Transgender blogs (here, here, here, here, here, here, here and that’s not counting the numerous blogs by Katrina Rose here and on ENDAblog) have been buzzing over the lack of public accommodation protections in Maryland’s HB235. The head of TransMaryland, Jenna Fischetti, wrote this post saying:
“House Bill 235’s introduction and language came as a shock to the majority of the transgender community because its lack of protection in respect to not only previous bills, or currently enacted laws in both Montgomery County and Baltimore City, but because of its lack of consideration to the reaction from those it sought to provide relieve to. The last 4 years, Maryland has introduced a bill offering protections to individuals based on Gender Identity, with most recently HB 1022 in 2010. At no time were members of the community informed of either via email update to those subscribed to EQMD, nor through EQMD’s Yahoo based listserv, TransEquality Maryland . In fact HB235 is in direct conflict to published objectives for 2011 on their website (please note this is subject to the page being taken down)”
and Equality Maryland’s “local champion” of the bill, Sandy Rawls, said on Transgriot blog:
“After hearing from a majority of the community who have urged us to oppose the bill and having the attorney confirm that HB 235 would not protect the Maryland transgender community from discrimination, I made the painful decision to withdraw Trans-United’s support for this bill and oppose it.”
and yet how many GayInc “InsidersOUT” blogs have covered this story?
Pam’s House Blend? No (Though Autumn Sandeen gets close with this post on the “bathroom” meme. Kelli Busey cross-posted on PHB, but her diary didn’t make it to the front page).
In the voice of Ferris Bueller’s economics teacher… Bilerico? Bilerico? Bilerico?
PageOneQ?… not that I can see (though the site isn’t very Google friendly).
Many “GLBT” GayInc blogs will deny being such, and will deny an agenda. But if there’s not an agenda why is a story which has a LOT of fire to it on both the transgender blogosphere and on Facebook, is silent on their blogs? They can post fluff pieces about the bill though.
And what about the revelation from Former Senator and Co-Sponsor of Massachusetts “Transgender Rights Bill” blaming MassEquality for:
“losing the public relations battle” on the bill and “dropping the ball” which caused the current situation.
for the bill not passing.
What about Barney Frank’s legislative aide? Diego Sanchez threw out a bomb shell during eQualitygiving’s panel “Does the ‘T’ in ‘LGBTQ’ Mean Anything More Than ‘Token'” that we had the votes for ENDA, including the votes to overcome a motion to recommit.
GayInc blogs? Not a word. NOTHING. Zero. Notta.
“A story is told as much by silence as by speech.” – Susan Griffin
its a shame that these elite gays are throwing parts of our community under the bus for their personal agenda. it all for all or none at all. We used to pride ourselves about how we love all of our community, where we could create new families within our community.. Where is all this Pride today???? I blame HRC mostly.. Think about it, it we were to be given everything we ask for, why would we need HRC and others org’s, they are protecting their income and their fat pay checks. HRC has spend over 50 Million, where are our freedoms.. anyone, anyone, anyone.. I remember the trans-community protesting HRC a few years back in Charlotte, NC.. What type of picture those that paint for the world to see, a Gay Org’s who claims to support all of our community, being protested by one of the same groups, their claim to help.
At first on there facebook wall it was marriage equality all the time with a occasional trans snippet in support and EQMD responded to the growing inquiry trying to downplay social media.
EQMD “Blogs and Facebook are not the best way for an open, forward moving dialogue as a community. We truly hope that you will join us for the working group meeting next Wednesday at 7:30pm. If we can’t all sit down and talk then we will never make progress.”
February 19
after Morgan Meneses-Sheets EQMD EX Dir read my first post about HB235 she asked me to call he. I did and she spent a hour trying to flip me in favor of HB235.
WHY would she have spent so much time and effort talking to me, a little voice from Texas? Because others were listening….
so collectively transgender bloggers busted the story open despite EQMD intense efforts to keep the lid on so EQMD ramped up the GAY.Com media machine. A later comment by UN-EQMD:
EQMD: “We have been pushing for coverage. We will continue to work to get mainstream press coverage, as well as to increase our own emails and blog content. We are working on a letter to the editor campaign. Please, reach out to our Communications Manager, Linsey Pecikonis (linsey@equalitymaryland.org). Thank you so much for your support!”
But like you said not a freaking peep from the gay.com social media. Nothing. After suffering attacks by them for my opposition to TO#WK’s I am thankful. It clearly defines our cause as just and right.
A good indicator of who is winning the hearts of readers is google search “public Accommidations transgender hb235” They may have a bigger stick but we are clearly winning.
Kelli, are you familiar with InsidersOUT?
Just look at my attempt ask about the InsidersOut agenda at Bilerico:
http://www.bilerico.com/2011/02/san_francisco_neighborhood_associationists_prefer.php
oh dear Kat, @bilericoproject has a much more important agenda than covering trans rights, revisionism art! #transgender #glbt
“But if there’s not an agenda why is a story which has a LOT of fire to it on both the transgender blogosphere and on Facebook, is silent on their blogs?”
Trans rights were sold to the highest bidder. Of course there is an agenda and EQMD was talking quite freely about how they wanted to use their resources for the marriage bill. Then the trans advocates started talking about being thrown under the bus. EQMD started walking backwards and swept over some of their tracks with a broom. That’s what Jenna meant by pages disappearing from their website. One might think that “404” is their new motto. But before the outcry they admitted quite freely that it was all about using resources for marriage. They even hired lobbying firm of Alexander & Cleaver to promote the marriage bill.
Follow the money trail. It’s a hard trail to follow though because these folks are being as secretive as Opus Dei.