The Santa Rosa Metro Chamber is partnering with Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit and downtown merchants to boost business during the holidays.
This weekend and that of Dec. 2-3, shoppers will get a free one-way ticket on SMART for every $25 they spend. In all, 5,000 passes will be handed out to shoppers at participating businesses. Passes are valid through Dec. 31, and must be handed to an on-board conductor to be redeemed.
For information and a list of businesses participating, go to pd2go.net/XgzBoj.
The chamber will also create a guide to downtown deals and savings available this holiday season. The guides can be picked up at businesses around town, or viewed online at pd2go.net/kts49v.
Republicans have abruptly taken the decision to stop using gendered language in the Virginia House of Delegates – so they don’t have to refer to groundbreaking trans politician Danica Roem as a woman.
Democratic delegate-elect Danica Roem made history earlier this month as the first openly transgender lawmaker to be elected to a state legislature, after unseating GOP incumbent Bob Marshall, who penned anti-transgender ‘bathroom’ legislation.
Roem is set to take up her seat in the Virginia House of Delegates in January.
But ahead of the new session, the Republican-controlled body has opted to make drastic changes to the chamber’s 400-year-old rulebook.
Under the changes, politicians speaking on the floor of the House will no longer have to refer to eachother as ‘Gentleman’ or ‘Gentlewoman’, and will instead use the term ‘Delegate’ as a gender-neutral address.
While the removal of unnecessarily-gendered language might be cheered by liberals in other occasions, the GOP’s actions appear to be preventing lawmakers from having to refer to Ms Roem as a ‘Gentlewoman’.
House Majority Leader M. Kirkland Cox (R-Colonial Heights) confirmed the change.
In a statement to the Washington Post, his spokesperson said: “All members will be afforded the same respect and courtesy that this nearly 400-year-old institution commands.
“Speaker-designee Cox believes the ‘gentlelady’ and ‘gentleman’ terminology is outdated, and that referring to everyone as ‘delegate’ is more timely and appropriate.”
Republicans repeatedly referred to Ms Roem as male during the campaign, with Marshall focussing much of his campaign on attacking his opponent’s gender identity.
Delegate-elect Roem, who focused her campaign on local infrastructure issues, did not rise to her opponent’s jibes.
After the election result, she said: “Bob is my constituent now. I don’t attack my constituents.”
Politics professor Bob Holsworth told the Post that the Republicans are “trying in some way to thread a needle with their own base”.
He added: “They’re willing to change the tradition in this sense before they will explicitly acknowledge Danica Roem as a woman.”
Delegate-elect Roem said: “What matters the most is that I’m there.
“What matters the most to the people of the 13th District is that the woman they elected to serve them will be working on their behalf.
“I will be the delegate from Prince William, and I will conduct myself as the gentlewoman from Prince William while I’m in Richmond and in any other official capacity in which I serve.”
Marshall, who will be unemployed in January, co-authored the state’s now-defunct constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
In her victory speech, Roem said: “This election has to prove nationwide that discrimination is a disqualifier.
“When you champion inclusion, when you champion equality, when you champion equity and you focus on the issues that unite us, like building up our infrastructure…those are the issues that you have to focus on,” she added.
“I believe in building up our infrastructure instead of tearing down each other. That is fundamental.
“When the negative ads started coming out, attacking transgender kids…we stayed on our message while decrying discrimination.”
Roem told everyone watching: “We can’t get lost in discrimination, we can’t get lost in B.S., we can’t get lost tearing each other down.
“No matter what you look like, where you come from, how you worship, who you love, how you identify – and yeah, how you rock – if you have good public policy ideas, if you’re well-qualified for office, bring those ideas to the table, because this is your America too…and we are stronger together,” Roem told the crowd.
She dedicated her win to everyone who’s been discriminated against.
During the campaign, she championed LGBT rights, saying: “We are unabashedly pro-equality & anti-discrimination.
“It’s time we put LGBTQ kids front-and-centre, and I’m standing with them.
“As a trans woman, I know representation matters.”
In contrast, Republican Bob Marshall, who has been in office since 1991, has a long history of introducing hateful anti-LGBT bills to the Virginian legislature.
In May, Roem said: “When the people of the 13th District elect a transgender woman to replace the most anti-LGBT legislator in the South, it will be an act of certainty, and it will be a defining moment that will resonate across the country.”
Rivera, K. Arsenault, The Tiger’s Daughter. Tor. $15.99. 528p. PB. 9780765392534
The Tiger’s Daughter opens on a young empress lounging in her room, preparing for her day. She receives a package from one of her senior house servants, who remarks that the handwriting is terrible. The empress immediately knows from whom the package came and declares that she is not to be disturbed unless she calls for an attendant. This is how the story of O-Shizuka, Divine Empress of Hokkaro, and Barsalayya Shefali, Qorin warrior, begins. The story unfolds through the letters Shefali has written to Shizuka, recounting all that they’ve been through together, from their prophesied birth to their battles with various demons and shades, as well as all that has happened to Shefali alone, traveling the world in search of a phoenix feather.
I really enjoyed this novel. It’s the first fantasy novel I’ve been able to finish in a very long time. The main characters are explicitly lesbian, and there are other LGBTQ characters as well. The supporting cast is equally as compelling as the main characters, which I always think is important in a fantasy novel. It’s a fairly quick read once you get started. The story is compelling. I had a hard time pulling myself away from it. There are hints that the characters will develop beyond what they are, perhaps as a result of their travails, and I’d be interested in reading that development, but I was left feeling as though Shizuka never quite outgrew being a spoiled princess, and Shefali never quite stood up for herself as an equal in their relationship. Yes, they grew in other ways, but these traits, I feel, will be significant to their further growth together.
A shadow on an otherwise good debut is that the novel does draw on negative stereotypes in Asian cultures. I found myself pausing and side-eyeing some of the language used throughout.
The Tiger’s Daughter is part of a planned trilogy from Tor. If your fantasy collection is aching for more epic stories, this is not one to miss.
Hate crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Russia have doubled in five years, researchers said on Tuesday, in the wake of a law banning “gay propaganda”.
Murders accounted for almost 200 out of 250 crimes analyzed, the Center for Independent Social Research said, attributing the surge to Russia’s 2013 ban on the spreading of “propaganda for non-traditional sexual relations” to minors.
“(Offenders) have become more aggressive and less fearful,” said Svetlana Zakharova, a board member with Russian LGBT Network, the country’s most prominent gay rights campaign group, which has noted the same trend.
“It seems to them that, to some extent, the government supports their actions. Many perpetrators openly talk about their crimes as noble deeds.”
The police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The number of sentences for crimes against LGBT people increased to 65 in 2015 from 18 in 2010, the St. Petersburg-based researchers said, drawing on court records and data from judicial watchdog RosPravosudie. Most victims were gay men.
Homosexuality in Russia, where the influence of the socially conservative Orthodox Church has grown in recent years, was a criminal offence until 1993 and classed as a mental illness until 1999.
Researchers said the figures are an underestimate as many hate crimes are not reported, investigated or prosecuted.
The ‘gay propaganda’ law, which has been used to stop gay pride marches and to detain gay rights activists, is seen by many as a move by President Vladimir Putin to crack down on dissent and draw closer to the Russian Orthodox Church.
Russia was ranked Europe’s second least LGBT-friendly nation in 2016 by ILGA-Europe, a network of European LGBT groups.
Joyline Maenzanise, a queer writer based in Zimbabwe, responds to the resignation of the country’s long-serving homophobic President Robert Mugabe.
I must say, I never thought I would see the day when President Mugabe would be removed from office. I sincerely hope that this can only mean the dawn of a brighter era.
The ordinary Zimbabwean has borne the brunt of his tyrannical Presidency and we all hope that his successor will fulfil the promises they are making during their campaigns leading up to the elections next year.
We want a leader who will uphold our right to hold their conduct to account; a leader who will serve the people and not one who will place their own interests and those of loyalists above the ordinary citizenry. But yes, there seems to be a glimmer of light at the end of what has been very long and very dark tunnel for the ordinary cisgender, heterosexual Zimbabweans.
As a queer person based in Zimbabwe, I would be lying if I said I share the same excitement that has been exuded by fellow countryfolk. Zimbabwe is a country that is generally homophobic. Homosexuality is not only a punishable crime but is also frowned upon as being un-African, a Western neo-colonial imposition, an act of sin against the deity or an illness requiring conversion therapy.
President Mugabe is known for his blatant homophobic utterances where he compared queer folks to pigs and dogs. Unsurprisingly, many Zimbabweans applauded him when he uttered such vitriol which only served to strengthen the hatred targeted towards the LGBT+ community.
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No amount of activism – or warnings of conditional aid from the West – has worked to change the old man’s stance regarding the queer community. I’m sure many will agree with me that President Mugabe is diehard and defiant – he is not one to be easily swayed into relinquishing his deeply-held beliefs. It is this defiance which has been seen at play as he brazenly held on to his Presidential seat.
It makes for an interesting speculation how the same people who would stand with him in condemning the LGBT+ community are the ones who now call for his resignation.
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One would think that since it is crystal clear that it is not the interests of the ordinary Zimbabwean (queer or not) that this old man had at heart, it would be easier for the masses to see how we all need to stand together and help each other eradicate the different forms of oppression that we have all endured informed by class, gender or sexual orientation. Sadly, that has not been the case.
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The issues faced by the queer community are regarded as unimportant and not needing urgent attention. It is clear that the cause at the forefront is to fight for the liberation of cis heterosexual folks from the tyrannical rule of despots such as President Mugabe. And, Zimbabwe being a “Christian nation”, many folks also remain adamant about their stance concerning the queer community. We are still seen as sinners in need of religious intervention. We are not regarded as humans whose existence needs to be acknowledged and whose rights need to be upheld.
As Zimbabwe looks set to start a new chapter with a new face at the helm of the country, what happens going forward – especially the upcoming Presidential elections – makes for an interesting analysis. However, even as a registered voter, I am still unconvinced by the candidates vying for the Presidential seat. As a Zimbabwean, I do not trust any of them. I have learnt not to trust politicians. History
has shown us that politicians will sell us a dream in exchange for our votes only to crush those dreams before our eyes once they are in power.
As a queer person, my deepest fear is that we may only be replacing one homophobe with another, even if they may not be as dramatic. I highly doubt that that new leader will express sentiments that are any different from what President Mugabe has staunchly believed about the LGBT+ folks.
They may not publicly condemn us and compare us to animals – which have also been shown to have homosexual species, thus refuting the dehumanising comparison – but they will, most likely, not be a champion for the queer community.
I know none of those candidates have the best interests of people like me at heart. I know that if I am ever attacked by queerphobes or if I am refused a job because of my gender identity, none of those candidates will come out to publicly condemn oppression of others on the grounds of their gender identity or sexual orientation.
Until Zimbabwe has a leader who will recognise the rights of the LGBT+ community, I am always going to feel like an alien in my own country; a part of me will always feel caged even as I have accepted my queerness. I am always going to worry about possible eviction by landowners who mind having a queer person under their roof.
I am always going to harbour a fear of finding myself as just another victim of queerphobic attacks. And should what I fear happen, I wonder what the chances are that the if the justice system will not fail me as a queer person. I am always going to be looking over my shoulder one can never be sure what people will do out of hate.
I am always going to wonder if getting married is a dream I cannot afford to have. Sadly, a part of me is also going to wonder if being true to myself is worth it.
While I may not see a brighter future for my life as a queer person living in Zimbabwe, I can only hope that whoever succeeds President Mugabe will work to improve the current cash crisis. I would love to stop waking up at 3 AM to prepare for my trip to the bank…
Joyline Maenzanise is a queer, gender non-conforming writer and poet based in Zimbabwe.
Face yo Face’s clients, staff, and volunteers have been devastated by the fires which swept through our beloved county in early October. Our compassionate team of professionals kept the doors open during the week of the fires, fulfilling our mission through limited services.
Even with these recent losses, we have never been more optimistic about the future. We will rebuild. We are #SonomaStrong.
At Face to Face our focus is on beating HIV and making the community healthier. We have tremendous hope: rates of new HIV infections in the county are on the decline for three consecutive years. And, with continued focus, together we can get to ZERO new HIV infections in Sonoma County in the very near future.
HIV medications are working as prevention: The FDA’s approval of Truvada as PrEP (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis)–taken once a day by HIV-negative individuals–has proven up to 99 percent effective at not transmitting HIV. Astounding results when you consider condom use at only 78 percent.
Not everyone who is at risk for HIV in Sonoma County is on PrEP or necessarily knows their HIV status. To reach them, we provide free, anonymous and confidential HIV testing at our office and in the commmunity. During each test counseling session we offer PrEP referrals to HIV-negative individuals. You make our HIV prevention services possible.
We know that you are being called upon more than ever with requests for your volunteer time and financial support. Thank you for considering making a gift to Face to Face on #GivingTuesday–a national day to kick-off the end of year giving season.
Sunday, December 10 at 7:00 pm Presented in the historic Venetian Room of San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel
All Decked Out for the Holidays
Bay Area Cabaret is thrilled to present Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winner Jane Lynch in her Venetian Room debut. The star of Glee and host of NBC’s Hollywood Game Night will be joined by special guests Kate Flannery (NBC’s The Office), Tim Davis (Glee), and The Tony Guerrero Quintet. In an eclectic evening of music and humor, they’ll be performing songs from their Top 20 Billboard album, “A Swingin’ Little Christmas!”. Jane Lynch is an Emmy and Golden Globe-winner for her portrayal of Sue Sylvester on Glee and she is currently the two-time Emmy Award-winning host of NBC’s Hollywood Game Night. In 2015, Jane embarked on her own live concert tour, See Jane Sing, with Kate Flannery, Tim Davis and The Tony Guerrero Quintet. Their holiday album, “A Swingin’ Little Christmas!” is available from iTunes, Amazon and other outlets. Kate Flannery is best known for her nine seasons as Meredith the drunk on NBC’s The Office. Recent TV appearances include The New Girl, American Housewife, Another Period, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Kate is currently Jane Lynch’s sidekick in her anti-cabaret act, See Jane Sing, having played the Kennedy Center, Joe’s Pub, and 30 cities across the country. Her original cult comedy lounge act, the “Lampshades” regularly plays comedy festivals and in and around Hollywood. Tim Davis has been singing and touring for the past three years in See Jane Sing. Tim’s music producing and singing credits include all six seasons of Glee, ABC’s Boy Band, the feature film Love Is Afoot, Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl 2017 halftime show, “Pentatonix Christmas,” Barbra Streisand’s 2017 concert tour, Jane Lynch’s “Swingin’ Little Christmas!”, The People’s Choice Awards, Josh Groban’s “Stages,” Childish Gambino, the feature film Beauty and The Beast, and TV’s The Americans and The Goldbergs. The Tony Guerrero Quintet has been a staple of the Southern California jazz scene for many years. Featuring Tony Guerrero (trumpet and piano), Matt Johnson (drums), Mark Visher (woodwinds), Dave Siebels (keyboards) and David Miller (stand-up bass), they are currently touring the country with See Jane Sing with Jane Lynch, Kate Flannery and Tim Davis. This past Christmas they released their holiday album “A Swingin’ Little Christmas!” that landed a spot in the top twenty of the Billboard charts. The single “Winter’s Never Cold” (an original Tony Guerrero composition) went to #8 on the Billboard charts. The album is available on iTunes.
Tickets to A Swingin’ Little Christmas! are $125 general/$90 subscribers, with no food or drink minimum required. Information and tickets are available at bayareacabaret.org/artist-Lynch.html or by phone at City Box Office (415) 392-4400. For BAC 2017-2018 season information and video clips of performers visit www.bayareacabaret.org.
Jane Lynch A Swingin’ Little Christmas!
Special Guests Kate Flannery, Tim Davis & The Tony Guerrero Quintet
Sunday, December 10 at 7:00 PM
Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco, 950 Mason Street, Atop Nob Hill
Collecting information on these deaths is complicated by the fact that many trans people are misgendered in reports following their death.
There have been over 270 reported murders of trans and gender non-conforming people in the past year.
There has been a total of 2,609 reported cases in 71 countries worldwide since Transgender Day of Remembrance began in January 2008.
The names on this list are only of cases that have been reported and have attracted local media attention. The more accurate number is likely much higher, according to the Trans Murder Monitoring Project.
Argentina
Sofía Mailén Santillán
Mercedes, Argentina
1-Dec-16
Beaten to death
A. Villegas
Quilmes, Argentina
14-Jan-17
Shot in the head
Cindy Crawford Revlon
Buenos Aires, Argentina
1-Jun-17
Decapitated
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Pamela Tabarez
Rosario, Argentina
25-Jul-17
Shot multiple times
Eyelen
Tucuman, Argentina
18-Aug-17
Beaten
Brazil
Juninho da Mangueira
Guarus, Brazil
21-Nov-16
Shot at least five times.
Paola Bracho
Manaus, Brazil
24-Nov-16
Suffocated
Michele Rios
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
26-Nov-16
Cause unclear
Patricia Araujo not reported
Sao Paulo, Brazil
27-Nov-16
Shot in the head and burned
Dandara
Natal, Brazil
28-Nov-16
Shot in the head
Name unknown
Joao Pessoa, Brazil
2-Dec-16
Asphyxiation
M. Dias Machado
Pontal do Parana, Brazil
3-Dec-16
Shot at least three times
Will Rhillary Silva
Viamao, Brazil
7-Dec-16
Shot
Name unknown
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
7-Dec-16
Shot
R. da Silva de Sá
Maceio, Brazil
10-Dec-16
Shot in the head
G. Aquino de Godoy
Curitiba, Brazil
14-Dec-16
Shot in the head
D. de Souza
Campos, Brazil
17-Dec-16
Shot in the neck and back
J. R. T. Gomes
Crato, Brazil
18-Dec-16
Stoned to death
Gabriel Gomes
Goiania, Brazil
21-Dec-16
Shot multiple times at the same incident as F. Braz
F. Braz
Goiania, Brazil
21-Dec-16
Shot multiple times at the same incident as Gabriel Gomes
Paula Raio Laser 50
Fortaleza, Brazil
23-Dec-16
Shot
Jake Helen
Contagem, Brazil
31-Dec-16
Shot five times
Flávia Victoria Lima
Sorocaba, Brazil
31-Dec-16
Cause unclear
L. C. Marinho
Nova Cruz, Brazil
4-Jan-17
Stabbed
W. H. Soares dos Santos 16
Teresina, Brazil
6-Jan-17
Shot
Mierala da Silva
Bauru, Brazil
13-Jan-17
Beaten
Moranguinho
Paranangua, Brazil
15-Jan-17
Shot
Agatha Lios
Brasilia, Brazil
18-Jan-17
Cause not reported
Sandra
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
19-Jan-17
shot
Lady Dyana
Manaus, Brazil
19-Jan-17
Stabbed
J. A. dos Santos
Itabaianinha, Brazil
26-Jan-17
Shot to death
Paola Oliveira
Russas, Brazil
30-Jan-17
Stoned to death
Name unknown
Recife, Brazil
3-Feb-17
Drowned; legs were tied down
Agatha Mont
Itapevi, Brazil
4-Feb-17
Suffocated
Name unknown
Guaruja, Brazil
8-Feb-17
Stoned to death
Dandara dos Santos
Fortaleza, Brazil
15-Feb-17
Beaten and stoned to death by a mob
Name unknown
Caçapava, Brazil
17-Feb-17
Shot to death
A. da Silva Maciel
Distrito de São Sebastião, Brazil
18-Feb-17
Shot
Mirella de Castro
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
19-Feb-17
Suffocated
Camila de Souza Magalhães
Sao Gonçalo, Brazil
25-Feb-17
Beaten
Emanuelle Muniz
Anapolis, Brazil
26-Feb-17
Stoned to death
Lorrane
São Luiz, Brazil
26-Feb-17
Shot to death
Z. Marrocos
Guarabira, Brazil
28-Feb-17
Stabbed to death
Michelly Garcia
Pelotas, Brazil
3-Mar-17
Shot
Name unknown
Goiania, Brazil
6-Mar-17
Shot
Rubi
Luziania, Brazil
6-Mar-17
Shot
Sandra
Laranjeiras do Sul, Brazil
8-Mar-17
Beaten
Jennifer Celia Henrique (Jenni)
Florianopolis, Brazil
10-Mar-17
Beaten
Name unknown
Cachoeirinha, Brazil
12-Mar-17
Burned to death
Lexia
Santa Fe do Sul, Brazil
13-Mar-17
Stabbed
Camila Albuquerque
Salvador, Brazil
15-Mar-17
Shot
Bruninha
Ourinhos, Brazil
16-Mar-17
Stabbed
Paola
Street Joao Candido do Camara, Brazil
22-Mar-17
Stabbed
Paulina
Recife, Brazil
23-Mar-17
Shot multiple times
Uilca or Wilka
Loteamento Luiz Gonzaga, Brazil.
26-Mar-17
Stabbed
Name unknown
Acara, Brazil
2-Apr-17
Beaten
Name unknown
Campo Grande, Brazil
3-Apr-17
Not reported
R. Félix da Silva
Guarariba, Brazil
4-Apr-17
Shot to death
Bianka Gonçalves
Primavera do Leste, Brazil
7-Apr-17
Shot to death
Camila
Sao Jose do Campos, Brazil
10-Apr-17
Beaten
Vitoria Castro
Araguaina, Brazil
10-Apr-17
Beaten
Hérica Izidório
Fortaleza, Brazil
12-Apr-17
Beaten
Name unknown
Curitiba, Brazil
12-Apr-17
Beaten
Gaby
Feira de Santana, Brazil
12-Apr-17
Shot to death
Name unknown
Itabuna, Brazil
16-Apr-17
Shot to death
Samilly Guimarães
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
20-Apr-17
Shot to death
Marooni
Belem, Brazil
22-Apr-17
Stabbed
A. Ribeiro Marcossone
Curitiba, Brazil
23-Apr-17
Shot over 25 times
Eloá Silva
Joao Pessoa, Brazil
27-Apr-17
Shot multiple times
Name unknown
Barcarena, Brazil
29-Apr-17
Stabbed
Uilca
Vitoria de Santo Antao, Brazil
29-Apr-17
Shot to death
Layza Mello
Vilha Velha, Brazil
30-Apr-17
Shot to death
Name unknown
Belem, Brazil
30-Apr-17
Shot to death
Samaielly
Lauro de Freitas, Brazil
30-Apr-17
Shot to death
Sophia Castro
Contagem, Brazil
3-May-17
Cause unclear
C. A. Lima da Silva
Monhangape, Brazil
6-May-17
Shot to death
R. C. Silva Pereira
Barretos, Brazil
7-May-17
Deliberately struck by a vehicle
Thadeu Nascimento
Grande do Retiro, Brazil
7-May-17
Shot and beaten
Jennifer
Itaitinga, Brazil
9-May-17
Shot multiple times
Fernanda
Ponta Grossa, Brazil
10-May-17
Shot
Chaiane
Cachoeira do Sul, Brazil
13-May-17
Stabbed
Ketlin
Juazeiro do Norte, Brazil
13-May-17
Stabbed
Name unknown
Fortaleza, Brazil
13-May-17
Stabbed
Name unknown
Morro Agudo, Brazil
15-May-17
Beaten to death
Pâmela
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
21-May-17
Stabbed to death
Lalá
Feira de Santana, Brazil
25-May-17
Shot to death
Grace Kelly
Lauro de Freitas, Brazil
25-May-17
Suffocated
Joyce Jane Padilha
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
26-May-17
dismembered
Sheila Medeiros
Tres Pontas, Brazil
29-May-17
Cause not reported
Laryrssa Moura
Governador Valadares, Brazil
31-May-17
Shot in the back
Natasha
Castanhal, Brazil
5-Jun-17
Multiple gunshot wounds
A. Alves Nascimento
Criciúma, Brazil
5-Jun-17
Shot to death
Natasha
Varginha, Brazil
6-Jun-17
Shot multiple times
Name unknown
Salvador, Brazil
10-Jun-17
Shot in the neck, belly, shoulder, and back.
Renata Vieira
Uberlândia, Brazil
14-Jun-17
Beaten to death
E. Shyne
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
15-Jun-17
Tortured
Julhão Petruk
Fortaleza, Brazil
15-Jun-17
Shot multiple times
Name unknown
Caraguatatuba, Brazil
16-Jun-17
Stabbed
Bárbara
Maceió, Brazil
18-Jun-17
Struck by a vehicle
Name unknown
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
19-Jun-17
Shot to death
Camily Victoria
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
22-Jun-17
Shot to death
Denise
Aracaju, Brazil
24-Jun-17
Shot to death
C. Barroso de Oliveira
Ananindeua, Brazil
24-Jun-17
Shot to death
Nicolly Santos
Vitória de Santo Antão, Brazil
24-Jun-17
Stabbed multiple times
Ney Oliveira
Apuarema, Brazil
25-Jun-17
Stabbed to death
Salomé Bracho
São Luís do Curu, Brazil
25-Jun-17
Shot to death
Tabata Brandão
Rondonópolis, Brazil
25-Jun-17
Shot to death
Carla
Maceió, Brazil
28-Jun-17
Stabbed to death
Lola
Sorriso, Brazil
2-Jul-17
Cause not reported
Rayane
Fortaleza, Brazil
2-Jul-17
Shot
Larissa
Fortaleza, Brazil
2-Jul-17
Multiple gunshot wounds
Vicky Spears
Diadema, Brazil
3-Jul-17
Shot
Anna Sophia
João Pessoa, Brazil
8-Jul-17
Shot in the head
Bruna dos Santos
Pelotas, Brazil
9-Jul-17
Beaten and shot
Cauã
Porto Alegre, Brazil
9-Jul-17
Shot
Thalia
Rio Verde, Brazil
14-Jul-17
Shot
Sophia
Campo Mourão, Brazil
17-Jul-17
Stabbed to death
Michele
Caxias, Brazil
17-Jul-17
Shot
Leona Albuquerque
Salvador, Brazil
17-Jul-17
Shot multiple times
Camila Guedes
Monte Mor, Brazil
20-Jul-17
Stabbed
Gil Pereia da Costa
Rio Branco, Brazil
20-Jul-17
Shot twice
Gabriela Sousa
Maracanaú, Brazil
21-Jul-17
Shot
E. A. da Silva
Maceio, Brazil
21-Jul-17
Shot
Name unknown
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
22-Jul-17
Stabbed to death
Natalia Pimentel
Várzea Grande, Brazil
25-Jul-17
run over multiple times
Aurinete
Patos do Piauí, Brazil
31-Jul-17
Stabbed
Name unknown
João Pessoa, Brazil
1-Aug-17
Shot in the head.
Mary Monttila
Palmeira dos Índios, Brazil
2-Aug-17
Stabbed
Charliane
Itabuna, Brazil
2-Aug-17
Shot
Bruna Laclose
Pinheiro Machado, Brazil
6-Aug-17
Stabbed
Paulinha
Palmares, Brazil
8-Aug-17
Stabbed
T. J. Gomes da Silva
João Pessoa, Brazil
12-Aug-17
Shot
Dianna
Limoeiro, Brazil
18-Aug-17
Shot
Evelin Ferrari
Caruaru, Brazil
22-Aug-17
Shot
Lilly
Cachoeira, Brazil
27-Aug-17
Shot to death
Daniele Jesus Lafon
Poços de Caldas, Brazil
2-Sep-17
Stabbed with a pair of scissors
Flávia
Santos, Brazil
3-Sep-17
Shot
Rai
Petrolândia, Brazil
3-Sep-17
Stoned to death
Ana Carolina Nascimento
Araraquara, Brazil
5-Sep-17
Beaten to death
Nicole
Sorriso, Brazil
5-Sep-17
Stabbed
Alessandra
São Paulo, Brazil
7-Sep-17
Shot
Bruna Monteiro
Taguatinga Sul, Brazil
8-Sep-17
Shot to death
Lorane
Camocim de São Felix, Brazil
9-Sep-17
Shot
Larissa Paiva
Serra, Brazil
14-Sep-17
Serra, Brazil
Safira
Salvador, Brazil
15-Sep-17
Shot to death
Name unknown
Camaçari, Brazil
16-Sep-17
Shot
Ana Coutti
Cabo Frio, Brazil
18-Sep-17
Multiple gunshot wounds
Kaleane
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
20-Sep-17
Shot in the head
Spencer
Campinas, Brazil
23-Sep-17
Beaten and stabbed
D.R.P.
Campinas, Brazil
24-Sep-17
Stabbed to death
Pâmela
Moreilândia, Brazil
25-Sep-17
Shot and beaten
Danhy Zn
Leme, Brazil
25-Sep-17
Not specified
Rayssa
Uberaba, Brazil
26-Sep-17
Shot twice
Lu Brasil
Altamira, Brazil
26-Sep-17
Cut and strangled
Renatha Lemos
Nova Mamoré, Brazil
30-Sep-17
Burned
Natália
Fortaleza, Brazil
30-Sep-17
Shot
Canada
Sisi Thibert
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
18-Sep-17
Stabbed to death
Chile
Vanessa Valenzuela
Viña del Mar, Region Valparaiso, Chile
28-Apr-17
Beaten with hammers and sticks by five people who yelled “kill the fag.”
Colombia
Alejandro Polanco Botero
Risaralda, Colombia
30-Nov-16
Shot four times in the head
Vikichy
Cali, Colombia
20-Jan-17
Stabbed in the chin and stomach
Silvana Fabian Pineda
La Dorada, Colombia
28-Jan-17
Multiple gunshot wounds
Angelo Ramos
Garzon, Colombia
9-Feb-17
Not reported
Name unknown
Chaparral, Colombia
16-Feb-17
Beaten to death
C. Camilo Valencia
Valle del Cauca, Colombia
19-Feb-17
Shot
Late September, the last transgender Central American woman who arrived at the US-Mexico border over the summer seeking asylum as part of a caravan was granted parole and released from the Cibola County Correctional Center in Milan, New Mexico. The women and their attorneys now call on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to exercise similar discretion and release three gay men who also were members of the caravan, and continue to face risk to their health and safety in custody at the Otero Processing Center in Chaparral, New Mexico.
The asylum seekers were part of the Rainbow 17 Caravan, a group of 11 transgender women and 6 gay men from Central America and Mexico who arrived at the border in Nogales, Arizona, on August 10, 2017, and requested asylum after experiencing extreme forms of violence in their home countries.
ICE’s decision to release the women abides by the government’s long-standing parole guidance favoring release for asylum seekers who are not flight risks nor pose threats to the community. But since President Trump took office, ICE has failed to grant parole to the vast majority of individuals who have been locked up after requesting asylum at the border or a port of entry, and decisions on parole requests vary greatly between different regions of the country.
“My experience being locked up in the detention center was awful,” said a translatina caravan member who was released last month. “Never in my wildest thoughts did I imagine the conditions would be that unbearable. I am very happy to be out and grateful for where I am in the process now and for the family I am staying with, who are making me feel welcome.”
The women, along with their advocates and lawyers from the National Immigrant Justice Center, Transgender Law Center, and Instituto Legal, remain extremely concerned about the gay men who still are detained. Those individuals have reported they are being harassed by jail guards and other detainees, have been denied medical treatment, and fear for their safety because of their sexual identity.
“The lack of oversight in this parole process is really unfair,” said Keren Zwick, associate director of litigation at the National Immigrant Justice Center. “If you ask for protection at the border, ICE can send you basically wherever it wants, and the decision as to where they send you can mean the difference between release and detention, as we are seeing in these cases. On the court side, when you have an LGBTQ-based claim, where you are detained also can make a difference between winning or losing your asylum case.”
“We are relieved that these brave women, who came to the U.S. seeking safety from persecution, have finally been released from immigration detention centers that we know are horrifically violent and abusive of transgender women,” said Flor Bermudez, legal director at Transgender Law Center. “Unfortunately, there is still a long road ahead for the men still in Otero and for the transgender women who have been released, as they fight deportation back to the countries where their lives have been threatened. They are not facing this journey alone, though, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to ensure they, and all transgender immigrants seeking safety from torture and abuse, remain safe and free.”
“New Mexico has a long history of welcoming asylum seekers,” said Joaquin Sanchez-Leal, director of programs for Instituto Legal, a non-profit legal organization based in Albuquerque. “Placing those who are fleeing violence because of their gender identity or sexual orientation behind bars, even though they are eligible for immediate release, goes against our long-held tradition. We are all watching and will continue working to ensure the remaining caravan members are released from detention.”
The freed caravan members still each have a long road ahead of them as they pursue their asylum cases. In the United States, asylum seekers must wait months or years for permission to work and for access to housing or food support. They also have no right to appointed attorneys, so are left to find legal counsel on their own. Advocates must continue to work to support the women and improve the system in a way that gives bona fide refugees a fighting chance to prevail on their applications for protection. The human rights violations inherent in the ICE detention system have gained increased attention in the past month in Washington, D.C. In early October, U.S. House Representatives Adam Smith (WA-09) and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) introduced the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, which would hold ICE accountable to protect detained immigrants and ensure access to release for asylum seekers and other immigrants. Also this month, the U.S. Supreme Court heard re-argument in Jennings v. Rodriguez, which challenges ICE’s prolonged detention of immigrants fighting deportation.
“I cannot find the words to express how happy I am to be out of that horrific detention center,” said a translatina caravan member. “When I started my journey, I was very scared. I needed to flee the violence and transphobia in my country of origin, but had heard many stories of trans women who didn’t make it through the journey or were trapped for months in terrible detention centers. I know my release is not typical, and I thank God I have a great team fighting for my rights and safety. I feel like a new woman, secure and ready to take on the world.”
The deadline to claim Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) for workers who lost wages or became unemployed due to recent fires has been extended to December 18, 2017, from November 16 by the U.S Department of Labor.
“This is an important support for the many residents and workers affected by fires in our county,” says Katie Greaves, Director of the Sonoma County Human Services Department Employment and Training Division. “As of November 8, residents had filed 4,700 applications for Disaster Unemployment benefits. The number of customers visiting the Job Link office for employment and job search support doubled in the four weeks after the fire, primarily to submit claims for Disaster Unemployment Assistance.”
Federal Disaster Unemployment benefits are available to individuals who are unemployed as a direct result of the October 2017 Sonoma County wildfires. Claims must be filed by December 18, 2017. Applications submitted to the EDD after December 18, 2017, will be considered if the claimant can show good cause for late application.
Sonoma County Job Link offers workers help to file these claims online at www.SonomaWIB.org, or Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., by phone at 565-5550 or in-person at the Employment and Training office 2227 Capricorn Way, Santa Rosa. Job Link’s online career center and employer and job seeker resources are available year-round, and can provide residents with information about health care options, regular unemployment insurance benefits, job training and retraining, and connecting with employers now hiring. Additional information about Disaster Unemployment Assistance is also available at https://www.sonomacountyrecovers.org/unemployment/.
DUA provides weekly benefit payments for individuals 1) whose work or self-employment is interrupted due to a disaster and 2) who are not eligible for regular Unemployment Insurance or State Disability Insurance benefits. Benefits are available for 26 weeks, beginning October 15, 2017, and ending April 14, 2018, which is the final payable week of disaster benefits.
To be eligible for Disaster Unemployment benefits, individuals must be unemployed as a direct result of recent wildfires. They must be 1) unemployed workers or unemployed self-employed individuals who lived, worked, traveled through, or were scheduled to work in a disaster area at the time of the disaster, and 2) due to the disaster:
No longer has a job or place to work; or
Cannot reach the place of work; or
Cannot work due to damage to the place of work; or
Cannot work because of an injury caused by the disaster; or
Became the head of household because the primary breadwinner or head of household died in the disaster.
DUA claimants must meet all eligibility criteria during the entire period of the claim to continue to receive disaster benefits. They cannot continue to receive benefits if they return to work before April 14, 2018. Individuals with regular UI benefits that end before April 14, 2018, who also meet all the Disaster Unemployment eligibility criteria, can file for DUA benefits for any remaining weeks or until they file new regular unemployment claims, whichever comes first.
DUA is a federal benefits administered by the Employment Development Department on behalf of the U.S. Department of Labor, so workers in these additional counties are also eligible: Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Orange and Yuba.