Date: Sat, 09 May 1998 08:07:55 +0000 From: Clare Howell Subject: IYF10 MEDIA ADVISORY - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Editor: Clare Howell, clare@gpac.org . MINISTER IN LESBIAN CEREMONY TO BE FIRED . UNABOMBER TRANNY? . TRANSGENDER-TRANSEXUAL-CROSSDRESSER MINISTER IN LESBIAN CEREMONY TO BE FIRED ======================================== [Omaha, NE: 6 May 98] THE REVEREND JIMMY CREECH, who performed a marriage ceremony for two lesbians and then survived a church trial when conservatives protested his action, was told on Tuesday that he will not be re-appointed as a church's pastor after his current appointment ends in June. Methodist clergy are appointed to serve as pastors by regional Bishops. The AP reports that Bishop Joel Martinez told Creech that he (Creech) has been unable to lead the First Methodist Church in Omaha. The Bishop's reasoning for Creech's dismissal was not given, although Methodist ministers can be dismissed when a congregation petitions their Bishop or at the Bishop's own initiative. In a church trial in March, Rev. Creech was acquitted of charges that he disobeyed rules by performing the marriage. ### UNABOMBER TRANNY? ================= [New York, NY: 6 May 98] THIS WEEK'S ISSUE OF Newsweek (11 May 98) reports that convicted unabomber Ted Kaczynski first had fantasies about murder after he was unable to summon the courage to talk to a University of Michigan psychiatrist about his desire for a sex-change operation. This comes from court-appointed Dr. Sally Johnson, who interviewed Kaczynski at the court's request to determine his mental capacity to stand trial. Kaczynski also related to Johnson dreams in which "some psychologist... would either be trying to convince me that I was 'sick' or would be trying to control my mind..." No further information was related about Kaczynski's feelings about his gender or whether he made further remarks about it. Dr. Johnson's 47-page report was submitted to the court in January. ### Contact: Rosalind Bentley, Minneapolis Star Tribune http://www.startribune.com/stonline/html/front.shtml TRANSGENDER-TRANSEXUAL-CROSSDRESSER =================================== [Minneapolis, MN: 5 May 98] THE TRANSITION OF DEBRA Davis illuminates the growing diversity within the transcommunity. Davis, 51, a 28-year veteran high school librarian, was born and raised a male, as David Nielsen. Now a grandparent, She has legally changed her name and is living as a woman. She also has no interest in sexual reassignment surgery (SRS). Like a growing number of transpeople, she is identified as transgender, not transexual. People are classified transexual when they seek SRS. Transgender also differs from crossdresser, which refers to people who occasionally dress in clothing typically worn by people of the 'opposite' sex. To further confound, many trans- people no longer accept any trans-identity, preferring to contest societal labels that they feel oppress them as a means of controlling their choices. Ms. Davis had been working as a man and spending her life away from school as a woman. "One of the hardest things for me is being in this in-between stage," she said. "After a while, you get tired of hiding in shame, and I just won't live in shame any more. I like who I am, I'm proud of who I am, and unless you meet Debra, you aren't gonna know that." Robert McCauley, Principal of Southwest High, said reaction at the school has been fairly subdued and calls from parents have been supportive. "We support Debra 100 percent," he said. "People have responded very well to the strength and courage that she's showing." ### Subscriptions. Please send: subscribe iyf-online or: unsubscribek iyf-online to: MajorDomo@apocalypse.org For prior press releases, check the GenderPAC website at: http://www.gpac.org (c) 1998 InYourFace Our online news-only service for gender activism.