Keep tomorrow at 11:30am open, ’cause openly gay Representative Barney Frank’s holding a press conference tomorrow to yell at “single-issue factions”. We wonder what that means. Here’s the curt, fatherly press release:
Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) will hold a press conference tomorrow, Thursday, October 11, at 11:30 a.m. The subject will be the obligation of the Democratic Party to govern responsibly when confronted by a demand to react emotionally by a deeply committed, single-issue faction insisting on putting ideological purity over achievable advancement of our values.
The specific example discussed will be the current demand that the Democratic leadership kill the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which has been the prime legislative goal for gay and lesbian people for over 30 years, because we do not have the votes to include people who are transgender.
Does this mean we’re grounded, or something?
Heather_L_James
Aww, are wittle Bawney’s feewlings hurt? What is the point of this presser? He already split the bill, it’s done, over, finito. An integral part of being in public service is answering to that public when you make difficult and unpopular decisions. If you can’t take the heat, Barn, stay out of the kitchen.
Mrs Patrick Campbell
How much does a big fat fugly like Miss Frank have to pay for sausage?
Paul Raposo
It’s going to be fun watching the homocons who call Barney Frank vile names and make vile accusations against him, suddenly defend his actions and praise his “bravery” for standing up for gay rights–while trashing transgendered people.
jbran
Question – despite what “should” or “should not” be in the bill, does anyone think a bill including transgendered people would pass in this political climate? I believe that the transgendered community should have the same rights as everyone else, but I pause at Rep. Frank’s phrase “achievable advancement.” Again, I’m not trying to qualify anyone’s worth, but I think of what Sen. Obama said at the HRC Presidential forum. When black Americans were trying to get the right to vote, they waited to push for the repeal of miscenegenation laws. Are we all or nothing?
flightoftheseabird
I personally hopes Frank introduces an ENDA that will pass. It is high time that something get done. It allows for additions in the near future. Were blacks supposed to wait until women could get the vote before they did? Or more importantly should the initial anti-discrimination laws have not have been passed just so we could include everyone? If that were the case it would still be legal to fire someone for being a woman, disabled, religious, etc. Come on let’s be realistic. Things move slowly and I don’t see where anyone has made the political climate acceptable for Congress to support trans gendered rights. We want everything right now without laying the groundwork to make it possible. I am in no way saying that trans gendered individuals should be discriminated. But we have to take cues from the right wing, even seemingly hollow and unsatisfying victories are huge moral victories. It takes lots of little steps in order to have long term permanent changes.
Patrick Y
We ought to support ENDA now. Those who insist upon all or nothing strategies are often rewarded with … nothing. Politics and progress often mean making difficult compromises with difficult people. Let’s not throw out the baby with the bath water in our sincere efforts to support transgender folk. Barney Frank is correct when he extolls the historic importance and power of ENDA to help millions upon million of people now.
ENDA is a solid good foundation upon which to expand rights to transgender people. It’s sensible to feel disappointed and angry at those who make transgender inclusion a deal breaker but to abandon ENDA altogether in order to express those feelings is self- and community- destructive.
oklahomo
I say if a tranny gets fired under the new law, she should say, “I was fired cuz I’m a fag. I wear lip gloss and heals for religious purposes.”
logan767
I agree with you oklahomo… i’ve been thinking the same thing myself.
i also love how everyone seems to be using the phrase “ideological purity” to stand in for “equal rights”. my support for trans people comes from the conviction that all people should be entitled to the same treatment – if you want to denigrate that sentiment by calling it “ideological purity”, then you do so at the expense of dehumanizing our cause.
Leland Frances
Your idiocy is certainly tireless, Ms. Heather. But armchair pontificating rarely wears out even the mentally-challenged. Try actually working in DC and trying to get legislation passed. In any case, your position equates to “Ya gotta kill your kids because my kids don’t have enough to eat.”
Truly admirable. Truly logical. Truly strategic. Truly a steaming crock of shit. “while trashing transgendersed people,” Ms. Raposo? “Trashing”? Jump on in, the crock is fine.
Ann M Knittel
Isn’t it grand to see a Legislator or Congress person, such as Barney trying to discriminate and show disrespect toward over 3 million voting, taxpaying, and hard working citizens (transgender people) in this country. Isn’t it grand that the one that professes to be for all those in the GLBT wants to see those over 3 million forced out of employment, housing, etc… Force them so far that they will have to live on the streets. I am ashamed of those like Barney that act the way he has acted toward American Born taxpaying Citizens. If it were not for a trans person the gay liberation movement wouldn’t have started for another 20 years ( Silvia Rivera).
IthacaGuy
http://www.xanga.com/lostinlimerence/619896609/yeah-i-said-it.html
Zoe Brain
So far the only states in which the gay and lesbian community
has `come back’ for transgender people are Rhode Island (2001),
California (2003), New Jersey (2006) and Vermont (2007). In New York
they are still having a difficult time passing GENDA after
transgender people were cut out of SONDA by gay rights advocating the
same ‘we’ll come back for you’ incremental rights spin.
The first gay only rights bill, passed in Wisconsin in 1982 has been
that way for 25 years now. There’s no indication by the GLB
leadership in that state if they’ll move to rectify the omission of
their transgender brothers and sisters or if they’ll assign it a
priority as high as the one they place on marriage equality.
– http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2007/10/why-transgender-community-hates-hrc.html
Bill Perdue
For decades politicians of both parties figured that a few pats on the back and a few nebulous promises were all they needed to make us forget their betrayals. That period is rapidly closing. Hustlers like Pelosi and Frank were stunned by the intensity and breadth of our condemnation of their betrayal of ENDA.
Most Democrats are being pushed off the fence and obliged to take sides. Inevitably most of them are heaving themselves even further to the right. The 2008 election is almost a lock for Clinton and that guarantees more of the same; a long war, more backstabbing from the bigots who brought us DADT, DOMA and the ENDA disaster, an accelerated decline in the standard of living, and an obstinate refusal to tackle racism, homobigotry, the super exploitation of immigrant workers, the onrushing ruin of the environment, etc. As those issues heat up political life the Democrats will become even more impossible to tell apart from the Republicans.
This trend will deepen and all of the miniature attack Chihuahuas supporting Clinton, Pelosi and Franks (like L. Frances) won’t be able to spin it away. They can froth at the mouth as much as they want but that’s no substitute for the real world solutions we need to live as first class citizens.
Don’t waste you vote on rightwing Republicans or rightwing Democrats. Vote for leftwing parties and join and build the union controlled US Labor Party. A Republican politician is a baboon in a people suit with a totalitarian christian attached at the hip. A Democratic politician is a Republican in drag.
Gregg
@ Ann M Knittel – Isn’t it grand to see you twisting and misrepresenting people? Barney Frank isn’t trying to discriminate or show disrespect to transgender people, nor does he WANT to see them forced out of housing, employment, etc. as you say. He is trying to get legislation PASSED rather than living in a perfect fantasy world and throwing away what can be accomplished today for what we would LIKE to be accomplished.
You are clearly happy to lie about people. I am glad that we have someone like Frank in Congress and not a loopy “perfectionist” like you.
MonicaH
Greg, I see that because you will not be left out of Barney’s bigot bill that you are okay to throw transgender people under the bus?
Did you serve in the military? Well, Ann did, as did I. Just think, transsexuals put their lives on the line, protecting people like you and Barney so you can still have the right to hate others. We protected this country and the rights of Americans only to be told by someone who wants his equal rights that we aren’t worthy to share in those same rights. Barney would soil his pants in a heartbeat if he had endure what many of us did for years.
There are 3 million Transgender Americans, of which 300,000 of those are veterans. You can spout your bigotry all you want about transgender people, but don’t think you can tell a veteran they don’t deserve their rights.
I think that GLBT veterans should get their rights before Barney and you do, if you didn’t serve. We earned it. Barney didn’t. I deserve what I earned, and Barney or you will not keep me from getting it. Am I clear on that? And, I don’t plan on burying any more of my friends who committed suicide because they lost their jobs and couldn’t find another one for years on end. Am I clear on that, too?
Darlie
“Single-issue factions� Damn, I thought I was a human being ?
What Mr Frank is missing is the absolute brilliance of the 150 LGBT organizations and the statement that they made. It has unified , not dissolved the alliance A pity he does not belong and serves one cause only because myself, I have never adored and loved the LGBT so much. So solidly behind inclusion and rock solid on the issues they came with. To all the gay members who made this choice knowing it meant a longer wait I have no words that would do justice to that kind of bravery. I love you all.
Heather_L_James
I’m an idiot and mentally challenged? Leland, those are two things I can easily disprove. Can you prove the fact that you aren’t a douchebag? I think not. He is holding a press conference to badmouth people that are working very hard to help themselves. That isn’t right. We could sit here and argue interminably whether or not he made the right decision, but you can’t argue that it was an unpopular one. I’m sure right now Barney feels like he is on an island, but a person of his character and reputation shouldn’t be lashing out at his critics.
And MonicaH, posting that you deserve rights above anyone that hasn’t served in the armed forces makes us all look bad. There are a myriad ways to serve democracy besides military enlistment. Your assertion is offensive to all of us that have spent countless hours volunteering in homeless shelters and AIDS hospices. You don’t deserve anything for your service in the military outside of what was promised in your contract, and you knew that when you signed it.
Ann M Knittel
Gregg! Just what do you have in common with barney? Maybe bedfellows? (just guessing) I feel a hatred from you toward fellow taxpaying hard working citizens.
After 25+ years of waiting for Wisconsin to add the T to protections, how damn long does the T community wait for protections from the federal government? How many jobs does one go threw? How long must one live on the street do to no finances because of loosing their jobs?
You aren’t or never have had it as tough as someone that is in the transgender community. You seem to have your silver or bronze spoon attached to your lower lip.
Try cross dressing for about a week or a month, see how your treated, especially on the job. And, no, i am not a crossdresser, so don’t bash. I am american born and raised, yes a veteran but i become not proud of that when i here your nonsense cause yes i had to defend for your rights.
The T community is not asking for special rights like you and Frank are. We don’t need rights to let us go to bed with who we want too. Some of us are still married to our original spouses, we don’t play musical beds.
We are asking for protective enforced constitutional rights, thats the difference.
Seems gregg hates all people that are of any diversity segmnent of society, just like his idol, Frank.
Ann M Knittel
Heather,
Your part of those who need enforced protective rights, you are a part of the ones being thrown under the bus by ones like Frank and gregg.
The touble with some of the GLB community is they are doind nothing but showing disrespect and discriminating agai nst the T community by seperation and segregation of 2 bills. they will always want and try to get theirs and the hell with us.
171 legislators signed on HR2015. Many, many allies and supporters that aren’t hate mongers like Frank and gregg. Go to UnitedENDA.org and get your eyes popped out of you dum head gregg, we have support. But not from ones that live in a hitler state of mind like you and your hand pal frank.
J. A. Barden
So – the truncated ENDA bill leaves transgendereds out in the cold, making it illegal to hate all except them?
God help TGs if Barney Frank, Congress and ‘W’ won’t.
Heather_L_James
Ann, yes I know I’m a “T”. And if you know I’m T, that means you clicked my blog link. Did you read anything besides the part where I disclose my gender status? Where I come down on the whole debate is pretty obvious, I’m just sick of discussing it. In the last two weeks I’ve made dozens of phone calls and written thousands of words expression my opinion, I even had five minutes of face time with Kucinich’s top aide. I am ENDA’ed out. I have gone through the Kubler-Ross stages of grief, and have found acceptance. What I can’t suffer is Barney Frank tearing into his critics because he doesn’t like the negative attention he is getting. I’ve heard Mr. Frank speak enough to know he is far too intelligent to have not realized he was going to suffer backlash as a result of this decision.
The amount of myopia from both sides of this argument is staggering. This is still a test run for ENDA, and when it is reintroduced in 2008 and again in 2009 (when it actually might have a chance of becoming law) there is nothing to say gender identity can’t be included then. The LGBs that think all this trans outrage is going to hurt this bill’s passage need to wake up, any ENDA will not become law before 2009. And the T’s that are apoplectic over the exclusion, hey if this is what it takes to get our community off its collective ass and engaged then so be it.
jbran
I’m going to ask my question again. Despite what “should” be on the bill, does anyone think that a bill that included transgendered citizens would pass? I myself am doubtful, but would like to hear what others (i.e. Heather) think.
Ann M Knittel
Heather,
No i didn’t go any further, than to comment.
To me, it doesn’t matter who and what anyone is, really.
I own and operate the trans advisory hotline of america these past 2 years with no financial help from anyone nor the government.
People like Frank can’t dip their directions into me helping trans people with resources, direction, and true genuinine sources for advice.
I am an activist like Monica is for the betterment of our community and against hatred toward people such as us.
I have made a slew of calls, sent lots of e-mails. I have people in Wisconsin, Michigan, the great lakes region, and here in tennessee working for the cause to get HR 2015 passed, as i have also spent 12 to 18 hours a day doing in the last 2 weeks.
Thank you for your help and i hope and pray you continue till the end.
Ann marie
Director, Wisconsin Working for Equality
Director of Tennessee’s Chattanooga LGBT center
Ann M Knittel
Jbran,
Yes, i feel it will pass as long as those involved to get the word out, continue to keep contacting those that are not on the listed 171 supportive legislators from unitedENDA.org for HR2015.
Monica Helms
Heather,
I was being sarcastic to Greg. It works better verbably. And, I have also helped in similar areas that you have. Thank you for being there.
Ann M Knittel
JbranThere are almost 500 agencies, organizations and such of allies of the LGBT community working to get the information out to legislators accross this country.
The 2 such agencies i am involved with directly have about 1900 making calls throughout the day at seperate times. One other has 500,000 involved that i am not a part of.
There is room still for more to be involved.
The more the marrier and the better the out come..
Heather_L_James
Ok, I really have to get at least some work done today but I wanted to respond to a few things. Ann and Monica, that’s great that you are so engaged. For my own part I have tried to stay out of the political arena and focus my efforts locally by working with LGBT youth groups in the communities in which I have lived (Chicago and Cleveland), but this seemed too big to not get involved. One heartening thing I have taken from being involved with queer teens is that they get the big picture, and see the community as one; l, g, b and t. The future is bright.
Monica, thanks for saying the bit about special rights for vets was sarcasm. You had me worried there for a minute. We have enough people trying to turn this into a military state right now. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to live in ancient Sparta.
JBran, NCTE identified ten Representatives who were getting cold feet regarding the trans inclusive version. According to Mara’s latest blog there have been quite a few names moved from nay to yea in the past two weeks. So yes, I think the decision to drop gender identity was a bit premature. However I don’t think it was done for the house vote as much but more in the hopes it might sneak through the Senate. In my opinion neither version has a chance of Senate approval this year, of course my opinion and $4.55 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks, so take that for what it’s worth.
Ann M Knittel
Heather,
Yes, employment, personal life has to be number 1 for anyone before volunteerism and activism.
You don’t have to be politically involved to be concerned and active in the issues at hand.
Thanks for your comments and thanks for being involved with youth.
I know well that it is those unexpected thank you’s for being there that matter most.
Monica Helms
Heather,
Please watch over our future. They are the ones who will make this all happen if we fail. I wish I was 40 years younger. But, with you helping them, I can at least smile.
Dominique
This is not the first time Barney Fife (wrong last name intentionally referencing Barney) has thrown T’s under the bus. Following research that shows most anti-gay hate and violence is perpetrated by individuals inclined to be closeted homosexuals… I can only surmise Barney Fife is a closeted tranny who doesn’t want anyone looking in the closet behind his closet.
Barney? What do you have hidden that you are so abhorrent towards T’s?
Ann M Knittel
Dominique
For the record, it’s been going on since 1973.
Hrc and Barney both.
A person or community can just turn their cheecks so long, till they say, “enough is enough”.
It was, from HRC and Barney, do for us. But, now when it comes to getting their help, we get runned down, thrown under the bus, or left out on some peak with only ourselves with help from our many allies helping.
With supporters and allies, to this day and time, we are now 2 million strong. We have the votes. But the more the marrier
Craig Browning
I’m not your typical “anything left goes” fag… when it comes to the whole TREND of using the term “Transgender” as a buzz word I’m disgusted and quite frankly on the side of professionals in the mental health industry, viewing 98.5% of such claims as being a social-political means of exploiting shock value towards parents and society in general.
Yes, there are those who BIOLOGICALLY have a legitimate claim to be sexually mis-assigned. I’ve known such people over the years and there is a HUGE difference between them and this game so many are playing now days and more important, the militant attitude so many of them are taking, trying to force other gay people to deny that they are homosexual and use the Transgender Excuse… which is what it has become; a GIMMICK of sorts, for getting more attention and added benefits… frankly, if a woman thinks she’s a man and wants to be labeled as such TAKE FROM HER all the added advantages she gets under the label of being female. This would mean that she don’t gain the brownie points with Social Security and Welfare type programs… she’d be rated just like a man in the same exact position e.g. a white f to m trans would be SOL when it comes to getting much in way of aid in that White Males and given the scenario a “heterosexual” male at that, are the largest minority in this country with the least amount of security and protection. Thus, if you want to be a “Man” and that’s your claim — LIVE IT! More importantly, get serious about your claims, deny your birth gender and get the operation within a 5 year period… this goes for those Full Back and Quarter Back built boys that think themselves Janet Jackson of Mitzy Gainer… turn that rooster into a hen in under 5 years or get your act together and simply admit that you are a screwed up Gay man just like the rest of us that have been able to find our balls and stand up to that truth.
The GLB community has lost its way by allowing things like the Transgender Hot Button to distract them and rob from them the momentum we once knew. We’ve also become very blinded to the issue of wisdom, when it comes to dealing with an administration that is NOT gay friendly at any level and understanding that the gain of an inch vs. two, means a hell of a lot more than screwing ourselves and getting nothing as the result of some toddler’s tantrum.
It’s time to grow up and remember what is important and stop getting sucked in by every mode of freakism that comes along. It is time to stop insisting that the world kiss our ass vs. US stepping back and seeing what it is WE MUST DO in order to not only make positive changes happen, but to be seen by the greater whole, as an embodiment of mature, honorable and respectable people… sorry, but as much fun as Drag Shows can be, they should not be our flagship of representation nor should the leather daddy’s & their boy toys.
QUEER (as in being a deliberate freak or oddity) ain’t cool if you are trying to actually make things happen where the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
Ann M Knittel
I say that we all vote GRENN Party the next time Barney Fife goes for re-election. better yet, we write in a candidate against him, like, Harvey J Fudpucker, J=jerkoff. If Harvey gets 15% it will send a message to Barney. If Harvey wins, then we can decide here who Barney really is.
Ann M Knittel
I say we have Barney and Craig live together in a 1 bedroom apartment for 1 month, in Montana or Utah, go out in public together shopping etc, as crossdressers. Then they can tell us, here just how their experience was and the treatment they received.
Dominique
WTF @ Craig Browning??? From which orifice did you pull out that 98.5% number?
Look back at history. It was the TG people who started the riot at Stonewall. Three years before that, it was the TG people who started a riot in San Francisco.
When G’s and L’s began getting a voice, the immediately relegated gender non-conforming people to the back of the proverbial bus.
Protecting gender identity not only protects transsexuals, it also protects homosexual people who do not conform to the binary gender norms of the 1960’s, which the militant religious right is trying to bring back. Protecting gender identity also protects STRAIGHT people who are gender non-conforming.
Your response, Mr. Browning, is ill informed babble. I’m appalled, insulted, and flabbergasted.
You should be working for Ann Coulter. She is well aware, as are the other Christian Taliban members, that the more they can keep us infighting, the longer they can deny us equal protection under the constitution’s guarantee of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.
Discrimination against one, is discrimination against all.
United we stand!
Divided we fall!
Ann M Knittel
Right on, Dominique!
I would love to see and be directly involved in another STONWALL, with T’s only, and their allies.
Everyone else that is voicing there anger against the T community, if they want to join in, from the G and L, they will have to cross dress.
It could happen and become a reality in a short period of time.
Ann M Knittel
Wonder what would happen, when reality hits, and HRC loses their tax exempt status.
They sure have violated their 10 point mission(which got them that 501(c)3) several times, since 1983 and beyond.
They have only truthfully folowed 2 or 3 of them.
hisurfer
Oh man, I’m really starting to hate this Senator. What a mean and petty press release.
Meanwhile …
“A person or community can just turn their cheeks so long, till they say, “enough is enoughâ€.”
… sorry to bring this down to the gutter, but: heh. That’s a funny image.
Ann M Knittel
Here is some positive news, where, the haters of diverse groups can’t touch like Craig:
PageOneQ.com – USA
Nancy Pelosi guarantees House vote on fully-inclusive ENDA
by PageOneQ
The Human Rights Campaign has secured a commitment from House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi for a House vote on H.R. 2015, also known as the original
Employment Non-Discrimination Act (also known as ENDA), once the GLBT
community secures the votes for passage.
ENDA would provide federal protections to employees against
discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender expression. This
month, controversy has arisen over the legislation being broken into
two separate bills over fears that not enough legislators would
support a bill that included gender expression. Prompting protest
among GLBT citizens and organizations, H.R. 3685 was created for the
“sexual orientation” portion, with gender expression separated into
another bill for later consideration.
Says Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solomonese, “Speaker Pelosi’s
promise to put a fully-inclusive ENDA to a vote continues to underline
HRC’s passionate advocacy on behalf of the entire GLBT community.”
“Our strategy throughout,” continues Solomonese, “has been to stay at
the table and fight for the ultimate goal that we all share. Today,
that strategy has proven to be successful. With this commitment, the
inclusive ENDA bill will continue to receive legislative action as it
moves through the committee hearing process during the time HRC, and
other coalition organizations, continue to advocate directly with
Members to support this critical inclusive workplace protection bill.”
Various campaigns, including No Substitutes and HRC’s 10 in 10, have
generated thousands of contacts between citizens and their
representatives in Washington to urge them to support federal
protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees.
“Since the introduction of a sexual orientation only ENDA,” continues
Solomonese, “HRC has ramped up its efforts to push for a fully
inclusive ENDA that protects our whole community. Through calls to
action to our supporters and frequent visits to Capitol Hill by our
staff, Board of Directors and volunteers, HRC has fought hard to
receive the kind of commitment that Speaker Pelosi gave us today.”
Continues Solomonese: “Now the real work begins. We must maintain the
momentum we have built up to persist in educating members of Congress
and the public about issues facing the transgender community. HRC will
continue to lead the lobbying and education campaign until we reach
the goal we all share—workplace protections for the entire GLBT
community.”
Originally published on Friday October 12, 2007.
http://pageoneq.com/news/2007/Nancy_Pelosi_guarantees_House_vote_on_fullyinclusive_1012.html
Dominique
I’ve known for years HRC and Barney are actively anti-trans. Solomnese seemed to bring about a new direction. Alas, the rich closeted fags have bought him out, too.
Elizabeth Birch once said as long as she was in charge of HRC, Trans issues would never be included. She did what her large donors told her to do. They include rich closted fags who are straight passing and don’t want to be associated with gender non-conforming people.
These gender non-conforming people are precisely the ones who fought for these straight passing closeted fags to have a gay movement. They simply want to eat their cake, yet still have it, too.
These are no better than Bush and his war machine cronies.
I’m ashamed to be a straight passing lesbian. Proud to be a transwoman.
Ann M Knittel
Dominique,
Funny thing is in 2001, this was predicted by Sylvia Rivera before her death.
Too bad she is gone. But, one could bet shes watching this from heaven.
We need a STONEWALL with just trans and their true allies and supporters.
Ann M Knittel
Dominique, you are right!
I need to get this too everyone, to show just how 2 faced the Massatusetts Congressman is. He had even stripped some of the vital rights for the sexual orientation measure when splitting the bill into 2.
From:
Pam’s House Blend, USA
Representative Barney Frank: Blatantly Duplicitous
by: Autumn Sandeen
Tue Oct 23, 2007 at 21:34:08 PM EDT
One thing [the transgender community around the late 80’s] didn’t take
into account was how deeply entrenched the anti-transgender attitudes
and doctrines were amongst gay and lesbian leaders. Barney Frank (D-MA)
is a prominent example of it. They still persisted in holding the view
that transgender people were ‘crazy queens’ who would cost them their
rights. Gay leaders were still trying to use the 70’s assimilationist
strategy to counter the Religious Right campaign against gay civil rights
fueled by fear of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
–Monica Roberts, discussing attitudes and advocacy on the pre-2004
versions of ENDA in Why The Transgender Community Hates HRC
—
On October 19th, Representative Barney Frank publicly came out in
support of the Baldwin amendment. In his released statement, he said:
—
“The decision to offer such an amendment came out of a Caucus which
Chairman George Miller held of the Democratic Members of the
Education and Labor Committee. After some discussion, it became
clear that offering such an amendment would offer us the best chance
to achieve Speaker Pelosi’s goal of adopting in the House the most
inclusive ENDA bill for which majority support existed.”
“I argued in favor of transgender inclusion when I testified on the
original legislation on September 5, but many of us believed that
sending the full inclusive bill to the floor would open the door to
a series of demagogic procedural moves that would have endangered
our chances of a passing any bill at all. The discussion held by the
Democratic Members of the Education and Labor Committee,
Congresswoman Baldwin and myself resulted in this approach and I
believe it meets the goal of giving people the opportunity to
support a fully inclusive bill while avoiding the potential
parliamentary death traps that would otherwise have resulted. I will
on the floor of the House be repeating essentially the arguments in
favor of transgender inclusion which I made in the September 5
hearing, because we will now be able to do that in a procedural
setting that allows us to maximize support for an inclusive bill
without endangering our chances of getting any bill at all.”
—
Privately, Representative Barney Frank’s message to his
congressional peers has been much, much different.
Behind the public view, several congresspeople, congresspeople’s
staffs, and other government sources have reported to ENDA activists
that Representative Frank is strongly advocating in private for
congresspeople to vote against the Baldwin Amendment because, in his
opinion, it would cause the bill itself to fail.
The debate over whether or not ENDA should or shouldn’t be fully
inclusive shouldn’t be about individuals or organizations, but on
the facts and merits of the issue. However, on the subject of how
inclusive ENDA should be, the blatant duplicity found between
Representative Frank’s public and private statements is utterly
reprehensible…it’s utterly unacceptable.
Representative Frank may be my ally on transgender inclusion in
years to come, but I will never again consider what he says publicly
to be even marginally truthful.
Dominique
The school yard bully wins again.
We lose again.
Thanks for nothing Barney.
I will never ever again donate anything to HRC!