Free Republic

After becoming the first transgender federal official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Dr. Rachel Levine said she’s “humbled” and thankful for those who have fought for equality for decades. On Wednesday, the Senate confirmed Levine’s nomination to serve as U.S. assistant health secretary. Levine formerly served as Pennsylvania’s health secretary and stepped down when President Joe Biden nominated her for the federal post. Levine issued a statement thanking Biden for trusting her with the key position. She also thanked those who have supported her, particularly in the LGBTQ community. “As I prepare to take my oath of office...

“Just yesterday I testified before the State Legislators at the Georgia capital. Georgia has some of the most lax gun laws in the country. Georgia’s idea of gun control is whether you can hold your rifle straight. With all of the lax gun laws in Georgia, they’ve decided that they aren’t lax enough. We’ve got the fifth-highest population of uninsured individuals, and with all of the issues, we’re almost last in education, we haven’t figured out how to provide healthcare to all of these uninsured people, Governor will not expand Medicaid, and in the midst of all that’s going on...

For the first time, the U.S. Navy has granted a waiver to allow a transgender sailor to continue her military service despite the president’s ban on transgender people serving openly in the armed forces. Attorneys for the sailor and a spokesperson for Navy Secretary James E. McPherson confirmed earlier this week that senior government officials had approved the waiver. Navy spokesperson Brittany Stephens said the sailor, known only as "Jane Doe" in media reports and court documents, “requested a waiver to serve in their preferred gender” and will be “allowed to adhere to standards associated with their preferred gender, such...

The President of the United States, like millions of other people, tweeted Caitlyn Jenner today after the unveiling of the cover of Vanity Fair. After enduring hours of facial feminization surgery, breast augmentation, and hormone therapy, the one-time Olympic gold medalist poses on the cover in a one-piece white corseted lingerie outfit that reportedly cost $300. The caption reads, “Call Me Caitlyn.” [Snip] According to E! Online, the president reached out to Caitlyn Jenner to congratulate her on her “courage” hours after the reveal of Jenner’s cover photo. President Obama’s tweet was among the tweets that Caitlyn received on the...

(FOX19) - A Change.org petition asking to ban transgender conversion therapy following Leelah Alcorn's death has received more than 233,000 signatures in two days. The Transgender Human Rights Institute posted the petition on Dec. 31 asking President Barack Obama and the leadership of the House and Senate to begin the process of banning transgender conversion therapy throughout the nation. "'Conversion therapies' have been documented to cause great harms and in this case, Leelah's death. Therapists that engage in the attempt to brainwash or reverse any child's gender identity are seriously unethical and legislation is needed to end such practices immediately,"...

Following the sudden death of conservative rabble-rouser Andrew Breitbart, bloggers began a Be Breitbart and I Am Breitbart campaign. But muck-raking sounds like a lot of hard work and not much fun. If I am going to be anyone, it is Jim Treacher. Sure. He has a lot of fun making fun of our 44th president. He was the one who pointed out, hey, Barry ate dog. Which is more important, slopping Solyndra or eating a dog 40 years ago? Solyndra, of course. But which is more fun to write about? I get angry when I think of Solyndra. When...

Blaming the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and others that took place on January 8, 2010, Sheriff Clarence Dupnick caused an uproar in Tucson when he said that the state was a mecca of prejudice and bigotry.

There’s oil in the Gulf, a scandal in Pennsylvania, and a war in Afghanistan. Someone wake President Obama when it’s over. President Bush’s harshest critics often described his look during moments of crisis as “deer in the headlights.” After two years of Hope and Change, America has grown accustomed to President Obama’s crisis face: eyes glazed over. At his first press conference in 308 days, Obama fielded questions about the Gulf oil spill, immigration, the war in Afghanistan, and the mounting outrage over Pennsylvania Democratic congressman Joe Sestak’s job-trading allegations with a sluggishness bordering on geriatric. His aplomb was a...

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama said Sunday he will tap his huge political network of donors and volunteers to help U.S. victims of Hurricane Gustav after it comes inland. "I think we can get tons of volunteers to travel down there, if it becomes necessary," Obama told reporters after attending St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Lima, Ohio.

'He is a dog and if we see him we will kill him' Clancy Chassay in Beirut Monday September 11, 2006 The Guardian (UK) Protesters greet Tony Blair’s visit to Lebanon. Photograph: Alvaro Barrientos/AP Hundreds of angry demonstrators waving Lebanese flags and chanting "down with Blair" gathered to protest at Tony Blair's meeting with Fouad Siniora at the prime minister's office in the heart of Beirut today. Held back by a line of Lebanese troops and security personnel enforcing a 1km buffer zone around the office, some protesters carried posters reading "Blair, you killer, go to hell" and "The blood...

TEL AVIV – A Florida teenager lying in a coma here after being critically injured last week in a suicide bombing opened his eyes for the first time since the attack yesterday just as his rabbi donned him with teffillin, or Jewish prayer phylacteries. Daniel Wultz, 16, was one of over 60 people injured in last Monday's attack in which a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowded section of Tel Aviv as Israelis celebrated the fifth day of the Passover holiday. The blast ripped through a falafel restaurant just outside the city's old central bus station, killing...

The Buzz: Trouble in Deanland The Kansas City Star Posted on Tue, Jan. 31, 2006 Roll Call reports that Democratic leaders are bristling at arty Chairman Howard Dean’s management. They’re especially upset because he has spent nearly all of the Democratic National Committee’s cash and has little left to support efforts to gain seats this cycle. Several sources said congressional leaders and especially Rep. Rahm Emanuel, head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, were furious when they learned the DNC has just $5.5 million in the bank versus the Republican National Committee’s $34 million. A Democratic source about Dean: “People...

BEAVER FALLS, Pa. - A 17-year-old high school student said he was humiliated when a teacher made him sit on the floor during a midterm exam in his ethnicity class _ for wearing a Denver Broncos jersey. The teacher, John Kelly, forced Joshua Vannoy to sit on the floor and take the test Friday _ two days before the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Broncos 34-17 in the AFC championship game. Kelly also made other students throw crumpled up paper at Vannoy, whom he called a "stinking Denver fan," Vannoy told The Associated Press on Monday. Kelly said Vannoy, a junior...

SIERRA VISTA — When Jay Record woke up this morning, he already had the gift he wanted — a new kidney. Now the Sierra Vista dad hopes to be starting 2006 with a new lease of life after receiving the kidney from his sister Juliann. The siblings are now recovering from the Dec. 15 operation, which took place at the Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix. “I felt great knowing that I would be getting a healthy kidney, especially coming from a family member. That made it really special,” said Jay, 34, who first learned his kidneys were not...

HAYWARD, Calif. — Two men who had sex with a transgender (search) teen were convicted of murdering her after they discovered she was biologically male, but a third defendant's case ended in a mistrial. In their verdict Monday, the jury rejected defense arguments that the killing of 17-year-old Gwen Araujo amounted to no more than manslaughter (search). "It's murder," said Gwen Smith, who maintains a Web site memorializing people believed to have been killed because they were transgender. "And a murder conviction shows that transgender lives are valuable." Michael Magidson and Jose Merel, both 25, face mandatory sentences of 15...

Mugabe in plea for S Africa to bail him out of crisis By David Blair in Johannesburg (Filed: 19/07/2005) President Robert Mugabe's destruction of Zimbabwe's economy began to strike home yesterday after he had to ask South Africa for a rescue package. Unable to arrest the spiralling crisis or buy essential supplies of fuel, Zimbabwe has turned to its powerful neighbour. ‘Embarrassing’: Robert Mugabe has finally acknowledged the gravity of Zimbabwe's situation Senior officials have visited South Africa to request an emergency injection of money likely to run into hundreds of millions of pounds. About one third of Zimbabwe's economy...

Annan talks of 'lynch mob' determined to destroy him By Charles Laurence in New York and Philip Sherwell in Washington (Filed: 01/05/2005) Kofi Annan, the beleaguered secretary-general of the United Nations, has claimed that a "lynch mob" is out to "destroy" him in the wake of the Iraq oil-for-food debacle and other UN scandals. In his first big interview since he was criticised in a report into the discredited oil-for-food scheme, which the UN administered, Mr Annan refused to rule out stepping down in the autumn, a year before his second term is due to end. Some diplomats believe that...

DELTONA, Fla. -- Three high school wrestlers face expulsion based on accusations they hog-tied a learning-disabled teammate and zapped him with a grill igniter. Officials call it a hazing prank that went too far. None of the boys were arrested but Volusia County's sheriff's office filed felony complaints with prosecutors, seeking felony charges of aggravated battery and false imprisonment. School officials said two hazing incidents occurred in a wrestling practice room at the high school Tuesday. Volusia County Sheriff's Department offers the following account of the incident: "According to witnesses, the victim -- a 17-year-old wrestler -- was tackled to...

I recall a cute comic strip depicting Moses coming down from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments written in stone. "I've got good news and bad news," he announces to the Israelites waiting anxiously at the bottom of the mountain. "The good news is that I got Him down to ten." The crowd cheers. "The bad news is that adultery is still in."

Boy's KKK Costume Wins Him Award, Suspension POSTED: 5:50 am EST November 3, 2004 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A Michigan high school student's costume is earning an award -- and a suspension. SURVEY Do you believe that this boy should have been suspended? Yes No Results | Disclaimer The City High student dressed as a Ku Klux Klansman for the school's Halloween masquerade party. The senior won the prize for the scariest costume and a five-day suspension, too. Grand Rapids school Superintendent Bert Bleke says the suspension is justified. But he wants to know why the adult chaperones at the...