According to the Washington Blade:
“House Democratic leaders are strongly considering dropping anti-discrimination protections for transgender persons from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA, after an internal Democratic head count on Wednesday found that the bill would likely be defeated if it included the trans provision, multiple sources familiar with the bill said. “
In May of this year I reported of the whispers in the halls of Congress to drop transgender people from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Some went as far to claim that I was causing undue fear, that my information was wrong. I have very high standards when running a story here at Transadvocate. I have very well placed sources and I fact check my stories many times over. It appears that the information that I obtained was correct.
I said:
It’s coming up on two years ago that I wrote an “Open Letter to Cheryl Jacques.” A month after I posted my open letter, Jacques greeted transgender protesters outside of Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) offices with the news that HRC would not support any version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that didn’t include transgender protections.
Last Friday I asked whether or not we are one community. I’ve been told more than once that a GLB”T” community just isn’t a reality.
The Southern Comfort Conference is the largest transgender conference in the United States. The gathering draws some of the most wealthy donors in the trangender community. For the first time ever, Joe Solmonese addressed the conference. Autumn Sandeen described Joe Solmonese’s speech this way:
“Joe Solmonese spoke to almost 900 transpeople, their significant others, friends, families, and allies about ENDA and the Matthew Sheppard Act. He was very clear about the HRC’s current feelings on transgender inclusion in those pieces of legislation. Two thoughts that struck me: 1.) Mr. Solmonese didn’t seem to express any HRC reticence on inclusion — it didn’t sound as if he currently believed that transfolk “trans-jacked” ENDA or the Matthew Sheppard Act.”
On the back of the SCC program it has this picture:
It reads:
I Am HRC
The Human Rights Campaign and its grassroots force of 700,000 members and supporters are working every day to achieve our vision of a fair and equal country. By working with Americans of all race, classes and backgrounds, we are committed to improving the lives of all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
The Human Rights Campaign salutes the 2007 Southern Comfort Conference!
Joe Solmonese thanked Mara Keisling of The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) for the work she’s done. Mara’s received much of the credit for the progress that the transgender community has accomplished. If transgender people are written out of ENDA or the Matthew Shepard Act, I really have to call into question what push NCTE has. How far have we come?
I’ll ask again. are we one community? If we are removed from either the Matthew Shepard Act or ENDA and HRC does not lobby AGAINST PASSAGE of either bill without inclusion, we are not one community. HRC, NCTE, and others have acted, signaled, and said we are one. Now is crunch time. Am I really HRC? We shall see.
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The really paranoid would say that having a vote specifically in favour of giving protection to gays, and another specifically denying the same protection to the transgendered, is exactly what segments in the transphobic GLB (not T) movement have wanted all along.
It sends a signal that regardless of veto, persecuting gays is no longer “the done thing”, but that everyone, gay or straight, can join in the open season on the transgendered. It “brings us all together”.
The really paranoid would say that having a vote specifically in favour of giving protection to gays, and another specifically denying the same protection to the transgendered, is exactly what segments in the transphobic GLB (not T) movement have wanted all along.
It sends a signal that regardless of veto, persecuting gays is no longer “the done thing”, but that everyone, gay or straight, can join in the open season on the transgendered. It “brings us all together”.
Contrary to the Black person they put on that flyer for propaganda purposes, we’ve never been part of HRC either.
Contrary to the Black person they put on that flyer for propaganda purposes, we’ve never been part of HRC either.
[...] Further reading: * Transadvocate: It’s Put Up Or Shut Up Time * Bilerico Project / Matt Foreman: A non-transgender-inclusive ENDA? No way! * Press release: Nine [...]
Other than Rhode Island and California, when we have been the subject of a political hate crime (read: non-inclusive civil rights laws) we have not been and will not be added until those who believe same-sex marriage is more important than my ability to earn a living have their way.
New York? Gays and lesbians have the right to fire me – and then sit back and know that same-sex marriage is the top civil rights priority.
Maryland? Gays and lesbians have the right to fire me – and then sit back and know that same-sex marriage is the top civil rights priority.
Wisconsin? Gays and lesbians have the right to fire me – and then sit back and know that same-sex marriage is the top civil rights priority.
Hawaii? Gays and lesbians have the right to fire me – and then sit back and know that same-sex marriage is the top civil rights priority.
Massachusetts? Gays and lesbians have the right to fire me – and then go out and get married.
Connecticut? Gays and lesbians have the right to fire me – and then go out and get a civil union.
New Hampshire? Gays and lesbians have the right to fire me – and then go out and get a civil union.
New Jersey? We were added – but not until civil unions came in.
Vermont? We were added – but not until SEVEN YEARS AFTER civil unions.
Of course, at this moment actually, stripping T from ENDA is not the worst thing that could happen. Long ago I predicted (I hate that word; let’s call it what it is: I got pissed off at the continuing Barney-ness and HRC-ness of the official gay rights industry and started thinking about the ways in which we could really get screwed) that not only would we not be included in ENDA, but someone – likely a christianist rep from a state that does have a T-inclusive civil rights statute – would attach a federal pre-emption amendment, the effect of which would be to have the federal ENDA supplant all state and local law on the subject of sexual orientation. This would automatically wipe out any state law that includes us in the definition of ‘sexual orientation’ and poise set the stage for Dubya-appointed judges to issue opinions to wipe out our protections in ‘gender identity’ and ‘sex’ states.
Paranoid? I don’t think so, but I can’t stop anyone from saying so either.
Still, I’d keep my eye on Michelle Bachmann (MN), Marilyn Musgrave (CO), Heather Wilson (NM), Steve King (IA) and any of the repugs from California.
Other than Rhode Island and California, when we have been the subject of a political hate crime (read: non-inclusive civil rights laws) we have not been and will not be added until those who believe same-sex marriage is more important than my ability to earn a living have their way.
New York? Gays and lesbians have the right to fire me – and then sit back and know that same-sex marriage is the top civil rights priority.
Maryland? Gays and lesbians have the right to fire me – and then sit back and know that same-sex marriage is the top civil rights priority.
Wisconsin? Gays and lesbians have the right to fire me – and then sit back and know that same-sex marriage is the top civil rights priority.
Hawaii? Gays and lesbians have the right to fire me – and then sit back and know that same-sex marriage is the top civil rights priority.
Massachusetts? Gays and lesbians have the right to fire me – and then go out and get married.
Connecticut? Gays and lesbians have the right to fire me – and then go out and get a civil union.
New Hampshire? Gays and lesbians have the right to fire me – and then go out and get a civil union.
New Jersey? We were added – but not until civil unions came in.
Vermont? We were added – but not until SEVEN YEARS AFTER civil unions.
Of course, at this moment actually, stripping T from ENDA is not the worst thing that could happen. Long ago I predicted (I hate that word; let’s call it what it is: I got pissed off at the continuing Barney-ness and HRC-ness of the official gay rights industry and started thinking about the ways in which we could really get screwed) that not only would we not be included in ENDA, but someone – likely a christianist rep from a state that does have a T-inclusive civil rights statute – would attach a federal pre-emption amendment, the effect of which would be to have the federal ENDA supplant all state and local law on the subject of sexual orientation. This would automatically wipe out any state law that includes us in the definition of ‘sexual orientation’ and poise set the stage for Dubya-appointed judges to issue opinions to wipe out our protections in ‘gender identity’ and ‘sex’ states.
Paranoid? I don’t think so, but I can’t stop anyone from saying so either.
Still, I’d keep my eye on Michelle Bachmann (MN), Marilyn Musgrave (CO), Heather Wilson (NM), Steve King (IA) and any of the repugs from California.
How many of us are – or have ever been or ever will be considered for an opportunity to be – an HRC EMPLOYEE!!!!!!!!!!!
How many of us are – or have ever been or ever will be considered for an opportunity to be – an HRC EMPLOYEE!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s Put Up Or Shut Up Time…
According to the Washington Blade: “House Democratic leaders are strongly considering dropping anti-discrimination protections for transgender persons from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA, after an internal Democratic head count on Wedn…
Marti: “Am I really HRC?”
Answer: No. Never have been. Good luck with that though.
Marti: “Am I really HRC?”
Answer: No. Never have been. Good luck with that though.