Painter will discuss areas of the law that affect male-to-female and female-to-male transgender people, as well as intersex individuals, such as name changes. She will address the ways the courts have treated transgender people similarly to other gay, lesbian, and bisexual people in areas such as divorce and custody disputes. Other parts of Painter’s presentation will deal with issues transgender people face for which there are still no legal precedents.
“Transgendered individuals face numerous challenges every day, from explaining why the information on their driver’s license does not match their appearance to hatred, misunderstanding, and violence,” Stonewall Columbus Board President Robert Berger said. “Being able to assert a confident understanding of their legal rights is one way transgendered people can protect themselves.”
The legal seminar is the first event sponsored by Stonewall Columbus’s newly created Gender Identity Focus Team. Stonewall members formed the 16-person committee this year to increase awareness about issues that face transgender and intersex people and to reach out to transgender and intersex individuals in Ohio.
“Stonewall is committed to providing transgender-related programming and community educational opportunities to increase the quality of all our lives,” Berger explained.
The Gender Identity Focus Team and Stonewall Columbus plan to sponsor other events this spring to draw attention to gender identity issues and to connect with the transgender and intersex communities.
“We want to have activities that allow GLBT and straight people to think about and discuss the things that transgender and intersex people deal with. We also want to provide ways for people to take action about the political issues that affect transgender people,” explained Abby Ogden, Gender Identity Focus Team coordinator.
The group will sponsor a screening of the film Normal at the Stonewall Columbus Community Center on Wednesday, Mar. 31 at 7 pm. The film addresses the struggles of a family and a small town to come to terms with gender identity issues when a prominent community member comes out as transgender and transitions from male to female.
The committee has also organized a clothing exchange to provide both male and female clothing to transgender and intersex people. The event, called Francie’s Closet, will provide fashion tips, as well as a place to try on, receive, and even store clothing that fits people’s gender identities.
GLBT people and straight allies interested in these upcoming events or in becoming a part of the Gender Identity Focus Team can contact Kellye Pinkleton, Stonewall Columbus Community Center coordinator at (614) 299-7764 ext. 11 or xryylr@fgbarjnyy-pbyhzohf.bet.
