Federal Updates: New VA Trans Directive & ENDA via Executive Order?

February 12, 2013 ·

ENDA via Executive Order

On social policy, Obama is reconsidering whether to issue an executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. When he decided not to issue such an order last year, the White House said it would prefer to pass a law applying to gays and lesbians in the workplace.

But if Congress seems unlikely to act on the broader legislation — called the Employment Non-Discrimination Act — officials have signaled to people working on the issue outside the administration that the president would likely consider issuing an executive order, which can only affect government contractors.

Read more here…

Obama Criticism: Too Many Executive Orders

Obama is taking criticism for issuing too many Executive Orders. Here’s a reality check:

  • Roosevelt: 3,522 EOs
  • Truman: 907 EOs
  • Eisenhower: 484 EOs
  • Kennedy 214 EOs
  • Johnson 325 EOs
  • Nixon: 346 EOs
  • Ford: 169 EOs
  • Carter: 320 EOs
  • Reagan: 381 EOs
  • Bush I: 166 EOs
  • Clinton: 364 EOs
  • Bush II: 291 EOs
  • Obama: 147 EOs

You have to go all the way back to the 2nd presidency of Grover Cleveland to find a president who issued less… Which is sort of a technicality since he was elected twice. He was both the 22th (1883 – 1885) and 24th (1893 – 1897) POTUS.  During his 22nd presidency, he issued 113 EOs and during his 24th presidency, he issued 140. Taken together, he issued 253 EOs – far more than Obama.

Obama Criticism: Too Many ‘Big Govt’ Jobs/It’s SOCIALISM!!!11

20120728_woc683

“BCA Research produced this fascinating chart in its latest research note which showed the growth in public sector employment in the first four years of recent Presidencies. As you can see, it has contracted under Barack Obama, as it did under Ronald Reagan; the real “big government” types were the two Bushes.”

Should Obama issue an ENDA executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, it will be huge – changing the nondiscrimination policy of a huge swath of America’s business sector (for instance… and that link is just the top 200). For instance, Exxon is a government contractor who refuse to protect LGBT employees. Should Obama issue an ENDA EO, even companies like Exxon – who believe it’s their American right to be able to fire you or treat you badly just because you happen to be LGBT – will have to step into the 21st century.

VA Issues New Trans Guidance

The VA just issued new guidance on how trans/intersex folks will be medically treated. You can read the directive here. The good news is, nothing changed. The bad news is, nothing changed. Trans surgical interventions are still deemed inappropriate despite practically every professional medical/psychological organization (from the APA to the AMA) asserting its medical necessity. However, all other psychological, medical and post-surgical care is still covered.

Keep in mind, even if you have to pay for your surgery yourself, the costs you incur due to your transition is tax deductible!

[alert type=”info”]Cross-posted from Ehipassiko[/alert]
Next Post

Take the Trans “Sense of Community” Survey!

Take the survey here   For some time, I’ve seen and heard subjective assertions like: I love the trans community! I hate the trans community! There is no such thing as a trans community! I wish the trans community was stronger…
Read
Previous Post

Stonewall Plus 1

August, 1970 Readers knock, praise the big parade Editor: As a subscriber and reader of your paper, I would like to comment on the Christopher Street West Parade held last Sunday (June 23) here in L.A. I consider myself pretty…
Read
Random Post

McLaurin Apologizes for "Circus Freak" Comment

I received this from Mark  McLaurin this morning: "As an advocate and activist with a fifteen year history of working for equality in the LGBT community, I know that words not only matter, but they are powerful.  Last week, I carelessly used…
Read
Random Post

Transgender Woman Repeatedly and Violently Assaulted in Long Island

Ms. Dier Recently I talked with a transgender woman, Ms. Dier, who was repeatedly assaulted by two employees of the Irish Times Pub in Holbrook, Suffolk County New York on the night of March 14, 2014.   She was with a…
Read
Random Post

PodCast: Reviewing media bias and an interview on Swirl Radio

In this podcast, I review the way in which the mainstream media has responded to the TWO right-wing hoaxes which spread the trans bathroom meme in mainstream media. Also, there's a short interview I did for Swirl Radio - a…
Read
Random Post

Unethical Trans Doc Exposed 

It’s hard to say exactly when Dr. Christopher Salgado, board certified and celebrated genital reconstruction surgeon, started to post questionable things on his Instagram account (@sexsurgeon). The account was taken down after the first complaints and deleted shortly thereafter, but…
Read
  1. Amazing! This blog looks exactly like my old one! It’s on a entirely different
    topic but it has pretty much the same page layout and design.
    Wonderful choice of colors!

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.