Poll finds that 58% of Americans support transgender troops

A poll published by the Reuters news agency and Ipsos has found that 58% of Americans support the right of transgender people, to serve in the U.S. military.

The poll was undertaken from July 26th until July 28th and shows the majority disagree with Donald Trump on the issue.

Only 27% said they shouldn't be allowed to openly serve, and the rest said that they didn't know.

Unsurprisingly Democrats were more likely to support trans troops, whilst Republicans were more evenly split on the issue.

Meanwhile 38% of respondents said they believe not allowing trans service members would have a negative impact on morale.

It comes after the shocking and callous announcement made by President Trump earlier this week, when he declared that trans troops would not be allowed to serve.

He said on Twitter that victory was too important for it to be "burdened" with trans people.

Trump's actions rolled back measures brought in by the Obama Administration last year, which allowed trans people to openly serve for the first time.

During the election campaign Trump said he would "protect the LGBT community", but as usual what comes out of his mouth can never be trusted.

The reason given by Trump was that it was costing the Department of Defence too much in medical costs, for things like gender reassignment.

It later emerged that the military was actually spending five times more on viagra, than it was on anything related to transgender service members.

It seems the Pentagon was just as shocked by the announcement. Generals said on Friday that they had no idea it was going to happen, and had not received any guidance on the matter.

Meanwhile activists have taken to the streets and to social media, declaring "trans people are not a burden", adding that the real burden is the Trump administration.

Lets face it Trump is desperate to get attention away from his Presidency - which is in disarray.

It seems every week another scandal crops up, which usually results in a firing or resignation, this week it was the turn of Reince Priebus, now the former White House Chief of Staff.

On the LGBT+ front, rights organisations are urging everyone to be vigilant.

This coming week there are fears Trump might allow increased religious freedom laws, which would allow for further discrimination of LGBT's.

Trans man in China who was discriminated against wins court battle

A trans man who was unfairly dismissed from his job in China has won his court battle.

The court found Mr C, 29, had been unfairly treated and discriminated against because he was trans.

A district court in the southwestern city of Guiyang agreed and ordered his former employee Ciming Checkup, a health care provider, to pay $297 in damages.

But it hasn't been easy, Mr C has been fighting the case for over a year.

In May 2016 he said he had decided to sue the company, because he felt that someone had to do it, at a time when many people are still unwilling to speak up about their employment rights.

Mr C also faced set backs, in December a court said he was improperly dismissed, but said there was no evidence that he was discriminated against because he was transgender.

But this latest court battle has become the first lawsuit in China to be based on the discrimination of an LGBT+ person.

"I think this lawsuit has achieved its purpose" Mr C told the Associated Press news agency.

He added: "It's never been about money. We hope, through this case, people in similar situations will realise they have a right, and we hope it will eventually result in a workplace anti-discrimination law".

Mr C says many LGBT+ people in China are simply too scared to challenge discrimination from employers.

Progress was made earlier this month, when a Chinese court ruled so called "gay cure" therapy illegal.

But there's still a long way to go! China only decriminalised homosexuality in 1997, and the Chinese Psychiatric Associated removed it from their list of mental disorders in 2001.

Protesters demand Hong Kong acts after the death of a trans woman

Campaigners in Hong Kong desperately want the government to change its gender laws.

More than 1,000 people have signed a petition asking to make the laws friendlier to trans people, after a trans woman took her own life.

Earlier this month the 25 year-old committed suicide at a busy Metro station, with advocates reporting that her actions showed the difficulties of trans life in the country

Before her death the woman wrote the following on Facebook:

"Every day to not know whether you're able to live, to wake up every day secretly crying in bed, every day watching the world and want to run".

"I am sorry to speak of death, but I have to clearly describe the situation in which my gender role is difficult to gain social acceptance".

Which I'm sure anyone reading this will agree is utterly heartbreaking.

The petition is accompanied by a statement from leading advocacy groups and organisations in Hong Kong.

It asks for the government to move swiftly on the Gender Recognition Act, and calls on the media to respectfully report on gender and for all people, to treat the trans community better.

Gay Star News report that Hong Kong's first openly-gay politician, has said the government's stance on trans issues is negatively affecting the lives of LGBTI people.

He added: "Those who are opposed to legislation, and those who use the worst language and exhibit egregious behaviours to reject us as full members of society have blood on their hands".

In March, an Equal Opportunities Commission and Gender Research Centre at the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies issued a joint statement, calling on the government to take action.

It was supported by over 75 organisations, academics, businesses and religious institutions.

Hopefully the Hong Kong government takes action, as so much work remains to be done, in terms of improving the lives of trans people.

It seems like every month, we hear of another trans person being murdered in the United States and around the world, and it has to stop.

One trans life lost to prejudice and bigotry is one too many.