Queer and trans activists are coming together to fight Seattle’s proposed jail-building project. The City currently rents jail space from King County and the County has announced that they are going to need to use all the jail space for their own arrestees and prisoners soon, and Seattle and the other local jurisdictions who rent their space must find another option.

On July 20, 2007 Victoria Arellano, a transgender woman who was also HIV-positive, died after the San Pedro Immigration Detention facility deliberately failed to provide her with the health care she needed while in their custody. SRLP, among many other organizations and individuals, denounces the appalling behavior of the Department of Homeland Security. Read the letter (in PDF format) sent to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The American Medical Association (www.ama-assn.org) has amended their nondiscrimination policy to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity. The report of the Board of Trustees' approval of the policy change recognizes the unique barriers transgender people face in accessing safe healthcare. The support of the AMA is an encouraging step towards reducing the barriers that trans people face not only as patients but also as people seeking training or employment as health providers.