fuck being trans
Gay-Only ENDA Passes Committee
by Bob Roehr
Windy City Times - Chicago, IL, USA
2007-10-24
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?
AID=16427
The House Education and Labor Committee passed a version of the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act ( ENDA ) that protects only sexual
orientation and not gender identity on Oct. 18. The full House is
expected to take up the measure this week.
The bill passed the committee with the support of 23 of 27 Democrats
and 4 of 22 Republicans. The Democrats voting "no" did so because it
did not include protection for transgender persons. They were Rush
Holt ( New Jersey ) , Yvette Clarke ( New York ) , Linda Sanchez (
California ) and presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich ( Ohio ) .
Social conservatives on the committee offered four amendments to
further weaken the bill, but they went nowhere.
Earlier in the week, on Oct. 16, the only open lesbian in the House,
Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., announced that the Democratic leadership would
allow her to offer an amendment on the floor that would restore the
gender identity provision.
"I have never wavered from my conviction that the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act must include protections base on sexual
orientation and gender identity," Baldwin said in a statement released
by her office.
"We are greatly disappointed that the committee chose to move forward
with a bill that is not endorsed by a single LGBT organization, " said
Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for
Transgender Equality. "It is historically unprecedented that Congress
would pass a civil rights bill that the civil rights
community€ '·including those it is meant to protect€ '·does not
want."
"This process has put members [ of Congress ] in the position where
they think they might have to vote against the first piece of pro-gay
rights legislation ever. That's the tragedy of this situation." said
Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force, in an interview with CBS News on Logo.
"We oppose this legislation; we hope it never comes up for a vote
without transgender inclusion," he continued. "We are putting our
allies in a situation; we should not be here. The answer is either
yank the bill or pass an inclusive bill."
"Two weeks ago, our community was told that gender identity would not
be included in any version of ENDA. Congressional leadership expected
our community to acquiesce," United ENDA said in a news release. The
coalition of about 300 national, state, and local LGBT groups had come
together as a result of that attempted fiat by the Democratic
leadership. "It is because of our unprecedented efforts that new
options, such as the proposed amendments by Rep. Baldwin are able to
come before Congress."
"Now our community must focus our full attention on the upcoming floor
vote on ENDA and building support for Rep. Tammy Baldwin's amendment
that would make this bill fully inclusive of the entire GLBT
community," said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights
Campaign.
National Stonewall Democrats Executive Director Jon Hoadley said, "We
appreciate that Congressional leaders like Congresswoman Baldwin
continue to share our commitment to pass an inclusive bill, and we
expect Speaker Pelosi and the House leadership will actively support
the Baldwin amendment."
Foreman said the Senate is not going to pass the bill this year, and
George Bush is not going to sign it. "We've put our community through
this wrenching, divisive debate over the last three weeks for an
absolutely nothing but a symbolic vote."