Recently I posted a Facebook note in which I intended to engage political activists, organizations, allies and enemy's alike in a conversation about the non endorsement of Jenifer Rene Pool by the Victory Fund.What I got wasn't what I wanted.
I had talked to every political action group in Houston who gave Pool thumbs up in spades except one, Transgender and transsexual people. A classic case of me not seeing the trees for the woods.
In retrospect I see my error. I was so focused on her political viability I ignored the most important question. Will this transgender candidate do as many before her have and become a mouthpiece for gay.com or will she break the mold and keep her transgender ties not allowing herself to become a pawn in HRCs assimilist agenda?
Seems in my angst I even unfriended a young transsexual advocate because she kept asking questioning my support of Pool who is a HRC proponent on that same Facebook note. Again I was wrong and I owe Ashley Love an apology for that.
We need to come to terms with our past with HRC and find a way to move forward.
The truth is I protested at the Houston Black Tie and at New Orleans. I also managed that year
to get a groups of transgender protesters inside both the Austin and Dallas Black Tie's to represent and protest. I was angered by HRC's acquiescences to Congressman Barney Frank's splitting ENDA HR2015 effectively blocking trans people from workplace equality. I was angry and upset that there were transgender people in attendance. I was upset that there were half a dozen mounted riot cops and a dozen other foot and bike cops hounding our every move.And I am aware Jenifer Rene Pool was partying it up at that same Black Tie.
So I asked a longtime Trans friend who wishes to remain anonymous, do you think Jenifer Pool will forsake her transgender community as so many others have done before her?
"Unfortunately, HRC's sock puppets are the only ones of us who get any support. And if any of them ever gets elected, I fear the HRC spin on it (as I do with Jenifer): OUR trans candidate won with all OUR support, etc. They'll do anything to drive unknowing trans people & families into their camp via whatever trickery it takes. They so badly want to revise history and whitewash over their history."So, I don't have a answer to that 64 dollar question and am as hesitant as the next trans activist who endured HR2015 to endorse her.
What I do know is this. Jenifer Rene Pool is a amazingly qualified council candidate and possibly in line for Mayoral run at some point with this win. I know she is being unfairly discriminated against by the Victory Fund and her chances diminished thanks to the labor of an extremely vindictive lesbian Houston council member, Sue Lovell.
And I do know that as we increase our political bankroll (interactions, and media respectability) transgender politicians will be less likely to forget about the value of our political capitol but as one of the smallest and most marginalized minorities we have one tough row to hoe.
Will HRC try to spin Jenifer Rene Gale into a gay.com success? Undoubtedly. The real 64 dollar question then is this. Are we going forsake political involvement and commitment for fear of becoming humiliated by HRC again or are we going to increase our visibility, activism and outreach and take an active role in shaping our destiny and denying HRC that easy revisionist assimilist grab?So what do you think?
