It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions over the last few days. If you want to know more about what’s been happening my friend, Helen, has compiled an extensive list of articles, essays and blog posts about the whole mess, both at her blog and Trans Group Blog.
OTOH, I’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support—with more than 300 local, state and national LGBT organizations saying they weren’t willing to see ENDA pass without protections for gender identity and those who held HRC’s feet to the fire to insist that it take a stronger stand on the issue. I’m impressed by the number of people who have said they’re not willing to gain their protections at the price of someone else. Even though there’s no chance of getting enough votes to override a veto, so an ENDA veto is purely symbolic this year, it’s still not an easy thing to ask—and those who of you who aren’t willing to leave us behind, I can’t say thank you enough. The phrase “among the righteous” comes to mind. Ironically, some of the strong support has come from the folks in small town America. Places where there may only be only “safe” bar in town, where people can’t self-segregate into their own little enclaves, where they realize that distinctions we like to make among ourselves don’t mean shit to the people who hate us.
OTOH, we’ve had several well-to-do well-connected white (and I assume “straight acting”) gay men ranting, as someone aptly put it, in an attack of stupidity and entitlement about who let those trannies into the club—and trying to whitewash trans people out of queer history. Note to John Aravosi, if we haven’t been a part of the LBG community, it’s because of folks like you slamming the door in our faces, and purging us in the name of respectability. Historian Susan Stryker has a detailed account of that sordid story. As Pam points out, it’s not like an ENDA that dumps trans people over the side is going to more acceptable to the pro-bigotry folks. Not to mention, as Lambda Legal pointed out, an ENDA without protections for gender identity means that even though employers might not be able to fire you for being gay or lesbian, they still can fire you if they think you fit the stereotype of one. (And for what it’s worth, just remember the courts have upheld the firing of a hetero woman who was deemed “not feminine enough” at work—so ENDA isn’t just for LGBT folks only.)
The outcry succeeded in causing Pelosi to postpone a House vote, but now we need to keep the pressure up. We’ve got two weeks to make something happen, so sign a petition, call/email/meet with your member of Congress and send them a strong and clear message that they should vote for H.R. 2015, the original united ENDA, with gender identity and sexual orientation. If you’re closeted, you don’t have to outself. Use a pseudonym—and make the point that you feel you need to use a pseudonym is evidence of why protections are needed. To find your Representative’s phone number, go to http://www.house.gov or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your representative’s office. PFLAG has some good resources to help you make your points.
Do it today. The job that’s saved by ENDA protections might be your own.
