BREAKING: 'Transgender' excluded from ENDA

[justatransgirl]

Thank you everyone for posting.

I am so pissed off I'm not even going to comment. But everyone needs to get on the phone Monday and make your voice known to our House Representative. Remember most cell calls are free long distance, so use them.

And we have to stand together ladies (and admirers) or continue to fall alone.

Hugs,
TS Jamie

[meghanchavalier]

I don't like any politicians, gay or straight. They all annoy the hell out of me.

[peggygee]

Ashley, thank you so much for bringing this to the attention of the forum.

Alot of good points were made by many people, and I trust that everyone
had the opportunity to read Congressman Frank's statement, this part in
particular:

Detracting from the sense of celebration many of us feel about that is regret that under the current political situation, we do not have sufficient support in the House to include in that bill explicit protection for people who are transgender. The question facing us – the LGBT community and the tens of millions of others who are active supporters of our fight against prejudice – is whether we should pass up the chance to adopt a very good bill because it has one major gap. I believe that it would be a grave error to let this opportunity to pass a sexual orientation nondiscrimination bill go forward, not simply because it is one of the most important advances we’ll have made in securing civil rights for Americans in decades, but because moving forward on this bill now will also better serve the ultimate goal of including people who are transgender than simply accepting total defeat today.

I would strongly encourage people to read the entire statement, and while
it reeks of pol speak, it has significant importance to the the transcommunity.

Yet one must ask why bills that protect those in the LGB community pass,
and those that impact the transcommunity do not.

The usual answer is that the time isn't right politically, that such a bill
would be blocked from passage, or that the public lacks understanding
around those issues.

And while there may be some merits to those sentiments, the harsher
truth and reality is that money and votes talk, and that idle rhetoric is
meaningless to those in political office.

If you are not voting for or against a candidate or issue, your voice will
not be heard. If you do not utilize money and influence to lobby for your
cause, then you will not be heard.

To those on Capitol Hill, or the State houses of your individual states, you
are a non entity, you do not exist.

As has been stated the the transcommunity, should not rely on those in
LGB movement, or the liberal left to promote our rights. We, the
transgendered, whether it be the young transitioner or the old transitioner,
the post op or the pre op, the transwomen who escorts or the women who
works 9-5, we, must all come together and stop the divisiveness that harms us all.


This link is to transfriendly employers

[SarahG]

-deleted-

[tonkatoy]

When I stop and think of all the friends I have had whom have fallen off the face of the planet, I am reminded just how unrealistic a "TS only political community" is. With so many people disappearing into stealth, leaving those behind who either do not want stealth or couldn't pull it off... I can't help but wondering why anyone would think such a situation could work. What has ts activism, without external support from any side, been able to accomplish in this country? We can't even make a uniform position regarding Bailey or Blanchard (the later of which having done the most harm to our community).

I think this is part of the problem making and organizing transrights. Many girls want to get as far from identifying ts as possible and live stealth, so it makes being politically active problematic. Its like being a silent movement, hoping that another group of people will take up your (or our) cause. While I do not go to any LGBT events, I do on a very local level stick up for ts rights. My gf is ts, but is stealth around here, so I wouldn't do anything to de-cloak her. But I do try to stick up for ts in conversations, when it comes up, which it does surprisingly often among people outside the community. I really wonder what the outside world's view of transsexuals is. When I first became interested in transsexuals I was somewhat naive and was surprised at how many ts women were escorts and in the adult industry, but that is a function of where you look. There are other online groups of ts people who have more mainstream jobs, but they are not about to call attention to themselves and risk the life they have made. So it falls to the people who are honestly in the least tenable position politically, at least the people who are easiest to disregard to make the case for equal rights. I will say this, as a small business owner I would hire and have had transgender employees, so the biggest help there is is for those of us who can employee transgender people to do so.

[BrendaQG]

@Sara

since you want to bring up anchient history....

The assimilationist, normal (per the general public's perception), passable transsexuals of the world are, in the realm of everyone considered to be transgendered- in the vast minority. And this segment, that the general public would have a chance at maybe hearing out- has so many not in the community anymore due to going into stealth, fear of being associated with the fringe tg individuals, the inner community rifts...

Sara I hope you remember the above statement latter this month.

Last thursday I met a woman from England who had transitioned young, had all her work done all at once with Dr Suporn, and joined the Royal Air Force and has served in Iraq. It would be nice to see people like her tell their stories. For people like that are proof that we can function normally if given a chance.

I say I hope you remember what you said latter this month. When the media image of transsexuals will most certainly be brought up again. In numerous forums the portrayl of a transsexual who passes, likes men, and does not want surgery will be lambasted. Said to "Set us back ten years", like it did in england. {sarcasm}Set them back and created such a horrible climate that the house of Lords just had to pass civil rights legislation to undo it.{/sarcasm}

As for anchient history

You also said about activism...

But otherwise, I agree it appears that much has been spent in the wrong direction, ignoring bigger issues.

We can't even make a uniform position regarding Bailey or Blanchard (the later of which having done the most harm to our community).

Leaving aside the notion that everyone must agree on that for the time being. I just have to ask what you think that has to do with anything? The people we are talking about would not need to and probably did not ever read of Blanchard, Bailey or his book. Or of autogynephilia. Perhaps now they will and they will see how a community almost universally obsessed with their identites ignore much more practical things to focus on a rather obsure book.

[SarahG]

I say I hope you remember what you said latter this month. When the media image of transsexuals will most certainly be brought up again. In numerous forums the portrayl of a transsexual who passes, likes men, and does not want surgery will be lambasted. Said to "Set us back ten years", like it did in england. {sarcasm}Set them back and created such a horrible climate that the house of Lords just had to pass civil rights legislation to undo it.{/sarcasm}

I am not sure I understand the England reference. Could you expand on that?

I just have to ask what you think that has to do with anything? The people we are talking about would not need to and probably did not ever read of Blanchard, Bailey or his book.

It has to do with everything. A focal point in this thread, unless I am severely mistaken, is that we'd be best served to act individually and to ditch the lgb allies at once in terms of political activism.

That notion lends a concern over how the trans specific community acts in terms of activism, separate from the things that are (attempted to be) conglomerated in with lgb issues & policy. The trans specific side of activism, of which lgb groups play no part of significance, is problematic at best, inefficient, plagued by inconsistency, inter rifts, over inflated egos as well as a lost sense of reality.

Issues such as the Bailey or Blanchard debates don't reflect lgb activism or lgb & tg alliances. It does, however, strongly reflect upon tg activities separate and beyond all else; independent (perhaps isolated?) from other groups.

a community almost universally obsessed with their identites ignore much more practical things to focus on a rather obsure book.

There is more to that issue than some "obscure book." I personally strongly believe that our fixation on causation theory debate has done nothing but harm, expending focus, resources and other things on something that has no bearing on real world matters while handling the power of dialogs over tg issues to those who would do us harm by giving them control of the debates' contents & directions. A reactive, not proactive activism on our part.

That is not to say that all such figures of which trans activism bashes heads against are separated from real world matters. The effects of Blanchard on every day, real world trans people has been drastic and costly. Blanchard is exactly the reason why medical treatment for GID is not covered in the US, and made as hard to reach, abrasive in process, and disenchanting as possible in Canada and the U.K.

Tell me, what could possibly be of more "real world" relevance than access to medical treatments such as therapy, hrt, ffs and srs? Anti-discrimination legislation forcing employers to ditch trans employees silently in place of current practices of just going on out and saying to the employee that they're being kicked to the curb because the company "doesn't want anyone who is trans in it"?

These medical protocol practices have many drastic consequences both here and abroad. Remember that thread from a couple months back about a GID patient under NHS in the UK whom had been formerly in the infantry? Such stories of, as this board has pointed out in clear detail, "the wrong way of transitioning" create a mainstream perception that we are "just guys who wake up one day, go FT and then later on the road think about doing stuff to alter our bodies." There is no real way to work outside the NHS system in the UK, so in NHS, because of Blanchard specifically- these fucked up protocols are institutionalized and, even worse; put on display for the world.

[Felicia Katt]

It seems to me that the gay community decided that half a loaf was better than none, so they took what they could get, leaving the transgender community with nothing but crumbs. My take on it all is that you can only get anti-discrimination laws passed when you can show the majority that the group facing prejudice and intolerance doesn't deserve it. Since mich of the homosexual community is not fully supportive of the Tg one, its easy for the straight one to justify their own biases and prejudices. There but for the grace of god only works when people can project themselves into that situation. So the public perception of being gay has been molded and changed from flamboyance, feather boas and leather to the mainstream of the mundane, minivans, monogamy and McDonalds. But even as the public face of gayness has so evolved, the community kept its solidarity. There is no real solidarity in the T community. Transsexuals denigrate crossdressers, Young transsexuals would throw older ones from the train if not under it. I have cringed reading some of the posts here about older transitioners. The beautiful would abandon the homely. And the admirers feel free to heap abuse on any girl who doesn't meet their ideals, and to cower behind their anonymous "straightness", even aganist other fellow admirers. Well, wake up everyone. We can't expect the rest of society to treat us better than we do ourselves. Right now, they look at us, and see how fractured and divisive and dysfunctional our community is and its easy for them to say, they deserve what they get, and they aren't like us.

For change to happen, it has to start from within. If you can't get a job, look in yourself for the reason, don't blame others in the community. If you face other unfair discrimations or see social injustices, speak out against them, not against those less fortunate than you. If your company would fire you for loving a TG girl, well they say you can tell a lot about someone by the company you keep. Find a new one. Fix the problem, not the blame. You might be right that society is taking its cue from segments of our community that don't best represent it, but trashiing them as well doesn't change that, it only reinforces it. In every past struggle for civil rights, there have been those who could get by themselves, without the need for society and the laws to be changed. But passing for white, staying in the closet, and now going stealth don't affect social change, they bypass it. Ignoring the problem, or being fortunate or privleged enough that it may ignore you won't ever solve it. In one of the earliest civil rights movements, this country's battle for independence from British rule, there were those who would ally with England, or against segments of the colonists. Benjamin Franklin said it best: We must hang together, gentlemen...else, we shall most assuredly hang separately" In that instance being hung was considered a negative LOL But you get the point. A social movement takes mass and momentum and is hurt when its members fight among themselves or are left behind

FK

[TrueBeauty TS]

I BLAME THE TRANSGENDERED ACTIVIST! THEY HAVE MADE A WORSE IMPRESSION ON THE PUBLIC MIND THAN ALL THE STREET WALKERS AND EROS HUSTLERS COMBINED! I mean they have gone out of their way to protray a positive media image.

Just a reminder.... Those TRANSGENDERED ACTIVISTS are the ones that fought for you to get a driver's licence that has an F on it instead of M. What have you done to make the world better for transsexuals??

And God forbid they should go " out of their way to protray a positive media image." You think showing the world that all trannys are whores and sex workers would put us in a better light?



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[mbf]

It seems to me that the gay community decided that half a loaf was better than none, so they took what they could get, leaving the transgender community with nothing but crumbs. .... So the public perception of being gay has been molded and changed from flamboyance, feather boas and leather to the mainstream of the mundane, minivans, monogamy and McDonalds. But even as the public face of gayness has so evolved, the community kept its solidarity.
FK

here is my two - most likely - unwanted cents nevertheless Im gonna post away.

gays are integrated in the "mainstream" ONLY on a case-to-case base, in selected fields and at selcted places.

gays are now beeing - somewhat - accepted because they are

a) consumers
b) voters
c) (possible) employees

the "public perception" doesnt change that a bit. be openly gay in a job thats NOT the arts, fashion, entertainment - and you are at best ridiculed or more likel FIRED. sure, thats more than the "t-community" has achieved yet.

gays are excepted as the "interesting" sidekick, the "creative" fashion designer. and NOT your kids schoolteacher.

show me a high ranking openly gay decision maker. or a blue collar guy who says hes gay.

but maybe europe is really different in that respect, you have an openly gay mayor in Hamburg as well as in Berlin, the capitol of the most important european state. you have a (former prostitue btw) transgender-activist in the Italian parliament.

just dont kid yourselves - the "mainstream" onmly accepts outsiders or minorities if they can be exploited.