Tag: transgender

Why on Earth Is Someone Stealing Unpublished Book Manuscripts?

A phishing scam with unclear motive or payoff is targeting authors, agents and editors big and small, baffling the publishing industry. From a report: Earlier this month, the book industry website Publishers Marketplace announced that Little, Brown would be publishing “Re-Entry,” a novel by James Hannaham about a transgender woman paroled from a men’s prison. The book would be edited by…

IBM Apologizes For Firing Computer Pioneer For Being Transgender… 52 Years Later

On August 29, 1968, IBM’s CEO fired computer scientist and transgender pioneer Lynn Conway to avoid the public embarrassment of employing a transwoman. Nearly 52 years later, in an act that defines its present-day culture, IBM is apologizing and seeking forgiveness. Jeremy Alicandri writes via Forbes reports: On January 2, 1938, Lynn Conway’s life began in Mount Vernon, NY. With a…

Shot To Prevent HIV Works Better Than Daily Pill in Women

A single shot given every two months has proved to be more effective than a daily pill at preventing H.I.V. in women, researchers reported on Monday, an advance that medical experts hailed as groundbreaking in the fight against the deadly virus that causes AIDS. From a report: The finding that the long-acting drug would prevent H.I.V. in six doses taken over…

CBS Will Celebrate ‘Star Trek’ Day 2020 With an Epic Trek Panel Marathon

Iwastheone shares a report from Space.com: It’s been an incredible 54 years since “Star Trek” first debuted. On Tuesday (Sept. 8), actors from across the multi-decade franchise will celebrate an online “Star Trek” day with panels and discussions, while discussing the series’ emphasis on diversity. More than three hours of free virtual panels will play at the Star Trek Day website…

Star Trek To Welcome First Transgender and Non-Binary Characters

AmiMoJo shares a report from the BBC: Sci-fi franchise Star Trek is set to introduce its first transgender and non-binary characters. The characters are to appear in the third series of Star Trek: Discovery, producers said on Wednesday. The trans character, Gray, will be played by trans actor Ian Alexander, and likewise non-binary Adira will be portrayed by Blu del Barrio….

Inside the Plot To Kill the Open Technology Fund

An anonymous reader quotes a report from VICE News: [The Open Technology Fund is a U.S. government-funded nonprofit, which is part of the umbrella group called the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which also controls Radio Free Asia and Voice of America.] OTF’s goal is to help oppressed communities across the globe by building the digital tools they need and…

Wikipedia Plans New Rule To Combat ‘Toxic Behavior’

Wikipedia is taking steps to fight what it’s calling “toxic behavior” which will be finalized by the end of this year, reports the BBC (in an article shared by Charlotte Web): “We must work together to create a safe, inclusive culture, where everyone feels welcome, that their contributions are valued, and that their perspective matters,” said Katherine Maher, the chief executive…

Google AI No Longer Uses Gender Binary Tags on Images of People

Google’s image-labeling AI tool will no longer label pictures with gender tags like “man” and “woman.” From a report: In the email, Google cites its ethical rules on AI as the basis for the change. This is a progressive move by Google — and one that will hopefully set a precedent for the rest of the AI industry. Ethics aside, Google…

New LGBTQ+ Courses: Free, High-Quality Resources for Allyship and Awareness

By Kyle Shiells, Data Science Manager & Queersera Co-Lead Queersera, Coursera’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group, celebrated its fourth anniversary at San Francisco Pride in June of this year. In the last four years, we’ve had the opportunity to not just march in Pride parades, but also host community events for Coursera employees, connect our team […]
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