Latest news with #GenderJustice
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
HT City Delhi Junction: Catch It Live on 2 June 2025
What: Yiwarra Kuju – The Canning Stock Route Where: Open-Air Art Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, 205 Tansen Marg, Mandi House A post shared by Australia in India (@aushcindia) When: May 27 to June 8 Timing: 11am to 7pm Entry: Free Nearest Metro Station: Mandi House (Blue & Violet Lines) What: Public Health, Social and Gender Justice with Empathy Where: Lecture Room I, India International Centre Annexe, Lodi Estate When: June 2 Timing: 3.30pm Entry: Free Nearest Metro Station: Jor Bagh (Yellow Line) What: Koshish 2025 – Tribute to Guru Pt Praveen Gangani | Kathak recital ft Mukesh Praveen Gangani, Chetan Javda & Bhavdeep Javda A post shared by Mukeash Praveen Gangani (@mukeashpraveengangani) Where: The Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road When: June 2 Timing: 7pm Entry: Free Nearest Metro Station: JLN Stadium (Violet Line) What: One Night StandUp Where: Laughter Nation Comedy Club, 9A, Hauz Khas Village When: June 2 Timing: 8pm Entry: Nearest Metro Station: Green Park (Yellow Line)
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
People's Session provides legislative wish list for 2027 session
Dalton Erickson, executive director of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, speaks at the Heritage Center on May 16, 2025, during the first People's Session, which heard concerns from residents about the 2025 legislative session. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Progressive North Dakotans who brainstormed ideas for the next legislative session want lawmakers to focus on three areas: strong schools, economic security and personal freedom. About 40 people broke into small groups at the North Dakota Heritage Center on Friday to discuss what they believe are the most pressing issues facing the state. The discussion was part of a community-led event called the People's Session. Erin Oban, a former Democratic state senator and teacher, said students going through the K-12 system have vastly different needs. 'There is strong public support for our public schools,' Oban said. 'The challenge is that is not necessarily reflected in the decision-making process and funding that is coming, particularly from the state level.' She added teachers are being underfunded and some have needed to take second jobs to make ends meet. 'We think that is horrible and quite a reflection on how we value teaching as a profession,' she said. Barry Nelson, a community organizer for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, told event attendees that pre-K and early childhood education in the state need to be expanded. About 62,000 kids in North Dakota are under age 6, but there are only about 38,000 licensed early childhood education slots in the state, he said. 'The data shows that effective early childhood education increases income, reduces poverty, reduces teenage pregnancies and boosts economic productivity,' Nelson said. Other education suggestions included creating incentives for businesses to hire international students who study in North Dakota to keep them in-state after they graduate. It also was suggested that North Dakota, in coordination with the federal government, should be able to issue a certain amount of work visas to international graduates. Another attendee suggested addressing a shortage of lawyers with student loan forgiveness for North Dakota law school graduates and other professions if they stay in the state for five years. Other policy suggestions included taxing out-of-state interests at a higher rate than North Dakota residents or businesses, raising the minimum wage to a livable wage and prohibiting businesses from paying tipped workers below minimum wage. Progressive groups plan 'People's Session' to set North Dakota priorities for future legislation Those speaking on personal freedom wanted more pushback against the state's abortion law and other laws targeting gender-affirming care or health care-related issues. Advocacy organizations hosting the event included the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, Gender Justice, Prairie Action, American Civil Liberties Union of North Dakota and North Dakota AFL-CIO. Dalton Erickson, executive director for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, said the state has a citizen Legislature, which means the common people are supposed to have their voices heard for 80 days in Bismarck, every two years. He said one of the purposes of the event was not only to hear concerns from the public, but to better organize policy proposals ahead of the next legislative session in 2027. Erickson added they will put many of the suggestions into bill draft form over the next year and will revisit the issues in spring 2026. 'I think we have a lot of excited people and a lot of great ideas to work off of,' he said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Progressive groups plan ‘People's Session' to set North Dakota priorities for future legislation
Prairie Rose Seminole, board vice chair of Gender Justice, and Dalton Erickson, executive director of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, speak at the Capitol May 8, 2025, about policy issues they say went unaddressed during the 2025 legislative session. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor) Progressive advocacy groups frustrated with what they saw as a tone-deaf and unproductive legislative session will host an all-day organizing event May 16 at the Heritage Center. Called 'The People's Session,' the goal of the event is to hear what North Dakotans' policy priorities are. Representatives from its organizers — Gender Justice, Prairie Action and the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition — met Thursday morning on the steps of the Capitol to share what they have planned for the conference. 'It's time our Legislature listens to people across our state and leads with our values that we share — like fairness, privacy, freedom and respect,' said Prairie Rose Seminole, who is vice chair of Gender Justice's board and also sits on the board for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition. North Dakota lawmakers approve needs, some wants with $20.3 billion budget A survey of North Dakota residents commissioned by Gender Justice last fall indicates that North Dakotans support policies like expanding reproductive rights, and investing in child care and affordable housing, Gender Justice Executive Director Megan Peterson said Thursday. The survey, which was conducted by firm PerryUndem, gathered responses from 800 adults across the state. The policy priorities reflected in the survey aren't what lawmakers spent most of their time on this session, Peterson said. She pointed to legislation that prevents K-12 schools from having multi-stall all-gender restrooms, as well as a bill that would have required school and public libraries to put 'sexually explicit' material in areas children cannot easily access, which Gov. Kelly Armstrong ultimately vetoed. 'Why did lawmakers spend their time on book bans and bathroom bills while families are struggling to find affordable child care, pay the rent and access basic health care?' Peterson asked. While lawmakers defeated many of the most controversial proposals introduced this session — including a bill to require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in lunchrooms, and a resolution to declare the kingship of Jesus Christ — advocates at the Thursday morning gathering said these bills took valuable time and resources away from more pressing policy issues. The group acknowledged that the Legislature passed bills this session aimed at improving access to child care, housing and health care, but argued the policies do not go far enough. 'When politicians can't or don't want to solve real problems, they create fake ones to divide and distract us,' Peterson said. She said 'The People's Session' will put together policy proposals for the next legislative session that better reflect what North Dakota residents actually want. The event is free, but registration is required. It will take place at the Heritage Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Topics of discussion will include health care, housing, schools, LGBTQ issues, reproductive rights and more. 'We hope to take the people's agenda forward, crafting and refining it into bills through public input, and then put it forward for sponsors to bring to the 2027 legislative session,' North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Executive Director Dalton Erickson said. For more information about the event, including registration details, visit Gender Justice's website. Those who aren't able to participate in person can still submit their thoughts through the registration form. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
The Hindu
24-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Stage set for Bharat Summit to showcase Telangana as a model State to global audience
The stage is all set for the commencement of the Bharat Summit, a unique initiative of the Congress government to showcase Telangana as a model State with progressive thinking to the global audience, on Friday. The two-day event will feature participation of over 450 delegates representing different fields from 100 countries across the world. Heads of governments, members of Parliaments, representatives of political parties, chiefs of major corporates and those reputed as think-tanks in different domains will participate in the event. There will be panel discussions on important issues like Gender Justice & A Feminist Future, Fact vs fiction, Countering Disinformation, Youth & Politics of Tomorrow and Shaping New Multilateralism on the first day. This will be followed by debates on key subjects like Overcoming Polarization with Pluralism, Diversity & Respect Accelerating Climate Justice, Economic Justice in Uncertain Times and Peace & justice in a multipolar world on the second day. AICC president Mallikharjun Kharge, Congress senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are among the speakers during the plenary and valedictory sessions in addition to experts in the respective fields from different countries. The summit will focus on non-violence, truth, justice and democracy, the main principles on which the Congress party has been founded, according to Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka. Mr. Bhatti Vikramarka inspected the arrangements that have been made for the prestigious event on Thursday. He recalled how the country had adopted non-alignment as its stand during the Cold War era and said it was decided to hold the international conference inspired by the thinking of Mr. Rahul Gandhi. Steps have been taken to allot special slot for explaining about Telangana's development, resources and the spree of welfare initiatives of the Congress government so as to ensure that the summit would help in showcasing the State at the global level.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gender-affirming care for minors hangs in balance as North Dakota trial begins
Daniel Shumer, a pediatric endocrinologist and clinical associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Michigan, testifies Jan. 27, 2025, for the plaintiffs during a trial on North Dakota's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor) A court in Bismarck on Monday kicked off a trial to decide the fate of North Dakota's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The law, signed by former Gov. Doug Burgum in 2023, makes it a crime for health care professionals to provide gender-affirming treatment to anyone below age 18. The ban contains an exemption for adolescents who had been receiving treatment before it went into effect. Over the course of the trial, anticipated to take eight days, attorneys will debate whether the law violates personal autonomy and equal protection rights under the state constitution. The lawsuit is brought by North Dakota pediatric endocrinologist Luis Casas, who is challenging the ban on behalf of himself and his patients. 'This case is not as complicated as it may seem,' Brittany Stewart, an attorney for Gender Justice, said in her opening statement. 'All North Dakotans have a right to personal autonomy to make decisions about the health care they need or don't need to live happy, healthy lives as their authentic selves.' Judge limits scope of lawsuit over North Dakota gender-affirming care law Previously, the plaintiffs also included three North Dakota families with transgender children. South Central Judicial District Judge Jackson Lofgren ruled earlier this month that the families did not have standing to participate in the case because their children were receiving gender-affirming care before the law took effect, and therefore do not fall under the ban. The families will still testify as witnesses for the plaintiffs. Doctors and others with expertise providing care to transgender youth, including Casas, also will be called to the witness stand. The state says the science behind gender-affirming care is not settled and that the ban is needed to protect children. 'The health care law is a constitutional regulation of practice in medicine, in the area of medical uncertainty,' Special Assistant Attorney General Joseph Quinn said in his opening statement for the state. 'This is something that the Legislature has the power to do, has the right to do and it has the responsibility to do.' Experts called by the state will testify that the standards of care are based on emerging, low-quality evidence, Quinn said. On Monday, one of the children of the three former plaintiff families testified about his experience receiving gender-affirming care in North Dakota. The seventh grader testified under the pseudonym James Doe to protect his identity. Doe said that today, he lives as a typical 13-year-old. He enjoys spending time with friends, plays football and is a part of the school band. He knew he was transgender from age 4 or 5, he said. 'I kinda felt more like a boy. I liked Legos more than Barbies, more of my friends were boys,' Doe said. Though many of his peers accepted him as a boy in elementary school, there were ways his school did not accommodate him. He had accidents because teachers wouldn't let him use the boys restroom, for example. After coming out to his family as transgender, he started attending therapy to help with his gender dysphoria, he said. At age 10, Doe was referred to Casas to discuss gender-affirming treatment. He said that Casas had him wait six months to start puberty blockers. 'He made me go home to think about what I really wanted,' he said. Doe said he started testosterone treatment at age 13. Similarly, he said Casas urged him and his family to think seriously about the treatment before pursuing it. 'It's helped me become more comfortable with myself,' Doe said of the treatment. 'Medication really makes me who I am today.' He said he's had to travel to Moorhead, Minnesota, to receive the treatment from Casas, which has caused him to miss school, extracurriculars and time with friends. Judge denies request to halt enforcement of transgender care law Most of Monday morning and afternoon, the court heard from Daniel Shumer, a pediatric endocrinologist and clinical associate professor of pediatrics for the University of Michigan. Research indicates that transgender youth who start gender-affirming treatment during the early phases of puberty are happier and healthier than those who start gender-affirming treatment after puberty or during adulthood, he testified. The way puberty affects the body is significant and irreversible, so being forced to undergo puberty in a way that clashes with their gender identity can be devastating to transgender adolescents, Shumer said. 'It may be nice to say that these are decisions that are best left for adults. The truth of the matter is that puberty happens during adolescence,' he said. 'A young person with gender dysphoria is going through a period of time where their body is changing in a permanent way, in a manner that's opposite to how they know themselves.' Gender-affirming surgical procedures aren't performed on adolescents in North Dakota. Shumer also testified that pediatric endocrinologists only prescribe puberty blockers and hormone therapy to adolescents with gender dysphoria, not pre-pubescent minors. In his questioning of Shumer, Quinn sought to establish that experts have different opinions on the efficacy of gender-affirming care and whether the risks of providing the medical treatment to adolescents outweigh the benefits. Quinn pointed to several articles where researchers urged caution on the administration of gender-affirming treatment to minors, and called for additional study of the topic. Quinn asked Shumer if he is aware of any discourse over the legitimacy of the use of gender-affirming medical treatments to treat gender dysphoria. 'Certainly in state courtrooms in the last couple of years,' Shumer replied, though he maintained that the field of pediatric endocrinology has accepted the procedures as valid. Shumer said that there is a consensus among leading medical associations that hormone therapy is safe and effective to treat gender dysphoria. He also said that the standards of care pediatric endocrinologists use to guide the treatment of adolescents with gender dysphoria are developed based on a review of clinical data. The state before opening statements asked Lofgren to not allow the former plaintiff families to testify at the trial. Special Assistant Attorney General Daniel Gaustad argued the personal testimony of a few families is not relevant to whether the text of the law is constitutional. Lofgren denied the request. The plaintiffs initially had subpoenaed former Rep. Brandon Prichard, a sponsor of the ban during the 2023 session, to testify in the trial. Lofgren on Monday granted a request from the state to block the subpoena because the North Dakota Constitution protects lawmakers from being questioned about their legislative work in court. Prichard, a Republican who represented the Bismarck area in the state Legislature until losing reelection last year, in a statement to the North Dakota Monitor said he is happy he will no longer be appearing in court, and that he hopes the health care law will stand. 'The trial is over a narrow set of facts and my testimony wouldn't have provided anything new from what I already discussed in the deposition,' Prichard said. 'My expectation was for the plaintiff's legal team to treat me hostile and try to dig into my time as a legislator, which is privileged.' Court records show that in a deposition, Prichard said he believes transgender people are 'choosing against God.' He also said he suspects scientific research that suggested gender-affirming care is a safe and effective treatment for adolescents with gender dysphoria is fabricated by LGBTQ rights groups. Attorneys for the plaintiffs have told the court previously that even minors who fall under the law's exemption cannot access gender-affirming care in North Dakota, since medical providers are uncertain how to interpret the law. The trial is a bench trial, which means Lofgren will issue a verdict. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
