Wednesday This & That: Open Thread

It's an open thread! Pleeeeease feel free to chat, blogwhore, and link-share in the comment thread...

Since I've been focusing on Maryland a lot lately, my cartoon sockpuppet Bookworm Bob and I haven't been covering a lot of other trans related news.

So with that in mind, this is what my cartoon sockpuppet Bookworm Bob have been looking at in the news this week that's trans related but I haven't covered, or has an ongoing component to something previously covered, but would like to spend just a bit of time covering.

• LGBT Weekly's Assembly Judiciary Committee Passes Gender Nondiscrimination Act:

The Assembly Judiciary Committee today passed the Gender Nondiscrimination Act (AB 877) by a 7-1 vote. The bill was authored by Assemblymember Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and is sponsored by Equality California and co-sponsored by the Transgender Law Center. AB 887 seeks to strengthen employment, housing and other civil rights protections for transgender people and others who do not fit narrow gender stereotypes.

"I am very pleased that the Gender Nondiscrimination Act advanced today," said Assemblymember Atkins. "This bill affirms that California does not discriminate, and it is an important step to ensure equal protection under the law for all Californians."

AB 887 takes existing protections based on gender identity and expression and enumerates them as protected categories in non-discrimination laws. In addition, the bill clarifies that gender identity and expression are included in the definition of gender and sex in all California codes.

"Transgender Californians need and deserve non-discrimination protections; to be treated the same way as everyone else," said Equality California Interim Executive Director Jim Carroll. "This bill would ensure that all Californians, including transgender people, are protected equally under employment and housing non-discrimination laws. In addition, by being clear about what the law requires, it will reduce litigation and costs to employers, landlords, and others."

Yea, home state California!

• Hartford Courant's Transgender Non-Discrimination Bill Passes Judiciary -- Without Any Amendments:

The legislature's Judiciary Committee on Tuesday endorsed a bill that would add gender identity and expression to the state's non-discrimination statutes.

Similar bills have been introduced several times since 2006 but has never won passage. In 2007, both the Judiciary Committee and the state Senate approved it but it died before reaching the House of Representatives.

Supporters managed to swat down several proposed amendments that they say would have diluted the protections afforded to transgender individuals and enshrined discrimination into law.

One of those amendments would have permitted local school districts to transfer elementary school teachers who are undergoing gender-reassignment during the duration of their transition.

Ah. An amendment attempt based on the fear mongering of the Transgender Kindergartner Teacher meme. Thank goodness the amendment was swatted down by Connecticut's Senate Judiciary Committee.

• Nashville News Center 5's Non-Discrimination Bill Passes On 3rd Reading:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - On Tuesday night, Metro Council members passed a controversial non-discrimination ordinance on its final reading.

"I think this is a great move for Nashville and it's a great step to show we believe in equality," said Erica Gilmore, one of the co-sponsors of the bill.

The measure would require any contractors doing business with the city to pledge not to discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Those contractors already agree not to discriminate against federally protected classes.

After months of debate, the vote in council chambers was 21 to 15. But that vote did not come without another round of debate. Many council members voiced their reasons for voting against the bill.

...Before the bill can become law, Mayor Karl Dean must sign it.  He has said in the past if the bill comes across his desk, he will put his signature on it.

Well, this looks good.

• Palm Beach Post's Lake Worth mayor says The Cottage complaints use 'gay card' against city manager:

LAKE WORTH - City commissioners reacted Tuesday to e-mails accusing City Manager Susan Stanton of being biased against gays and lesbians by passing a resolution reaffirming the city's commitment to diversity.

The resolution, approved before a standing-room-only crowd, reaffirms the city's commitment to "full and equal rights for all of its residents and employees regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity."

It notes Lake Worth hosts the annual PrideFest event and has hoisted the gay pride flag at city hall for 11 years and that city code forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

...Mayor Rene Varela said he did not see a pattern of behavior against businesses owned by or catering to gays and lesbians in the city and accused The Cottage of "pulling out the gay card."

The Florida Sun Sentinal has an explanation of why that publication believes she seems in trouble now, in their piece Lake Worth City Manager Her Own Worst Enemy:

...In 2009, Stanton semi-nestled into the overwhelmingly challenging but extraordinarily accepting community that is Lake Worth, a city that gambled all hopes on her leadership as a great new city manager, regardless of her sexual orientation or gender identity. We all yearned for someone who could bring together divided factions and diminish the frivolity that obscures the economic prosperity and negotiated quality of life we collectively desire in our paradise by the sea.

But where Stanton has not semi-nestled, she has thoroughly vexed. And the most unlikely of allies are making the most frantic of coordinated claims because, in the end, she is simply not well-liked. It's her style. She marginalizes herself with her own brashness, a trait she continues to defend even though it continues to offend - and her stubbornness is not gaining her any ground. Now, some are questioning her commitment to the diverse community she was hired to serve, while others are concerned the city is headed for the same sound-bite-turned-swan-song sung across the state when she was forced from her previous position.

Stanton's annual performance review is next week, and it appears everyone is desperate to make sure their grievances are recorded for the public record, and for the public file that will soon contain her evaluation. So the city that last week celebrated pride is in a siege aimed at ousting Stanton, who seems so cemented in her approach she refuses to entertain suggestions that she be more conciliatory and thoughtful in her communications within and outside the city...

Somehow I don't think the current story is over yet.

• Our Wiener Story Of The Day: Examiner.com's Hot dogs Are #1 Baseball Concession Food:

Forget the stock market; it's the hot dog that indicates how well our economy is doing. Not only do hot dogs continue to outsell other baseball stadium concessions, but 1.06 million more stadium dogs were sold in 2010 compared to 2009, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. In other words? "The hot dog is MVP of stadium concessions," the Council's spokesperson Tom Super said.

The number of hot dogs consumed in 2011 is expected to grow even more.  The Council predicts baseball fans will chow down on 22,435,400 hot dogs this baseball season, an increase of 4.6% over last year. Phrased another way, that's enough hot dogs to round the bases 31,160 times.

So which stadium is expected to consume the most hot dogs this year?

...Dodger Stadium is expected to sell two million dogs, partially due to the foot-long Dodger dog. The number two place for hot dog consumption in New York's Yankee Stadium with an expected 1.62 million dogs sold. Rounding out the top three is the Philadelphia Phillies Citizen Bank Park.

As always, "The weenie tempts you!"

So anywho...It's an open thread! What are you thinking about today, or what books or articles have you been reading the past few days? Wanna share?

And again, please feel free to chat, blogwhore, and link-share in the comment thread because...it's an open thread! Woo-hoo!