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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-09-26 Public hearingNOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held by the City Council of Iowa City, Iowa, at 7:30 p.m. on the 12th day of Septem- ber, 1995, in the Civic Center Council Cham- bers, 410 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, Iowa; at which hearing the Council will consid- er: 1. An ordinance amending the Zoning Chap- ter by changing the use regulations on an approximate 2.02 acre tract of land locat- ed east of Lakeside Drive and south of Highway 6 from ID-RS, Interim Develop- ment Single-Family Residential, to RM-12, Low Density. Multi-Family Residential. {REZ95-O012) Copies of the proposed ordinance are on file for public examination in the office of the City Clerk, Civic Center, Iowa City, Iowa. Persons wishing to make their views known for Council consideration are encouraged to appear at the above*mentioned time and place. MARlAN K. KARR, CITY CLERK 1810 ppdadmintcce-12.nph FY91 ~w Cell Cover and FY98 I Cons 'on City of Iowa City San' Landfill 8 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT AND ESTIMATED COST FOR THE FY91 CELL COVER AND FY96 CELL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN THE CITY OF IOWA CITY, IOWA TO ALL TAXPAYERS OF THE CITY OF IOWA CITY, IOWA, AND TO OTHER INTERESTED PERSONS: Public notice is hereby given that the City Council of the City of Iowa City, Iowa, will conduct a public headng on plans. specifications, form of contract and estimated cost for the FY91 Cell Cover and FY96 Cell Constnjction project, in said City at 7:30 P.M. on the 26th day of September, 1995. said meeting to be held in the Council Chambers in the Civic Center in said City. Said plans. specifications, form of contract and estimated cost are now on file in the office of the City Clerk in the Civic Center in Iowa City. Iowa, and may be inspected by any interested persons. Any interested persons may appear at said meeting of the City Council for the purpose of making objections to and comments concerning said plans, specifications, contract or the cost of making said improvement. This notice is given by order of the City Council of the City of Iowa City, Iowa and as provided by law. MARIAN K. KARR, CITY CLERK NOT~,,,~IC HEARING 1 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held by the City Council of Iowa City, Iowa, at 7:30 p.m. on the 26th day of September, 1995, in the Civic Center Council Chambers, 419 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, Iowa; at which hearing the Council will consider: 1. An Ordinance amending Title 2, "Human Rights," Section 2-2-2(J), to provide the Commission with the authority to subpoena witnesses and conduct discovery in all complaints involving allegations of discrimination as opposed to just housing discrimination cases; and amending Section 2-1-1, which would add to the definition of sexual orientation: "Sexual orientation includes actual or perceived male or female heterosexuality, bisexuality, homosexuality, transsexuality, or transvestism and to include a person's attitudes, preferences, beliefs and practices pertaining thereto." Copies of the proposed ordinances are on file for public examination in the office of the City Clerk, Civic Center, Iowa City, Iowa. Persons wishing to make their views known for Council consideration are encouraged to appear at the above-mentioned time and place. MARlAN K. KARR, C]TY CLERK ORDINANCE NO. ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 2, "HUMAN RIGHTS," CITY CODE, BY AMENDING THE SUBPOENA POWER OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION AND BY AMENDING THE DEFI- NITION OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF IOWA CITY, IOWA: SECTION I. AMENDMENT. Title 2, is hereby amended as follows: a. Section 2-2-2J is deleted and the following is adopted in lieu thereof: J. Issue subpoenas and order discovery as provided by this Section to aid in inves- tigation of allegations of discrimination. The subpoenas and discovery may be ordered to the same extent and are subject to the same limitations as subpoenas and discov- ery in a civil action in District Court. This Section shall be retrospective in its opera- tion and shall apply to complaints filed after January 1, 1993. b. Section 2-1-1, "SEXUAL ORIENTATION", is deleted and the following is adopted in lieu thereof: SEXUAL ORIENTATION: The status of preferring a relationship of affection or a sexual relationship with a consenting adult of the same sex, or with a consenting adult of the opposite sex. "Sexual orientation" includes actual or perceived male or female heterosexualtty, bisexuality, homosexuality, transsexuality, or transvestism and includes a person's attitudes, preferences, beliefs and practices pertaining thereto. SECTION II. REPEALER. All ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict with the provi- sion of this ordinance are hereby repealed. SECTION III. SEVERABILITY. If any section, provision or part of the Ordinance shall be adjudged to be invalid or unconstitutional, such adjudication shall not affect the validity of the Ordinance as a whole or any section, provision or part thereof not adjudged invalid or unconsti- tutional. SECTION IV. EFFECTIVE DATE, This Ordinance shall be in effect after its final passage, approv- al and publication, as provided by law. Passed and approved this MAYOR ATTEST: CITY CLERK City Attorney's Office ~..,,,,.,..,..,, f''//-~' ,S""' The Congregational Church UN1TED CHURCH OF CHRIST Iowa City, Iowa 52245 30 N. Clinton Sl TeL 3372,301 Bruce W. Fischer. Minister 1208 Guildford Ct. 337-3166 A study group, meeting under the auspices of The Congregational Church - United Church of Chrtst of Iowa City, has been considering the question of homophobia, in order to better understand the concerns the presence of homophobla raises in a community, and to determine what can be done to alleviate the problem of discrimination against persons of differing sexual orientation. The members of the group, named below, wish to commend the City Council and its members for considering the proposed ordinance and wish further to strongly encourage lts adoption. This ordinance will further strengthen the concern of City officials and the people of Iowa City for the protection of all our citizens. Respectful ly submitted: Carol Johnk ~~ Study Group Facllitator The Rev. Bruce W. Fischer Minister Study Group Members included; C- C' r,O 9/13/95 Dear City Council/Human RIghts Commission member: As you know, the issue of including protection for transgendered people in the city's Human RIghts Ordinance will be discussed at a public hearing on Sept. 26. In preparation for that meeting, I am enclosing information that I think you may find valuable in understanding and thinking about this topic. Included are the following: --an overview of transgender terminology --the findings of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, which successfully recommended the inclusion of transgender protection in that city's human rights ordinance in 1993 --a news story about San Franctsco's ordinance banning discrimination against transgendered people ~-a first-person account of being transgendered --the text of a speech that I gave before the Human Rights Commission I hope that you will find these materials useful. If you have any questions, feel flee to call me. I conduct research and teach classes at the University of Iowa on the experiences of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered people. Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration of this matter. Brett Beemyn P.O. Box 584 Iowa City, IA 52244 354-5793 :ichigan Announces ,ive Gender : ralll Cole Cm'Pd~tly there are between 30 and 40 patients in the Program. Some are in- tensely involved, and some are just oc- casionally involved because they just need rnaintanance health care and other services. The Program works with partici- pants' health insurance for payment of services that qualify. If people don't have a third party payer, they have to pay pri- vately for service. Dr. Cole says, "That's why a lot of services are outside the sys- tem. That creates more flexibility." However, the cost for medical and sup- portive services for transgender people are great and can be prohit~itive. A major- ity of transgender people end up paying for surgery out of pocket. The average costs for a male to female transsexual person is between $10,000 and $12,000; for female to male transsexuals, the cos ts can be between $100,000 and $150,000. Gender community activist Charalee Topinka, says, "The Program is great ff you can afford it. You better have a strong pocketbook and good insurance." Dr. Cole concluded that one of the most exciting things about the Program is the comprehsive approach. "Eyes will be on us around the country as a unique, emerging program." Between The Lines, September 1995 Transgender Politics An Overview of Language and Issues Transgender is an umbrella term that refers to .a continuum of behavior, atti- tude, self definition, and gender iden- tity that breeches traditional gender definitions. Gender dysphoria is a term that has been used by professionals in medicine, psychology, and social work to describe the condition of tramgender people. Gender dysphoria simply means that one's biological sex is in conflict, or is dysphoric, with how one experiences one's gender. Gender identity is also a term used to describe the concordance one feels with one's biological sex and subsequent so~ny defined gender. EI- aments of the transgender conljnuam are described below. The continuum begins with crossdressers. Crossdressers (CD) are people who wear clothas of the opposite sex. The frequency in which cross- dressers wear opposite sex clothes can vary widely. For some crossdressers there is a sexual charge to wearing op- posite sex dothas; for others there is not. Crossdressers have been traditionally recognized in the gay and lesbian com- munity as "drag queens" and "butches." The next part of the continuum are transvestites. Transvestites CTV), are people who live full-time as the oppo- site gender but have not had sex reassigmen t surgery. Some transvestites desire t o have sex reassignment surgery at some point when resources are avail- able for it; others do not. increasingly, the term transgenderist is preferred for people who present an endrogynous presentation of gender. Sex reassignment surgery (SRS) is the term preferred to "sex change." Sex re- assignment surgery reflects the feeling of transsexual people that the biological sex with which they am born is being reassigned to reflect the sex which they experience and know themselves to be. Sex reassignment surgery is not neces- sary in order to live in one's gender of choice. According to one m-t-f trans- sexual, "Sex reassignment surgery has nothing to do with sex, and everything to do withbody image and how you feel about yourself. There are slxong feeling in this country that everything has to do with sex and most people are really illiterate when it comes to sexuality." ' Transsexuals CIS) arepeople whohave had or desire to have sex reassignment surgery. The acronyms m-t-f and f-t-m are used to describe male to female and female to male transsexuals respecti vety. At all points on the continuum indi- viduals may use the term "transgender" to describe them selves, Moreover, indi- v. iduals who are transgender also expe- rience sexual orientation and may iden- tify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or heterosexual. In 1979, a concerned group of psy- chologists, physicians, and other caregivers met to formulate guidelines for the hormonal and surgical treatment of transgander people. The resulting Standards of Care of the Harry Ben- jamin International Gender Dysphoria Association were created. In an effort to avoid irreversible mistakes, these stan- dards established criteria for thought- ful care, including diagnosis, hormone therapy, electrolysis, and a period of time to live crossgendered before actual surgery. According to Dr. Lee Padula, a clini- cal psychologist in Livonia, "Sexuality is the totality of who we are, the essence of who we are, our identity, our bchav- ior, a glow that we all have." Gender identity and sexual orientation are two parts of our total sexuality. Much of this article was compiled with infornLation shared by Dr. Lee Padula. Transgender Resources in Michigan Partner's Support Group. Interview be- fore attendine first meetinff, 8an Franois¢o Human Rights Commission Invesugatlon |ntoDlecr|rnlnatlon A~lnst Transgendered People Chapter 4--Findings and Recommendations This Chapter lists the findings and recommendations of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission as derived from the preceedtng public testimony. Findings The Human Rights Commission, having conducted a public headng on May 12, 1994, to investigate discrimination against the Transgender Community, and having considered verbal and written testimony, hereby finds: 1. That the City and County of San Francisco, by legislation, policy and practice, has consistently valued diversity and tolerance and has worked to eradicate discrimination based on prejudice in employment, housing, and public accommodations. 2. That the term Transgender is used as an umbrella term that includes male and female cross dressers, transvestites, female and male impersonators, pre-operative and post-operative transsexuals, and transsexuals who choose not to have genital reconstruction, and all persons whose perceived gender or anatornic sex may conflict with their gender expression, such as masculine-appearing women and feminine- appeadng men. 3. That gender identity Is different from sexual orientation, and sexual orientation discrimination ordinances do not protect transgendered persons. Gender identity is the deeply felt knowledge of an individual that he or she is male or female; in transgendered persons, the gender identity and the anatomic sex may not be in alignment. Sexual orientation is not an indicator of gender identity: for example, a male- bodied person who is attracted to men and has a male gender identity is not considered transgendered; a male-bodied man who is attracted to women and who has a female gender identity which is expressed through cross-dressing and/or the desire to live full-time as a woman. is considered transgendered. it Is the expression of gender identity that results in discrimination because that expression is pemelved as conflicting with the expectations placed upon the individual solely because of the form of his or her body, particularly the genitals. 4. That actual and legal discrimination do currently exist in the City and County of San Francisco with regard to gender presentation and transgender'or transsexual status or identity. 43 San Fm Human Rights Commission lnve.at~aatlon Into DIscrimination AgaJnet Transgendered Peol}le 5. That existing laws and policies often undermine the dignity and pdvacy of, and do not include protections for, transgendered persons. The sovereign digntty of the individual and his or her dght to pdvacy are comerstones of Amedcan values. 6. That there are no accurate statistics reflecting the demographics of the transgendered population, but informal surveys of the membership of local transgender organizations and of local community sen/ice agencies indicate that there are approximately 6000 transgendered individuals in San Francisco. This number is increased substantially by including persons who may be perceived as transgendered and may therefore experience adverse discrimination. 7. That transgendered persons are present in every demographic group: every race, every class, every culture, every sexual orientation, and every epoch of recorded history includes evidence of the existence of transgendered persons. 8. That in the current social climate, persons who are pemeived to be transgendered are considered by some as less than human and therefore assumed to be fair game for objectlfication, violence. and discrimination. Hate violence is perpetrated against transgendered persons as much as, if not more than, any other group. 9. That the efforts of the Human Rights Commission to address complaints involving transgendered persons are seriously hampered by lack of legislation to suppod and protect the basic human fights of transgendered persons. In some cases, the Commission has been successful in mediating resolution, but without the force of law the power of the Commission to compel humane treatment is severely limited. 10. That some transgendered persons may be driven to suicide in response to the severe discrimination they may face on a daily basis. ' 11. That many members of the transgender community are afraid to testify at public hearings for fear of retribution against themselves or their families, especially for fear of loss of employment and loss of child custody. 12. That transgendered persons are subject to severe discrimination In employment, housing and public accommodations. 13. That transgendered persons have experienced harassment by members of the San Francisco Police Department and the Sheriff's Department, and that it Is possible that cdmes against transgendered persons have not always been taken seriously by these Saz~ Fenhalf, co Hum=n Rights Cornln InyestlqaUon Into DIscrimination A, galn~t Tranlgeftdefed Pe~}le agencies. 14. That tmnsgendered persons have experienced great difficulty in obtaining medical and social services from hospitals, public health agencies, rape crisis centers, battered women's shelters, homeless shelters, and other organizations in San Francisco. Many of these previders treat transgendered patients and clients with great reluctance, sometimes pointedly harassing them and embarrassing them in waiting mores, or condoning harassing behavior on the part of other patients and clients. 15. That representatives of some City and County agencies admit their employees are not uniformly educated about or sensitive to the needs of transgendered persons. 16. That the transgender community is often aligned with the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual community, but still experiences discrimination within the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual community and its institutions. 17. That both the news media and entertainment media tend to perpetuate stereotypes in their coverage or treatment of transgendered persons and issues. The ill-informed biases expressed in the media then become a sanction perpetuating discrimination. 18. That some transgendered women who are raped, battered, homeless, or otherwise In need of services, as well as transgendered men who require medical attention for female anatomy, are frequently denied services from women's support agencies based on their transgender status or identity. While some agencies providing services for women are working to educate themselves with respect to the transgender community and to combat the intemal prejudices that lead to denial of services to the transgendered community, the Commission finds that greater effort must be made to eliminate discrimination based on transgender status or identity. 19. That tmnsgendered youth frequently are unable to find sourues of support for their difference. Feminine boys am often harassed and todured by their peers and by their parents. Masculine gids are usually teased and/or ignored. Both boys and gids are called queer and left alone to traverse the difficult terrain between gender identity and sexual orientation. With no language to talk about their feelings, no social support, and little (if any) education about sex and gender, transgendered youth are at high risk for attempting sulc]de, being rejected by family or peers, becomin9 runaways, becoming subject to medical incarceration, getting stuck on the bottom rungs of the economic and social ladder in this society. One agency in San Francisco reported receiving nearly 2000 calls In the past year from transgendered or gender-questioning youth. These youth express deep isolation, the desire to connect with other youth who share their feelings, and a desperate need to escape harassment, abuse and rejection because of 45 ~ FraaPJ~,o Human Rights Commission Inv~gatlon Into Dlacrfmln~lUon Againat Trans~endered People who they are. The demand for transgender services is roughly 20% of the total demand for youth services at this agency which se~ves lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered youth. This indicates that comprehensive gender-issues-related social services are necessary for the community-at*large. 20. That once an individual is labeled with the medical diagnosis transsexualism, Insurance companies discriminate against them by excluding them from coverage for the necessary treatments and procedures and for any complications or conditions that may arise from these treatments and procedures. 21. That the economic hardship imposed on some transgendered (particularly male-to- female transsexual) persons due to discrimination in employment and in medical and insurance services frequently forces them to live in poverty or to turn to sex work to survive. 22. That the wives, partners, husbands, children, and other loved ones of transgendered people feel the intolerance and harassment shown by people' out of ignorance just as deeply as does the transgendered person. They fear for their own safety and security as well as for that of the transgendered person they love and on whom they may depend economically. 23. That transgendered parents live with an often debilitating fear of the loss of custody or contact with their children, and may in fact lose that custody or contact solely because of prejudice. There is no evidence to show that transgendered persons as a class are not fit parents. This discrimination is arbitrary and may unnecessarily damage the relationship between parent and child. 24. That legislation to protect the transgendered community has been enacted in other locations: Minneapolis in 1974, Seattle in 1986, Santa Cruz in 1992, and Minnesota in 1993. 25. That Proposition L did give protection to the employees of the San Francisco City and County government against discrimination based on gender identity. Since Proposition L was passed in 1993 by a vote of the People of San Francisco, it is their will to protect transgenderad persons. 26. That professionals who may serve the transgendered may also become stigmatized by their peers for their association with the transgendered community, and this stigmatization, or fear of It, often prevents attorneys, physicians, nurses, psychotherapists, etc., from treating or serving transgendered patients or clients. 46 San Francisso Human RIghts Commission Inve~tlgatJon Into Dlsotlmlnatlon A~alnet Transgendored People Attorneys, In particular, are reluctant to advocate on behalf of transsexuals whose surgical treatment has gone awry. 27. That the Human Rights Commission needs to work acllvely with employers, businesses, non-profit organizations, and public agencies to educate them as to the validity of the transgender experience and the value of cultural diverslty in the area of gender, and to lead the way in demonstrating how the myths and prejudices surrounding the transgender community. can be broken down to reveal the human beings who are struggling for their civil rights. 47 January 6, 1994 - THE WASHINGTON BLADE - 25 CAMFORN A Law bans bias against transgendered people by Sidney Brfnldey SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco ,'.' · Mayor Frank Jordan on December 30 · ::. ,.., signed into law an ordinance banning dis- criminalion against transvest~tes, trans- sexua]s, and cross-dressers. .: . .' .. , .' · The San Francisco Board of Supervi- "': sors unanimously passed the ordinance, which makes it illegal for any employer, landlord, or prol:nietor of a public facility . .:' to discriminate against anyone because of .... ,.. his nr her "gender identity." ':' ': ' "This legislation adds to the c[as- :...,.... si~cation of persons protected by our Human Rights Commission and gives them the respect they are entitled to," ":","~ said Supervisor Terence Hallinan, who : sponsored the measure. "Very seldom do we have thc opportunity to make history, ' ': to reach out beyond the mundane and ' make justice. We axe creating a civzl right ""' and it will at'feet attitudes all over Amer- Mayor Frank Jordan sig~ed into law ica." an ordioaz3ce banning discrimina. The new law adds the term "gender lion 8.gain~ trlns-ve$fite~ tdemity" to the city's existing anti-bias sis, and cross-dressers. law which bans discrimination based on race, religion, color, ancestry, age. sex. sexual orientation, disability. and place of birth. "Finally. we have protection," said Tamam Ching after the vote. Ching was born male but now Iives as a woman. "They can't bar us from stores. They can't kick us out of our housing. They can't hun us any more." According to the San' Francisco Human Rights Commission (HRC), the city's transgender population is estimated to be around 5,000. The measure follows the September release of a ground-break- ing 82-page report by the HRC that de- tailed far-reaching discrimination and physical abuse of transgenders. Three other cities in the United States also have gender identity proiections in their anti-discrimination ordinances--.- Minneapolis, Santa Cruz, Calif., and Seattle. According to Larry Brinkin, HRC staff member and author of ate measure, none has the ~ope or the mus- cle of the San Francisco law. "Our law goes farther in details," said Brinkin. "Also, it offers remedies." Over the past five years, the city has received a number of complaints of dis- criminalion from transgenders. While those who were Gay male or Lesbian were protected by existing law, pre-oper- alive or post operative transsexuais were not. "When males start coming to work dressed as a female. ~cy are either fired or harassed so severely they quit," Bnn- kin said. "We would try and do what wc could but we had no authority," said Cynthia Goldstein of the HRC. "We would con- tact the employer but we had no law to show them, no basis to institute court proceedings. Now San Francisco is the only place to offer such clear cut admin- istrative remedi{~s. We also cover the business sector. If you do business with the city and county of San Francisco, we require that you don't discriminate against transgcndera regardless of where you are located." An additional and potentially proble- mstic pan of the legislation which will address the issue of dressing rooms and public restrooms for transgenders is still being readied. The supplemental legisla- tion would require business to provide for their transgender employees or customers. "We want to more clearly aaiculate how that situation can be handled," said Goldstein. "In dressing rooms and lock- er rooms, we are looking at a tiered sys- tem of accommodation under the Amer- icans With Disabilities Act. However, we don't want to make it unduly burden- some financially for the business com- munity. Wherever nudity is involved. such as a community shower, your geni- tals should match the facility. A pre-op- eratire male to female transsexual would not be able to use the women's shower facility." No opposition to the measure was raised in either the public or private sec- tor.lr Paying tribute to a past life and a former serf by Jess~ca M. Xavier He was such a big part of my life, and yet I really don't ramember him. Perhaps we all become forgetful when we get older. Perhaps we all like to forget me- meats of great pain in our lives. Perhaps it was the Halcyon addiction six years ago that wiped out the memory of him. 1989 was the year I almost died by my own hand. But in lieu of me, he died, sparing me. He was me, before my transition and surgery, for I am a transsexual woman. Like many of you reading this. I grew up differently. Everyone I know who is a Gay man or Lesbian has a coming-out story to tell. each as umquc as the human behind it. I knew I was different when I was six years old. Feminine things fascinated me, and l started cross- dressing completely when I was I [ years old, although I had no idea what it meant. Sure, I felt sexually aroused and often maqturbatctl when I crns~{Im,~qcd, but them w:ls morn ct, t( th.a.n just the au- toeroticism. When I looked in the mimor. those were the only tlmcs that ~saw her, my self, the real me. ~ But who was this person who danced before the mirror? I was so tcrrzbly nai'vc when I was a child. I mmcn~ber watch- ing a news report referring to Cuban ho- mosexuals being persecuted by the new Castro regime as "fcminipe men." So thars who I was. Then I h~ard some boys at school sharing their disgust about men who had sex with men. Being asexual at the time, I concluded that wasn't me. Later I discovered the term · 'transvestim" and decided that's who I was. When I finally mad about April Ashley, the British Christtoe Jorgenson who has had such a difficult life, I thought, "Thank God I'm not a transsex- ual?' I spent the next 20 years in psy- chetherapy trying to prove just that. while the girl in the mirror gradually as- sumed control of my psyche. Transsexualism is far more complex than merely altering sexual anatomy. No one really knows what causes it, but the latest theory is a rare, random, and inop- Portune bathing of opposite birth-sex hormones while in utero. Although the origins may be the same, I know the fe- male-to-male experience is different from my own. [ most ccrtainly did not want this to happen to me, and I fought it long and hard. Male-to-female tmnssexualism is simply not a choice. Sane people born with male genitalia in a patriarchal soci- ety do not choose to wake up in the mid- die of their life and suddenly abandon a vested male identity with its accompany- ing privilege, spending tens of thou~nds of dollars reinventing themselves in the midst of a second, harmonally-induced adolescence, all while facing nearly uni- vetsol di~,criminntion and disapproval. Anyc:.nc who lispires tc:, do aH lhiv. is. in my informed opinion, nuts. So I tried 20 psychotheraplsls with different approaches, searching for a non-exismnt cure. desperate for alterna- tives. A near tom] failure ,.vlth hctcrosex- ual women, I had sex with Gay men, even though I knew I wasn't one. I tried relaxation therapy, aversion therapy, and even entered a National Institutes of Health study testing a new drug for sex- ual obsessire-compulsive disorders. Nothing worked, and I ended up with a diagnosis of transsexualism from three different therapists. I drunk and drugged myself untlI those coping mechanisms failed, until I came so very, very close to permanently ending my pain in '89. Choosing self-acceptance over suicide meant I had to "transition;' or switch my gender from male to female. Even though I knew I was due to be laid off from my job because of a Iack of fund- Although pain now seems so distant, he looks so sad, so fearrui, so incomplete. He and I indeed very different people. rag. I went ahead and tmnsit~oncd in Oc- tober '91. Two months later, I found a new job on my first interview as my true self. Looking back, I was terribly lucky compared to the horrible trunsttion expe- riences of many other transsexual people I know. They lost their jobs, comers, savings, houses, families, and friends. Some lost their byes. Smcc I'm out about my transsexualtry, people ask me if ruy surgery was painful, or how I could withstand the pain of four years of facial electrolysis . and three hair transplantation proce- dures. None of this physical pain comes close tO the emotional agony of gender dysphoria. I cannot possibly express that unique torment that comes from the mis- assignment of sex at birth. Gender fol- lows birth sex for almost everyone. and thus is a given, taken for granted. But not all of us are so fortunate. To be born transgendered is to be it'war with your own body. Although my sex teassign- meat surgery saved my life, it did not take away this pain, only ameliorated I cannot go back in time to experience the girlhood or the young adulthood of a non-transsexual woman. Those years -- half my life -- are lost to me, as is my ability to become a biological parent, a loss I feel even more keenly. But I am still alive. Beyond the enormous difficulties pre- sented by this uninvited dilemma,. to be a changeling is a mystical experience. We transgendered have existed since the dawn of time, since male followers of the Great Earth Mother Goddess Cybele severed their own gcnitalia to become her priestesses. We were the shamans and healers of earlier civilizations, which honored us for our unique difference. After all, we do understand those twin 'mysteries, male and female, much morn completely, and that wisdom is our gift to the non-transgcndcred -- but only in cultures that don't persecute us for pos. sessing it. Occasionally I'II get a question pref- aced by "When you were a man ...;' l was never a man, just an extremely un- happy, suicidal, warmabe/don't warmabe male in denial. I'm not in denial any- more, about who I am or who I was. So I can admit to having a few recent flash- backs of him, maybe sparked by a dream or a photograph. Although his pain now seerus so distant, he looks so sad, so fearful, so incomplete. He and I am in- deed very different people. Lately I've felt I should do a ritual to honor him. After all, through his agony and death. he gave me life. I should feel grateful for his sacrifice, and remember him. Jesslea M. Xavier is a Maryland resi- dent who is active in local Gay and transgender civil rights organizations. Speech to the Human Rights Commission, July 24, 1995 My name is Brett Beemyn. I am here tonlght to strongly urge you to add the words "gender identity" to the Iowa City Human Rights Ordinance in order to give wansgendered people the same protections against discrimination as other historically oppressed groups. As you know, our human rights code includes sex and sexual orlentatlon, but neither of these categories necessarily applies to transgendered people, either in fact or in law. For example, last September, the federal District Court of Washington, D.C. ruled that the capttal's human rights law, which prohibits discrimination based upon sex and sexual orientation, did not protect a male-to-female transsexual who was fired from her job because she maintained some "masculine traits." As the Washington, D.C. case demonstrates, people who are transgendered, or who are perceived to be transgendered, face discrimination In employment when they change their outward gender appearance or when thetr transgender identity is discovered. They also suffer discrimination when looking for housing, obtaining credit, and entering local businesses, such as the incident that prompted this discussion. And, most Importantly, they are constantly subject to verbal and physical harassment, often leading to serious Injury or death, simply for being (or being perceived as) transgendered. If I may, let me mention a few of the more well-known cases: MARSHA P. JOHNSON was one of New York Ctty's oldest and best~ known drag, transgendered, and Mrican American activlsts. She was an instigator of the Stonewall Rebellion in 1969, the event that is seen as the start of the gay liberation movement. Three years ago, Marsha was seen being harassed and verbally assaulted by a number of teenagers. Later that same night, she was found floating dead in the Hudson River, not far from where she had been confronted. The police refused to investigate, stating there was no reason to suspect a bias crime, or even any crime at all. RiCHARD GOLDMAN was a forty-year-old transgendered man. Shortly after Christmas in 1991, while on a visit to his parent's New York CIty apartment, Richard was shot to death by hts father, who then shot and killed hls wife before finally turning the gun on himself. Questioned after the murder, a neighbor said that Richard's parents "were very much against [his crossdressing]. They were very disappointed. I think this is what it was about, There was always a problem there... They wanted him to 'act normal."' MARY S. was a white, middle-class transsexual woman working as a computer programmer in Boston. After she began to change her outward gender appearance on the Job, she was summarily fired. Stuck without an income, she began hunting for any type of employment. Unable to find work, and increasingly desperate for money, she turned temporarily to sex work to survive. Shortly thereafter, the Boston Police pulled Mary's body from the trunk of a car in the river; her body had multiple stab wounds. BRANDON TEENA, a tmnsgendered male living in rural Nebraska, was murdered along with two friends a year and a half ago by two men who had kidnapped and raped him the week before when they discovered that Brandon was biologically female. Even though Brandon had reported the rape to the local Sheriffs Department, the police refused to take the case seriously and did not attempt to apprehend the men until after the killings. MICHAEL DESPAIN, a 24 year-old transssexual died when his Phoenix home was set on fire last year. Even though two of those acussed in the arson had earlier attacked and threatened to kill Michael because he was trangendered, the police had to be pressured to record the incident as a bias-related crime. Not protecting the rights of transgendered people contributes to an atmosphere which makes hate crimes like these possible, and moreover, means that many of these brutal murders cannot be prosecuted as hate crimes. In summary, because transgendered people clearly face discrimination in our society and their rights are currently not legally guaranteed, I ask you to add "gender identity" to the lowa City Human Rights Ordinance. Cities that are well- known for ensuring the rights of their citizens, such as Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle, Santa Cruz, and Berkeley, offer protection for transgendered people; I hope that Iowa City will also be a forward- looking city that is concerned about the well-being of all of its residents. Thank you. NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that the City Council of Iowa City will hold a public hearing on the 26th day of September, 1995. at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the City of Iowa City, 410 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, Iowa, regarding the intent to convey a twenty-foot wide vacated portion of alley right-of-way located east of Gilbert Court, immediately south of the Iowa Interstate Railway and immediately north of Lot 4 of Block 3, Lyon's Addition, to Bernard and Joanna Milder. Persons interested in expressing their views concerning this matter, either verbally or in writing, will be given the opportunity to be heard at the above-mentioned time and place.