Kim Update 08/07/05:
Kim is Free! and we are victorious!!!! we got the paper to run this article : http://www.spokesmanreview.com/local/story.asp?ID=83623
and there is talk of her being interviewed on a national radio show in the near future! (more details to come) YAY!!!!!!!!!!
I am so proud of her! She is one of the strongest women i have ever met, she has taken on the system flawlessly!!! I admire her so much and hope someday i will be as feirce as her!!!!!!! I feel so lucky to be her friend!!!!
I threw her a welcome home party last night at the Rainbow Center it was great! Lots of people brought awesome veggie/vegan food! We also watched the the tape of the Vagina Monologues from this year to remind all of us all how much of a worrior Kim truely is! She is gonna change the world and we are all gonna help her!!!!!
Love ya all,
Kristie
P.S. thanks for all the support both Kim and I really appreicaite it!!!!!!!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
So sorry for the lacks of updates but things are crazy here, I have been completely bombarded by stupid drama and really serious problems. But I am good at finding the Brightside: the stupid drama has shown me what is and is not truly important to me , and the real crisis has reminded me why I love being an activist.. Because we get shit DONE!
Here is the real heart break in my life right now, my best friend Kim is in jail for the most infuriating reasons but rather than try to recount it in my rageful state I will just post a letter she wrote before turning herself in on July 29th:
My name is Kimberly Stankovich and I am proud to be Transgender. I unfortunately am going through a divorce. In my initial temporary hearing I was told that going to school was a luxury and was ordered to get a full time job. I have completed my junior year at Eastern Washington University, working towards a BA in Psychology. My initial financial statement I showed that after school expenses I had about $1000. Per month. to live on. Though, I haven't made more than that since 1996 and the commissioner still imputed my income at $1800. per month, never mind that I had been injured on the job and am partially disabled as per the State of Washington Labor and Industries. So then I was ordered to pay $1000. per month in child support, to dress as a man when with my children, and to quit school and get a full time job. After being held in contempt for not being able to pay, the last commissioner said "I am not convinced that being transgender is not a choice like being a punk rocker". He ordered me to pay $1000. by the 29th of July 2005 or turn myself into jail for 7 days. The biggest problem is that I can't find a job because no one in Spokane, WA wants to hire me due to being Transgender. This court has stripped me of my parental rights, my only source of income (school), and on the 29th my freedom. I have called as many groups that I can but no one from the Governor to the human rights commission can help. I have been able to get local groups that now want to set up a rally but not even the paper or the local news wants to run a story. We hope that you could help us in any way possible. Writing the Superior Court in Spokane,WA, Coming to the rally with signs, and/or calling all your awesome friends would be so powerful and I would not be able to express my love for all. Someone needs to stand up and say this is not right and I am feeling like I am becoming the one. I sure hope that you will too.
Love to All, Kim
Here are some pics from our Free Kim Rally on July 29th, 2005 hosted by Spokanes Radical Cheerleaders :
This is all our neat-o signs!
Straight to the point!!!!!!!
Thats me I look like poo but the sign says it all
On a personal note:
Last Friday I thought seeing my best friend handcuffed and taken away would be the hardest thing about this completely unjust situation. I was wrong. Today I was elected to be the one visitor who got to go see her (because since she is in for less than 30days she is only allowed one visitor) that was way worse. It seems so wrong that she is there in the first place and then she told me all about the way she has been treated in the 5 days. She was first put on a floor with male inmates mostly sex offenders and other hard criminals, then they moved her and left her in a sell for 3 days straight and the only time she has been out in my visit. They also refused to use her legal name which is Kim and instead called her by her old male name, and a lot of other stuff.
I was so outraged by the time I returned to out protest spot that I could barely talk, and then I got the call from a reporter!!!! Yes, we finally got a reporter to cover her story due to requests from the public, people we informed with our flyers and signs. Our efforts will be paying off today or tomorrow in the Spokanesman Review! Revolution starts now baby!!!! We are gonna change this town! But most of all we are gonna get justice for Kim!!!!
I love ya Kim!!!!!
Kim is Free! and we are victorious!!!! we got the paper to run this article : http://www.spokesmanreview.com/local/story.asp?ID=83623
and there is talk of her being interviewed on a national radio show in the near future! (more details to come) YAY!!!!!!!!!!
I am so proud of her! She is one of the strongest women i have ever met, she has taken on the system flawlessly!!! I admire her so much and hope someday i will be as feirce as her!!!!!!! I feel so lucky to be her friend!!!!
I threw her a welcome home party last night at the Rainbow Center it was great! Lots of people brought awesome veggie/vegan food! We also watched the the tape of the Vagina Monologues from this year to remind all of us all how much of a worrior Kim truely is! She is gonna change the world and we are all gonna help her!!!!!
Love ya all,
Kristie
P.S. thanks for all the support both Kim and I really appreicaite it!!!!!!!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
So sorry for the lacks of updates but things are crazy here, I have been completely bombarded by stupid drama and really serious problems. But I am good at finding the Brightside: the stupid drama has shown me what is and is not truly important to me , and the real crisis has reminded me why I love being an activist.. Because we get shit DONE!
Here is the real heart break in my life right now, my best friend Kim is in jail for the most infuriating reasons but rather than try to recount it in my rageful state I will just post a letter she wrote before turning herself in on July 29th:
My name is Kimberly Stankovich and I am proud to be Transgender. I unfortunately am going through a divorce. In my initial temporary hearing I was told that going to school was a luxury and was ordered to get a full time job. I have completed my junior year at Eastern Washington University, working towards a BA in Psychology. My initial financial statement I showed that after school expenses I had about $1000. Per month. to live on. Though, I haven't made more than that since 1996 and the commissioner still imputed my income at $1800. per month, never mind that I had been injured on the job and am partially disabled as per the State of Washington Labor and Industries. So then I was ordered to pay $1000. per month in child support, to dress as a man when with my children, and to quit school and get a full time job. After being held in contempt for not being able to pay, the last commissioner said "I am not convinced that being transgender is not a choice like being a punk rocker". He ordered me to pay $1000. by the 29th of July 2005 or turn myself into jail for 7 days. The biggest problem is that I can't find a job because no one in Spokane, WA wants to hire me due to being Transgender. This court has stripped me of my parental rights, my only source of income (school), and on the 29th my freedom. I have called as many groups that I can but no one from the Governor to the human rights commission can help. I have been able to get local groups that now want to set up a rally but not even the paper or the local news wants to run a story. We hope that you could help us in any way possible. Writing the Superior Court in Spokane,WA, Coming to the rally with signs, and/or calling all your awesome friends would be so powerful and I would not be able to express my love for all. Someone needs to stand up and say this is not right and I am feeling like I am becoming the one. I sure hope that you will too.
Love to All, Kim
Here are some pics from our Free Kim Rally on July 29th, 2005 hosted by Spokanes Radical Cheerleaders :
This is all our neat-o signs!
Straight to the point!!!!!!!
Thats me I look like poo but the sign says it all
On a personal note:
Last Friday I thought seeing my best friend handcuffed and taken away would be the hardest thing about this completely unjust situation. I was wrong. Today I was elected to be the one visitor who got to go see her (because since she is in for less than 30days she is only allowed one visitor) that was way worse. It seems so wrong that she is there in the first place and then she told me all about the way she has been treated in the 5 days. She was first put on a floor with male inmates mostly sex offenders and other hard criminals, then they moved her and left her in a sell for 3 days straight and the only time she has been out in my visit. They also refused to use her legal name which is Kim and instead called her by her old male name, and a lot of other stuff.
I was so outraged by the time I returned to out protest spot that I could barely talk, and then I got the call from a reporter!!!! Yes, we finally got a reporter to cover her story due to requests from the public, people we informed with our flyers and signs. Our efforts will be paying off today or tomorrow in the Spokanesman Review! Revolution starts now baby!!!! We are gonna change this town! But most of all we are gonna get justice for Kim!!!!
I love ya Kim!!!!!
VIEW 17 of 17 COMMENTS
Anyway, I feel that speaking out against this is very important! Lemmie know if there's anything I can do from here. Otherwise, I may come out there to help, if you feel it would.
I send you and your friend much love and light! Good luck, and do let me know if I can help!