highlights all kinds of fighters," they added.

The "Be First" campaign champions underdogs in the sport, including amputee boxer Jinji Martinez.

According to Mashable, Everlast named the campagin after the boxing term "Be First", which encourages boxers to fore their opponents to follow their lead.

source: philstar.com

New Netflix series 'Insatiable' faces fat-shaming, homophobia accusations

NEW YORK, United States — Netflix's new series "Insatiable," hitting screens Friday, was touted by the streaming service as a dark comedy meant to spark debate on society's ills.

Instead, critics have slammed it as fat-shaming, homophobic and denigrating to transgender people.

The offbeat show follows the story of overweight teen Patty, who is mocked and bullied incessantly until she has an accident that requires her jaw be wired shut -- which causes her to shed significant weight.

With her new svelte figure, she vows to seek revenge on all those who attacked her, notably by participating in beauty contests.

The trailer prompted fierce backlash from critics accusing the show of body-shaming.

It perpetuates "not only the toxicity of diet culture, but the objectification of women's bodies," read a petition launched last month.

With the show's release on Friday, the petition -- which calls for the series' cancellation -- had more than 229,400 signatures.

Some people also skewered the show for the way it portrayed homosexuality, including apparently making light of Patty's best friend Nonnie for her repressed desire.

In another scene, a young girl who accidentally releases a nude photo of herself says she initially "figured everyone would think I'm a slut."

"Now they think I'm a lesbian and that's way worse," she says.

And in another scene, Patty and a transgender woman compare being fat to being transgender, saying they both aspire to change their bodies.

"At the very least, it will be a conversation starter," said Alyssa Milano, who stars in the show.

"People bring with them their own emotional history and that's what makes art amazing and TV entertaining. I'm completely aware that it's not a show for everybody but we're really proud of what we did."

Netflix's vice president of original series, Cindy Holland, said the series explores issues "satirically, in a very over-the-top way."

Lauren Gussis, who created the show, called it "a cautionary tale about how damaging it can be to believe the outsides are more important -- to judge without going deeper."

"Please give the show a chance," she said.

source: philstar.com

Obama presses for repeal of anti-transgender, anti-gay laws

LONDON -- US President Barack Obama on Friday called for the repeal of laws in North Carolina and Mississippi which discriminate on the basis of sexual and gender orientation.

Visiting Britain as that country warned its citizens about US anti-gay and anti-transgender laws, Obama insisted British visitors would be greeted in the two states with "extraordinary hospitality."

But, he added, "I also think that the laws that have been passed there are wrong. And should be overturned."

"They're in response to politics in part. In part, some strong emotions that are generated by people. Some of whom are good people, but I just disagree with them, when it comes to respecting the equal rights of all people, regardless of sexual orientation," he said.

In Mississippi, Republican Governor Phil Bryant has signed a law allowing officials and businesses to deny marriage-related services to gay people or refuse to employ them if they feel it would violate their religious beliefs.

North Carolina last week moved to curtail a law targeting gay and transgender people, following a growing backlash from companies and celebrities, but stopped short of ending limits to public bathroom access.

"I think it's very important for us not to send signals that anybody is treated differently," Obama said.

source: interaksyon.com

Transgender troops seek end to US military taboo

WASHINGTON DC - For Donna Harding, joining the Australian army was a bid to try to suppress what she had known from an early age -- she was a girl trapped in a boy's body.



"It's quite a common pathway for people who are gender conflicted, trying to fix what we see is wrong with us, and see the military as the way of doing that," Major Harding said.

She was speaking at an unprecedented gathering of transgender troops from foreign armies in Washington, sharing their experiences in the hopes of persuading the Pentagon and the US administration to break perhaps the last taboo -- openly integrating members of their community into the military's ranks.

Eighteen countries around the world expressly allow transgender personnel to serve, including major US allies like Australia, Britain, Canada, Sweden, and New Zealand.

But in the United States, despite the 2011 repeal of the divisive "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law, which banned gays from serving openly, there is little talk of extending the same rights to transgender people.

There are an estimated 15,500 transgender people believed to be serving in the US armed forces, but, under the current rules, if they are discovered the military is required to dismiss them.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said earlier this year he was open to reconsidering the current ban. But as yet no review is underway, and any move to incorporate transgender people openly into the ranks is likely to stir controversy.

Harding joined the Australian reserve forces in 2000 before entering the regular army in 2004. She said she had "lived under the constant anxiety and fear that someone would find out my secret."

"I've lost count of the number of times it would have been so easy to drive into that oncoming truck," Harding told the audience at the event organized by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), noting that 80 percent of transgender people have contemplated suicide, and some 40 percent have tried it.

Now after transitioning to become a woman, Harding works with the Royal Australian Nursing Corps and says that being "open and authentic is the key to being able to perform your job."

Major Alexandra Larsson, an intelligence officer with the Swedish Air Force, insisted she had been very lucky to receive good support once she plucked up the courage to become a woman, saying she has "the best job in the world."

"The problem today is that it depends on who you are and where you are. And it shouldn't be like that. Everybody should have the same opportunity ... but hopefully people can look at me and say at least 'for her it was possible.'"

Being true to yourself

Key to ensuring that transgender people can be embraced by the army is education, and working so those who undertake the difficult decision can do so with dignity and security.

There is little to suggest that including them has any effect on a military's operational effectiveness.

"Without doubt, the more mature our inclusive policies become, the better our operational delivery becomes, because we have got people who are being themselves, they are being authentic in the workplace, without having to have personal challenges alongside that," said Squadron Leader Sarah Maskell, who promotes equality and diversity in the British Royal Air Force.

Issues such as sharing showers or medical costs and care should be relatively easy to deal with by applying some common sense, the panelists argued.

Sergeant Lucy Jordan, the first person in the New Zealand Defense Forces to become a woman while serving, praised the support she had been given by her commanding officers.

"What my organization gave me, and what we are doing here, is primarily about investing in the most important thing that an organization has: its people."

source: interaksyon.com

Mara Lopez on Laude slay, other advocacies: ‘I’m not afraid to give people a piece of my mind’

At the launch of an alliance to monitor the legal proceedings in the murder of Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude, who was killed allegedly by US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton in a motel in Olongapo City on October 11, it was not a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community whose sentiments hit hard the most.

Rather, it was indie actress and LGBT supporter Mara Lopez whose opinions captured the sense of outrage one ought to feel when faced with the murder of a person, whose skin bore cuts and bruises, a testament to the brutality the victim endured beforehand at the hands of the perpetrator of the crime.

“Why do we even have to dwell on that?” Mara asked in reference to the fact that Jennifer was a transwoman, a detail that has many Filipinos spouting off hateful comments about the victim. “The point is she was tortured, she was killed.”

“The only one who has a right to take away life is God. Even ants ‘di ko kayang patayin. Ang kaya ko lang patayin talaga, lamok, and even then I feel guilty. I’m vegan kasi, and an animal activist. Eh kung galit ako sa pumapatay ng hayop, ano pa sa pumapatay ng tao ‘di ba?” she told InterAksyon.com in an interview Monday at a press conference held by the newly christened Justice for Jennifer Watch.

The Filipino-Japanese daughter of former Bb. Pilipinas-Universe and Gabriela advocate Maria Isabel Lopez is the star of Ida Anita Del Mundo’s Cinemalaya film “K’na The Dreamweaver.” Here Mara plays, in her own words, a T’boli princess torn between saving her village and being with her one true love.

This is her second Cinemalaya movie, last year acting opposite Paulo Avelino in Alvin Yapan’s religious Bicolano film “Debosyon.”

She had to learn different languages for these films: T’boli for the first and Bicolano for the second.

Mara debuts her next two films, Cinema One Originals both, on November 9.

In Alec Figuracion’s “Bitukang Manok,” her character gets stuck in the winding road in Quezon, unable to get out for ten days.

She plays one of four friends in Malay Javier’s “Hindi Sila Tatanda,” a film shot using anamorphic lens, to panoramic effect.

“As an actress, I’m not afraid to be different from everyone,” Mara said. True enough, she has been making waves in the indie circuit for the roles she chooses to portray. “I’m at that stage that I want to make films that are good.”

As a newcomer, she played the wife of a shop employee who was forced to give spy-cam videos of herself to his employer in Ato Bautista’s “Palitan”. The film, which included scenes with Mara in the nude, earned her a Best Actress award at the Cinema One Originals film festival in 2012.

“I’m very open to doing many things, but there has to be trust with the people I’m working with, trust in the material. ‘Cause I’m such a liberal person. I’d want to explore so many things as an actress.”

She has the same attitude when it comes to the advocacies she supports.

“I’m not afraid to give people a piece of my mind,” Mara said. “Sometimes it can be risky. Some people, to protect me, will say, ‘Don’t be too vocal, don’t be too aggressive.’ But no, if I believe in something, I’m going to have to be vocal about it, I’m going to have to fight for it.”

She was 12 when she started joining her mom, with the rest of the Gabriela supporters, in protest rallies that tackled violence against women.

Mara last took to the streets when news of the pork barrel scam exploded last year.

Also an environmentalist, simply looking at a comic book (which she nevertheless loves to collect) makes her wonder why trees have to be cut for paper, instead of manufacturers finding a more sustainable way of producing such materials. She used to volunteer for PAWS, as well.

With her mom, Mara also supports Narcotics Anonymous events to help people battle their addictions.

Through her Instagram posts, she enjoys spreading the word (or in this case, the photos) about healthy eating. The surfer has strong convictions as well with regards to the need for awareness among people from her generation.

“Ayokong ma-trap sa generation na ‘pag gising, Instagram na agad. But I think I can use that in a positive way to promote causes like this. I want people to be aware of what’s going on. ‘Di ba sobrang lungkot na the witnesses are back in the States?!” the 23-year-old ranted, referring to the witnesses to Laude’s murder, believed to be members of the US Marines.

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday said that they were not informed “by the US side” beforehand.

“I am affected about what happened to her,” Mara said. “And it’s not something I want to be around. And in the future, my children, I don’t want them to be around that. Although we live in an evil world and it’s inevitable, I’m not going to sit around and do nothing in my house. I’m probably just one person, but my voice matters.”

source: interaksyon.com

Philippine transgender, crowned 'Miss International Queen' in Thailand, hopes for dad's acceptance

A 21-year-old transgender beauty from the Philippines was crowned Miss International Queen 2012 in Thailand's seaside resort Pattaya, on Friday - and expressed wishes of finally being accepted as her father's "daughter".

Kevin Balot was crowned winner at the Miss International Queen 2012 transgender/transsexual beauty pageant in Pattaya on November 2. Some 21 contestants from 15 countries, all of them born male, competed in the week-long event for the crown of Miss International Queen 2012.

"Someday I want to go to Europe and to represent my country the Philippines. So I'm so proud to present the beauty of the gays back to our country, the Philippines."

Seri Wongmontha, head of the panel of judges, said: "We really looked at her at the first round, because she's lovely, and her personality is very personable, and the way she answered the question. She's really smart."

After the pageant, Balot said:

"I'm very proud to be the first here, and I hope my dad will accept me. Because in the family I'm the only boy, and my dad has big expectations of me. I made it. I won the International Queen Pageant, and I believe that my dad will accept me not only as his son but also as his daughter."

21 contestants from 15 countries dazzled at the Miss International Queen 2012 pageant held in Thailand's seaside resort Pattaya on Friday, vying for the crown in the annual competition for transvestites.

The final contestants were selected from more than a hundred entries from nearly 30 countries, and one contestant said the competition offered transvestites and transgenders a chance to show off their potentials.

"Someday I want to go to Europe and to represent my country the Philippines. So I'm so proud to present the beauty of the gays back to our country, the Philippines," said Balot, who had participated in three transvestite pageants in Philippines but was competing abroad for the first time.

As the winner of the Miss International Queen, Balot will travel to represent the transvestite pageant. She will also receive $10,000, a crown from a well-known gems store in Thailand and other gifts.

There were four Filipino transvestite contestants in the final stage, but only two made it through to the final ten.

source: interaksyon.com