Hello!
If you would like a play-by-play of my expullsion (and how I definitely knew it was because I am transgender) this is a detailed write up at planetransgender.
The funny thing about being expelled for being transgender is how it changed me. I used to keep my head down and try hard to "pass". I wanted to be "normal" and fit into the gender rules that society pushed on me.
By trying to destroy my sense of belonging, of security, of identity, of joy, and of self, haters made me stronger.
By refusing to let me exist in their world, they gave me only one choice. Create a different world. One where human worth and belonging isn't determined by the color or shape or size of our squishy bits. And for that, I need your help.
"In law, nothing is certain but the expense."
Samuel Butler
Who am I?
I'm the guy who sat my GED after I got my college acceptance letter. I'm the nerd who learned three years of traditional high school math in two months just to do better on a placement exam. Who created my first web page at 11 and learned computer graphics, 3D rendering, and animation at 15. Read classical literature as a child. Taught myself astronomy. Impossible is not a word I understand very well. 'No' to me means 'try it another way'.
Stubborn as a mule.
Committed, with 100% of my heart, to making our world a safer, kinder, cleaner, freer, and more beautiful place. Because we need it.
And I'm trans. When I first started transitioning, I thought being transgender meant that my body was wrong. Actually, my body is perfect. The people who try to control what kind of bodies live what kinds of lives. . . they are wrong. That's another thing I am trying to change.
Okay, but how is Seamus pronounced?
Sh-eh-muss. Shame-us, if that's easier for you. Not Sea-moos, please. I'm a human not a cow.
![Gender Isn't Crime]()
Why We Have a Great Lawsuit
Clear, demonstratable harm. There is no “he said / she said” that dooms so many lawsuits. Every action the college took (and that I took in response) is well documented in signed letters, official forms, and public newspaper articles. They will not be able to deny that they expelled me because I did not fit their expectations of gendered behavior.
A strong protagonist. Every story needs a hero. Lawsuits are stories told to the court. I was a Dean's list student, which means I got incredible grades. I was attending on a full-ride scholarship. At the time of my expulsion I was being inducted into a national honor society. I was on my way to earning a degree in the “hard sciences” and obtaining a well-paying, middle-class job developing computer technologies. They took all of that.
An opportune moment. The last decade has been a record setting time for transgender rights. Sixteen states and Washington, D.C. include protections for transgender people in their nondiscrimination legislation. 143 cities and counties, including Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the University of Pittsburgh operates. Candis Cayne, a trans woman, played a recurring role in a prime time drama. Congressional hearings are held on transgender discrimination. Transgender individuals are sent to the Democratic Convention. Amanda Simmpson and Diego Sanchez work openly in Federal Government positions. Students like Kye Allums have begun to play in NCAA and high school sports teams. The EEOC ruled that Title VII prohibits gender identity discrimination as a form of sex discrimination.
But trans people are still murdered every month. Fired from jobs. Harrased in public spaces. Humiliated by law enforcement. We are at a crossroads.
What Exactly is the Money For?
Thanks for asking! Many lawyers will take a lawsuit on a contingency basis—they will get paid from the University's pockets, if we win. Yet lawsuits are very expensive, even without lawyer's fees to worry about.
$2,000 is the cost of hiring an expert witness. This person explains to the judge and the jury what being transgender really means, medically and socially, and why our rights are just as important! The jury may never have met a transgender person before. Without an expert, they might think I'm just a "crazy" person who doesn't know which bathroom I belong in.
$4,000 is an expert witness and deposing some of the key players. A deposition is a chance to make sure a witness will be honest in court. The court reporter is hired to be there and transcribes the witness' testimony--but they have to be paid for their work. Transcription costs $3 or $4 per page and a single deposition can be a hundred pages or more.
$6,000 -- after the big costs comes a bunch of miscellaneous things that quickly add up: like printer ink and postage stamps and car fuel and research database fees. Plus, the more money we have to spend on preparing before the trial, the more likely it is we can win!
![Gender knows no Law]()
What do I get for helping?
A chance to show politicians, state and city legislatures, higher education, and the public at large that transgender people aren't helpless or alone or easy to pick on. We aren't going away and we won't be silent. We will always rally around our weakest members, until every form of gender-based bullying ends.
But, donor perks?
Yes.
Would You Like to be Carded? I write a card, addressed to whomever you'd like, thanking them. Then I send it to them.
This is Getting Sticky. The graphics on this page (designed by yours truly) in 2.25" pin or sticker sheet format. The number I can make depends on the number of donors, but you will get at least one.
Courting Justice. A cool T-shirt with one of the designs on this page. At this donation level, you are clearly committed achieving social justice for trans people. Also: a signed copy of the complaint (the document which starts a lawsuit) and a signed, framed copy of the judgement order if we win. This is a historical period in transgender rights and this perk is a tangible piece of that history, in honor of your empathetic spirit.
A Journal is Only. . . Everybody likes to get personal letters, right? How about an entire book written to you? With plenty of room for your own thoughts, I will interview you and fill the rest with words and art to celebrate your life, your passions, your struggles, and your uniqueness.
![Journal Example]()
The Time of Day. You rock the Universe. Or at least my Universe. How can I give back? In 48 hours, I can
- design a fancy webpage for you, with css and cool graphics
- make a CD cover, book cover, or other artistic creation
- organize the mess you are scared to look at in the garage or attic*
- make a logo or business card to celebrate your hobbies or small business
- assist with dog training issues
- tutor in math or English
- house (and pet) sit for a weekend*
- put together a personal fitness program to help you meet your goals
- be your personal assistant for two days*
- something else? just ask. . . I'm very flexible.
* I can't travel more than 50 miles, unless you pay traveling expenses.
Other Ways You Can Help
Share this with friends!
Tell them why this matters to you and ask them to donate on your behalf.
Join my Facebook Group to keep updated:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/525460057517510/
I can change the world.
I just can't do it alone.
