In the past week or so I’ve noticed increasing heat (see also: infighting) from the supporters in the GLBT Clinton camp. Tuesday they pointed towards Hillary Clinton’s “fully inclusive” ENDA statement as a sign that Hillary is a more GLBT inclusive candidate than Barack Obama. I unexpectedly found an example of this kind of rhetoric from Nancy Nangeroni (of Gender Talk fame). She included the text from Hillary’s statement to the GLBT community that included her support to:
pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and assure that they are both fully inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.
But that wasn’t the original statement. Over at Ourchart.com Hillary’s post was edited:
The first inclusion statement was so ambiguous, you could insinuate inclusion of the Rockettes, the New York Giant’s offensive line, or the Cher Impersonators Local 237. But the big shocker is that the language of the re-edit goes even further than the transgender inclusive ENDA bill (HR. 2015) or it’s stunted orphan GENDA (HR. 3686) that was never voted on in the House.
Gender identity is:
the gender-related identity, appearance, or mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, with or without regard to the individual’s designated sex at birth.” – HR 3686
Gender identity or expression, on the other hand, is defined as:
a person’s actual or perceived gender, as well as a person’s gender identity, gender-related self image, gender-related appearance, or gender-related expression whether or not that gender identity, gender-related self image, gender-related appearance, or gender-related expression is different from that traditionally associated with a person’s sex at birth.
Could it be that Hillary Clinton is really Glenda The Good Witch?
Some of my colleagues, some of my friends, I say to my colleagues in the gay community, maybe I will do a little stereotyping, maybe they have seen the Wizard of Oz too often. They seem to have Speaker Pelosi, a wonderful dedicated, committed supporter of human rights, confused with Glenda the good witch. They think if she waved her magic wand she could somehow change things. – Barney Frank
Call me Elphaba, but I’m not much on “good witches” or fairy tales. If Hillary is for “gender expression”, one has to wonder if she’ll oppose HR 3685 when it comes up for a vote in the Senate later this month.
Nangeroni ends her post at Gender Talk by saying:
Your turn now, Mr. Obama.
If Nangeroni would have visited BarackObama.com she’d see Obama’s PDF on GLBT issues:
Expand Hate Crimes Statutes
In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported. Obama co-sponsored legislation to expand federal hate crimes law to include crimes perpetrated because of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Fight Workplace Discrimination and Promote Rights
Obama believes the Employment Non-Discrimination Act should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity.
This document was created on 10/11/07. It’s nice that Hillary’s finally come on board to support transgender people in February 2008, but it’s disingenuous to claim Hillary’s got one up on Obama. One only need look at what Clinton said in May of last year to see how each compared on the gender identity issue:
HRC:
Currently, there is no federal law protecting individuals from job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Qualified, hardworking Americans can still be denied job opportunities, fired or otherwise be discriminated against just because of their sexual orientation in 33 states and because of their gender identity in 42 states As president, would you support and work for passage of a federal bill that would prohibit job discrimination based on sexual orientation an gender identity?
Obama: “I believe the Employment Non-Discrimination Act should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. I sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation.”
Clinton: As president, I will sign the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) into law.Throughout my Senate career, I have been an original co-sponsor of ENDA. It is inconceivable to me that people who work hard and do a good job every day can still be fired because of who they love. It ‘s unfair, it’s un-American, and I will put a stop to it once and for all.
You can view HRC’s Presidential Questionnaire found here (for Hillary) and here (for Obama).
If you’re going to spout rhetoric, research that of which you speak. If you fail to, you end up looking like a liar or a fool.
Val I have seen it posted, last on Juro’s site. I believe it may have been generated as a composite of an interview back last August. Neither have I been able to find in remaining web content. Strange all of the “Web page unavailable” that seem to be associated with cetain people. A common thing with the Clinton’s is, like Kennedy, sequestering of information and media blanking, i.e. Chapaquitic and Vince foster as example….
Val I have seen it posted, last on Juro’s site. I believe it may have been generated as a composite of an interview back last August. Neither have I been able to find in remaining e content. Strange all of the “Weeb page unavailable” that seem to be associated with cetain people. A common thing with the Clinton’s is, like Kennedy, sequestering of information and media blanking, i.e. Chapaquitic and Vince foster as example….
Stellewriter,
Do you know where that quote came from? I’ve been trying to track it down ithout much success.
Val,
Everytime a non-inclusive policy passes, it takes an average of 15 years to add gender identity later. In my very liberal town, we spent 5 years workin to add gender identity and hit road block after road block, meanwhile, a half dozen very conservative neighboring towns managed to add gender identity. The reason being that our city already had sexual orientation non-discrimination, and trans rights could not mobilize our allies as well it moboilized our opposition.
I think it’s reasonable to see a possible trans inclusive ENDA in the next couple of years (the one vote count that happened in the house showed enough votes!) But if a broken ENDA passes, I don’t see it happening for well over a decade. Even if you folks could get sexual orientation non-discrim a year or two early, I don’t think that’s worth the resulting postponement of gender identity for that long. That’s why I hope to obstruct the broken ENDA, regardless of who it helps, it hurts too many.
Thanks Marti for accurate reporting and for covering this issue in a more balanced manner. I appreciate that very much. – Curtis
The question regarding Hillary is set in concrete by what she has chosen not to say. While some comments have been attributed to her in which she has purportedly said, “Transsexuals should not be in positions of authority.” She like HRC, Joe Solmonese, and Barney Frank have all avoided the concept of Transgender inclusion… for anything!…. Clinton is pragmatic, and to her it is all about money and power. HRC has the power and money and numbers, while the transgender are not included in anything, let alone access to jobs and corporate influence.
What ever has been achieved in Trans-equality may very well be wiped out in the day ahead. Regardless of anyone’s view, for the Trans-community the time is “NOW” to come together and be one, one face, one voice, one community!
Taking bets on whether Obama, Clinton, and McCain show up, if there is a vote, on 3685.
Katrina’s absolutely right – and it has already happened. Within a month after the ENDA debacle, the Jefferson County, KY. public school board contemplated adding GLBT to its employment policies. Louisville/Jefferson County already has GLBT protections, but they did not extend to school board employees and faculty, dating from 1999. Eventually, the protections passed for JCPS, but without gender, and the deletion from ENDA was quoted as a reason by Superintendant Berman.
As for ENDA in the Senate, there is no way it will achieve the 60 votes for cloture, inclusive of gender or not. The hate crimes bill passed barely with 60 – and Sens. Lugar, Voinivich, Warner, and Coleman are not all going to vote again for GLBT rights.
So, let’s watch George Bush and the aftereffects of Harry Reid’s orchiectomy do our dirty work for us. 3685 is dead, it just doesn’t know it yet.
> If Hillary is for “gender expression”, one has to wonder if she’ll oppose HR 3685 when it comes up for a vote in the Senate later this month.
On this topic, I am with Zoe – at least as far as I believe I have understood her position.
I cannot in good conscience support the deliberate blocking of legislation that will help people, even if that legislation might once have included me but now does not. I think ENDA is a screwup, especially with the current religious exemptions. I think that the people once looked to by some as allies have shown themselves to be liars. But I don’t see that we advance anything productive by shifting from an inclusive to an obstructionist agenda.
The only thing that gives me pause is Katrina’s analysis, suggesting that the noninclusive ENDA will to actual harm to transpeople, through the action of “legislative intent.”