Sales pitch
Okay, fair warning, I'm fundraising. But please, even if your not in a position to donate, read this, it's important to me.
Most of you probably know that I've been working with COLAGE as a board member. I've been very excited about my work. COLAGE is an organization that really understands a broader vision of social justice. I feel as if the people I work with will totally have each other's backs and be willing to stand up for trans issues, racism issues, immigration issues, abelism issues, sex positivity issues, and many more. Having that broad focus while working in an environment of people who grew up with queerness of one type or another around them is a real treat. And despite being a predominantly white organization, like every other LGBTQ organization that doesn't explicitly focus on race, our new executive board is two thirds people of color (including yours truly).
I'm also really excited about programs like the Kids of Trans program, which the lovely Monica Canfield-Lenfest is now working in as a fellowship. And the push we've been making to get trans inclusive benefits for our employees. COLAGE has been one of the over 300 organizations signed onto the United ENDA campaign. In addition to sending out action alerts COLAGE has been providing talking points and discussion about how a non-inclusive ENDA affects the children (on a side note, one great thing about working with COLAGE is that I get to plead, "Think of the children!"). In the COLAGE Net News that went out earlier today, Monica wrote a great article on just that. Check it out under the cut:
Demanding an Inclusive ENDA: A Queerspawn Perspective
We at COLAGE have been adamant about an Employment Non-Discrimination Act which includes both sexual orientation and gender identity protections. Some states offer workplace protections based on sexual orientation and even fewer states protect gender identity, but it is legal to fire someone based on either of these in over 30 states. A national employment non-discrimination law is important for all of us in the COLAGE community, to ensure that our parents cannot be fired because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender. Employment protections for our parents translate to better lives for all of us, securing that our basic needs are met.
For any youth, feeling that there is something secret or shameful about your parents can be challenging. When a child is worried that being open as a family or telling people that your parent is lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender might lead to your parent/s not getting a job, losing a job, or being attacked in their workplace/s, they are less able to be self-confident and healthy. ENDA protections do impact COLAGErs as they directly impact our ability to be out, proud, and confident of who we and our parents are.
Only an ENDA with gender identity protections would include my family, since my father is a transgender woman. Over the past decade, she has experienced employment discrimination in a state without gender identity employment protections. In order to secure income and benefits, she has commuted to another state to work for a company with a transgender anti-discrimination policy. Since we live in a country without universal healthcare, access to employment often dictates access to healthcare. Children depend on their parents for economic support as well as health insurance. Lack of protections for our families leaves us vulnerable to the whims of homophobic and transphobic employers to deny us access to the basic necessities.
One of the arguments for stripping gender identity from ENDA was that American people are more accepting of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people than of transgender individuals. It is true that few people understand transgender people's realities and concerns and that transphobia prevails throughout this country. However, this argument suggests that transgender people somehow are not as worthy of protections as the rest of the LGBT community or perhaps that transgender is just a meaningless "T" tacked onto the end of the acronym. This approach blatantly ignores the role that transgender people have played in the queer community and also leaves our families open to discrimination. When it comes to being part of families in which our parents are protected and supported in their jobs, ALL COLAGErs deserve the same recognition and protection. It is our human right.
Through my work with COLAGE, I have met many people with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender parents. Transphobia does not impact our families equally, just as other forms of oppression affect our families in different ways. Yet, if my father is fired because she is transgender and your gay father is fired because he is 'not masculine enough', the gender identity of both our parents is under attack. The impact on our families would be the same. Only an ENDA that includes both sexual orientation and gender identity will protect all of our families.
Monica Canfield-Lenfest just began a five-month Kids of Trans Fellowship with COLAGE. Contact her to learn more at kidsoftrans@colage.org.
Click for more talking points and regular updates.
These are the reasons why I support COLAGE with my time and with my money. Right now we're running a support our community fundraising campaign. To celebrate our 17th anniversary, I'm trying to get 17 people to donate 17 dollars through my online donation webpage. I hope some of you will join me. You can donate through the link below (and see a cute picture of a very young Tobi). I've made this post publicly viewable, please pass a link on to whoever you think would appreciate hearing this.
http://colage.kintera.org/soc/tobi
Most of you probably know that I've been working with COLAGE as a board member. I've been very excited about my work. COLAGE is an organization that really understands a broader vision of social justice. I feel as if the people I work with will totally have each other's backs and be willing to stand up for trans issues, racism issues, immigration issues, abelism issues, sex positivity issues, and many more. Having that broad focus while working in an environment of people who grew up with queerness of one type or another around them is a real treat. And despite being a predominantly white organization, like every other LGBTQ organization that doesn't explicitly focus on race, our new executive board is two thirds people of color (including yours truly).
I'm also really excited about programs like the Kids of Trans program, which the lovely Monica Canfield-Lenfest is now working in as a fellowship. And the push we've been making to get trans inclusive benefits for our employees. COLAGE has been one of the over 300 organizations signed onto the United ENDA campaign. In addition to sending out action alerts COLAGE has been providing talking points and discussion about how a non-inclusive ENDA affects the children (on a side note, one great thing about working with COLAGE is that I get to plead, "Think of the children!"). In the COLAGE Net News that went out earlier today, Monica wrote a great article on just that. Check it out under the cut:
Demanding an Inclusive ENDA: A Queerspawn Perspective
We at COLAGE have been adamant about an Employment Non-Discrimination Act which includes both sexual orientation and gender identity protections. Some states offer workplace protections based on sexual orientation and even fewer states protect gender identity, but it is legal to fire someone based on either of these in over 30 states. A national employment non-discrimination law is important for all of us in the COLAGE community, to ensure that our parents cannot be fired because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender. Employment protections for our parents translate to better lives for all of us, securing that our basic needs are met.
For any youth, feeling that there is something secret or shameful about your parents can be challenging. When a child is worried that being open as a family or telling people that your parent is lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender might lead to your parent/s not getting a job, losing a job, or being attacked in their workplace/s, they are less able to be self-confident and healthy. ENDA protections do impact COLAGErs as they directly impact our ability to be out, proud, and confident of who we and our parents are.
Only an ENDA with gender identity protections would include my family, since my father is a transgender woman. Over the past decade, she has experienced employment discrimination in a state without gender identity employment protections. In order to secure income and benefits, she has commuted to another state to work for a company with a transgender anti-discrimination policy. Since we live in a country without universal healthcare, access to employment often dictates access to healthcare. Children depend on their parents for economic support as well as health insurance. Lack of protections for our families leaves us vulnerable to the whims of homophobic and transphobic employers to deny us access to the basic necessities.
One of the arguments for stripping gender identity from ENDA was that American people are more accepting of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people than of transgender individuals. It is true that few people understand transgender people's realities and concerns and that transphobia prevails throughout this country. However, this argument suggests that transgender people somehow are not as worthy of protections as the rest of the LGBT community or perhaps that transgender is just a meaningless "T" tacked onto the end of the acronym. This approach blatantly ignores the role that transgender people have played in the queer community and also leaves our families open to discrimination. When it comes to being part of families in which our parents are protected and supported in their jobs, ALL COLAGErs deserve the same recognition and protection. It is our human right.
Through my work with COLAGE, I have met many people with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender parents. Transphobia does not impact our families equally, just as other forms of oppression affect our families in different ways. Yet, if my father is fired because she is transgender and your gay father is fired because he is 'not masculine enough', the gender identity of both our parents is under attack. The impact on our families would be the same. Only an ENDA that includes both sexual orientation and gender identity will protect all of our families.
Monica Canfield-Lenfest just began a five-month Kids of Trans Fellowship with COLAGE. Contact her to learn more at kidsoftrans@colage.org.
Click for more talking points and regular updates.
These are the reasons why I support COLAGE with my time and with my money. Right now we're running a support our community fundraising campaign. To celebrate our 17th anniversary, I'm trying to get 17 people to donate 17 dollars through my online donation webpage. I hope some of you will join me. You can donate through the link below (and see a cute picture of a very young Tobi). I've made this post publicly viewable, please pass a link on to whoever you think would appreciate hearing this.
http://colage.kintera.org/soc/tobi