Page 129 - Time Magazine-November 05, 2018

TheBrief News

GOOD QUESTION federal bans on sex discrimination. The
What would happen if stakes are high: last year, more than 20
NEWS the U.S. government transgender Americans were killed by
TICKER violent means.
really redefined gender? President Trump responded to the
Attacks leak by telling reporters on Oct. 22 that
hinder Ebola The meanings of Terms evolve all The his Administration was considering “a
containment time, but the Trump Administration is taking lot of different concepts” on the subject
aim at one in particular: gender. The federal of transgender rights and that he was
Authorities in the
Democratic Republic government is considering a policy that, “protecting everybody.”
of Congo say militia by simply stating a meaning for the word If implemented, the change would likely
violence is hampering sex, could have the effect of ending federal draw lawsuits—but a court challenge is
efforts to contain recognition of more than a million adults who trickier than some advocates might hope,
an Ebola outbreak. identify as genders other than the ones listed explains Deborah Rhode, a law professor at
Gunmen in two eastern
cities killed 11 civilians on their original birth certificates. Stanford. “You have to show standing,” she
and two health workers According to a Department of Health and says. “Until the definition is enforced in some
on Oct. 20. The World Human Services (HHS) memo obtained by way that you’re at risk, most courts are not
Health Organization the New York Times, the Administration going to want to hear the suit.”
says the outbreak, is mulling the adoption of a narrow legal And while activists await a plaintiff, the
which has left some
120 dead, will worsen definition of sex under Title IX as a set new definition could become widely used.
if medical teams can’t characteristic determined by genitalia at If it’s considered legal by the Department
step up the response. birth. The memo argues that such a key term of Justice, the Departments of Education,
needs a definition that is “clear, grounded in Justice, Labor and HHS might adopt it. Plus,
science, objective and administrable”—but any case would likely have to work its way up
Women the answer it proposes has already drawn through lower courts before it reached the
lag in U.S. considerable criticism from LGBT-rights Supreme Court docket.
promotions activists. In the meantime, the Times reports, dis-
Although it’s still unclear how the putes would have to be resolved with genetic
Data from 279 U.S. policy would work, the absence of legal testing. That sounds simple enough, but ex-
companies, covering recognition of transgender identities could perts note that gender is understood to be af-
more than 13 million
employees, suggests affect everything from the kind of medical fected by a number of factors other than DNA.
that the American treatment trans patients could access under “The short answer is there’s not a genetic
corporate ladder is Medicaid to where trans inmates might be test that can reliably predict a person’s gen-
missing a few key jailed. The proposal also presents a stark der,” says Dr. Amy Weimer, the founder
rungs for women. contrast to Obama-era guidance that sought of UCLA’s Gender Health Program. If this
For every 100 men
who are promoted to place gender-identity discrimination comes to fruition, she says, “The word I
to manager, only 79 under the broad protective umbrella of would use is catastrophic.”—abby vesoulis
women are, says a new
report from McKinsey
and LeanIn.org.
ART
Imitation game
Oldest intact
shipwreck The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., revealed Oct. 22 that tests showed at least five of
discovered its supposed Dead Sea Scroll fragments are fake. Here, more artificial artifacts. —Ciara Nugent
Archaeologists MAYAN MIMIC DUMMY DIAMONDS COUNTERFEIT
announced Oct. 23 Mexican officials The Czech National COLLECTION
that they have found believe a Mayan Museum said in In April, a French
what they believe is the statue that sold March that many museum dedicated
world’s oldest intact for $4.2 million in of the jewels in its to painter Étienne
shipwreck off the coast Paris in 2011 was collection, including a Terrus learned that
of Bulgaria. Low oxygen not authentic. The 5-carat diamond and more than half its
levels a mile below the 5-ft. 4-in. warrior a 19-carat sapphire, works were forgeries.
surface of the Black didn’t match the style were fakes. Curators One showed a tower
Sea have preserved the of the period it was said they may have built in the 1950s,
2,400-year-old Greek said to be from—over been the victim of a some 30 years after
merchant vessel; the 1,000 years ago. con or a heist. the local painter died.
75-ft.-long ship still has
its mast and rudders.

12 Time November 5, 2018