The New York Times Explains One Reason Why A Fully Inclusive ENDA Is Likely This Year

Great News and The Moment is Ripe

Thanks Autumn for posting this good news. I am happy to see Congressional staff members identified as transgendered and no doubt HRC felt the heat two years ago. It takes a while, but the time has come--the momemt is ripe.  I am very, very pleased.  Let's see if this Congress can deliver.  I always worry about the Senate...so everyone should definitely contact not only their House member, but keep pressure on their Senators.  They can be so conservative over there, which includes a number of blue dog Democrats.  Nothing is to be taken for granted.  The House is much easier to obtain for this vote.

Tanya

"Well behaved women never make history."

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by: CaptainAlpha12 @ Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 22:29:27 PM CDT

Another Reason Why A Fully Inclusive ENDA is more likely

Aside from having a President that will sign it....

The campaign to garner Senate votes - often posted by blogger DrJillianTWeiss here and elsewhere.

Check out the google document and contact your US Senator.  Sealing up the 60 votes needed in the US Senate will push the bill through

http://bit.ly/14TDll

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by: HunterC @ Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 23:06:12 PM CDT

Was thinking about her for sure...

...and it's why we keep highlighting her work.

~~~~~
~~Autumn~~

As if there were safety in stupidity alone.
--Henry David Thoreau

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by: Autumn Sandeen @ Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 23:48:26 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Inclusive Enda on Facebook

U.S. Legislator of the Day (EVENT)
http://www.new.facebook.com/ho...
"Register for this event to receive, in your Facebook inbox, a daily link to the U.S. Legislator of the Day.

This link will allow you to email the legislator and tell him or her of your support for an inclusive ENDA. I'll also include, with a bit of a humorous flair, a snippet about the legislator you're emailing.

By the October recess, we'll have educated over 100 Members of Congress!

I'm not going to give you a script, because otherwise these letters will be disregarded as astroturf. You just tell 'em in your own words why HR 3017 is important to you and yours.

The U.S. Representative or Senator chosen will be someone who is unconfirmed in their support of ENDA. It will not be those who have confirmed their support, or lack of support. It will strictly be those who need education about why ENDA is important to you.

I am doing this as an "event" because it is the only vehicle available on Facebook to email a large list without violating the terms of service. I also recognize that not everyone who has joined our group wants a daily email, and it will allow me to keep the volume low for those who prefer less email.

So join today!"

Inclusive ENDA (GROUP)
http://www.new.facebook.com/ho...

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by: Jake Gellar-Goad @ Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 23:34:13 PM CDT

Thanks for posting this Autumn

I wonder if Representative Carter and his comms director "John" have seen this...

Steve

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by: Stevious @ Sat Aug 29, 2009 at 23:47:33 PM CDT

Thanks for a hopeful story

This story of transgender people included in high ranking positions, are the seats at the table that are earned and deserved. It reminds me of the inclusiveness that LGBT organizations still hasn't accomplished with LGBTs of color.It also shows what is needed to remedy the situation.

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Sun Aug 30, 2009 at 00:13:25 AM CDT

IT also shows that *we*...

Need to engage in that effort of sacrificing ourselves for the greater good and running for office in massive numbers.

If we want to effect change in law, that's the way we are going to do it.

This Is H.O.W.: Making Life Better Non profit transition living facility and services.

http://www.dyssonance.com  Breaking all the rules...

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by: dyssonance @ Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 05:42:30 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Why?

And why, exactly, is the military excluded from this proposed law?

Is it that living without the pleasures of bigotry is just too much to bear for the delicate souls of our brave young fighting men?

Is it that this law might offend the moral sensibilities of the men who have been indoctrinated in right-wing evangelical Christianity at the United States Air Force Academy?

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by: Jim @ Sun Aug 30, 2009 at 00:23:05 AM CDT

um, no.

It would offend the men (and very, very few women) who command them.

This Is H.O.W.: Making Life Better Non profit transition living facility and services.

http://www.dyssonance.com  Breaking all the rules...

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by: dyssonance @ Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 05:40:54 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Crumbly

I can almost understand exempting religious businesses and the military, but I work at a company with less than 15 people.  Why are they exempt?  It's not a religious company and certainly not associated with the military.  

I guess I shouldn't complain.  ENDA should be passed, and only with trans protection included.  But I have a feeling there's alot of people that will fall through the cracks of the exemptions.  

I'm just tired of settling.  I want my full complete 100% equal rights as an American citizen.  Reguardless of who I'm working for and who I'm in love with.

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by: deezero @ Sun Aug 30, 2009 at 00:36:52 AM CDT

I also didn't understand the rationale for small businesses being exempted

MOST new jobs are created by small businesses, that leaves us out of too many oppurtunities...IMO.

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Sun Aug 30, 2009 at 01:11:46 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Maybe we have to except a good inclusive ENDA and build on it

This is infinitely better than a non inclusive ENDA.

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Sun Aug 30, 2009 at 01:13:30 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

The rationale is constitutional (sorta)

Congress' power here comes from trade, and they don't have the power, officially, to affect those business which do not operate across or have an impact across State lines. Were it not for FDR's fight with the Supreme court, where he had control of the house and senate (hmmm...) and threatened to expand the Supreme court if they didn't rule his way on commerce clause expansion, we wouldn't even have that much.

Most federal legislation is similarly limited. ADA, Title 9, etc.

The other reason is that small businesses cannot afford the cost of such, traditionally (whether you believe that or not is another matter, lol)

This is why my personal efforts are now so heavily focused locally, instead of nationally -- and why I pay far more attention to local efforts (municipality and state) than I do national ones.

This is also something our opponents have been aware of for thirty years -- and why they put so much of their effort into the local efforts (with commensurate results).


This Is H.O.W.: Making Life Better Non profit transition living facility and services.

http://www.dyssonance.com  Breaking all the rules...

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by: dyssonance @ Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 05:40:03 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Incremental progress

Of sorts.

This was the same 'compromise' that had to be made to get the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964.

And its why state laws will still be necessary even if ENDA becomes law; some, but not all, state LGBT rights laws have much lower emploee-number thresholds.

>^..^<

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by: KatRose @ Sun Aug 30, 2009 at 07:55:13 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

AP

It's really an AP article posted on the NYT.
Yes, yes, I know it's not important.  

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by: misheast @ Sun Aug 30, 2009 at 01:06:53 AM CDT

AP Stories Are Important

AP is important because it will be distributed much further around the country than a story by a NYT writer. This is what I do for my work.  Yes, we always try to place in the NYT, but getting it on the wires wide and far is always at the front of any effective media strategy...when you get a story on the wires, it gets picked up by TV, radio and newspapers around the country immediately---so I disagree respectively.  The fact the NYT decided to print an AP story is also important to acknowledge.  

Tanya

"Well behaved women never make history."

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by: CaptainAlpha12 @ Sun Aug 30, 2009 at 12:45:40 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

What the bill does not cover...

there is no references in the bill about insurance coverage nor about accommodations (bathrooms, lockers, showers, etc.). Are we still going to be denied medical coverage that both the AMA and the APA say is a medical necessity? Will we have to sit with our legs crossed all day?

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by: Diana CT @ Sun Aug 30, 2009 at 07:47:32 AM CDT

The Pelosi Reaction

I will now term this the Pelosi Reaction. It is when a group (number 10 or more)shows up at a congressman or senators office. It has the flavor of a flash-mob but with much more serious intent.

It's good that Pelosi got rattled.  

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by: truthspew @ Sun Aug 30, 2009 at 08:28:12 AM CDT

.

I wish I had the money to fly out to D.C. and rattle my "representatives."

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by: PurpleLove08 @ Sun Aug 30, 2009 at 08:38:38 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

ENDA, now and then (2007)

It's good to hear that things are looking good for an ENDA that includes gender identity.

Does anyone have a roll call vote on who's on the fence and who's "opposed"?

With regards to the protests outside of Pelosi's office: The reason that ENDA in 2007 did not include gender identity was that the votes were not there for passage. And that happened because not enough trans people stepped forward to educate lawmakers on the importance of including gender identity, hence the hysterical action alerts by the national nonprofits in September-October 2007.

The protesters showed their inexperience and wanted an all-or-nothing strategy-- never a pragmatic strategy in Washington.

The protests at that time were because ENDA moved forward, in its original form, with protections based on sexual orientation. The protesters-- most of whom have no idea how the legislative process works in Washington-- actually expected House leaders to kill federal legislation that protected millions of people based on sexual orientation.

That didn't happen, thankfully.

It's good to see that more people are better educated on the legislative process and are now educating their lawmakers on gender identity and expression. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

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by: JJ in Chicago @ Sun Aug 30, 2009 at 18:26:55 PM CDT

*twitches*

bites tongue

This Is H.O.W.: Making Life Better Non profit transition living facility and services.

http://www.dyssonance.com  Breaking all the rules...

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by: dyssonance @ Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 05:33:24 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Then write......

and write some more. We have written many many senators regarding EDNA and asked for their support for the repeal of DADT when it comes to the Senate. Hate Crimes and EDNA must pass and WE must make sure they do. So, come on people, get busy!! Contact your reps!!!!

Come, come, my conservative friend, wipe the dew off your spectacles, and see that the world is moving."
-Elizabeth Cady Stanton

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by: T2inDC @ Sun Aug 30, 2009 at 18:30:11 PM CDT

We are watching you....

Yay!  It's good to know that we, me and my trans peers, are out there everywhere and more visible by the day.  A lot has changed and so quickly it seems.  I'm no legislative aid, but I am out and proud in public, work, and school.  Keep it up girls and boys!

"When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all." ~God

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by: P4ttythe3p3rf3ct @ Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 10:30:19 AM CDT