VIDEO: "The View" on Transgender Children

Resources

The Gender Identity Center of Colorado

• The Gender Identity Center of Colorado, Inc. is a non-profit corporation organized to provide support to those people who cross dress, are transsexual, transgender, or are non-traditional in their gender identity.
• The Gender Identity Center is also an informational and educational resource to the community at large.
• We are available to anyone, male or female, who can benefit from our services or resources.
• We are here for all, including spouses and significant others, parents, and siblings.

GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network

• GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Established nationally in 1995, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes to creating a more vibrant and diverse community.

Who is Fred C. Martinez, Jr. (Beyonce)?

The dedication of Luna is inscribed "In Memory of Fred C. Martinez Jr. (Beyonce) 1985-2001".

This photo is from the Rocky Mountain News.
Fred C Martinez Jr. was a 16 year old high school sophomore from Cortez, Colorado. He identified himself as "half-Navajo, openly gay, Two-spirit, and transgender." In June of 2001, his body was found brutally murdered. Shaun Murphy, then 18, pled guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Murphy was not charged with a hate crime as "the legal definition of hate crime does not apply to crimes based on the victim's gender identity or gender expression."

According to a Wikipedia article, "Transgender is the state of one's "gender identity" (self-identification as woman, man, or neither) not matching one's "assigned sex" (identification by others as male or female based on physical/genetic sex). "Transgender" does not imply any specific form of sexual orientation; transgender people may identify as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, polysexual, or asexual. "

To learn more about Fred C Martinez Jr, follow these links:

Families United Against Hate
Rocky Mountain News articles regarding the case
An obituary
Temenos Page for Fred Martinez Jr
Wikipedia Article about Fred Martinez

Author: Julie Anne Peters

Julie Anne Peters has published 6 novels for teens, with a seventh, Rage, to be released in September 2009. For more information, click on the book cover. Julie Anne Peters website is http://www.julieannepeters.com. She is also on myspace.

2nd Book: Luna by Julie Anne Peters

Our next book is Luna by Julie Anne Peters. Books will be given out on March 18th. We will meet each Wednesday during SSR (2:50-3:05pm) in Mrs. Ochs room. REMEMBER if you take a book, you are making a commitment to read and join us for book club discussions.

More information about Luna can be found on NCPL's book review blog or on the author's website.