Lez Keep It Real

After all of this talk about ENDA and the actions of the Human Rights Campaign, I wasn’t surprised in the least to see the following article this morning.

Transgender Members Quit HRC Over ENDA

Two transgender members of the Human Rights Campaign quit Tuesday, saying the group’s support of an employment nondiscrimination bill that excluded transgender workers put them “in an untenable position.”

Jamison Green and Donna Rose’s resignations from the Human Rights Campaign’s business council are effective immediately, according to a joint letter.

“Considering recent broken promises, the lack of credibility that HRC has with the transgender community at large, and HRC’s apparent lack of commitment to healing the breach it has caused, we find it impossible to maintain an effective working relationship with the organization,” they said.

The House, with support from the Human Rights Campaign, earlier this month passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. The measure would make it illegal for employers to make decisions about hiring, firing, promoting or paying an employee based on sexual orientation.

But it does not protect transgender workers. That term covers transsexuals, cross-dressers and others whose outward appearance does not match their gender at birth.

Supporters of the bill say it would not have passed the House if it had included transgender protection. However, many transgender activists and their supporters were furious at their exclusion from the legislation and lobbied to scrap it.

The bill is now in the Senate.

“We at HRC look forward to continuing our groundbreaking work on building support for policies that help transgender workers in corporate America,” Human Rights Campaign spokesman Brad Luna said. “We wish Donna and Jamison well in their future endeavors.” ~ The Associated Press

Jamison Green and Donna Rose, I can promise you, aren’t the only members of HRC who feel this way. They are the only ones, so far, who have taken a stand against the actions of their former organization however. More people need to take that stand. More people need to come forward to express their disenchantment with HRC. I’ve expressed my frustration and disappointment. Unfortunately, I’m not one of the big players in Washington or in the political scene. I’m just a writer who can offer up my opinion without fear of being canned or shunned. I can handle harsh comments or rants from those who disagree with me when they visit my site and read my columns. That’s fine. I’m a big girl. But for people like Jamison Green and Donna Rose, they have a lot more to face than a few pot shot comments by making such a public statement. For that, I commend them.

The transgender community needs people like Jamison Green and Donna Rose who will stand up for them. They are already outnumbered greatly. And yet, the Human Rights Campaign basically kicked them while they were down. I find it to be such an oxymoron really. Human Rights Campaign.

Human Rights?

Since when do Human Rights not apply to transgendered people? Aren’t they human? Do they not bleed when you cut them? I’ve tried to swallow HRC’s rational. I’ve tried to weigh their reasoning and yet, the scale still tips in the opposite direction for me. It just doesn’t make any sense. I don’t see how taking two steps back can eventually allows us to take five steps forward. Maybe I’m just not looking hard enough.

But apparently, I’m not the only one who isn’t seeing what HRC sees. Jamison Green and Donna Rose can’t see the rational either - so much so that they quit a pretty reputable organization in the fight for GLB(T) rights.

And considering the way HRC has handled things lately, can you blame them?

human rights campaign, enda, tansgendered rights, Jamison Green, Donna Rose