Transgender Candidate Running For Arizona House
By Dan Marries, KOLD News 13


A Tucson woman is running for the Arizona House of Representatives and making history.

Amanda Simpson is head of advanced and special programs at Raytheon.  KOLD News 13 introduced you to her three years ago, when she went public with her sex change.  Now, Simpson is set to be the first transsexual in the nation to win a primary.

Simpson doesn't want her gender to take away from her plans for the future of Arizona.  Her political platform includes improving education, dealing with Arizona's explosive population growth, and affordable healthcare.

But politics can get dirty. And Simpson says she plans to stay away from the mud slinging by sticking to the issues.


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Transgender show aims to teach
Event organizers hope to broaden community awareness in wake of Araujo murder mistrial
By Michelle Meyers, STAFF WRITER


HAYWARD -- A 50-year-old Hayward carpenter and father. A 23-year-old San Leandro restaurant manager and nursing student. A 21-year-old Hayward makeup artist.

Seems like an unrelated sort of group. But what the three have in common is that they are all part of both the local transgender community and the community at-large.

They're also all performers in a show Saturday night meant to convey just that slain transgender youth Gwen Araujo was no anomaly.

"From Berkeley to Fremont there are probably thousands" of transgender residents, said Tiffany Woods, whose Fremont-based Transvision is southern Alameda County's only transgender support program.


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Schools ban sex, drugs & booze
BY KATHLEEN LUCADAMO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER


No bashing transvestites(sic). No chugging beer or smoking pot in class. And definitely no sex in the stairwells.

These are some of the no-nos that are being proposed in this fall's updated student discipline code.

The obvious - but apparently broken - new rules are "a sad commentary on our school system and society," said Mike Long, chairman of the New York Conservative Party.

The 26-page code would ban students from using slurs based on "gender identity," a suggestion made by lawmakers and advocates at City Council hearings.

"Transgender students face bullying and harassment on a daily basis. It's important that they be protected," said Riley Snorton, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan-based Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.


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Star journalist wins award for article
By Lachlan Hastings


STAR journalist Jane Gillard has received an award for telling a local community activist’s story with honesty, integrity and respect. Ms Gillard received an award from the Genetic Support Network of Victoria (GSNV) for her front-page story "Tony Briffa speaks out" (Star Williamstown, 25 May).

In the award-winning piece, local community activist Tony Briffa told Ms Gillard he was sick of defending himself over attacks on his genetic condition.

"Mr Briffa was born with an intersex condition that meant he was not exclusively female," Ms Gillard wrote.

"He was raised as a girl and attended an all-girls school, despite the fact that he is genetically male.

"This mistake – and the fact he refuses to hide it – has made him the target of a political smear campaign."
Mr Briffa – who is also president of the GSNV and nominated Ms Gillard for the award – said she had reported his story with honesty, integrity and respect.