Maryland’s Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Bill (HB 235) would have prohibited employment, housing, and credit discrimination against transgender and transsexual residents. But even though the bill made it out of the state House with a very supportive 86-52 vote, it now it looks like the bill might die in the Senate Rules Committee. So why are Trans Maryland, Trans United, and other trans activists hoping it dies while Equality Maryland is asking people to pressure senators to get it out of committee? Namely because HB 235 doesn’t go far enough in protecting transfolk against basic forms of public discrimination.
Although Equality Maryland (EQMD) led the lobbying effort for the bill, it angered many trans activists — including the only trans-specific organizations in Marlyland — because the bill’s lead sponsor Joseline Pena-Melnyk removed public accommodations rights to help get the votes it needed to pass. (Public accommodation rights protect Ts from discrimination in public transit, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, and bathrooms. Any firm doing business with “the public” must fall into line.)
And with a 60 percent bi-partisan majority House vote, the compromise that removed public accommodations might have been unnecessary in the first place. Meanwhile, given how standalone pro-trans public accommodations bills often get vilified as predatory “bathroom bills” by transphobic conservatives, the likelihood of standalone PA bill getting passed in a future legislative session seems dim.
One need only consider the story of Tyra Hunter to understand the necessity of including public accommodations in these protections.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Hunter was a transsexual woman who died after a car accident because firefighters responding to the scene refused to render care; firefighter Adrian Williams even called Hunter a “nigger” with a “dick.” A hospital doctor at the since-closed emergency room where Hunter was brought also refused to render care that could have saved her life. A jury awarded Hunter’s mother $1.75 million because the DC Fire Department violated a 1977 DC Human Rights Law requiring them to render care. Furthermore, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) requires ERs to render lifesaving treatment regardless of legal status.
(Public accommodations protections for trans individuals would have provided additional protections against the kind of discrimination Hunter faced by mandating all public service workers to provide care, service, and room for trans individuals. It would not only explicitly forbid trans discrimination in life threatening emergency room situations, but would also guarantee access for trans people to gyms, restaurants, hotels, transit, bathrooms and other day-to-day places.)
As more states work to enshrine trans-protections in their laws, Maryland’s bill could help set an important standard and precedent in how other states’ should frame their trans-equality legislation to guarantee full protection everywhere.
EQMD helped shape the bill to include protections for a person’s gender identity and presentation, and they’ve spent the last few months gathering support for the bill via their website and Facebook page, but the rancor over the bill’s lack of public accommodations reveals the split between it and the states’ trans organizations, who say EQMD doesn’t speak for them. National human rights advocate Ashley Love and others had their Facebook comments deleted and posting rights revoked for repeatedly challenging EQMD’s depiction of the bill as being “fully inclusive” and criticizing EM for not consulting the trans community when shaping the bill.
Sandy Rawls, executive director of Baltimore-based Trans United, tells Queerty, “Equality Maryland has promoted a few transgender supporters of HB235, yet they are either donors or prior board members of EqMD, and are all white and of means, making them out of touch with the majority. In the real world, most trans people don’t have the privileges of financial security. Trans United services many African American Marylanders who desperately need public accommodations protections. HB 235 ensures trans minorities have no accommodations available, similarly, the issue of public accommodations is what launched the civil rights movement.”
AmericaBlog and Pam’s Premium Blend have both accused State Sen. Brian Frosh of holding up the bill as co-chair of the Rules Committee, where proponents fear it will die a quiet death. But the bill’s sponsor in the House of Delegates, Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk, specifically named Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, a Democrat, as the one responsible for diverting the bill to the Senate Rules Committee saying, “Mike Miller wants it dead, it’s that simple. Out of 94 bills that the House passed and sent to the Senate in a timely fashion, this was the only bill that went to the Rules Committee — the only bill.”
And while EQMD is asking its supporters to help send 2,000 emails today urging senators to get the bill on the floor before the Senate’s April 11 recess, Trans Maryland’s media director Jenna Fischetti tells Queerty, “Trans Maryland welcomes the Senate’s decision to refer HB235 to the Rules Committee, which appears to be in response to the great public outcry over its gross deficiencies. Senator [Brian E.] Frosh confirmed his office was inundated on Monday by calls from the transsexual and transgender community over the removal of public accommodations. Not once in the history of trans specific civil rights has a state enacted protections for public accommodations only, once a prior law was in place.”
Had the bill stayed active in the Senate it had the possibility of being amended to include public accommodations, and there would have been a public hearing so Maryland’s trans activists could get their concerns about the lack of public accommodations on the official record. And even though the bill’s fate remains uncertain, on her blog Trans Forming Media, Love called the prospect of the bill’s death a potential “blessing in disguise” that would allow it to be re-proposed next year in its full and original version — with public accommodation protections.
It all boils down to the fact that Maryland’s trans-specific organizations do not agree with how the state’s foremost equality group has represented the trans community’s needs. “We thank Senator Frosh for acknowledging that many transsexual and transgender people disagree with Equality Maryland compromising the bill, and Senator Madaleno for stating that ‘although much of the attention… is on marriage equality…it cannot overshadow efforts to enact these essential protections [of] gender identity discrimination [protections], a basic human right,'” says Love.
“The tide is shifting. Elected officials are realizing that the LGBT movement does not always serve, prioritize or accurately represent TS/TG Americans. This HB 235 controversy has shown the whole country that it’s time for the transsexual, transgender and intersex coalition to take back their voice.”
Cam
I’m confused about a part of thise article…
”
Public accommodations protections for trans individuals would have provided additional protections against the kind of discrimination Hunter faced by mandating all public service workers to provide care, service, and room for trans individuals.”
—
It’s my understanding that Paramedics and Doctors have to treat people in an emergency situation in their job capacity. I don’t think that currently there is a section of the law that says “Unless you are a bigot, then you don’t have to treat them”
Anybody familiary with the law in that area??
Kat
Cam,
It would depend on the context – which is the same caveat that EQMD doesn’t want people to consider when they claim that homeless shelters would be covered under “housing.” With homeless shelters, some would and some wouldn’t – and with most, it would be case-specific.
As for doctors and paramedics, if you’re referring to their general professional credo, then trans folks would be SOL; generally, that’s not something that is enforceable from outside the profession (a malpractice might be viable, but not an anti-discrimination claim.)
Now, most paramedics are employees of some governmental entity, so a general civil rights claim could be viable (I forget the exact theory that Tyra Hunter’s survivors used, but I believe that this was it or at least one of the theories used.) Doctors who are governmental employees in their medical practice would be the same. However, doctors, nurses, clinicians, etc. in private practice could only be gotten at through anti-discrimination law – which would mean that HB235 would leave them free to discriminate against trans people.
fuzzy
Wow. Very disappointed in EQMD. Haven’t been keeping up with the local news; didn’t realize this was going on in my back yard. Why is EQMD so insistent that this bill is good enough? Do they just need to claim a victory so badly? Questioning whether they should get my support this year.
Rebecca
Yes! Its about time the transgender community took control of their moevement. Gays are concerned about one thing: gay marriage. We as transgender people need to break free of this bullshit “family”, and do things on ouw own
For Public Accommodation
Taking public accommodation out of the bill left it with a major and fatal flaw.
If the bill had, by some miracle, passed, then getting it amended or a new bill passed would have taken years, if not a dozen years. Politicians remember what bills get passed, and if another bill or an amendment were to get proposed, the intimidate thought would be “What, this again? We took care of this LAST year.” And the bill would be dead.
So, in this case, no bill is better than one that had has a huge sucking hole in it.
Here is a simple case on how confusing things are right now. If you take the train from, for example, Boston to Washington, and that train has both a mens and ladies room, which do you use?
If you are in New York, you use the one that matches your gender identity. That is what the NYC laws say. But, if you leave that rest room in New Jersey, you might get arrested for using the “wrong” rest room. Never mind that it was OK when you went in. Same problem when the train gets to Baltimore. Looking at the various laws, which change on a city be city or county by county basis can make you crazy. Hence the need for a statewide set of laws. The feds wont take it on because laws related to public accommodation are currently left to the state.
Equality Advocate
@fuzzy:
What is disappointing is that this article is not at all grounded in facts or the real world. Mike Miller does not care about what non-profits or advocacy organizations have to say.
I have actually talked to folks at Equality Maryland – talked NOT yelled or berated – and they have said that when the sponsor presented the case and the fact that the bill would die yet again, potentially for the next four years until the next election that they were swayed to consider moving at least some of the much needed protections. Jobs and housing are a big step!
Is it cool that the transgender community has to wait for public accommodations, no. But is it better to have people fired or kicked out of housing and not have anything done about that. Absolutely not.
It may not be warm and fuzzy, but politics rarely is. I think they are smart to at least consider getting some protections in place especially if they are doing so in spite of what looks like some pretty mean spirited responses from folks who frankly many not understand that politics is not ideal and progress takes time.
Equality Advocate
@Rebecca:
Funny, but it sounds to me like they are working on a bill that actually accomplishes even more than ENDA which when it was introduced the other day was celebrated through the L-G-B-and the T in our community. Hello hypocrisy!
Equality Advocate
@Kat:
Public accommodations are INCREDIBLY important, but they are not the solution to all problems that the transgender community face.
Training and cultural competency is a huge issue for medical care for the community, especially in the respectful treatment of transgender people. Not to mention healthcare coverage and the blatant disregard for trans folks in denying coverage for gender transition.
Refusing to treat someone is a medical malpractice issue.
In DC there is a Human Rights Act that should be enforced. This is clearly a violation of this long standing law.
In the wrongful death suit, her family was awarded money based on negligence and malpractice.
So while PA laws are critical, they would not necessarily have protected Tyra and are not the only area that was used to avenge her death or provide some relief to her family.
The bottomline is that we have to make sure that all areas of our government, our laws and our society are worked on to make sure that transgender people are treated with dignity.
Equality Advocate
REALLY disappointed to see the usual whiny “they are racist and rich” argument that always tears our community apart. As someone who has actually volunteered with Equality Maryland, I can tell you that is not true. I for one am far from rich and have had my own struggles in life. I also have the pleasure of working with other volunteers and at least one staff person who were from communities of color. They also have a lot of young people who help with their events and they are certainly not these uber powerful people with money who are working to keep people down. Far from it!
I have to say this just sounds like a lot of the same “I am a victim BS” that always seems to be thrown at any organization that has a little attention and a little power. They suddenly become “the man”. PUHLEEZ!
Rebecca
Gee “Equality” Advocate, mind if I call you “IN”equality Advocate? I like how you spammed this page with misinformation (something InEquality Maryland is known for).
In your rants you forgot to mention that the gay removed trans people from the 2001 Maryland discrimination bill, and only secured rights for themselves. This is why we must not support poor legislation. It could set a bad trend of people thinking they treat trans people like second class citizens
More Like "IN"Equality Advocate
@Equality Advocate, your whole blurb is a total spoon feed from Equality Marylands misinformation team
Caroline Temmermand
Several quick points:
Will those who oppose the Maryland bill also oppose ENDA?
Simply put HB 235 is ENDA (on the state level) plus housing protections (INCLUDING shelters) plus credit protections.
Second the so called bill opposition groups mention here seem to be taking credit for Mike Miller’s action. That’s like saying they helped the sun rise today. There’s simply no connection between his actions and theirs.
The few people active in opposing this bill are really great at griping and whining but let’s ask them put real cards on the table:
Share the actual bill they think should be passed. (They have never offered one in the past 2 years that I have seen)
Share the legislators they have lined up to support their version of the perfect bill they think should be passed. Will the numbers equal the support gathered by EQMD, the larger community, and the transpeople who have actually been working with our elected officials? The MD bill had over 50 sponsors.
Can they list their support from labor, faith based groups, or any lareg group that they lined up to support their version of a great bill?
Can they list how the have achieved thousands of post cards, hundreds of phone calls, hundreds of faxes, in support of their bill?
Can they list hundreds of volunteers who have been out talking to people in the community or making phone calls on behalf of the TG community?
EQMD, many TG people, and our allies have delivered more than gripes on behalf of all TG people in Maryland. Honestly, if this group showed us a better plan we’d surely get behind it. But from what I seeall they are doing right now is driving away our champions and our allies in the legislative bodies, in the LGBT community, and in the communities throughout the state. And so I feel compelled to ask them to produce something rather than attempt to destroy things.
“Don’t let ‘The Perfect’ be the enemy of ‘The Incredible!’ is an expression I have often used. HB 235 is an incredible bill – it is ENDA + +. And “EQMD folks rock!”, at least in the opinion of this transgal and many of her trans friends.
Donna Cartwright
Transgender opponents of HB 235 in Maryland are wrong to claim that they represent a majority of trans people in Maryland. A few of them are able to make a lot of noise online, but when it comes time to stand up and be counted, things look different.
When the Maryland House of Delegates held hearings on HB 235, there were 33 witnesses in support of the bill, including 13 transgender and gender nonconforming people, two parents of transgender people and one spouse of a transgender person.
Only two transgender people came to Annapolis to oppose the bill.
If you want to listen to the testimony, video is available online at http://mlis.state.md.us.
Zoe Brain
@Caroline Temmermand:
If ENDA only covers Gays, they might.
Nonsense. Gays have had full protection since 2001, when a 100% Trans-exclusive law was passed. They’ll come back for the T’s later you see. 10 years is far too soon for T’s to get the same rights as gays, they must wait their turn.
ENDA covers gays; HB235 does not.
Tell me, would it have been acceptable to African Americans if a bill had been passed to give Blacks employment rights but…
* They were excluded from “whites only” restrooms at work – and employers who didn’t have “colored” restrooms need not employ them.
* They were excluded from being served at lunch counters.
* They were forced to sit at the back of the bus, if allowed on at all.
* Black women could stay at homeless shelters… but only the ones offering extended stays of 120 days or more, and only if they were housed with, and thus available to, white men.
* Hospitals didn’t have to treat Black people
Because that’s the kind of thing HB235 would have made legitimate, by explicitly making Trans people the one minority not entitled to Public Accommodations protection.
By the way… homeless shelters are public accommodations unless they cater for stays of over 120 days, whereupon they’re looked on as “residences”. To say that homeless accommodations are covered is the kind of misleading legal “advice” that was used to pass the trans-exclusive laws in 2001. We’ve seen this kind of bad faith before.
Caroline Temmermand
@Zoe Brain:
Nice job of putting some real issues mixed in with your smoke and mirrors…
As a transperson I know how people treat TG people. I know how many restaurants I have been tossed out of (zero) or how many times I have been refused access to the restrooms (zero).
But I again ask for the real issues here: What’s your plan? Who do you have lined up to support it? How successful have been at bringing other people on board with your ideas? How many people are working with you to achieve your version of what should be done?
So your comments here are perfect example of a great complaints but comments that fail to bring anything to the table in terms of action that achieves success. There are no allies and no politicians lined up to help.
Rebecca
@Caroline Temmermand ,
Equality Maryland may have a few token, well off trans women (who in reality, all just transitioned last year or a couple years ago, and don’t really know about discrimination, having lived many decades as white heterosexual men of privilege, married with kids, the whole works) who are courting to be on their board, and therefore must prove themselves by defending Equality Maryland’s distasteful actions and disservice to the trans community, but the bottom line is that just like Equality Maryland refused to pursue 2nd class civil unions as opposed to 1rst class marriage, the trans community refuses to pursue a 2nd class HB 235 bill, and will only support a 1rst class FULLY INLCUSIVE HB 235 bill.
Equality Maryland’s hypocrisy is pretty amazing
But of course, as long as the Maryland gays and lesbians have protections, who cares about the trans folk, eh?
CT Girl
@Cam:
Here in Connecticut, a friend slipped on some ice and fell and the EMTs rushed her to the hospital. At the hospital they found out that she was trans, the staff left the room and she could hear them arguing about who was going to treat “it”. They told her to go home and take two aspirin.
The next day she was still in pain, so she went to another hospital and they did a CAT scan. They found she had fractured her back in two places.
She has a case before the state’s Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities.
Zoe Brain
@Caroline Temmermand:
The only excuse for doing something like this is success.
It was argued that by including P/A, there was no chance the bill would succeed. That may well have been true. We may have retained our solidarity, but we would have got bupkiss, nothing, nada.
It was also argued that by making a backroom deal, excluding P/A, that the bill would get through. At the price of splitting the Trans community, at freezing them out, at causing untold damage outside of Maryland, that the bill would be passed. A heavy price to pay that some would say was too high, but politics is the art of the possible. I’d disagree, but it is at least an arguable position, and many who I like and respect hold it.
So we lost our solidarity, the recognition that trans people are the equal of gays, we paid the price demanded of us, and we got…. bupkiss, nothing, nada.
I supported the New Hampshire Gay Backstab of Trans people after it happened, because they got something out of it. Marriage equality. I think it unlikely they would have gotten it otherwise. A hard decision to make, one that must have caused much soul-searching, but in politics, success excuses everything. Even the butcher’s bill.
You call it “smoke and mirrors”. So let’s look at the bottom line, shall we? Keep it simple.
Had P/A been included, we would have gotten…. nothing.
With P/A excluded, we also got…. nothing.
No Difference. No change to the position of a single Trans person in Maryland. Not one. Not in any way.
Worse, Trans people were officially recognised to be less worthy of human rights than gays. EQMD’s strategy was full of FAIL, and that is the reality they and you refuse to recognise.
Either the divisions they caused by the unannounced last-minute changes caused it – something I’d like to believe, but don’t – or it was doomed to fail anyway, with P/A, without P/A, and they were so incompetent they didn’t realise that. They paid a hefty price and got nothing in return, because they were being “pragmatic”, “realistic”, “recognising political realities”.
If they’d succeeded, that would be one thing. It would at least be arguable that the crumbs they got might be better than nothing, and the only thing they could get. Again, I’d disagree, but it would be arguable. But they failed.
That’s the bottom-line. That “pragmatism” doesn’t work. We saw that in 2007 with ENDA. T’s were excluded… but nothing was achieved, it never got to a vote in the Senate. Nothing was gained. Not a single GLBT person’s life was made one whit better by the treachery.
You can’t claim the excuse of pragmatism for doing something odious, then when judged on the purely pragmatic grounds that you failed, complain of being treated unfairly by cruel fate.
OK, lesson learned, I hope. Now, thanks to this failure, we must rebuild, replan, try again. From scratch.
At least we know now what not to do.
It’s going to be a hard job. It will require all we can muster, and all the implacable will to succeed despite failure after failure after failure that we are capable of. 2012? It is to laugh. 2022 might be achievable, if we’re lucky, but only if we don’t screw up like this again. But if we don’t get it by 2022, then by 2032, or 2042, never give up, never give in, and only compromise if the price isn’t too high and the chance of success certain. We’re still paying the price from 2001, remember. Want to make a bet that a comprehensive trans-including civil rights law wouldn’t have been passed by 2006 at the latest? But we were “pragmatic”. “Realistic”.
It will take all we have, in Maryland, in the USA, even Internationally, because nothing is isolated any more. Care to join me?
Jeffree
Rebecca said: “Gays are concerned about one thing: gay marriage.” Does that apply to only “gays” in Maryland, or nationwide?
Since passage of ENDA on the national level [or on individual state by state basis] would affect many more LGBTQ people than would marriage equality, I wonder why marriage equality is portrayed as the “one thing” that “gay” people care about.
I’m not a Marylander, so perhaps the priorities there are different from where I live.
Use of the term “gay marriage” instead of “marriage equality” also seems to deive from the vocab of “pro-family” activists. I believe the second term is more inclusive.
Thanks to above commenters for information on PA and healthcare issues. We almost never see those discussed on this site, and I think those topic need to be front & center in any discussion on real equality.
Zoe Brain
@Caroline Temmermand:
Congratulations. You “pass as white”. You have passing privilege – as do I, God alone knows why given my un-pretty appearance.
But every time I have to show full ID – the male birth certificate, the change of name, the medical records showing I’m Intersexed, and until 2005 was thought to be an Intersexed male before re-diagnosis as an Intersexed female – every time, I’m treated quite differently.
Like having to travel 400 miles interstate for a 15 min Endo appointment, because none of the local Endos will treat TS or IS people. Not quite true – but the one that does has a full book, there’s hundreds of TS and IS people in this city.
Like having a 20 month legal battle just to get a passport.
Like crossing borders into the USA being an interesting experience for a non-US citizen whose UK passport don’t match her UK Birth certificate. And who’s married to another woman in a country that doesn’t allow same-sex marriages. Which legal sex I am depends on whether I’m in the country of my birth, or the country of my residence. And if I’m in neither, as I sometimes have to be for academic conferences, then I’m at the mercy of the local authorities.
missanthrope
@Cam:
There has even been cases of EMT’s letting trans people die, because they were too “disgusted” to treat us.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyra_Hunter
missanthrope
“@Caroline Temmermand:
As a transperson I know how people treat TG people. I know how many restaurants I have been tossed out of (zero) or how many times I have been refused access to the restrooms (zero).”
Your passing privilege does not make you invincible, I’ve been loudly and publicaly outed in medical offices b/c my medical records list me as male.
missanthrope
And fuck people let’s not make this a trans folk vs. marriage equality issue, I think a lot of us agree that a disproportionate number of resources on equal marriage, and it’s not just trans bills, resources for homeless LGBT people, medical resources or both cis and trans LGBT folk, and youth outreach and support all suffer because many people in the community has unreasonable expectations for the both the success and general effectiveness of equal marriage campaigns.
But let’s not make this the “let’s rail against random cis gay people hour” here, okay?
And as queer trans woman, it’s sucks that folks and putting out the “gay marriage” phrase too, wtf are you thinking?
About EQMD, they seriously dropped the ball and tried to skirt “the bathroom issue” by dropping public accommodations, but the right wing domogagued on it anyway, there’s no real alternative but to confront the issue instead of trying to wish it away.
There are three critical issues at play here:
1. Whether it was 10 or a thousand people in opposition, EQMD wasn’t able to bring the the opposition into the fold.
2. Part of the reason is because whether we like it or not, on a national level and state level most LGBT organizations have lost creditiblity with trans people. We’ve been told over and over again then trans people have been left out, or a provision left out, that it would be redressed in the future.
For example, in my state we are trying to get gender identity added to PA and employment after LGB people have had it since 2003. We were told the same thing that Marylanders are being told about PA now, it would get worked on later, so in 2003 we weren’t included. Almost ten years later, we still don’t have protects. And it has happened over and over again in different states.
So that’s why you see this distrust. EQMD failed to really realize this. Deleting comments to their Facebook, not talking directly to critics, etc. were huge mistakes for them to make. if they’re representing trans people in Maryland, then they simply have to do a better job of talking to their trans critics.
3. Don’t spread yourself too thin. EQMD did a huge push for the marriage bill and the trans bill in the same session. Don’t make promises that you can’t deliver on. And they didn’t deliver on anything this session as of yet to trans people or cis LGB people.
For Public Accommodation
Has anyone put together a “timeline” of all the times that PA was dropped because the GLB community wasn’t interested? Or it was part of a “compromise”?
The Transexual Menace
My… My… My…. It is always fun to watch the collaborators squirm when put on the hot seat by the zealots.
Keep up the good work!
Caroline Temmermand
As I begin this post let me acknowledge that the few transgendered gals who live in Maryland and have been vocal in opposing HB 235 are gals who belong to support groups that I attend. There is much that I admire about one of them as she was a facilitator at one of those groups for quite a few years. In fact, I gave her a small Christmas gift this year. The others and I have shared our stories in our group meetings and many of us have gathered afterwards.
Some of this tiny group of gals who are in opposition to the non-discrimination bill were once considered good friends by many of us who support HB 235. We all have photos we could share of gatherings after meetings and in our homes.
Sadly there is a huge divide that has happened over politics. I say sadly because we all want good laws passed to help our community.
Where we diverge is how to get there. They do a great job of airing what they consider to be the problems in the state. Often I agree with them though sometimes I don’t. Those of us working on getting protections passed believe that TG people are often a totally misunderstood minority and therefore we must work with others effectively to get laws passed.
This small group complains that public accommodations language is not in this bill. Everyone involved acknowledges that. The coalition of legislators, advocates, and TG people working to get HB 235 passed have said we will be back to work on that issue. Even our opposition has acknowledged that they expect us back in the next legislative session. But there is no denying that HB 235 = ENDA + housing protections + credit protections for TG people.
To accomplish legislative change requires a combination of things including a plan, champions among the elected officials and the community leaders in labor, churches, neighborhoods, networks, legal minds, and other organizations, and allies from our CIS and LGBT communities who are willing to outreach to their elected officials to get the votes we need. This few gals have none of that kind of machinery and yet they love to unfairly attack EQMD who delivers those kinds of resources with a huge commitment for the TG community in Maryland. Those who have commented here have also never likely had a conversation with EQMD volunteers or staff.
This article incorrectly talks about how happy TG activists in Maryland are about the stalling of this bill and they posted a few pictures for you to look at. There’s a story behind these pictures – the real story. What’s noteworthy about these photos help tell the truth:
1) These photos were not taken in Maryland but in Washington, DC.
2) These are not photos of activists taking action in Maryland about HB 235.
3) Those shown gathered in the photo came to the US Capital for NCTE’s Lobby Days and then were recruited for a walk after NCTE’s meet-up at the restaurant when the federal lobbying was done..
4) Almost all of those pictured above do not live in Maryland and have not participated in the any of the legislative processes here. Heck, there’s not even the 10 mentioned in a blog above. I see 3 that I recognize as Marylanders.
5) There is not a single legislator shown with the “Maryland TG activists” since this group has never recruited a single legislator to join them in their stand on any issue – at either the local, state, or federal level.
6) There’s a sign talking about a bill and yet no one has seen any organized efforts by these few gals to bring people together to effect change in that bill.
7) There’s also nothing mentioned in the article about their efforts to help forge alliances to bring anyone else along with their efforts.
8) Missing are photos of these few activists doing their work with anyone in Maryland.
These few “activists” are trying to get people to believe that they represent a far larger group than they do.
There could not be a more supportive Maryland legislator than the one we have in Joseline. Her heart and her mind are in it to push back against the ugliness of discrimination. And yet this group has attacked and maligned her in their blogs. That part is what got me stirred up. It gets me stirred up enough to write long comments on their articles is that in the process of their attempts to effect change these few have maligned great people who are doing all they can to help us win protections.
Besides picking on Joseline, this group has also been maligning EQMD. Let’s talk about reality here. I have seen the community and EQMD in particular deliver thoughtful evidence to our elected officials. I was in a talk with Senator Frosh with the head lawyer from the ACLU who won the case for Diane S. against the Library of Congress since the senator was thinking that case solved all of our problems. Because EQMD gathered them by standing on street corners, malls, and going to churches I have been able to deliver more than 1,000 postcards signed by individuals to our Senators supporting our cause. Others delivered thousands more. I have made over a thousand phone calls from EQMD’s offices to possible supporters in our community. Others in the LGBT community made thousands more. I have hugged our champions in the House and the Senate. One of them actually made a huge point by asking me to go to the ladies room with her after she saw me listening to some unflattering comments about TG people coming from the bigots – a minority – on House floor. EQMD’s efforts have been non-stop, organized, thoughtful, considerate, and certainly have been about building a huge wave of community support from national figures, churches, labor, and more. All of these efforts are being focused by a very talented leader – Morgan Menses Sheets – who has been unfairly targeted by this tiny group of opposition in their blogs and comments. That, too, has driven me to speak out so that the real story gets out there.
There are a hundred people I could list who have won my love and appreciation for their efforts on our behalf. And while it would be hard to pick out some to highlight, Morgan, Lisa, and Joseline are nothing short of heroes for our cause. They run each day until they drop and they use every ounce of their knowledge, skills, and abilities to help us out even though not a single one of them is trans. There efforts are acts of unbelievable love, kindness, and a testament to best in humanity ever. I hope that one day all of the TG community here will understand their efforts and appreciate them.
The bottom line is that this bill delivers ENDA + +. And those who have commented here do not put forth a plan to get the protections they seek into law.
Instead, what they offer is negative critism of everyone at every turn who is attempting to do something to improve our future.
Let me see what I should believe according to the above:
1) Don’t trust any policitians
2) Don’t trust anyone LGB
3) Don’t trust EQMD
4) Don’t trust EMTs or physicians
5) That only those who support this bill are white and well to do.
6) That my position on this bill is because I am passable.
Is there anything positive about anyone mentioned?
As for the comments made about me here let me start by saying I am a 6′ 2″, 250 pound, shoe size 13, ring size 14, former football center woman who has been homeless as a result of being TG and who has lost a job and been denied credit for being TG. I have lived with 4 siblings in one room in a two bedroom home when growing in Camden, NJ, which we all is know is certainly the center for wealthy white people. I have driven my friends home to half-way houses and to their homes in cars. I have been asked by gals where are the best places to work the streets because they can’t find jobs. I have been the only white person at work, volunteered with at risk children, been in very public housing development in DC, and have keys to 8 friends homes who just happen to be black, hispanic, and white. So who is the real racist here?
And because I can work with others I have learned how to be somewhat successful within the system. I don’t apologize for taking care of my family or taking care of myself to a small degree. Because I care I have given away furnishings from my home, my TV, and bought food and clothes for my TG brothers and sisters. In emergencies I have provided a place to live for 2 TG gals. If you visited my apartment you’d see I don’t have a kitchen table, my furniture is old. If you knew me you’d know I have lent money to gals, repaid their loans, and despite being full time I haven’t yet gathered enough money to do any electrolysis so I have to shave twice a day when I have something to do in the evening. I have bought medicine for people who have lost their jobs and their health insurance mostly for being TG.
Funny that many of us supporting this bill have been homeless, too, at one point or another in our lives. Somehow we have managed to work our way through some of those issues to a better place. Those who would criticize us for finding our way despite the odds might do well instead to ask how we made it through as far as we have.
So let’s get the facts straight. HB 235 is a real bill with great protections supported by the transcommunity in MD and only possible because of the work, love, and support of wonderful people in our elected officials, in the LGB community, in the larger community around us, and by the dedicated efforts of the whole team of folks at EQMD and our allies from throughout the nation.
Seva
Who cares about any of this? Transsexuality and transgenderism have nothing to do with sexual orientation and nothing to do with gay rights. The only reason we are spending time and money on these issues is because some foolish politically correct activists decided to create LGBT and force gay people to sacrifice their name, their identity and their political goals in favor of a PC war on “gender normativity”.
Because of this bullsh*t we lost ENDA, and millions of gay workers will now live under the threat of discrimination. All because we had to take an all-or-nothing stance on where transsexuals take a dump. And now, instead of working diligently to reverse the loss on gay marriage in the MD House, we are letting unscrupulous Dem legislators who screwed us over to make amends by voting in favor of a bill that has nothing to do with gay people. This nonsense needs to end. There is no such thing as LGBT.
Clarice Starling
The first photo in this story is from the Greenwich Village Halloween parade. This must be an April Fool’s post, one day late. LOL!
Jeffree
@Seva: Let’s take your analogy a step further: Gay men & lesbians have zero in common: the former have sex with men, the latter have sex with women. So, let us gay men not worry about marriage equality for women-who-love-women, and just work on behalf of men-who-want-to-marry-men. Let’s make sure ENDA passes for gay men, why don’t we, and let women get fired for being lesbian—how about that?
“Let the lesbians fend for themselves” would be your reply.
Ridiculous, huh? So is your belief that Trans people haven’t been at the forefront of OUR rights and don’t deserve protection against employment and housing and healthcare discrimination.
Go. Gone.
Went.
Sharon Brackett
I am done with the bashers and armchair critics.
You want a plan. Here’s one. Check the comments too.
Read…
http://rationalt-hought.blogspot.com/
Get up out of your chairs and do something and stop bashing those that did and are.
I will look for you in the halls and meeting rooms in Annapolis, I have yet to see you there…
Kelli Busey
A bad bill is a bad bill but this would have given some protections to trans-marylanders. it must move forward.
as for the peeps in the photos some of them are great activists — other than Ashley Love — who is an attention grabbing @#$@
Shannon1981
@Jeffree: The discrimination within our own community is disgusting. Even more than the ignorance and homophobia from the outside. I talked to a chic on FB last night that I go to school with who thinks, and I quote, “even if they don’t agree with it, most people accept the gay thing these days.” I went all WTF on her. Don’t we have enough BS to deal with from the straight people without doing it to each other. JFC, Seva and others, we should all fend for ourselves and each other.
BenR
@fuzzy:
Wow. Are you stupid? (The answer appears to be yes.)
The people who want this flawed bill, regardless of the fact that it is basically useless and defanged, are the ones clamoring over mere “victory.” They want to score points and they don’t care how the bill actually affects real people’s lives.
That EQMD wants, and what all trans people want, is real protection. Something that will materially improve the lives of trans people, rather than simply pay lip service to them. Of course, measures like this are all useless because they operate in a framework which will victimize and destroy trans people anyway. People, including law enforcement, rape and murder trans people regularly – that’s not legal. Whether something is illegal or not doesn’t stop the abuse of violent power within our society, nor make trans’ people’s murderers any more likely to be punished.
We queer and trans folk need to get away from the notion that Gay, Inc.’s agenda is actually helpful for all of us. Rather, we need to start addressing the very real problems that our people face every day – police brutality, unequal application of laws, extreme poverty, homelessness, violence, imprisonment. Those things have nothing to do with Gay, Inc.’s agenda because those folks are just upper-middle-class, white gay men and women who are interested in regaining their social privilege and acting like “everyone else.” They could care less about the people – queer and trans people in poverty, of color, who are immigrants, etc. – who are actually in the deepest need of real social help.
Equality Advocate
So because I or anyone disagrees with you we are automatically discredited as what…having an opinion? Being allowed to have that opinion? And you are supposed to be the people in the right who are so much better than the people actually doing the work. I don’t think so!
Donna Cartwright
@missanthrope: It would have been better if there had been more effort to get trans community buy-in before dropping public accommodations, I agree. But Equality MD can’t be solely blamed for that — my understanding is that the legislators made that decision and presented Equality Maryland with a done deal.
But it’s also important to remember that a lot of the trans opposition to HB 235 is coming from out of state. When HB 235 had its hearing March 9, Equality Maryland and allied groups presented 33 witnesses for it, including 13 or 14 trans people, two parents of trans people and one spouse of a trans person.
Only two trans opponents of HB 235 showed up to testify. So they were outnumbered 6 or 7 to 1.
Anyone with a computer can generate enough noise to seem like a crowd. But what really counts is showing up when it’s time to stand up and be counted
EqualityAdvocate
Yes I have volunteered with Equality Maryland. Instead of that meaning I don’t matter I would say it means I might actually no if the people that you claim to be evil, elitist might instead be people who work hard and do care.
And yes, I do not use my real name on here. I am sure there are many of us who do not always use our real names in gay or trans work. Anyone else worried about being fired? I am. Or ostracized? I am. Maybe those who are completely out in their lives could be a little more sensitive to those of us who are not…at least not yet.
Michael
Its pathetic to see all of Equality Maryland’s sockpuppet transgender tools swarm this page and minimize the number of Maryland trans people oppose the bill. Considering the only two trans specific groups in Maryland oppose it, I would disagree. I am a trans man living in Maryland, and ALL my friends oppose the bill. Its just you have seen us at Equality Marylands champagne parties, so you may not know we exist
I live in Maryland, but spend a lot of time in DC for work. In DC they have full protections in discrimination, but in Maryland we do not.
I also agree with the out of state activists supporting us. When Rosa Parks refused to accept public accomodation discrimination, didnt her state happily accept out of state help? Yes, they did. For they were smart enough to know this issues effects us all.
I have been reading blogs like Monica Roberts, Ashley Love’s and ENDAblog’s, and these activists may live out of state, but they are helping us keep up the pressure. People who would hate on them are hurting the transgender communtiy.
The bill is dead. Now we need to organize a way to include PA inclusion for next time. So lets stop the infighting and get to work
Michael
Its pathetic to see all of Equality Maryland’s sockpuppet transgender tools swarm this page and minimize the number of Maryland trans people oppose the bill. Considering the only two trans specific groups in Maryland oppose it, I would disagree. I am a trans man living in Maryland, and ALL my friends oppose the bill. Its just you have seen us at Equality Marylands champagne parties, so you may not know we exist
I live in Maryland, but spend a lot of time in DC for work. In DC they have full protections in discrimination, but in Maryland we do not.
I also agree with the out of state activists supporting us. When Rosa Parks refused to accept public accommodation discrimination, didn’t her state happily accept out of state help? Yes, they did. For they were smart enough to know this issues affects us all.
I have been reading blogs like Monica Roberts, Ashley Love’s and ENDAblog’s, and these activists may live out of state, but they are helping us keep up the pressure. People who would hate on them are hurting the transgender community.
The bill is dead. Now we need to organize a way to include PA inclusion for next time. So lets stop the infighting and get to work
Michael
(sorry for the double post)
Correction, you HAVE NOT seen my trans brothers and I at Equality Maryland’s champagne parties, so you may not know we exist, but we are here, and we count
Seva
@Jeffree: Yes it is ridiculous to try to compare the link between L/G with G/T. Gays and lesbians not only have something in common, they share the very characteristic that defines them as gay or lesbian, i.e., their homosexuality. Even though there may be other differences in how they live their lives, there is a logical basis to consider them, along with bisexuals, to be a community. Transgendered individuals do not share this defining characteristic. They can have any sexual orientation, and the vast majority of them are straight. There is no logic to lumping this group with ours, and it wasn’t necessary to seal an alliance.
Gays ally themselves with many groups, but we don’t change our name and identity to incorporate each of them. Why did we do that for trans people? The answer is that trans activists saw that if they could concoct the fiction of a singular “community” they could demand that the gay rights movement take on their issues, even to the detriment of gay people. A bunch of urban, gay male academics thought that it would be cool and transgressive to turn a civil rights movement into a gender war, and they helped impose LGBT on all of us.
The result is that we have a bunch of largely straight people with unique issues who demand that we place ourselves at their service, even while they contribute virtually nothing to the so-called LGBT community that they invented. We should terminate this phony creation, agree to be allies with them on a case-by-case basis, and focus on issues other than transgender defecation locales.
Vanesa
@Kelli Busey, Its crazy how you call Ashley Love “attention grabbing”, when your blog “Planet Transgender” is known for one thing, and one thing only: over the top, crazy, illogical, sensational rants meant to give your attention starved ego some hits. You embarrass and hurt our community with your juvenile blog posts. And you call Love “attention seeking”? Really? What a joke. She’s been invited on TV, radio and print many times to speak to our issues, she doesn’t have to seek it, its her job, you idiot. She can actually write.
Your comment reeks of a jealous two year old toddler who’s upsets that no one takes you seriously. You should be happy that the press takes Love seriously enough to allow her to highlight issues that are important to our community.
(PS, please learn to use spell check, you make us look bad when you don’t)
missanthrope
@Seva:
Lolz. Stop derailing these conversations with you nihilistic solipsism. Just shut the fuck up.
Seriously folks, just stop engaging these people who try derail these comment sections with the “there is no LGBT” stuff. The are hopeless trolls and cis bigots.
@ Caroline Temmermand:
Okay, you’ve done a lot for the community and I appreciate that, but you didn’t offer much in your post beyond that except for complaining about people being “negative” about the bill.
I’ve pretty much outlined some solutions in my post, mainly that EQMD should’ve done more effective outreach, had a less expansive strategy without two big bills in one session and had a firm understanding of the mistrust that trans people of any LGBT lobbying group. What do you have to say about that?
“So let’s get the facts straight. HB 235 is a real bill with great protections supported by the transcommunity in MD and only possible because of the work, love, and support of wonderful people in our elected officials”
Love and support of elected officials? Did you hear how the sponser of 235 called up one trans Maryland trans activist (who was working on the bill), screaming in to the phone that “those people” making noises about the bill had better shut up, since “she worked so hard on it”. I don’t even live in Maryland and I heard about it? Please, let’s not try to polish a turd here in PR talk and let’s have an honest conversation about it. This bill and the effort undertaken by EQMD has all sweet-smelling roses here. You do your cause a disservice by pretending otherwise.
missanthrope
@Donna Cartwright:
“It would have been better if there had been more effort to get trans community buy-in before dropping public accommodations, I agree. But Equality MD can’t be solely blamed for that — my understanding is that the legislators made that decision and presented Equality Maryland with a done deal.”
No, EQMD doesn’t have all of the blame, some state Dem got cold feet and sold them out on equal marriage and they will likely pay the price for the rest of their political careers. Quite frankly I don’t know much on how Dems coordinated with EQMD on 235, I have had the impression that though the sponsor was was a strong advocate, the state democratic party didn’t have high hopes for it and weren’t wanting a knock-out, drag-out fight over it, especially because they knew the marriage equality bill was going be an equally, if no worse, fight.
“But it’s also important to remember that a lot of the trans opposition to HB 235 is coming from out of state. When HB 235 had its hearing March 9, Equality Maryland and allied groups presented 33 witnesses for it, including 13 or 14 trans people, two parents of trans people and one spouse of a trans person.
Only two trans opponents of HB 235 showed up to testify. So they were outnumbered 6 or 7 to 1.
Anyone with a computer can generate enough noise to seem like a crowd. But what really counts is showing up when it’s time to stand up and be counted”
I’m not on the ground in Maryland, and quite honestly I don’t know how many trans people from Maryland are against it. I’ve seen a good number of trans people claiming to be from Maryland on the internet say their unhappy about the bill.
And you know how insular and group-think prone activist communities can be, I wonder how many didn’t testify against because they were afraid of being made a perosna-non-grata by publicly testifying against it or who didn’t bother because they felt cut out of the process by the principles early on. We’ll never know how many were for or against in the end.
Opposition to it was a moot point, because it didn’t go anywhere anyway, and from my understanding (the way it’s been relayed to me) that people went in to opposition because all that they received in the form of answers from EQMD were patronizing PR statements from on their facebook page when they didn’t delete the comments outright.
My complaint isn’t so much that the bill isn’t good or bad, (that’s for Marylanders to decide despite my opinion), it’s rather that EQMD had a bad overall strategy and worse, seemed to ignore and cut people out of the process if they did not fall in line. Instead they made things worse by ignoring them or writing them off as politically naive.
Now we all we have to show for the effort are two failed LGBT and more bad blood in the activist community. When you have that kind of result, you know that there is something wrong with your approach.
missanthrope
“Its crazy how you call Ashley Love “attention grabbing”…..She’s been invited on TV, radio and print many times to speak to our issues, she doesn’t have to seek it, its her job, you idiot. She can actually write.”
Yeah and Love is a well known bigot. Your point is?
Zoe Brain
@Caroline Temmermand:
Caroline – why should differences of opinion here affect friendship?
I’m on the opposite side on this issue to two good friends of mine – Autumn Sandeen and Dana Beyer, both of whom have done far more for Trans causes than I ever will. This has not changed our friendship one iota.
Reasonable people can differ. I fully realise that the reason you so passionately oppose my own views is because you too “want good laws passed to help our community.”.
Plum
As a transsexual woman who was born with the birth defect of parts below that I was supposed to have, I don’t want homosexuals nor transgenders (men who lie and pretend to be transsexuals and women while keeping their beloved male parts for life), defending me, helping me, nor speaking for me. I, like others with the medical condition of transsexualism and not recreational or chosen transgenderism, have lost rights ever since we were forcibly included with LGBs and TGs.
As a transsexual who believes homosexuality is an immoral choice and that non-op transgenderism is a mockery of women and makes true-TSs look bad in the eyes of the mainstream and face even more discrimination from them, I will vote AGAINST *ANY* law that will supposedly help those of us with this medical condition, if it ALSO supports homosexuals, lesbians, and gender-variant persons. It is one thing to support mainstream women born with a birth defect that robs them of their rightful plain in mainstream society as women. However, it is another to support men sodomizing other men and pretending it is love, another to support women degrading each either in a fashion similar to the sodomites, and another to support a man who acts like a man and wants male privilege, all while dressing like a woman of the night and modeling in porn as a “woman” with his parts hanging out. I never was a part of the LGBT, and I want none of its rights, privileges, or protections. I want the SAME ones as mainstream persons and earned only the same ways they earned theirs. I oppose legislation that protects TS, TGs, and gay/les persons all at once, because it trivializes transsexualism, lumps transsexuals in with gender-variant people – when TSs have the hearts and beliefs of CIS-gendered people despite their birth defect, and awards chosen deviant behavior which serves no constructive purpose whatsoever.
We transsexual women had mostly the same rights as mainstream women until we were forcibly lumped in with LGBs and TGs. Then states started passing laws against us getting our birth certificates corrected, started harassing us in courts, and allowed the media to abuse us by lumping us in with TGs. People who once respected us as mainstream women with birth defects now consider us mentally-ill, deviant, sickos, etc., thanks to being lumped in with people whom those labels are more appropriate.
So don’t put me in as part of an LGBT bill. Put me on a transsexual and intersex bill which makes it clear that we are not LGBTs and which doesn’t include anyone who desires anything other than full transition. Sure, I would protect preop TSs who plan to be postops, including those who are too poor or sick to get the surgery, but not those who spit on the gender binary or believe women should have male parts. The whole original idea of transition and surgery was to get the correct sex of 2 and to destroy gender variance to the extent possible, not to create gender variance where it never existed nor to adopt a non-straight orientation. “Well I am a lesbian trapped in a man’s body.” Bull. Such a person is usually a self-hating, sexist man in a mans body.
The Transexual Menace
@Plum….
We are guessing that you will take offense at this posting:
http://www.transexualmenace.org/2011/04/dont-call-me-transgender/
Best of Luck to you on your journey!
Kat
Does Caroline Temmermand get a commission for each website on which she posts the disgustingly deceptive claims that (1) HB235 is better than ENDA, and (2) housing covers homeless shelters?
“Will those who oppose the Maryland bill also oppose ENDA?
Simply put HB 235 is ENDA (on the state level) plus housing protections (INCLUDING shelters) plus credit protections.”
While I do not know if Caroline actually represents ‘Equality’ Maryland in any capacity or perhaps just gets paid for each deceptive post or is pure of heart but simply devoid of any ability to analyze the law, the above-quoted statement is emblematic of what ‘Equality’ Maryland has brought to the table in 2011: disinformation, spin and – most frightening of all given that it purports to represent the LGBT community – facts woven together to form a tapestry of lies
While I encourage folks to visit the following post at ENDABlog (
http://endablog.wordpress.com/2011/03/27/why-transphobic-con-artists-is-about-the-nicest-way-that-one-can-describe-equality-maryland/
) where I dismantled the “HB235 is better than ENDA” lie a few days ago, feel free to follow along here:
1. 1974-1993: Federal gay rights proposals were (a) proposals to add “sexual orientation” in general to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, (b) not trans-inclusive, but (c) were, simply by existing as bills and not even as law, nevertleless used by some courts as rationalization to rule against transsexuals in sex discrimination cases.
2. 1994-2006: Federal gay rights proposals (a) were, because of a blanket concession by Barney Frank, HRC(F), et. al., known as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act because they only addressed employment; and (b) were not trans-inclusive.
3. 2007: The federal gay rights proposal (a) was, because of a blanket concession by Barney Frank, HRC, et. al., known as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act because it only addressed employment; and (b) was trans-inclusive as HR 2015.
4. 2007-8: The federal gay rights proposal (a) was, because of a blanket concession by Barney Frank, HRC, et. al., known as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act because it only addressed employment; and (b) was, thanks to a backroom deal that had been arranged even before Joe Solmonese openly lied to trans people at Souther Comfort about HRC’s level of support for transinclusivity, gay-only as HR 3685.
5. 2009-10: The federal gay rights proposal (a) was, because of a blanket concession by Barney Frank, HRC, et. al., known as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act because it only addressed employment; and (b) was trans-inclusive (though we don’t know how trans-exterminationist it would have become via the ‘mark-up’ language that Mara Keisling claims not to have seen.)
Here is the dirty little secret that ‘Equality’ Maryland and its “HB235 is better than ENDA” apologists don’t want you to figure out: NONE of the above legal frameworks – even the Bella Abzug-era gay-only proposals – are analogous to what Maryland law will be if the monstrosity of HB 235 becomes law.
Why?
If one of the Bella Abzug-era gay-only Civil Rights Act Amendment proposals had become law, federal law would give everything to gays and nothing to trans people (you know, the way that things ended up being under Maryland state law after Maryland’s gays arranged the gay-only rights law for themselves in 2001.)
If one of the ENDA Mark I bills had become law, federal law would give everything regarding employment to gays and nothing to gays regarding anything else – and, of course, nothing at all to trans people.
If the 2007 ENDA Mark II bill had become law, federal law would give everything regarding employment to gays and trans people and nothing to gays or trans people regarding anything else.
If the 2007 ENDA Mark III bill had become law, federal law would give everything regarding employment to gays and nothing to gays regarding anything else – and, of course, nothing at all to trans people.
If the 2009 ENDA Mark II-redux bill had become law, federal law would give everything regarding employment to gays and trans people and nothing to gays or trans people regarding anything else.
Do any of these scenarios, even the transphobic ones, align with the situation – the situation that would be Maryland law under HB 235 – of gays having employment, housing and public accommodations protections but trans people having employment and housing protections but not public accommodations?
If it doesn’t seem that way to you, then ask Morgan Meneses-Sheets why her organization is pushing a deceptive comparison. Ask the same question of Cathy Brennan. Ask the same question of Caroline Temmermand – and everyone else who seems to have a vested interest in ensuring that 2001 repeats itself via gay-authored lies about existing and proposed law being used to ramrod through a bill that will cause trans people to be othered in Maryland law.
Heather
I was pretty sure Plum was mocking Seva’s crappy “don’t tarnish my sterling reputation” logic, but I could be wrong.
Um, yeah, guys. Hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but the rest of the world pretty much can’t tell LGBTQQI apart, even if they smile nicely to our faces or try to act all PC to get some of our votes or leverage political power. None of us have some sterling reputation that’s somehow going to be tarnished by one other through osmosis, cause we’re all weirdo deviants in the eyes of mainstream middle america. No need to throw anyone overboard cause we need everyone to paddle.
missanthrope
@Heather:
Sadly given the craziness of sweetbrandigirl2004 and other radical HBSer who troll this place and others, I wouldn’t be shocked if Plum were completely serious. They are a gang of self-hating bigots.
Coletta
If we every want to see equality trans folks need to remove their T from the LGBT it’s that simple.
Donna Cartwright
@missanthrope: I think you (Missanthrope) are making reasonable assumptions about the process issues, and I won’t argue that further.
I continue to believe that the turnout on hearing day was a fairly accurate representation of trans community sentiment on HB 235. Perhaps some people didn’t testify because they were concerned about what others would think or say about them. But that cuts both ways. Many of us who have stood up for HB 235 have been immediately subjected to personal abuse (like the “sock puppet” nonsense) or vicious innuendo (like suggestions that those who support the bill must be taking money from Eq Md). Online debate is particularly prone to that kind of bad behavior, and in this case it’s mostly coming from the anti-HB 235 side.
Equality Maryland held several LGBT community meetings on HB 235 during the first part of legislative session, which were attended by 25-30 people each. About half the participants in each of the meetings were transgender. Among trans participants, most voiced support for HB 235.
There are about half a dozen trans people who live in Maryland who have been vocally opposed to HB 235. Most of them attended one or more of those meetings. I haven’t seen any verifiable evidence that they represent any substantially larger number of people.
You say “it [HB 235] didn’t go anywhere anyway.” Well, HB 235 isn’t quite dead yet — we’re still making strong efforts to get it out of Rules, through Judiciary and to the Senate floor. But it’s true time is running out. Nevertheless, I’d take issue with the idea that we achieved nothing or that this was all wasted effort.
In fact, until this year, we had never gotten HB 235’s predecessors as far as a favorable committee vote. This year, we passed committee in the House, 17-8, and the House floor vote, 86-52. To my mind, that’s substantial progress right there. For the first time, one full House of the legislature had to stand up and be counted on trans rights, and most of them stood with us. That’s a good start, and a good starting point for next year, if it comes to that.
Just as important, we also engaged mainstream public opinion for the first time in many years — the HB 235 issue has been covered in the Baltimore Sun blog, in the Washington Post, and by NPR. We’ve also had much more active involvement by progressive allies in the legislative struggle than had been the case previously. That’s also a hopeful sign for the future.
Grey
Thank you, Plum, for demonstrating yet again that there is no necessary contradiction between being both transsexual and a bigoted homophobe.
We need these little reminders from time to time.
Cathy Brennan
@Kelli Busey: such@Plum: wow, totally gross.
The Transexual Menace
@Coletta: Since it was T that created LGBT originally, we need to remove the LGB org who are pretending there is internal equality within LGBT.
T has LOTS of allies in LGBT, no need to abandoned them.
LBGT is about equality and inclusivity. The REAL LGBT needs to boot the people/groups that give lip service to this concept.
http://www.transexualmenace.org/2011/03/optional/
Be Seeing You!
Michelle
@missanthrope:
Actually, TGs are the self-hating bigots. They cannot admit they are either gay men or heterosexual, fetisher men, so they pretend to be “women” out of self hate to loophole their behaviors. TGs are bigoted against the notion that TSs are not a part of the TG community and the notion that TSs are mainstream women, while TGs are men who choose to live as women for sick reasons. TGs act out of hate when they lie and accuse TSs of being in the TG community and rob them of their birthright of being in the mainstream. TGs hate their own inborn masculinity and try to repress it by living as women. TGs are bigoted against TSs and anyone else with mainstream needs and values. TGs are doing whatever they can to bully true-TSs and other mainstream persons to suicide so they can live out their perversions in peace without rebuke. TGs are sexist men who feel too weak to live as men and feel they must take over the female and true-TS community. Any man who keeps HIS penis for life while calling himself a “TS” or a “woman,” hates himself too much to admit to his masculinity or his chosen charade as a “woman.”
True-TSs women are woman and members of the mainstream community just like TGs (fake-TSs) are men and rightfully members of the queer community. So a TS who is anti-gay is no more self-hating than any other mainstream person who is anti-gay. A TS woman was never supposed to have a penis, but have the SAME luxury and privilege that every other mainstream person gets without any effort.
Since a TS is the same as a mainstream women, then she is showing love and solidarity when she speaks against LGBTs, TGs, and other people she is not. But if a TG speaks against LGBTs or a TS speaks in support of them, they would be acting out self-hate. A TS who supports the mainstream, like any other woman, loves herself. But a TG who supports the mainstream is a self-hater and a hypocrite. Unlike TSs and other members of the mainstream, TG men in drag cannot rightfully speak out against LGBTs because they are invariably either gay men in denial (makes love to other men with their penis while in drag), or straight men who hate themselves too much to live as men but who attempt to emulate lesbians. Either way, they partially transition for gay-related reasons. TSs only transition for medical reasons. TSs have mainstream motivations while TGs have queer motivations. Mainstream people will only support TSs once they see that TSs are not members of any gay or TG community. So any self-respecting TS will at least pretend to be anti-LGBT and anti-TG just to win mainstream rights and support.
TGs deserve rights, but only if they EITHER fully transition or fully detransition. If TSs and other mainstream persons can do it, so can the men who choose to become TGs. You are either a woman with a birth defect who needs to transition completely and live a fully non-TG life in the mainstream, or a man who merely chooses to live as a woman for sexual, twisted, recreational, rebellious, or trivial reasons. A TS woman will die if not allowed to fully transition with surgery, but a TG man in drag will not die if denied this form of recreation and addiction. TGs will gain more rights when they admit to living modified masculinity rather than falsely claiming to be TSs and women. TGs obviously hate themselves, or they would stop forcing themselves onto TSs and stop trying to silence TSs or take over their communities. If TGs loved themselves, they would take pride in being unique from all mainstream persons including TSs.
So which are you? A Mainstream+TS member or a Queer+TG member? Any “TS” who takes up for queers and TGs instead of TSs and other mainstream persons is obviously a self-hater. For a TS, a mainstream, cinsgendered life fits them well, but for a TG man in drag, that is not good enough for him. Anything that doesn’t include pretending women have penises, sodomy, plastering gay/TG symbols everywhere, obsessively supporting gay rights despite not being gay, exposing oneself, scat, being nude, modeling in porn, and talking about queer issues nonstop, and looking for TS and mainstream communities to bust up is not good enough for the TG man in drag.
Michelle
@Grey: She is no more homophobic than the 90% who believe the same thing. Unlike TG men in drag, true-TS women can say or do anything that other mainstream persons say or do. If something a TS woman says confuses you, remind yourself that a true-TS woman and an mainstream, cisgender women who is neither TS nor TG are the same thing. If you wonder why a TS woman does or says something, just ask yourself why a woman born without that birth defect says the same thing. Do not look at TSs through the TG or LGBT lens nor hold them to standards you don’t impose on cisgendered female women. Plum’s statement only looks like bigotry because you hold TS women to the standards of TG men in drag and not to mainstream standards.
Do not call out TS women for saying what cisgender women say and get by with, since they have the same neurology and souls. Only their bodies differ and by reasons not of their own fault. TGs started out with no gender conflict at all and deliberately created it in themselves (or in rare cases had it inflicted on them by others).
The general public does not oppose the birth defect of transsexualism, just the chosen behaviors of transgenderism and sodomy. Likewise the public doesn’t oppose those who take pain pills for actual pain, just the addicts and junkies. So for TSs to get full mainstream rights and privileges (which are not applicable to TGs who want to destroy their true natures to gain full rights as queers, not as mainstream members), the public needs to see that TSs have the SAME values and same foes and dislikes as they have. A TS who is anti-TG/anti-LGBT is surely to earn much more respect from the mainstream community than TSs who spit on the mainstream by supporting other people who spit on mainstream values and oppose mainstream culture. The self-hating TSs who support LGBTs are willing to trade their own integrity and inborn anti-LGBT feelings that all true-TSs and other members of the mainstream public have for the trifling and trivial acceptance of under 10% of the community. But the true-TSs who hold to their mainstream values and culture, and who do not change them with transition have the support of 90%. People who love themselves would rather have the love and support of the 90% even if it means losing the support of the 10%. Having 90% of the population as friends will more than protect you from the 10% who are jealous of what you have.
Michelle
TSs need to constantly make anti-TG and anti-LGBT comments for these reasons:
1. To make themselves undesirable to fetishers and gay guys. Some gay guy groped a postop intersex woman at random. The guy reached into her pants and quickly pulled his hand out when he realized she was not a man. Someone spread lies about the IS woman in her community and basically set up this groper. But there was a bright side, a lot of the rumors stopped. The gay groper went back to confront the bartender who told him that she was a man and had a penis, and I am sure the bartender gossiped.
2. To drive a wedge between TSs and TGs/LGBTs. True-TS will never have the same mainstream rights and privileges that transition and surgery once gave them until they receive no help nor support from the mainstream. LGBTs help us more when they make anti-TS comments, since that is leverage to use in proving to the mainstream community that we are like them, in their community, and have the same foes. TSs once were seen as a part of the mainstream community and had the rights of correcting their birth certificates and marrying according to their corrected sex. Once the TGs and LGBTs started to forcibly include TSs, TSs lost their rights to correct their birth papers and to marry according to their corrected sex (if at all). The LGBTs deliberately caused us to lose such rights to blackmail us into supporting them. The TG community was set up in part to silence true-TSs and rob them of a voice that differs from TGs. Including TSs in with TGs and other queers was a hostile political move designed to deprive TSs of the rights and mainstream privilege they had. That is how some men gain their girlfriends. They secretly harm the women they love, maybe kill their boyfriends, destroy their property, and hire thugs to beat them up so they can move in with them and take over their lives and protect them from the very harm they caused.
3. To prove to mainstream people that we are like them, just with a correctable/corrected physical problem. When they understand this is a medical problem, not a choice, orientation, recreation, fetish, sexuality, or perversion, we will gain our rights back.
4. To bond with mainstream persons and prove to them that we are not LGBTs nor TGs, but on their side and deserving of their support and respect. Any TS who is anti-TG/anti-LGBT builds more credibility and trust with mainstream persons – the only persons of importance to true-TSs.
Keep in mind that most of what you think is anti-LGBT hate coming from TSs is really just a show. True-TSs know how to play the same game as mainstream persons. TGs and LGBTs spread anti-mainstream hate as a form of activism and them wonder why it doesn’t work, when they are bashing the very people who could help them. They think over the top behaviors, public exhibitionism, name-calling, caustic humor, weird outfits, excessive makeup, and outing people will get them more respect and rights, when it gets them the opposite. It is important for TSs not the make these same mistakes of the TGs/LGBTs.
Saying things mildly anti-LGBT is a good way for TSs to smoke out the TGs who sneak into TS+Mainstream spaces. The TSs will let such things pass without comment like most GG women would do or not become offended since it is not directed at them personally. The TGs will be more sensitive than warranted and overreact, thus outing themselves and giving up their game. Male emotions are more sensitive than female emotions, and the male ego tends to be more vulnerable to child abuse and ridicule growing up, possibly leading to transgenderism in passive males and sexual predation in aggressive males. Women are more likely than men to play games to figure out the truth about others (and more likely to be mean as opposed to cruel).