Eight protestors stopped traffic on the Vegas strip in order to get Harry Reid to act on the pending ENDA legislation:
Fantastic, all of you & thank you for a creative, cool way to do it.
(via The Advocate)
Tag: ENDA
The Vegas 8
Posted by – July 22, 2010
Pelosi, Don’t Hold Up ENDA
Posted by – May 15, 2010
Dem leadership is holding up ENDA, even though the whip counts are complete and we have the votes.
Good News: ENDA & DADT Update
Posted by – May 10, 2010
ENDA & the bill to repeal DADT are supposed to go to the floor this month!
Meanwhile, the whip count on ENDA, which Obama also backs, is entering its fifth week. The effort has most recently focused on rechecking support among Members thought to be more comfortable with the legislation than politically imperiled moderates who have raised most of the concerns, one source familiar with the effort said. That, the source said, bodes well for its progress. But many Members remain officially undecided and have quietly voiced frustrations about the prospect of taking a tough vote that they see as a distraction from an agenda focused on job creation.
“It seems to run contrary to what the Speaker said a few months back about focusing on jobs and moving away from these controversial items,” one senior Democratic aide said. “Anything that’s not specifically tied to keeping the economy going raises red flags for folks.”
But Frank said that he is optimistic about the vote count and that transgender protections will remain in the bill.
“There’s no chance of doing it without it,” he said of the transgender protections.
Frank said he’s told wavering Democrats that “the principle is the same. It’s discrimination.”
He said concessions were made in the drafting of the language to address moderates’ concerns. For instance, Frank said, transgender people with “one set of genitals” would not be able to go to a bathroom for people with another set of genitals.
And, Frank said, they also would have to have a “consistent gender presentation” in order to be able to sue for discrimination.
“They can’t sit there with a full beard and a dress,” Frank said.
We’re going to need to make a lot of calls, folks. Stay tuned.
Unemployed Trans + ENDA Direct Action
Posted by – April 29, 2010
NCTE has a direct action going on. If you’re a trans person or ally who is out of work, you can drop off your resume + cover letter to your local Congressperson, and then send copies to NCTE who will deliver them in person. The idea is to show Congress exactly how much we need ENDA. More below the break: More…
Petition Pelosi to Move ENDA
Posted by – April 7, 2010
More than 16,000 people have signed the petition to get Nancy Pelosi to move ENDA to the House floor for a vote.
There are growing indications that ENDA will move to a markup and a vote in the next two weeks. It is important that we have as strong a showing as possible on the petition in order to demonstrate to wavering members of Congress that there is support.
Please add your name before the petition is delivered by hand next week:
Dear Speaker Nancy Pelosi –
With health care legislation passing, now is the time to institute workplace protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Rep. Tammy Baldwin says she believes that we have the votes to pass ENDA, and Rep. George Miller has said the bill is ready to come out of committee now that the health care bill has passed. As Speaker of the House of Representatives, we call on you to act boldly and decisively and bring ENDA to the floor for a vote now.
Move ENDA Now
Posted by – March 18, 2010
Take Action: Demand LGBT Employment Rights Today
Note from Helen: (en)gender is participating in a blogswarm today with Bilerico Project, Daily Kos, Open Left, Towleroad, Pam’s House Blend, Joe My God, Michelangelo Signorile, David Mixner, Daily Gotham, Culture Kitchen, Taylor Marsh, Page One Q, and Dan Savage, among others. Contact Speaker Nancy Pelosi and ask that she move the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (HR 3017) to a floor vote.
ENDA is the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and would prohibit job discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Hearings were held in the House and in the Senate to demonstrate the need for the bill, and testimony was heard on the severe unemployment, underemployment and harassment experienced by LGBT workers. Witnesses testified to the scientific studies demonstrating this.
A clue to the inaction: Speaker Nancy Pelosi publicly told Democrats that she would not move controversial bills. Meanwhile, the House Committee has stated its readiness to move, but is waiting for a signal from Speaker Pelosi. She doesn’t move it, & we can’t wait any more: there is a majority in both Houses of Congress in favor of ENDA. Now is the time to move it.
Please call Speaker Nancy Pelosi at 202-225-4965. Ask that the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, HR 3017, move to a vote. Please be polite, but firm.
More at Bilerico, and especial thanks to Jillian Weiss.
Non-Discrimination News
Posted by – December 1, 2009
Cleveland just okayed non-discrimination protections for their transgender citizens.
ENDA Hearings
Posted by – September 25, 2009
The Congressional Hearings about ENDA happened yesterday, & you can find the archived webcast on the website of the Committee on Education & Labor.
You can also catch excerpts on YouTube.
Watch, read, listen, but then:
Contact the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and tell your member of Congress that you support ENDA.
ENDA Hearing
Posted by – September 19, 2009
Support the ENDA Congressional Hearing on Weds, Sept 23, 2009.
Join the “Hearing on Inclusive ENDA” Facebook group, and get info on how to contact the committee members in and near your state.
Go to http://bit.ly/1ji00k for more information.
We are rapidly moving towards a vote. Now is the time for all good people to come to the aid of their party.
Jillian T. Weiss
Co-Chair, Inclusive ENDA
More ENDA links:
US Reps ENDA Spreadsheet: http://bit.ly/Q5YMJ
US Senate ENDA Spreadsheet: http://bit.ly/14TDll
Unconfirmed US Reps contact info: http://bit.ly/NUFUd
Unconfirmed US Senator contact info: http://bit.ly/45WGMc
ENDA!!
Posted by – September 12, 2009
NCTE held a conference call tonight about ENDA & they’ve put a recording of it online (.mp3). The deadline is rapidly approaching. They’ve got a bunch of resources up (.pdf), and on Facebook, Jillian Weiss is posting daily actions.
This is for all of us – LGBTQI & all our families & allies.
No one should lose or not get a job because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression. Make those calls, send letters, emails, and forward this info to your friends & families so they do the same.
ENDA Introduced in Senate Today
Posted by – August 5, 2009
The gender-inclusive version of ENDA is going to be introduced in the Senate today, & we REALLY REALLY need this, & so REALLY REALLY need you to contact your senators.
PFLAG has a tidy little letter to send to your senators.
PLEASE DO THIS.
Trans-centric
Posted by – July 20, 2009
One of the things I’ve always liked about Vanessa Edwards Foster is that she doesn’t lose sight of the goal: actual equality. I agree with her that our standards are low when it comes to justice for the trans people, and their families and friends, who are murdered. I agree that “manslaughter” is not murder, and that shooting at someone who is basically a sitting duck in a car can’t possibly have been an accidental killing.
But what I don’t agree with is the vitriol directed at the LGB leadership of the organizations that called the ruling on Teisha Green’s murder a victory.
Our standards are low because we are too used to seeing no justice at all when it comes to people who intentionally hurt and kill trans people for being trans. There are too many cases that break your heart. There are too many families who have had to hear the most hateful bullshit about their trans loved one. There are too many cases that are simply not solved, nor investigated.
But that the jury came back to rule her death a hate crime is a good thing.
What bothers me about the politics between the LGB & T is that there are plenty of other gay bashings and hate crimes experienced by the LGB that the trans community pays little attention to, such as Sean Kennedy’s. If you want an example of an absolute failure when it came to our legal system, that’s it. It’s horrific. Every time I see that young man’s beautiful face, and think about his parents’ loss, I wonder where exactly the trans community has been in raising awareness of that horrible injustice. No, he wasn’t gender variant. He was a young adult who was out and proud about being gay. But he’s dead just the same as Teisha Green is, & for the same reason: someone hated him for what he was.
Do we know Michael Scott Goucher? Richard Hernandez? Satendar Singh? Ryan Keith Skipper? Jeremy Waggoner? Daniel Yakovleff? These are the names of gay men who have been murdered for being gay in the last couple of years. I didn’t know most of their names.
Community goes both ways. We all have more than enough mourning to do.
Teisha Green Trial Starts Today
Posted by – July 13, 2009
From the Empire State Pride Agenda:
Today, the trial begins for the murder of Lateisha Green, a 22-year-old transgender woman who was tragically shot and killed in Syracuse on November 14, 2008 just for being transgender. The Pride Agenda expresses its deepest sympathies to Lateisha’s family and outrage that transgender New Yorkers continue to be targeted for violence and discrimination based solely on who they are.
This morning, the Pride Agenda’s Director of Public Policy & Education, Ross Levi, will speak at a press conference in Syracuse, along with other local LGBT leaders, about the trial and the need for the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act. And throughout the trial, our friends at the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) will be in Syracuse, working with Lateisha’s family to ensure that the public learns as much as possible about Lateisha’s life, the tragic circumstances of her death and the tremendous violence that transgender people continue to face. You can learn more about Lateisha Green and stay updated on the trial through these organizations’ great resources, including an online resource kit, Twitter, Facebook, and the GLAAD Blog.
No family should ever have to suffer such a devastating loss, and no one should ever have to fear that their life is in danger simply because they are transgender. That’s why we’re calling on the State Senate to pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), which would include gender identity and expression in the State human rights and hate crimes laws. We’ll keep you updated as developments on GENDA happen.
To follow what’s going on via Twitter, check out @Andy_Marra or TLDEF, or hashtag #justisceforteish
ENDA on the Move
Posted by – June 23, 2009
ENDA is being introduced tomorrow in the House! Our next step is to call our Representatives and ask them to cosponsor of ENDA. Below is a script to use. It is essential that we flood their lines to let them know how many of their constituents support ENDA! Once you’ve called, let United ENDA know what the staffer said by emailing laura.hart@unitedenda.org. Then ask all of your friends and family to call their Representative too.
Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and have them connect you to your Representative (based on your zip code). Tell them:
I am a constituent and I would like you to please tell Representative _______ that I would like him/her to become a cosponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. ENDA would ban discrimination against all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the workplace. Can you tell me whether or not Representative _______ has cosponsored the bill?
Just go ahead & do it. Find your House Rep at www.house.gov. (On the upper left side, put in your zip.)
June Starts With a T
Posted by – June 3, 2009
As far as I can tell, President Obama’s press release starting Pride Month is the first time the T has been mentioned as part of the gig! Back in 2000, Clinton used the “gay & lesbian” terminology.
What’s interesting to me is that this change in terminology IS a sign or progress. It can be hard doing the work, waiting for things to change, & while having the POTUS acknowldged the T may seem like small fry (say, compared to a gender-inclusive ENDA passing), but it is something.
(h/t to Josie!)
Blogging for LGBT Families Day!
Posted by – June 1, 2009
Today’s the day! I’m blogging, as I have in years past. for LGBT families – who have, thankfully, seen some gains this year! I know plenty of my queerio friends are tired & frustrated with the whole push for same-sex marriage, and trans activists are frustrated as well, because they want the attention on non-discrimination legislation, but as a married person, who is now same-sex, it makes me kind of ill to realize that the state I’m currently living in is actually struggling only to recognize domestic partnerships (for f***k’s sake). My home state can’t work it out either, which is downright embarrassing as a NYer. It’s a mistake, in my opinion, to divorce marriage from the economic issues that are at stake: even something like health insurance is vitally important, & very expensive if one spouse can’t be covered by the other’s health insurance.
So from my very small family to yours: keep working on same sex marriage. You don’t have to ignore other issues – like the gender identity & expression version of ENDA – but goddamn if I’m going to be a 2nd class citizen, & neither should anyone else.
Here’s some other trans family bloggers:
- a trans daughter on her two moms
- NCTE blogged about trans children
- Diana has a nice piece about being out
Join us next year!
ENDA 2009
Posted by – May 30, 2009
Here’s a Washington Blade article about Barney Frank which discusses his opinions on this year’s efforts to get a gender-inclusive ENDA passed:
Frank said transgender activists and allies have been lobbying lawmakers to support the gender identity provisions, and he’s “more optimistic†that ENDA would pass with such a provision. But Frank stopped short of saying he was certain the bill would pass with the gender identity provisions.
“There’s no certainty in politics,†he said. “People got to lobby hard. And not lobbying Nancy Pelosi, or me, or [Reps.] Tammy [Baldwin] or George Miller — they should be calling their own representatives. I’m optimistic, but it’s not a done deal.â€
& Jillian Weiss will be writing a series of articles at her Transgender Workplace Diversity blog in order to answer these questions:
- How should gender identity be defined?
- Does “gender identity” language protect employees other than transgender people?
- What are the scope of the exemptions from coverage included in the bill?
- Who supports ENDA, and why?
- Who opposes ENDA, and why?
- What education do Members of Congress need?
- What should I tell my Congressperson?
- How will the relationship between transgender advocates and the wider LGBT advocacy community play out in this go-round?
- What has been the experience of organizations in jurisdictions with current gender identity protections?
- What types of issues have come up with transgender workers in the workplace?
- Is ENDA beneficial, detrimental, or neutral for the organizations that it covers?
…which will give us all more information & talking points when contacting our Representatives, as Frank says we should, so you should look up now so you’ll be ready. (On the top left side, you can put in your zip code & get the contact info for your Rep.)
Five News Stories
Posted by – May 28, 2009
Fairfax High School elected a male student Prom Queen.
Tom Ackerman, a gay man, has vowed to call his friends’ wives their girlfriends, because he’s decided his religious views don’t allow him to recognize opposite-sex marriage.
The New Scientist tells you everything you ever wanted to know about female ejaculation (& maybe a few things you didn’t want to know).
A woman named Brenda Lee got dragged bodily off of Air Force One when she tried to give President Obama a letter asking him to stand up for heterosexual marriage.
Publishers Weekly reports from the BEA that US Publishers have vowed to fight digitized piracy.
NYS GENDA Call-In Day is TODAY!
Posted by – May 20, 2009
The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) has been passed by the Assembly and has enough support to be passed by the Senate. Get on the phone and call the lead Senate sponsor Tom Duane and your Senator to tell them that you want them to bring GENDA to the Senate floor and pass it. It is vital that they hear from you.
You can reach Senator Tom Duane at (518) 455-2451 and you can find your State Senator’s Albany phone number here.
GENDA would amend the state’s human rights law to include anti-discrimination protections based upon gender identity and expression, providing crucial civil rights protections for transgender New Yorkers by banning discrimination in housing, employment, credit, public accommodations, and other areas of everyday life.
With more than half of the Senators indicating their support for GENDA, we know that we have enough votes to get it passed in the Senate if it comes to the floor for a vote. So now is the time to call Senator Duane and your State Senator!
Talking Points:
- Reach Tom Duane at (518) 455-2451 and find your Senator’s Albany phone number here. Call their offices on Wednesday to tell them that the time is now to end discrimination against transgender New Yorkers. Remember to give them the number of the GENDA bill (S.2406).
- Ask your Senator to vote for GENDA, and ask lead Senate Sponsor Tom Duane to bring the bill to the floor for a vote now.
- Tell them about the broad support for GENDA statewide, including:
- 78% of New York voters
- Unions representing 2.1 million working New Yorkers
- 27 Fortune 500 companies based in cities like Rochester, Corning, New York City and White Plains.
- 344 clergy and lay leaders, representing over 20 different denominations
Do it! Don’t just Twitter it!
NYS Needs GENDA (& Your Help)
Posted by – May 18, 2009
NY residents: Sign up for the STATEWIDE CALL-IN DAY FOR TRANSGENDER EQUALITY:
We need your help pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), a bill that would make it illegal in New York State to fire someone, evict them, or deny credit or admission to school solely based on their gender expression.
On April 21st, 2009 the NYS Assembly passed the GENDA bill for the second time, 97-38.
Now the NYS Senate needs to hear from voices all across NYS that GENDA matters and needs to come to the floor for a vote before the end of session on June 21st. If you sign up, you will be notified of when you need to call your senators.
