October 03, 2007
A statement from Donna Rose in response to the recently announced Human Rights Campaign position on ENDA:
Community. Integrity. Leadership. Vision. These are the foundational pillars of Equality. These are the values that draw many of us into advocacy roles. Those tenets provide a clear roadmap when things like politics, expediency, agenda, and power cloud the picture as they so often do. They pave the way to the moral high-ground, and those who follow them with trust and patience will ultimately find their efforts rewarded.
My name is Donna Rose, and I am the first and only openly transgender member of the Board of Directors of the Human Rights Campaign. I am the national co-chair for Diversity. I am the co-chair appointee-elect for the Business Council. I have spoken at events around the country on behalf of the organization, and I am a respected advocate for the transgender community.
My participation on the HRC Board has been a heavy burden. The relationship between HRC and the transgender community is one scarred by betrayal, distrust, and anger. I have become a focal point for much of that frustration and I accepted that responsibility with the hope that I could help to change it. In some very real ways I think I have been able to do that, or at least to help make that happen, and am tremendously proud of all we have achieved.
HRC has done some wonderful work to support the transgender community. Workplaces around the country are recognizing the unique challenges faced by transgender employees and are moving in record numbers to protect them as valued members of an inclusive workforce. Educational tools to help demystify our lives and to provide a human perspective have paved to way to a better understanding of who we are and our challenges. We have set high standards and we have held others accountable to them. The question at hand is whether we, as an organization, hold ourselves accountable to those same high expectations.
Transgender is not simply the 'T' in GLBT. It is people who, for one reason or another, may not express their gender in ways that conform to traditional gender norms or expectations. That covers everyone from transsexuals, to queer youth, to feminine acting men, to masculine appearing women. It is a broad label that cannot be confined to a specific silo of people. It is anyone who chooses to live authentically. To think that the work that we are doing on behalf of the entire GLBT community simply benefits or protects part of us is to choose a simplistic view of a complex community. In a very real way, the T is anyone who expresses themselves differently. To some it is about gender. To me, it is about freedom.
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is a core piece of legislation. It would guarantee that GLBT people will not get fired from their jobs because of discrimination and prejudice. It makes a strong statement that discrimination of any kind is unacceptable, and it recognizes the critical role of employment and career as something more than simply a paycheck. It is a source of pride, of achievement, of belonging, of security, and in a very real way it is a validation of person-hood.
Unemployment and under-employment is the single most significant issue facing transgender people today. The high-profile case of Susan Stanton, city manager from Largo, FL who was fired early this year after an exemplary 17-year career there simply because she was outed as being transgender, demonstrates the continuing experience that many of us continue to face each and every day in workplaces around this country. Although workplaces have made tremendous strides in enacting supportive policy, bad things still happen and the overall message being sent is that we're somehow expendable. In years past these things happened quietly, going unnoticed. Those days are numbered.
That's why ENDA is so important. It is more than simply a statement that it's not ok to fire GLBT people for reasons unrelated to work performance. It's a statement that we are a community. It's recognition of people who may not express their gender in traditional ways does not affect a person's ability to contribute as simply another part of a diverse workforce. It's a validation of those foundational pillars that line the moral high ground. And, it's recognition that each of us has value, and none of us will be left behind.
The current situation regarding ENDA is nothing short of a politically misguided tragedy. A tool that could and should be a unifying beacon on the heels of the historic passage of fully inclusive Hate Crime legislation has been split. Transgender brothers and sisters again find themselves separated, isolated, and disempowered. People in positions of power have decided that their personal legacy and the promise of political expediency are more important than protecting our entire beautiful community. The time is here to make a strong statement to demonstrate to them that they are wrong.
In 2004 the HRC Board voted to support only fully-inclusive Federal legislation. That decision paved the way to my participation with the organization, and was a significant step in the healing process. Since that time we have worked together tirelessly towards a goal of Equality for all. Less than a month ago HRC President Joe Solmonese stood before almost 900 transgender people at the Southern Comfort Conference in Atlanta to pledge ongoing support and solidarity. In his keynote address he indicated that not only would HRC support only a fully inclusive ENDA, but that it would actively oppose anything less. That single pledge changed hearts and minds that day, and the ripple affect throughout the transgender community was that we finally were one single GLBT community working together. Sadly, recent events indicate that those promises were hollow.
An impressive coalition of local and national organizations has lined up to actively oppose the divisive strategy that would leave some of our brothers and sisters without workplace protections. This effort has galvanized community spirit and commitment in ways few could have imagined, and it has demonstrated to those who would divide us that anything less than full inclusion is unacceptable Organization after organization has seized the moral high ground knowing that this is a historic opportunity that cannot be squandered, and that it is our moral obligation to ourselves and to generations that will follow to make a loud, clear, unmistakable statement that we are a community and we will not be divided. There is a single significant organization glaringly missing from that list. The Human Rights Campaign has chosen not to be there.
It is impossible to remove passion and emotion from what has happened. Indeed, those are the fuels that propel us. That being said please know that this entire situation has affected me deeply and profoundly. Still, I will not sling mud at the organization to who I have given my heart, my energies, and my trust. I will not give in to my frustration and disappointment that Joe's words of less than a month ago have proven to be hollow promises. This unfortunate turn of events has forced me to make some very difficult personal decisions about integrity, character, community, and leadership. Although I can find any number of logical and personal reasons to continue in my capacity as a board member, I cannot escape the moral implications of the decision before me. Using that as my guide, as difficult as it is for me to make, the decision is an obvious one.
I hereby submit my resignation from my post on the Board of the Human Rights Campaign effective Monday Oct. 8, 2007. I call on other like-minded board members, steering committee leaders, donors, corporate sponsors, and volunteers to think long and hard about whether this organization still stands for your values and to take decisive action as well. More than simply a question of organization policy, this is a test of principle and integrity and although it pains me greatly to see what has happened it is clear to me that there can only be one path. Character is not for compromise. I cannot align myself with an organization that I can't trust to stand-up for all of us. More than that, I cannot give half-hearted support to an organization that has now chosen to forsake the tenets that have guided my efforts from day one.
I align myself and my energies with the groundswell of community sentiment that has universally stood to oppose this divisive strategy. I wish my friends and colleagues from the Human Rights Campaign the best, and I expect that time will prove their decision to take a neutral stance and to fracture our community to be short-sighted and misguided. I accept the notion that we all want the same thing. It's just that I couldn't disagree more with this destructive strategy to get there. I urge the board and the leadership to reconsider their position and the join a unified community that supports a single all-inclusive bill.
History teaches painful lessons. Any celebration of rights gained at the expense of others is not a celebration. It is a failure of effective leadership. It is to offer the promise of a tomorrow that you know in your heart will never come. It is to choose to turn your back on those who need you most, who do not have the voice or the stature to speak for themselves.
The time is here for leaders to lead, for those who say they stand for community to act forcefully and with purpose. Anything less is to forsake the pillars of Equality for the empty promise of something less. The word that we have for that in our language is "Courage". It's the kind of courage it takes for GLBT people to show up for work each and every day, living authentically, wondering if that will be their last day. I call on my brothers and sisters at the Human Rights Campaign, for Speaker Pelosi and Congressman Frank, and for equality-minded leaders everywhere to lead by example and to do the right thing.
In Solidarity for Equality,
Donna Rose
Posted by David Mariner at October 3, 2007 06:21 PM
Okay, we can do the right thing in this situation, which is stick with the original bill. We know it won't pass, but we'll get through the ordeal with integrity intact. Is that Donna's ultimate point?
The problem with that argument is that if we stand on principle rather than taking a pragmatic and -- dare I say it? -- politically expedient position, then we risk getting nothing at all. We will have our integrity, yes, but not much else.
There may never be another chance to get job protection for thousands of gay and lesbian individuals. It is selfish for others to demand that we ignore these real people with real lives in return for total defeat. I can't imagine any gay or lesbian person I know claiming that black Americans didn't deserve civil rights protections until gays got the same.
Each time we win a battle, no matter how small, we show others that the extreme religious right is wrong. Clearly HRC cares about and fights for transgender individuals. In fact, they just helped win a historic victory with the inclusion of transgener individuals in the hate crimes legislation. Now it is their duty to have sexual orientation established as a protected class under the US civil rights laws. In general I am not a supporter of HRC but this time - they are correct.
So now HRC comes out in support? After their board member resigns? Interesting!
Yes, but you don't appear to understand that the HRC has had a history of supporting the removal of trans language from ENDA out of fear of lack of support for years. This legislation has existed since 1994, the gender expression language has repeatedly been excised, and it still hasn't gone to a House vote. We've never been at risk of getting nothing. We could draft an ENDA 2008 if this one failed, as has been done in the past. We got nothing because we're placing our faith in the hands of those who will not ask.
All or nothing. And we know which it will be for the foreseeable future.
"Common Sense", are you for real when you say --
"There may never be another chance to get job protection for thousands of gay and lesbian individuals."
??
Are you at all in touch with political and cultural reality? The reason why this "chance" came up is because the political climate has gotten better and better for gays and lesbians. In 2 years, it will only get better for the GLBT community, not to mention Bush will be out of the White House. The only Republican who has a chance to succeed Bush is Rudy Giuliani, who claims to support the GLBT community (although I find his claims specious at best). But more likely, it will be a Democrat who succeeds Bush. Knowing those things, why on earth would you say that "There may never be another chance to get job protection for thousands of gay and lesbian individuals"? Please, stop with your canards.
You know, I often used to be proud of my brother, Dave, although we had little in common (politically, philosophically, spiritually...). He was fearless and I admired that.
But I have to say, I'm far prouder of my sister, Donna-- And she lost none of that fearlessness when she transitioned and gave up being my brother to, finally, become who she actually was all along (we just didn't know it). In fact, she gained quite a bit in the fearlessness dept.
Regarding the current political firestorm: I don't know from "incrementalism"... frankly, that looks like muddy water to me. You can't see clearly through it and that makes it dangerous. The perspective is wrong, it seems to me. Perhaps it's better to go back to our country's foundations... to things like "BY the people, OF the people, and FOR the people of these United States..."; "United we stand, divided we fall..."; "E Pluribus Unum: Out of many, ONE".
My family didn't fall apart, didn't fractionate, when Donna came "out" to us. Instead, we put ourselves on a fast-track education to learn about what was going on with Dave/Donna and the result was total empathy and support. Dave never really existed, except visually and legally.... The part that makes us human-- the mind, the soul-- that part was always Donna. I'm glad we know that now. Especially because my sister Donna has also become one of my best friends. (We have so much in common, you see... philosophically, spiritually, politically.)
Trans-people aren't TRANS-people.... They're trans-PEOPLE. But this isn't about whether one is G, L, B, or T... or "straight" (whatever that happens to mean) --It's about our commonalities, our collective humanity. Was it Einstein who said "Remember your humanity and forget the rest"? It really IS a matter of principle.
By the way... Don't be too quick to write so-called "straight" people off and think we wouldn't support full protective legislation. Sometimes all we need is to learn. That's why my sister goes all over the country talking to people and keeps her website updated, writes in her blog, etc. It's so folks can get to know her, and see she's just another human being, like the rest of us. I've never been more proud of her than I am right now, and I thought it might be worth saying so, publicly.
Keep the faith.
Slainte,
Judith
I agree whole heartedly with Donna's statements. I also believe if we allow this fragmented bill to move forward without inclusiveness for gender identity and expression we may never obtain equality in those areas. The notion that at least gay and lesbians will be protected is not enough. We cannot leave anyone out of our community, and that includes transgender people and gender variant individuals.
I think the National Stonewall Democrats should censure Barney Frank for the proposal in the first place - their stance that they disagree doesn't mean that much when one of their founding members is pushing this fragmented legislation!
Movements cannot operate under the premise that we'll leave some group behind now, and then go back and pick them up later down the road. If we can learn one thing from the history of civil rights movements in this country, it's that. The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house, Jerry.
It deeply saddens me the enormous number of middle-upper class, gender-conforming, white gay and lesbian people who still can't grasp that using your position of relative privilege to fight for rights for only some people, deems other people less deserving of those rights simply because they are already less privileged -- never has worked and never will.
It must be remembered that, although trans-folks have located in the lesbigay community, their issues are related to, but not the same as, those of lesbians and gays. Consider the position of bisexuals that do not identify with the gay/lesbian community, but with heterosexuals: do they belong in the gay (word used broadly here) community? I would venture that they do not, since they have made a choice to live with straights. However, their rights are validated because they are discriminated against when they sleep or are otherwise involved with someone of the same sex. The same thing cannot be said of trans-folks, many of whom are not gay or lesbian. However, straight society does little to nothing to support the rights of sexual outlaws of all stripes, considering that we are "diseased", "criminals", "sinners", "crazy", etc. The only option left for trans people is to hook up with the queers, for there is no other place for them. Having said *that*, I embrace my trans sisters, brothers, and others. I do find, however, that it is specifically the inclusion of trans-people that finds the most resistance from the larger society in trying to move the lesbigay community forward into full human rights. Perhaps it is because of the not inconsiderable amount of anxiety that is propagated in our culture whenever gender identity is examined?
As for censuring Barney Frank, give it a rest! This man has been an outspoken advocate for queers and, face it, where are the other Reps and Senators sticking up for us? They are cowards, trying to amass political capital. At least Barney has worked diligently on this bill with pragmatism and courage. So, good grief - give him some strokes, folks! He is our brother, after all.
I am a gay man and completely with Donna. No one gets thrown under the bus for me and my rights. We need to remind HRC and all the other pragmatists that our cause is just, it is principled, and most shocking, it is winning! People are people are people are people. We of all should have learned that lesson.
HRC didn't just "stay neutral" on the issue, they led members of congress to believe that there would be sufficient community support for a non-inclusive ENDA. There are occasions where pragmatism and "half a loaf is better than none" make strategic sense--this was NOT one of those occasions.
Here's the leverage we have--Gay Marriage. Many politicians who make clear their opposition to gay marriage follow it up with some expression of support for ENDA and the, now passed, Hate Crimes bill.
ENDA's time has come, in part, because there are enough politicians who want it both ways--"no" on marriage without looking totally homophobic by supporting ENDA.
A non-inclusive ENDA is not necessary, we can stay and fight for this one!
Look at the HRC website today-- "HRC Launches Full-Scale Nationwide Call to Action for an Inclusive ENDA". They assumed, wrongly it happily appears, that their donors wouldn't care much if transgender rights were stripped from the bill. Not an apology or explanation, just spin trying to feign outrage and demand full equality--as if that had been their position all along.
Help should be taken wherever it comes from. So to HRC, finally, and thank you. But our community should never forget that HRC didn't sit neutrally. This is their mess, they should be there helping to clean it up.
I have been in the job market for 45 years. The last 30 years, I was a welder, steel fabricator, and an industrial mechanic. I have four years of college, my major was machine design. I have lost so many jobs in that time frame that I have lost count. I never ever took 'Sherri' to the work place, but some where along the line a rednecked coworker would find out just enough to cause me problems on the job. It was just like picking on a kid in school just because he / she is a little different.
My work was very excellant, I did what I was told, I very seldom ever missed work, I was always on time, and I could always be counted on to go that extra mile. However, when the layoffs came, I was always the first to go. For reasons that I will never understand the company would hold on to the person with the drug problem, or the alcoholic that always had the Monday morning bottle flue. Yes, even at this point as I am writing this letter, it still hurts me very deeply. This is the kind of hurt that one puts away in a safe place and it is locked away there forever.
The last time that I was layed off, I had two years to go untill I could recieve my SS. I threw up my arms in frustration and said enough is enough. In disgust, I stopped looking for another job and I did what ever I could to get by untill retirement.
Please, we all need ENDA to protect everyone from the kind of discriminations that I have experienced on the job. I do not want others coming after me to experience the same kind of harassments on the job. Good people trying to do the right things expected of them should not become victims like I have experienced
Sincerely, Sherri-k
i say gays and lesbians must stand together with those who helped get us to where we are today in terms of equal rights - the 'T's' in GLBT. Afterall, wasn't it the drag queens and transgendered who started the Stonewall Riot (known as the birth of the modern day GLBT movement)?
The issues of gender AND sexual orientation are separate only in their definitions. Practically speaking, the two issues usually occur together.
There was a time when I thought - let 'them' (the transgendered folk) wait while I greedily grab my rights. I don't believe that way anymore. I have grown to know and love many 'differently gendered', middle-sexed and 3rd-sexed individuals.
So, I don't know about you but the only bill I'm willing to accept is the one that protects my gender orientation as well as my sexual orientation (lesbian). I think gays ought to realize they too could very easily be discriminated over gender issues, just as easy as the sexual orientation ones, especially since many gays don't perfectly fit the stereotype of their gender!
THERE IS NO 'THEM', THERE IS ONLY 'US'! WAY TO GO DONNA.............XOXOXO, BARB
