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transI've written these 2 letters (see cut below) to Senators Kennedy and Smith about the recent hate crimes bill in the senate that currently lack transgender-inclusive language. It is Awareness Week starting Oct.10th at the school I attend and we'll be asking students to sign these letters. I thought I would pass them on that way any of you could do the same with these.
Senator Kennedy:
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202/224-4543
Senator Smith:
404 Russell Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202.224.3753
Fax: 202.228.3997
Dear Senator Kennedy,
I became aware recently that in May of 2005 you, along with Senator Gordon Smith, introduced the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2005 (LLEEA). While I am in strong support of the goals of this hate crimes legislation, I am extremely concerned that this Senate bill does not include language that explicitly protects the transgender community.
Fairly recently, on
I urge you to adopt transgender-inclusive language in this bill-- “actual or perceived sexual orientation AND gender identity".
Roughly, each month at least one transgender person, or a person who is perceived to be transgender, is murdered.
I would like to recommend that you view “Remembering Our Dead”, a website that acts as a memorial for people who have died due to transphobic violence. The website can be accessed at the following URL: http://www.gender.org/remember/.
“There is no ‘safe way’ to be transgendered: as you look at the many names collected here, note that some of these people may have identified as drag queens, some as heterosexual crossdressers, and some as transsexuals. Some were living very out lives, and some were living fully ‘stealth’ lives. Some were identifying as male, and some, as female. Some lived in small towns, and some in major metropolitan areas.
In fact, one thing that has come to light in doing this project is how much more is yet to be done. Over the last decade, one person per month has died due to transgender-based hate or prejudice, regardless of any other factors in their lives. This trend shows no sign of abating,”
–Gwendolyn Ann Smith, “Remembering Our Dead”
I understand that some fear this bill will not pass with transgender-inclusive language. I would like to pose this question on that matter; what sort of hate crimes legislation leaves behind a group so thoroughly persecuted? Isn’t the purpose of this bill to provide protection and justice for communities often under attack? How many years would it be until transgender people were afforded the protections they so desperately need? How many people would have to die between now and then?
Numerous homophobic attacks are linked to transphobia; often it is men who are perceived to be feminine and women who are perceived to be masculine who suffer homophobic attacks. Aggressors perceive these people to be potentially gay, lesbian, or bisexual because of how they express themselves in terms of their gender. This, too, is at the root of transphobic violence. When it comes to hateful violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, homophobia and transphobia both play a role.
As a senator, you have the power to help make this hate crimes legislation protect not only the gay, lesbian, and bisexual citizens of this country, but its numerous transgender citizens as well. I urge you, please, adopt the transgender inclusive language that is used in the House version of LLEEA.
Sincerely,
Dear Senator Smith,
I became aware recently that in May of 2005 you, along with Senator Edward Kennedy, introduced the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2005 (LLEEA). While I am in strong support of the goals of this hate crimes legislation, I am extremely concerned that this Senate bill does not include language that explicitly protects the transgender community.
Fairly recently, on
I urge you to adopt transgender-inclusive language in this bill-- “actual or perceived sexual orientation AND gender identity".
Roughly, each month at least one transgender person, or a person who is perceived to be transgender, is murdered.
I would like to recommend that you view “Remembering Our Dead”, a website that acts as a memorial for people who have died due to transphobic violence. The website can be accessed at the following URL: http://www.gender.org/remember/.
“There is no ‘safe way’ to be transgendered: as you look at the many names collected here, note that some of these people may have identified as drag queens, some as heterosexual crossdressers, and some as transsexuals. Some were living very out lives, and some were living fully ‘stealth’ lives. Some were identifying as male, and some, as female. Some lived in small towns, and some in major metropolitan areas.
In fact, one thing that has come to light in doing this project is how much more is yet to be done. Over the last decade, one person per month has died due to transgender-based hate or prejudice, regardless of any other factors in their lives. This trend shows no sign of abating,”
–Gwendolyn Ann Smith, “Remembering Our Dead”
I understand that some fear this bill will not pass with transgender-inclusive language. I would like to pose this question on that matter; what sort of hate crimes legislation leaves behind a group so thoroughly persecuted? Isn’t the purpose of this bill to provide protection and justice for communities often under attack? How many years would it be until transgender people were afforded the protections they so desperately need? How many people would have to die between now and then?
Numerous homophobic attacks are linked to transphobia; often it is men who are perceived to be feminine and women who are perceived to be masculine who suffer homophobic attacks. Aggressors perceive these people to be potentially gay, lesbian, or bisexual because of how they express themselves in terms of their gender. This, too, is at the root of transphobic violence. When it comes to hateful violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, homophobia and transphobia both play a role.
As a senator, you have the power to help make this hate crimes legislation protect not only the gay, lesbian, and bisexual citizens of this country, but its numerous transgender citizens as well. I urge you, please, adopt the transgender inclusive language that is used in the House version of LLEEA.
Sincerely,