Gentle Gender peeps(people) and the monsters of the dark
By Kelli Busey
Jan 19 2008
You know who you are. You are the HRC member who wispered confessions of gender variance into my ear at a black tie event least your contemporaries should hear.
You are the Doctor, truck driver, student, pilot and perhaps a bloger or two.
Some are peering from behind a wall of discrimination. Aware that any sudden movements would attract vicious predators.
Afraid becuse the conscripts the politicans have enabled to the point of violence by voicing to the public, bigoted and fear inspiring pronouncments such as the infamous speech by the openly gay Massachessetts Congressman Barney Frank in 1999 in which he announced "transgendered people want a law that mandates a person with a penis be allowed to shower with woman."
DAHIR, MUBARAK. (1999, May 25). WHOSE MOVEMENT IS IT? The Free Library. (1999). Retrieved January 19, 2008 from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/WHOSE MOVEMENT IS IT?-a054775067
Mr Frank has built a career catering to the odd bedfellows of Log Cabin democrates and homophobic hate mongers who together shout in glee as each time Barney Frank leads gender variant people to the top of the mountain of ENDA success only to be shoved from behind to the abass below.
Could it be that Mr. Frank's satement in 1999 was at least in part to divert attention from a recently exposed long term alleged prostitution addiction as profiled in;
A Skelton in Barney Franks closet
Sept 25, 1989
Marggret Carlson
Time magazine
Mr. Frank has built a career bullying the helpless of the world and in turn bolstering and validating the causes for which he is interested in.
The National outcry of outrage produced by the latest ENDA dabacle has sent Barney Frank and his coconspiraor and social power base HRC into full damage control mode.
The acknowledgement by HRC and Mr. Franks blatant transgressions are being maifested by HRC's $ 25,000.00 dollar grant to Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition(MTPC)'s first newly installed paid chair person Gunner(apt name) Scott, who by self proclamation is at once the originator of all things gender and the under dog at large.
Massachesetts Congressman Barney Frank has since sent his political machinery in motion and his political minons falling over themselfs proclaiming "gender varience for all and all a good night".
What makes this all the more insidious is the subtle ways HRC and Barney Frank are attempting to vilify and isolate the purely gender varient from their just causes.
However we are viligent and unafraid.
We will identify and cull from the herd the charlitons, Arnolds and juda's.
You have been identified Gunner Scott.
This fact has not been lost on the local chapter of the American Transgender Veterans Association(TAVA) which has withdrawn from the MTPC coalition to protest the HRC grant but has made it known that it remains steadfast in support of the Massachesetts gender inclusive admendments to a sex only 1989 law. Trial by fireby Ethan Jacobsstaff reporterWednesday Jan 16, 2008http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=features&sc3=&id=54938
This brings to question, is there anyway to successfully intergrate the gender varient?
The answer is a resounding YES!
In Vermont. The next door nabour to Massachessetts. And its so simple as" can't we all just get along" would suggest.
In the Blueprint for change by Ethan Jacobs staff reporterWednesday Jan 16, 2008 appearing in the BayWindows;
If you make sure that transgender people are in every facet of your organization, if you make sure they’re in the leadership of your organization, you’re providing constant exposure to politicians. ... Here transgender people are front and center in the fight for marriage equality," said Goldstein. "The politicians here see transgender people year round at the table."
"It was absolutely critical to passing this legislation that legislators and the governor got to meet with transgender Vermonters, and that had not happened before, where that level of transgender people were visible and vocal and telling their stories about why this legislation was important," said DeLeonardis.
PEEPS! THIS IS THE ANSWER WE HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR!!!!!!
This is the answer. We must not wait for permission to live. We must be involved in our larger community. I would like to introduce Transgender Advocates of Central Texas(TACT)http://www.tactx.org/
This fine group of Gender Varient people and our supporters are conducting among other efforts a Independent Educational Initiative at the 2008 Austin HRC gala. http://planetransgender.blogspot.com/
TACT board member, Lisa Scheps said, "We feel the leadership of HRC not only hurt the transgender community, but also any person that doesn’t conform to gender norms. This includes feminine men and masculine women – many of whom are HRC members. Under the ENDA that passed in The House of Representatives these people would have no protections. And, let’s face it, when a person is discriminated against it is usually because of how they present themselves and not because of who they sleep with."
The answer to Barney Frank and HRC national steering committee lays right in our laps.
2 comments:
I was alerted to your post by someone who felt it was a veiled threat towards me. While you may disagree with a decision the organization MTPC (which includes and 8 person steering committee and the larger voting membership) has made, personal attacks are unnecessary.
If you had looked at our website you would have seen that in fact we have been working on gaining transgender visibility since our inception. First passing a non-discrimination ordinance in Boston for gender identity and gender expression, then in Northampton, and last year our state wide non-discrimination bill for transgender people was introduced and we held the first ever lobby day on transgender rights at our statehouse, as well we are co-sponsoring a free low income transgender legal clinic, and not to mention conducting trainings and community forums done around the state .
You may have also not seen our organizational response in Bay Windows so I will re-post it here:
Taking HRC’s money
Thursday Jan 17, 2008
Bay Windows Newspaper
Once again, the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) is being called upon to respond to controversy. In the past, we’ve defended our community against attack from outside. This time, we’re being criticized for having accepted a grant of $25,000 from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) towards our work to pass H.B.1722, “An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes”.
We appreciate the concerns and sincerity of those who disagree with our decision. It was not made lightly. We weighed the criticism we knew we’d receive against the good that this money would do for our community, and, after careful deliberation, chose to do what we feel is best for our community.
MTPC’s mission is, among other things, to obtain protections for transgender and gender non-conforming people throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Currently, we are fortunate to have won some respect in the courts, but legislatively, we have legal protections only in Cambridge, Boston and Northampton. The vast majority of our constituency lives every day at relatively extreme risk of job loss, discrimination, harassment and violence. History has shown that, more often than not, crimes can be committed against us with near impunity — although, thankfully, this is changing.
Passage of H.B.1722 will be the most beneficial achievement for our community that our organization has accomplished to date. But it is not a done deal, not by a long shot. As the events of last fall with respect to transgender inclusion in ENDA showed us, we have not yet won the hearts and minds of most lawmakers. But we are winning them.
For years, the transgender community in Massachusetts has patiently waited for the civil marriage rights issue to be resolved before embarking on a quest for our most basic rights. We waited at the request of our GLB allies, and out of our own sense of rightness. Now the issue is resolved, and with that resolution, there are now resources available that were previously needed elsewhere. MTPC is grateful that our work for the passage of H.B.1722 has won some of these resources.
MTPC is well aware of the ongoing dispute between transgender activists and HRC. We are not pleased with the actions of HRC with respect to ENDA, and are a member of United ENDA and led the Massachusetts Coalition for a United ENDA. We’ve strongly lobbied both HRC and Rep. Barney Frank for transgender inclusion. We are continuing as a strong ally in the effort to pressure HRC to include gender identity in ENDA, and will continue to do so. Taking their money does not oblige us to overlook their bad behavior. This is not lobbying money, where tit for tat is expected. This is a grant for the passage of H.B.1722.
While some may fear that our acceptance of this money provides HRC with bragging rights for how it is helping transgender folks, we’d like to see it set a precedent for what HRC will do in other states. Surely Massachusetts is not the only state whose transgender activist effort can benefit from a grant of this nature. We challenge HRC to follow this grant with money to other states, so that, in the absence of federal protections, more transgender persons can look forward to statewide protections. But let us be clear: Some states will not soon pass gender identity protections, and the only hope for our community in those states is the federal ENDA. So this state-level money is no substitute for transgender-inclusion in the federal ENDA.
The steering committee of MTPC was unanimous in our decision to accept the HRC grant. It helps establish our legitimacy as an organization and encourages others to donate to our efforts. It imposes no constraints upon us and incurs no obligation on us. Most importantly, it enables us to engage our first full-time employee to work on passage of H.B.1722, enhancing our ability to secure passage of this legislation that will protect all members of our community, most for the first time. The marriage equality fight in Massachusetts required millions of dollars and many full-time staff persons to win. We may win our rights with less, but we need every bit of help we can get. We know that the opposition to same-sex marriage was fierce; we can only hope that opposition to our rights will be less.
Bottom line: We don’t know what the future holds, but this money could well save lives by helping pass H.B.1722 sooner rather than later. If this grant saves the blood of one transgender person, then it will be blood money of the best sort — lifeblood, that is. As for those who take exception to HRC’s transgender-exclusive action on ENDA, we’re right there with you. But let’s not cut off our nose to spite our face. Rather, let’s take their money, and show them how to use it properly.
Gunner Scott is the director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. Holly Ryan is the chair of Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. Nancy Nangeroni is a member of the Steering Committee of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition.
Gunner Scott's contention that HRC gives money without expectations will haunt him and unfortunately the transgender community. One day, if it hasn't already happened HRC will be reminding MTPC of who it's benefactor was as it has done after being rewarded the "pink brick" award by the San Francisco Pride.
http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=2753
In an e-mail to the Bay Area Reporter , HRC communications director Brad Luna wrote, "We continue to work everyday to educate members of Congress and pave the way for a fully inclusive ENDA."
Luna also wrote that HRC has dedicated $100,000 and three full-time staff members to Equality for All, a coalition that's fighting a potential California ballot measure that would amend the state's constitution to ban same-sex marriages.
"This is in addition to $100,000 donated by HRC to the Equality California Institute last year," he wrote. "Pink Brick, or not, we will not stop doing this type of crucial work in the struggle for equality for our entire community."
Any groups that claims to be an advocate for transgender people can not take money from HRC. PAC,s the mafia, HRC, banks and anyone lending or granting money does so with ambitions and expectations. To believe anything else would be naive. Taking money from HRC in a attempt to paint HRC as the saviour and guarantor of gender protections in Massachusetts is a shame.
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