In less then 2 weeks: Transgender Equality Lobby Day, Boston, MA

[gendercrash.livejournal.com]

Have you scheduled an appointment with your legislator yet? Are you planning to join us?
Transgender Equality Lobby Day
Tuesday, April 7, 2009 from 10 am - 1 pm at the Massachusetts Statehouse - Grand Staircase

Those against our equality, our right to safety, and justice are organizing their own campaign of lies about what this bill really means, this means education, preventing discrimination, and justice for hate crime victims. Now is the time to come out and meet your legislator, be seen at the statehouse, tell your story. We need to be visible, for our family, friends, and allies to be visible.

Please come educate your legislators about the bill "An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes" and the experiences transgender people, family, friends, and allies face in Massachusetts without statewide laws inclusive of gender identity and gender expression. At 10 am we'll kick off Lobby Day with a panel of speakers including policy makers, transgender people, and family members, as well as light refreshments and a short lobbying training. All the necessary materials will be provided.

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Please RSVP for this event at info@masstpc.org.
For more information or assistance with locating your legislators contact MTPC at info@masstpc.org or 617-778-0519 or visit http://www.masstpc.org
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HRC and ENDA - should they be trusted this time?

[a-nony-mouse54.livejournal.com]

I've written several pieces on the disaster that was HRC's involvement in getting the ENDA legislation passed before - suffice to say that their about face where promises made to the transgender community are concerned did great damage not just to trans inclusion in ENDA but to any chance of the legislation being passed at all. For a look at what I wrote at the time about the whole mess check this link,

http://a-nony-mouse54.livejournal.com/tag/enda

In short it should be obvious that HRC sacrificed any creditability they may have had with the transgender community when they went back on promises made at the Southern Comfort. So, it was with interest and no small amount of skepticism that I read the piece in the link below.

http://www.365gay.com/blog/lowenstein-hrc-belatedly-flips-its-position-on-enda/

HRC will have a very hard time regaining the trust of the transgender community and possibly parts of the larger LGBT community as a whole. In some ways they just don't seem to be able to grasp that their action destroyed what trust the transgender community had in them. Speaking for myself, I would not be inclined to trust them in the future given their past record - if their positions and ours are the same, well and good. But count on them or trust them - no way.

Cross posted from my personal journal

Nevada anti-discrimination bills.....

[terry-terrible.livejournal.com]

Sorry if this is so short notice but I'm going down to the state capitol tomorrow to show my support for a trans-inclusive discrimination bill and a domestic partners bill.

Any Nevada residents please contact their representative about these bills:

Gender Identity anti-discrimination:

http://www.leg.state.nv.us/75th2009/Bills/AB/AB184.pdf

Sexual Orientation public accommodations:

http://www.leg.state.nv.us/75th2009/Bills/SB/SB207.pdf

Domestic Partners:

http://www.leg.state.nv.us/75th2009/Bills/SB/SB207.pdf

Hearings on these bills will be held tomorrow, so please call/email as soon you can if possible.