A Dahl’s House

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.

and this event on Monday:

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.

Here’s a list of HRC’s Board of Governors. If you know any of them, contact them and tell them to get their shit together.

If you don’t know them personally, then call HRC at 1-800-777-4723 or email them at hrc@hrc.org and tell them to get their shit together.

Desi Bailey – Seattle, WA
Joe Barrows – Denver, CO
John Barry –Chicago, IL
Bruce Bastian – Orem, UT
Terry Bean – Portland, OR
David Beckwith – Los Angeles, CA
Ken Britt – Atlanta, GA
Marjorie Chorlins – Washington, DC
Lawrie Demorest – Atlanta, GA
Tim Downing – Beachwood, OH
Linda Elliott – Phoenix, AZ
Anne Fay – Dallas, TX
Joanne Gates – New Orleans, LA
Carolyn Hall – Dallas, TX
Sandra Hartness – Laguna Beach, CA
Mike Holloman – Houston, TX
John Isa – Washington, DC
Julie Johnson – Dallas, TX
Barry Karas – Los Angeles, CA
Marty Lieberman – Seattle, WA
Andrew Linsky – Palm Springs, CA
Joni Madison – Raleigh, NC
David Medina – Washington, DC
Lucilo Peña – Dallas, TX
Terry Penrod – Columbus, OH
Dana Perlman – Los Angeles, CA
Henry Robin – New York, NY
Henry Rosales – Denver, CO
Donna Rose – Scottsdale, AZ
Maria Salas – Nashville, TN
Judy Shepard – Casper, WY
Tom Skancke – Las Vegas, NV
Mary Snider – Washington, DC
Jill Stauffer – Jamaica Plain, MA
Rebecca Tillet – Huntington, NY
Jeff Trandahl – Washington, DC
Alan Uphold – Los Angeles, CA
Janis Verruso – Twin Cities, MN
Scott Wiener – San Francisco, CA
David Wilson – Jamaica Plain, MA

From San Francisco Supervisor (and trans man) Robert Haaland:

Dear Friends,

We need your help. Without you, we cannot prevail. Will you be on the right side of history with us? Join us Monday morning at a vigil at Pelosi’s office at 8AM. It will be a 24 hour vigil so you can stop by at any point but for sure join us at 8AM before you go to work.

Congressman Barney Frank and the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, are attempting to scuttle a trans-inclusive the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) by introducing a separate bill covering sexual orientation only, as well as a token bill on gender identity. The vote is Tuesday in the Labor Committee so act now to stop this divisive tactic.

Please bring a friend and let your friends know how important this is for all of us, not just transgender people Things You Can Do To Save Gender Identity in ENDA

1) If you are in San Francisco, Join us tomorrow morning (Monday, October 1st) for a 24 vigil. We will meet in front the Federal Building where Pelosi’s office is located. 450 Golden Gate, cross street is Polk Street. Meet at 8AM. Wear black. We are casualties of the equality battle.

2) If you can come to Washington D.C., Picket House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at HRC National Gala In Washington, DC- Oct. 6 We’ve been kicked to the curb. Join us on the curb to picket the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and demand an ENDA covering gender identity. As labor unionists we won’t sell out any part of our community. We call on all LGBT and allied organizations that support gender identity inclusion in ENDA to join us.eet at 4:15 p.m.; Picket begins at 4:30 before the Major Donors
Reception and continues through the General Reception beginning at 6 PM.
Location:
Washington Convention Center
801 Mount Vernon Place, NW
(near 9th St & Mass Ave)
Washington DC

3) Call Pelosi’s office to urge her to include gender identity. Her number is (202) 225-4965.

4) Call HRC at 800/777-4723. The only major LGBT group that has not come out against this betrayal is HRC, which will be holding its 11th Annual Gala next Saturday in Washington, DC. Congresswoman Pelosi is the keynote speaker for the dinner.

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.

You can watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_GhTiBO8Cw

Demand that he keep his word! Call their Toll-Free Number: 800/777-4723

5) Call the Chair of the Committee where the legislation will be heard on Tuesday. Congressman George Miller at (202) 225-2095.

6) Call Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey at (202) 225-5161. She also sits n this committee.

As you may have heard by now, on Friday the House Democratic leadership, supported by Rep. Barney Frank, removed transgendered people from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, saying they didn’t have to votes to pass ENDA. While a dozen major LBGT organization protested this, the Human Rights Campaign (the largest, most powerful LGBT lobbying group) has sat on its hands. Instead trans people are supposed to wait quietly for our turn.

Why the rush to get ENDA, which has been stalled for some time, to a vote on Friday the 5th? I’m sure it’s unrelated to the fact that Pelosi and Frank are supposed to honored at HRC’s National Dinner on Saturday the 6th…

The thing is Bush will veto ENDA with or without trans protection, and there’s not enough votes for an over-ride. So it’s always been a symbolic vote. Not to say symbolism isn’t important—being willing to toss aside the most vulnerable members of the LBGT communities without even an attempt to line up more support sure sends a signal to the pro-bigotry side: we’re willing to cave even before things get serious. Rather than cutting loose trans people without warning, Frank and company could have said, “hey folks we need more votes, go lobby your representatives.”

This isn’t “half a loaf is better than none,” this is “You can starve as long as I get mine.”

As far as waiting politely…

Did gays and lesbians “wait their turn” when they pushed for inclusion in civil rights legislation in the ‘70s, when they were told doing so might harm efforts by racial minorities?

Did they “wait their turn” when they demanded funding for HIV/AIDS research and finding a cure for it get higher priority in the ‘80s, when established groups felt that doing so would take badly-needed money away from other fatal diseases?

Did they “wait their turn” when they demanded that their rights be acknowledged and respected in the ‘90s?

Did they “wait their turn” in 2003 when they pushed for marriage equality in the face of warnings that it could have a disastrous impact before a critical presidential election?*

And color me cynical, but “we’ll come back for you later” hasn’t had a particularly good track record.

In New York and Maryland, trans people helped pass LBG anti-discrimination laws six years after being told to wait. Six years later they’re still waiting—and left to fend for themselves while LGB organizations focus on marriage equality.

In Barney Frank’s home state, LGB anti-discrimination laws were passed 17 years ago. Trans people are still waiting.

Trans people have been in this fight a long time—if you haven’t heard about it, it’s because but it took 10 years before the LGB organizations would even agree to let us take part in ENDA. But eventually they realized including the most vulnerable members of the queer community was the right thing to do. Not to mention that omitting gender identity leaves a huge loophole to be exploited by careful bigots, e.g. “We didn’t fire you because you’re gay/lesbian, we fired you because you’re too nelly/butch (or just plain old not feminine/masculine enough.” So HRC began pushing for an trans-inclusive version of ENDA in 2004, promising that they wouldn’t support it’s passage without protections for gender identity. They’ve collected funds for their lobbying effort based on that promise and

It’s promise HRC President Joe Solmonese reiterated only two weeks ago at the Southern Comfort Conference, the nation’s largest trans gathering.

But apparently HRC isn’t willing to follow through on those promises, and instead has chosen to let trans people twist in the wind.

The only good news out of this whole debacle is the number of LGB people who’ve come forward to saw that they’re not willing to throw trans people into the volcano. One poll shows people oppose a ENDA without gender identity protection by a 10-1 margin. To those of us, willing to delay your own rights for those who are even more vulnerable, I salute you. As for the House Democratic leadership, Frank and the HRC…

As Martin Luther King Jr. said, in the long run it would be the arguments of our enemies, but rather the silence of our friends, that will be remembered.

• Thanks to Monica at TransGriot for raising these points.

Snopes debunks scare-tactic claims that the Hate Crimes Prevention Act before Congress, which also contains protections for gender identity, would infringe on the freedom of speech of bigots to verbally bash homosexuals and trans people.

Thanks to Veronica, for passing it along.

(Cross-posted from Trans Group Blog.)

I called my Congresswoman today to voice my support and let her know that hate isn’t a family value. Do call. Today.

---

From the NCTE:

We are down to the wire on the federal hate crimes bill (H.R.1592).

This Thursday, May 3, the federal hate crime bill is scheduled to be voted on in the U.S. House. We really have a chance to pass this life-saving law this year.

But what we are hearing today is that the radical right has turned their lie machine on force blast and turned out their followers. Members of Congress and their staff are telling us that the people who hate us, who are lying about us, are contacting Congress in greater numbers than we are. That’s not unusual, but it is very dangerous. It is not unusual because that’s what they do: they scare their followers into calling their representatives in Congress. It is very dangerous because it could work this time.

What YOU Can Do

1. Find your member of Congress and call him or her.

2. Sign our petition supporting the hate crimes bill by clicking here.

3. Support the passage of this bill by joining us for NCTE’s annual Lobby Day on May 14-15!

(more…)

Now that Don Imus has gotten fired I was going to write about the lack of outrage about fellow shock jock Michael Savage’s belittling of a murdered transwoman two weeks ago. Imus has 2.5 million listeners, Savage has 8 million—and like Imus this is far from the first time he’s crossed the line. But Mari Abernathey stated things far better than I can:

Ann Coulter – Called one man a faggot.

Don Imus – Called a team “nappy headed hoes.”

Michael Savage – Called a murdered transwoman a psycho freak. “Yeah, process of becoming a woman — psychopath. [She] should have been in a back ward in a straitjacket for years, howling on major medication.” “But you know what? You’re never gonna make me respect the freak. I don’t want to respect the freak. The freak ought to be glad that they’re allowed to walk around without begging for something.“

Ann Coulter’s punishment – Net Bank, Verizon, Washington Mutual, AT&T/Cingular, Dollar Rent-A-Car, SmileTrain.org, University of Phoenix, Sallie Mae, LasikPlus, Power Chord Academy, Gulf Shores.com/Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, Ulta.com, and Yellow Pages.com all stopped advertising at Coulter’s web site. The Oakland Press , The Mountain Press, The Times of Shreveport, La, The American Press, and the Lancaster New Era have stopped publishing her columns. HRC started a letter writing campaign to other papers that carry her.

Don Imus – Staples Inc., Bigelow Tea, and Procter & Gamble pulled advertising. MSNBC removed Imus in the Morning completely. CBS Radio suspended him for two weeks. There was even a protest on the campus of Rutgers University.

Michael Savage-

That’s right, not one repercussion. No press release. No protest. No outrage. Nothing.

GLAAD? HRC? NGLTF? NCTE? GPAC? ANYONE?

Hello?

Today at 6 p.m. Eastern Steve Stanton’s fate will be decided, so if you haven’t done any of the things listed on the savestaton.com site, do them now.

An article about a 14-year-old German transsexual going on hormone therapy to postpone puberty until she can undergo genital reassignment surgery, prompted much shrieking from the far-right Concerned Women of America, who blogger Autumn Sandeen thinks are the ones who’ve really got identity issues:

I love satire–it makes me smile. That’s why I have always been a big fan of the Concerned Women of America (CWA), which I suspect more and more might be a creation of the true geniuses at The Onion Magazine, who snarkfully proclaim themselves “America’s Finest News Source.” I think CWA may be America’s Finest Views Source.

These CWA folks on more than about six million occasions have written very concerned (and womanly and American) sounding screeds abut transgender people in which they inevitably use the word “confusion”–usually in the context of “gender confusion.” The brilliance therein is that the spokesperson for the CWA is almost always not a woman and therefore probably not a concerned woman of America, although maybe, I suppose, a confused woman of America.

Thankfully yesterday, the group tipped its hand, presumably because we were too confused to get the joke they were so anxiously playing on us all. Sure they went a little over the top, but now we at least see the joke.

They start a press release (and remember the “of America” part of their name) with the words “a 14 year-old German boy.” Apparently, somewhere in the Germany part of America, a fourteen year-old, in consultation with parents and doctors, has opted for medical treatment that said parents and doctors believe is appropriate for that person. I don’t know the particular case, so I am unwilling to pass judgment on the diagnosis or treatment, although I too am concerned and a woman and of America.

The best part for me about the story is that in this case the spokeswoman for CWA is a not gender-confused concerned woman named “Matt Barber”–which I hope is not some sort of tacky homosexual euphemism I don’t know about.

Thank you, CWA. Now I get it. You are not women, you are not of America and you are not concerned–except maybe about other people’s medical treatment and raising money for your hatemongering.

As Betty said: snark does not always connote pithy, meaningless statements. Sometimes it grabs the jugular and doesn’t let go. Snark away Autumn….

A quote from this article about Ohio anti-discrimination rules that will protect workers from discrimination not only on sexual orientation, but also gender identity:

It seems hard to imagine that there won’t be some people in the state who are incredibly upset by the notion that people will be being judged simply on the basis of their merit and their workplace performance…”

Judging workers strictly on the basis of their workplace performance…. what a concept.

But kudos to Attorney General Marc Dann, who gets it:

Frankly, I don’t think we should discriminate against anybody against anything related to their sexuality or gender identification in the broadest sense that you can apply it … I just want the best lawyers, best victim advocates … the best investigators in the world. I don’t care, frankly, as long as they do their jobs well.