10/21/07

HRC-Betrayal/ Wheres the OUTRAGE ?

HRC-Betrayal/Wheres the OUTRAGE?

It has only been a few months since HRC abandoned us yet I am seeing the same people who were rejected and humiliated by HRC now fully cooperating in HRC's and Franks effort to complete ownership of the Transgender identity and independence.

The following text is a recount of history. Have we forgotten?

I would like to write about HR2015 and the betrayal of transgender people in 2007.
In April 2007 Barney Franks submitted a House Resolution called ENDA(HR2015).
This bill was co-sponsored by 171 House Representatives. Twenty two of these Representatives were freshman whom had captured previously Republican districts and voiced the support of their constituents and became co-sponsors of HR2015.
HRC endorsed the bill with transgender protections HR(2015)
Nothing up to this time was said about perceived problems by Frank or HRC.

Enter the catholic church with religious and health establishments with homosexual and gender exclusion agendas.

Two weeks before the bill was to move out of the subcommittee for the Education and Labor committee Barney Frank and Speaker Pelosi conducted a "straw poll" behind closed doors. In this poll it was "discovered" that there were not enough votes to pass a transgender inclusive bill.

No representatives from media or Transgender community was present at or witness to the results of this poll.

Barney Frank announced that there was not enough support to include transgender people and the bill would fail.
Mr Frank's bill at most would have only passed the house and not the Senate and was noted by the Bush administration as a bill that would be vetoed in the event that it reached his desk in any form.

Mr Frank said he was submitting a substitute bill HR3685 sexual identity protection only because he was concerned about the freshman democrats from the Carolina's political future because of political fallout by their conservative constituency
HR 3685 removed protection for Transgender people. It also removed compliance requirements from religious and health institutions.

The outrage and outcry from the LGBT community overwhelmed Barney Frank and Speaker Pelosi who were trying to hurry HR3685 thru committee.

Speaker Pelosi relented to the pressure from the LGBT community and allotted two weeks for the Transgender community to undo the damage that Barney Frank had inflected during his 10 year rampage against the transgender community.

At the same time, the largest and most effective LGBT lobby on capitol hill, HRC, published a position that they would not "assent" to a transgender exclusive ENDA but would not oppose it.
This was contrary to the inclusive only position that Joe Solmonese had prostrated to a cheering aduance two weeks prior at the Southern Comfort gathering.

More than 300 National, state and local groups( except HRC ) committed to a position letter sponsored by UNITED ENDA. They called for a ENDA bill that was inclusive for transgendered people.
Barney Frank moved HR3685 thru committee without the support of the LGBT community.

A very Brave Representative Tammy Baldwin gained the approval of Speaker Pelosi to submit a amendment to include transgender people.
Quickly on the heals came a announcement from Barney Frank and Speaker Pelosi.
In unison they professed to have always supported transgender people and would support Tammy Baldwins amendment.

They all knew this amendment would not be voted on when it would be announced by Baldwin that she was going to withdraw the amendment on the pretense that she was hopeing to save the transgender community the damage that would have resulted in a exposure of lack of support. Again a political dirty deed against the transgender community.

They also knew that this is a no lose position.
Should the amendmentbe brought to vote and pass, they would retain the religious right, conservative gay middle class and the medical establishment's support becuse of the simply because a amendmended HR3685 would not pass the senate in any case.

Should the amendment fail they will fall back to their position that they will pursue transgender inclusive bills as soon as the transgender community can "proof we have enough votes"

This is the Betrayal by HRC. Political figures will come and go and some will be revered and some like Frank will be abhorred.

HRC's future depends on its willingness to admit to its complicity in this underhanded hateful action and it's willingness to make amends.

HRC-Betrayal/Wheres the OUTRAGE ?