Obama: The Most Transgender-Friendly President Ever– Re-elect Him!
©2012 by Dallas Denny
Without a doubt, President Barack Obama has been this country’s most trans-friendly President. His opponent, Willard Mitt Romney, would most definitely not be either gay — or transgender-friendly.
Before you make your choice in the November 6 election please take a look at this article by Dana Beyer and this timeline.
Following are just a few of the transgender-affirmative things done during Obama’s first administration:
- Hosted the first-ever LGBT Pride White House reception (2009)
- Ordered the federal government to extend key benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees (2009)
- Awarded the Medal of Freedom (the nation’s highest civilian honor) to Billie Jean King and Harvey Milk (2009)
- Signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (2009)
- Created a national resource center for LGBT elders (2009)
- Banned discrimination based on gender identity in federal workplaces (2010)
- Clarified the Family and Medical Leave Act to ensure family leave for LGBT employees (2010)
- Allowed transgendered Americans to receive passports in true gender without having had surgery (2010)
- Awarded a grant to the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Community Services Center to work with LGBT foster youth (2010)
- Recorded the “It Gets Better” video and hosted first-ever White House conference on prevention of bullying (2010)
- Declared the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional and announced the federal government would no longer enforce it (2010)
- Signed repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (2011)
- Completion of Institute of Medicine study on LBGT Health, the first of its kind (2011)
- Issued guidelines to ensure safer working conditions for transgendered federal employees (2011)
- Ended the Social Security Administration’s “gender no-match” letters (2011)
- Clarified the meaning of “family” to include LGBT relationships (2011)
- Permitted military chaplains to perform same-sex marriages where legal (2011)
- Called for equal treatment of same-sex adoptive parents (2011)
- Announced HUD’s new role protecting against housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (2012)
- Enabled searches for same-sex partner benefits on www.healthcare.gov (2012)
- Ensured transgender Americans receive respectful care in gender of identity at Veteran’s Administration facilities (2012)
- Announced support for same-sex marriage (2012) (This also legitimizes transgender marriages)
- Pentagon celebrates LGBT Pride for first time (2012)
Category: Transgender Community News, Transgender Politics
About the Author (Author Profile)
Dallas Denny’s contributions to transgender activism, knowledge, and history are legendary and span four decades. She was the first voice thousands of desperate transpeople heard when they reached out for help, and she provided the information and referrals they so desperately needed. She is a prolific writer. Her books, booklets, magazines she has edited, and articles fill an entire bookcase and are in danger of spilling over into a second bookcase. She has created and led several national nonprofit organizations, been present at the creation of at least five transgender conferences, and led two long-lived support groups, She created the first trans-exclusive archive of printed and recorded literature, which today is available to the public at Labadie Collection at the University of Michigan. She has been a fierce advocate for transgender autonomy and access to medical care. Through it all, she has stayed on task, and made it all about the task at hand rather than about herself. Now, in her mid-seventies, she maintains the same frenetic pace she has kept up since the 1980s. Dallas’ work is viewable in its entirety on her website.Subscribe
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Amen ladies, being conservative and Transgender is an oxymoron in my way of thinking
Oh, and by the way, while you’re in that voting booth marking your ballot for Obama, make some of your other marks for Democrat senators and representatives even if you have to hold your nose! If we re-elect Obama but give him a majority republican congress, we’ll not see any more progress than we’ve seen these past years. Thanks! LYNDA WARREN
I wish I could say something positive about Republicans in general and Mit Romney in particular, but I can’t think of anything. The last time I voted for a Republican was 1968 and the candidate was Richard Nixon.
Bless you, Dallas Denny, for saying this! It’s been like everyone is afraid to declare who they support for Prez for fear that they’ll make someone uncomfortable or be other than PC! It all depends on how important LGBT issues are in your life. If they’re somewhere near the top, Obama is your man! I have nightmares about life under Romney/Ryan! The self-righteous right want to take rights and priviledges away from us to the point where they think we’ll all just wake up one morning and decide that it’s just too much trouble to be LGBT so we’ll just quit being LGBT. That’s only one of the wacky ideas they have. But don’t get me started! Thanks, Dallas!
LYNDA WARREN