LGB - T = ENDA Pt. 2

DC's Human Rights Law

I would like to put forth DC now has a comprehensive human rights law that covers gender identity and expression.  These regulations are astounding, and personally being in the beltway I have benefited from them directly. 

Because of these regulations I had the knowledge that I could transition without my employment and career being at risk.  Many of my friends who have transitioned have seen the benefit directly as well, being able to change jobs without the fear of discrimination.  While I am part of a well educated group of trans people, the fact is the change just because of this law by employers is huge.  I have seen the results directly, the very nature of employers is very different than other places with regards to trans people.  We are actually treated like human beings.  

You are very good in mentioning these stories, it is a big reason DC eventually ended up passing some of the most progressive laws in the country.  The DC Trans Coalition deserves much of the credit for pushing the law forwards as well as following through and making sure it was implimented through regulations and the various departments of DC government.

This is more than just an employment law in DC...its a comprehensive human rights law that covers services and housing as well.  In reality it just lifts trans people back to the status of full citizenship that everybody else enjoys.   It also opens the door to opportunity that has long been shut for many transwomen.  I could go on about the effects of this law...because it is on a whole astonishing. While its not perfect the short time the law has gone into effect many employers are now being told by HR they cannot discriminate against trans people because it is against the law in DC.   The district itself is starting to become an island of equal opportunity and the disparity between the district and much of the rest of the country illustrates why ENDA is so necessary for trans people.  While we are not completely there yet in DC, and there is still alot of work to do, the district government actually has understood something Barney Frank and the House did not: trans people are human beings who deserve equal opportunity free from discrimination.  

 I will probably be writing in detial about this on trans feminist later.

 

Christine Simone 

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by: tfeminist @ Fri Nov 09, 2007 at 13:57:32 PM CST

Start thinking about the consequences

I think people need to start thinking about the consequences of this past week. What are they likely to be? Accross the country trans women are going to ask themselves: "Why should I help you? What's in it for me?" It is pretty clear to me that it is no longer in my best interest to work for exclusively gay issues. Tens years of work just went down the drain. Ten years of talking to PFlag. Ten years of helping to organize with the gays and lesbians. Tens years of community outreach talking to both gays and straights to dispel the transphobia and the hate. All of it gone, wasted, thrown away so that Barney Frank can have his drama queen moment in the sun.

I'm done with it. I will work only with trans specific groups from now on. It is especially the T youth that I am worried about and also the most hopeful for. I wish you all the best of luck. I hope you get your right  to marry and to employment. Frankly, living in Minnesota, I've got mine and when you get down to it that is the big lesson I take away from all of this. That is the lesson of Barney Frank and John A. 

I'm nobody special but you should be deeply worried. Accross the country who are those who have worked the hardest on GLBT issues? Who are those with the time and energy to devote to organizing and fundraising? Us T's thats who. Because we are usually social outcasts we are not burdened with a lot of demands for our time from family, we have none, or our jobs, we have none. And we are often highly trained professionals who are suddenly cast out after we transistion.

Whether you like it or not I guarantee you that will come to an end. If I were a newly transistioned trans woman looking to right injustice and to work for those issues that concern me most I would think twice before I decided to work with GLB orgs. I would ask myself "What's in it for me?" Today, the answer to that question is: "Nothing. Thank you for the many years of your life you dedicated to our cause but sorry, you get nothing, sucker."

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by: Brenda @ Fri Nov 09, 2007 at 14:38:40 PM CST

I'm not sure I'll shed a tear if...

...the two groups go their seperate ways either.  Coming from the other side.  Why would I want "help" from someone detirmined to make me fail whenever they fail?

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by: adamblast @ Fri Nov 09, 2007 at 16:27:21 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Because, like raj, you...

.. keep thinking that T isn't GLB.

And, as a result, you'll never, ever, get what you want.

T includes GLB. But GLB doesn't include T.

Want a picture to show you that? Nah, nevermind.

Like those that wish to spit on you, all you want to do is spit on us.

Go on. Create your splinter faction. Seriously. No rancor, no being upset over it. Go on, go out, enjoy, be happy, good luck.

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

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by: dyssonance @ Fri Nov 09, 2007 at 16:36:58 PM CST

[ Parent ]

This...

T includes GLB.

...is where you err.  I'm aware that some T-advocacy groups, such as the NCTE, want you to believe otherwise, but, it isn't true.

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by: raj @ Fri Nov 09, 2007 at 17:17:05 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Funny

about a third of the Transsexuals I know are gay, about a third are straight, and about a third are bisexual.

The TV's I know are all het.  The CD's I know are gay and bi.

The drag queens I know are all gay.

I'd say that all of that sorta proves that I'm a hell of a lot more correct than you realized, and that you are using an uninformed perspective.

The T *does* include GLB.  and if you really want to getr serious, well, sleeping with someone other than a member of the opposite sex, or being attracted to someone other than a member of the opposite sex is, indeed, non-heteronormative gende role activity, and, as a result, that means that *anyone* who is gay or bi is T, too.

If you don't think so, I challenge to you disprove the above.

In addition to all the other things you *still* haven't done.

I'll await your next "trolling for trannies" comment.

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

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by: dyssonance @ Fri Nov 09, 2007 at 18:18:56 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Dump HRC - not the rest.

cisgendered L here - I have always been more interested in local and state approaches to promoting LGBT rights, since 1. federal-level elected officials (and appointees) generally grow from lowly state representative acorns, and one may as well train'em up right when they are young. 2. your dollar and your sweat go farther in smaller races 3. you have input into your state LGBT rights organization if you organize, volunteer, or donate, or, in many cases, just show up regularly with something sensible to say.

A lot of these state and local organizations are explicitly pro-T in current policy and some also in organizational by-laws. A lot of these organizations are happy to have you show up for meetings and lobby days. Getting your face out there in front of your legislators is important - makes the abstract concrete and undeniable.

In large liberal states (NY,CA), the Ts might be able to go it alone, but in smaller states with a fairly high percentage of closeted or at-risk LGBT (no protections whatsoever), I think that it may not be practical to do it alone, simply due to lack of numbers of people willing to out themselves to a legislator, and lack of a skilled lobbyist at the state capital (usually the executive director of the organization). More power to you if you can swing it in AR or AL or MO, but don't discount the utility of having the state LGBT organization on your side.

HRC is well-known to be mostly professional-class, corporate-employed, white, male oriented. They do some excellent work in corporate America, which is adopting T rights at an exponential rate in the Fortune 500, but they fall down on national politics to the usual middle-upper class white male gay mostly privileged mode of thinking. I don't know the whole story behind their corporate efforts and their addition of T lobbying in corporate dealings, and I don't know what will happen once the Ts leave (the T, I should say, since didn't they just have one on the board?). Will T rights in corporate USA be ignored? stall? progress?

 I am a supporter of NGLTF because it functions primarily as a resource and training center for state organizations, and also because it is explicitly  oriented to addressing needs of subcommunities (T, racial, economic, youth/age, etc) and to allyships with other liberal organizations.

HRC pissed me off eons ago when it supported an antichoice candidate of two equally pro-LGBT candidates in a major race some 10 years ago. A lot of lesbians are active in prochoice politics, specifically because women don't have much employability credibility if they don't even have control of their bodies. Anything affecting employability is a Big Deal for women who have to be self-supporting.

 

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by: NancyP @ Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 14:14:24 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Don't dump PFLAG and other LGBT or blame the entire queer community for HRC's betrayal

Do not blame PFLAG or quit doing work for their organization for an issue that HRC is to blame on.  PFLAG, along with nearly every other LGBT organization outside of HRC only supported the inclusive bill, and was explicit in its rejection of the bill that had the exclusion.

Do not blame the entire gay community for HRC, Barney Frank and the rest of the gay patriarchy.   The other organizations understood solidarity.

Also whoever said that trans people were part of the community was dead on.  I am a bi transwoman.  Most transwomen are bi or lesbian.  As much as those who say we are not part of the community, that is not the case.  This is a betrayal of HRC...not the LGBT organizations that stood behind us in solidarity and shared our collective outrage, PFLAG being one of them.  Place the blame were it  belongs, do not blame the entire queer community for the faults of one historically misalligned organization.  

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by: tfeminist @ Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 15:02:56 PM CST

You are so correct,

  Pflag is one of the best LGBT organizations. I have a severe problem with HRC, and have told many people not to support them.  I get so tired of hearing they are the major player and we can't dump them.  I say BS to that.

  I don't lay blame at the entire community, that would be just plain foolish.  There are those that have voiced their opinions and have been very destructive to the whole LGBT community.  I have posted that I would enjoy watching the LGB take on the religious right without the support of the T, only to raise the thought if they truly believe it can be successful on its own.  Do those that claim we are not one community actually realize that Ts also bring other supporters(Family, Friends, Co-workers) to the whole group.

  I have posted before that a person can't be divided, as you mention that many Ts are GBL.  Should I be punished for being a straight transwoman because I am not a lesbian or bi but still support LGB?

  What is not realized I guess, is that the religious right (our common opposition) consider me a gay man still, instead of a straight woman. As well as they consider my boyfriend a gay man who has sex with me, even though he is putting his penis in my vagina.  Pflag as well as many other orginizations realize this. HRC seemed to have closed their thinking as well as those that still support HRC.

If I make sense? it was quite by accident.

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by: HappyCat @ Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 16:01:50 PM CST

[ Parent ]