A Dahl’s House

Helen’s posted the transcript of a beautiful speech she just gave that touches on:

• how the partners of trans people also end up having their gender identity queered


• how trans people can feel caught between two worlds, i.e. being simultaneously seen as “too queer” and not “queer enough.”


• how all of this relates to ENDA (from the perspective of someone who, although hetero, has been regularly read as lesbian her whole life)

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.

I’ve been crazy busy this week between work and all the ENDA drama this week, so I haven’t had time to post about all the latest ENDA developments. But I did want to spread the word about this vigil tonight:

Join us for a candlelight vigil for gender identity inclusion in ENDA on Saturday night in the Castro

The Queer Youth Organizing Project of SF Pride at Work calls for candlelight vigil outside of Human Rights Campaign Store in SF to coincide with National Gala for HRC in Washington D.C. this Saturday night.

Location:
SF HRC Store
600 Castro Street
(near 19th Street)
San Francisco, CA

Time: 7-8:00 PM

SF Pride at Work, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) constituency group of the AFL-CIO, the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, And Castro For All, and the Transgender Law Center announced today that it would be holding a candlelight vigil outside of the HRC store in San Francisco to coincide with the HRC Gala in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, Oct. 6th. Representative Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, will be giving the keynote speech at the Human Right’s Campaign National Gala.

Last week, Congressman Barney Frank and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that they would be introducing a bill that would protect people under sexual orientation only and would drop gender identity protections from ENDA.

Over 100 national, statewide, and local organizations have signed onto a letter to Congress stating that they will oppose ENDA unless gender identity is included. However, people should know that gender non-conforming gays and lesbians would be unprotected by ENDA unless gender identity is included. In fact, LAMBDA and the ACLU have recently stated that Congress would be creating a loophole for discrimination if it excludes gender identity.

The only major LGBT group that has not come out against this decision is the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). Only a few weeks ago, HRC leader Joe Solomonese pledged at a major transgender conference that HRC would outright oppose any federal anti-discrimination legislation that did not include gender identity. While they are supportive of including gender identity, they will not join the over 100 organizations who have signed a letter stating they would oppose. We hope that HRC changes course and joins with us. Furthermore, we call on all LGBT and allied organizations that support transgender inclusion in ENDA to join us. We believe that Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, a staunch ally of the LGBT community, has been misled about the issue and we hope through education that we can reach her and help her to understand what a disastrous mistake moving forward without gender identity is for the entire LGBT community and that the majority of the LGBT community understands this and is asking her to change course.

ALICE B. TOKLAS LGBT DEMOCRATIC CLUB and SAN FRANCISCO LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER SPONSOR PANEL ON ENDA.

The October Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club Monthly Membership Meeting will feature a report and panel discussion by local and national organizations on the status of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (“ENDA”). The membership meeting and program* will take place on Monday, October 8, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. in the Ceremonial Room of the San Francisco LGBT Community Center.

Determination of whether ENDA should prohibit discrimination based upon gender identity has been described as a “defining and morally transformative moment for the LGBT community.” At Monday night’s meeting, hear from some of those working on the campaign to enact ENDA, and be a part of this important discussion.

Confirmed participants on the panel for the program include:

• Masen Davis, Exec. Dir. of TLC (Transgender Law Center)


• Scott Weiner, HRC (Human Rights Campaign) board member


• Kate Kendell, Exec. Dir. Of NCLR (National Center for Lesbian Rights)


• Mark Leno, California Assembly member


• Cecilia Chung, Vice Chair, San Francisco Human Rights Commission

*This program is co-sponsored by San Francisco LGBT Community Center and is open to the public.