Nashville Cats!

Transgender actress and activist Jen Richards is on the road to Nashville!

Richards (Her Story) has joined the country music drama in a recurring role for season five, it was announced Tuesday.

She will play Allyson Del Lago, a tough but understanding physical therapist who helps one of the series' main characters through one of their most difficult challenges. Richards' casting marks the first transgender character on CMT and the first out transgender actor on the network. 

CMT, along with Hulu, resurrected Nashville in June one month after it was canceled by ABC after four seasons.

Richards recently nabbed an Emmy nomination for co-creating, writing and producing the digital series Her Story. She also starred in the Los Angeles-set romantic as Violet, a trans woman who must confront her attraction to women when she meets a cute reporter named Allie (co-creator Laura Zak) while also worrying that her attraction to women makes her less trans. 

"Richards also appeared as herself on the E! docuseries I Am Cait, which centered on Caitlyn Jenner's post-transition journey. Although I Am Cait was axed last month after two seasons, transgender TV has continued to prove popular. Transparent, which centers on a man's transition to a woman, has won Emmy and Golden Globe awards for star Jeffrey Tambor. Laverne Cox, best known for her breakout role on Orange Is the New Black, will next headline Fox's Rocky Horror Picture Show remake in October, before making history as the first full-time transgender character on a broadcast television with CBS' Doubt. Richards also is slated to appear on the midseason legal drama, in addition to co-producing the forthcoming docuseries More Than T.

In addition, Richards is an activist and advocate who works with national organizations and media projects.

Nashville's fifth season premieres Thursday, Jan. 5, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CMT."

Go here for more.

Prodding the Snail?

I am a trans veteran under Veteran's Administration health care. While I am the first to admit my history with the VA has been pretty good, the record with others has been spotty, depending where you were/are.

One thing is for sure though, once the VA approved HRT for trans vets years ago, any movement towards approval of any so called "bottom" or cosmetic surgery has been imperceptible.

Now though "the snail (VA)" has been prodded by a group calling itself   "The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus Transgender Equality Task Force" is  urging the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to move swiftly to ensure access to medically necessary surgical care for transgender veterans.  The lawmakers recently wrote in a letter to VA Secretary Robert McDonald. “We urge you to move forward with publishing a proposed rule to remove the arbitrary and outdated restriction that prohibits VA from providing medical services to treat gender dysphoria."

The letter was led by Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) and also signed by Democratic Reps. Mike Honda (Calif.), Jackie Speier (Calif.), Raúl Grijalva (Ariz.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.), and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.).

In June, news emerged of a VA proposal that would allow coverage of surgeries deemed medically necessary on a case-by-case basis. At the time, VA officials said the change had been in the works since 2014.

Of course, the proposal does not include a timeline for when coverage might begin, but such changes can take years to come into place. (normal)

The VA already covers transition-related care for transgender vets, including hormone replacement therapy and pre- and post-surgical care.

But it's been barred from covering any actual surgery since 1999 Which means the snail might need far more than a prod to move on actually approving SRS. 

Plus, since the VA has the apparatus set up to send us outside the system to approved providers, the excuse of not having a trained staff to do it just doesn't hold water. 

The Gift That Keeps on Coming Back

In another major slam to North Carolina's economy, the NCAA is pulling it's events from the state. Check this story from the News&Observer:

"Since the North Carolina legislature last March passed House Bill 2, a controversial law restricting transgender bathroom access and limiting the civil rights and bathroom usage of the LGBT community, the state has lost the NBA All-Star Game, Bruce Springsteen and other concerts and conventions and millions of dollars in revenue.

Now North Carolina is losing the NCAA tournament. The NCAA announced on Monday that the seven championships scheduled in the state during this academic year, including NCAA men’s basketball tournament games in Greensboro, would be relocated because of House Bill 2, better known as HB2."

If you are not especially into sports, this list should give you a look at the economic impact this move should have:

"The Greensboro Coliseum had been scheduled to host first- and second-round NCAA men’s basketball tournament games next March. Those games, scheduled for March 17 and 19, will now be played at yet-to-be determined location.

In addition to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, North Carolina is also losing:

▪ The 2016 Division I Women’s Soccer Championship, which had been scheduled for Dec. 2 and 4 in Cary.

▪ The 2016 Division III Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships, which had been scheduled for Dec. 2 and 3 in Greensboro.

▪ A 2017 Division I Women’s Golf Championships regional, which had been scheduled for May 8-10 in Greenville.

▪ The 2017 Division III Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships, which had been scheduled for May 22-27 in Cary.

▪ The 2017 Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship, which had been scheduled for May 26 and 28 in Cary.

▪ The 2017 Division II Baseball Championship, which had been scheduled for May 27-June 3 in Cary.

The Town of Cary was hit especially hard by the NCAA’s decision. Harold Weinbrecht, the Cary mayor, released a statement expressing his frustration that HB2 had cost the town the opportunity to host four NCAA championships.

“I am extremely disappointed with this news,” he said. “We are no longer viewed as a progressive state but a backwards one which is a disservice to the citizens of North Carolina. We will lose millions of dollars in economic benefit locally."

When will they ever learn?

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/article101457472.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/article101457472.html#storylink=cpy