Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 07:37:33 +0000
From: Clare Howell <clareq@idt.net>
Subject: IYF15

MEDIA ADVISORY - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Editor: Clare Howell, clare@gpac.org

TIME MAGAZINE HIGHLIGHTS TRANS-MOVEMENT
=======================================

[New York, NY: 14 Jul 98] THIS WEEK'S TIME
magazine (20 Jul 98) devotes two pages to
the burgeoning transgender movement. In an
even-handed manner the magazine profiles
the work of transgender activists across
the country.

    Titled "Trans Across America," the
article features two transactivists,
Shannon Ware of St. Louis and Shannon Minter
of San Francisco, who embody the growing
efforts by transpeople to build a movement
through political organizing and education.

    Ms. Ware, an engineer who transitioned
in her forties, has recently become an
activist. She meets one-on-one with elected
officials to educate them and advocate for
transpeople.

    Mr. Minter is a lawyer at the National
Center for Lesbian Rights. His comments
relect the focus of activists and the tone
of the article. "What's important is hate
crimes and job discrimination," he said.
"Why does everyone want to talk about my
genitals?"

    The article, written by John Cloud,
presents a straightforward, unsensational
account. It mentions GenderPAC's national
survey on transviolence that reveals 60% 
of trans-identified people have been the
victims of assault, Lobby Day which brought 
Congressmembers face-to-face with transpeople, 
and the meeting facilitated by HRC last year 
between transactivists and officials at the 
Department of Justice.

    "This is a ground-breaking article,"
said Riki Anne Wilchins, Ex. Dir. of 
GenderPAC. "It's the first time a national 
publication has treated our efforts as a 
legitimate political movement. The message 
that millions of Americans will come away 
with from this article is that ours is a 
movement whose time has come."

          ###

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