TWIT Notes Sparks Correspondence On HRC And ENDA

TGF member Regina Leigh was reading the January 21st TWIT Notes and found that the article by Richard Rosendall in Bay Windows of New England (which criticized Meredith Bacon’s criticism of HRC for their decision on ENDA) so provocative that she was moved to send Mister Rosendall an email. Since she copied us on it we present it here as a letter to the editor—along with Mr. Rosendall’s response.

Richard,

If your editor, at a function most of you attended, promised all of you at your newspaper a raise, increased insurance benefits, a 2 to 1 matching 401, and that you have a job for the next year, then about a month later all of you were fired because the paper was sold and you all were left out in the street without any support, and you learned that your manager knew this was happening all along—and he kept his job! How would you react? The same as Joe S. of HRC and the SOC statements?

Meredith Bacon, board chair of the National Center for Transgender Equality not only has done the right thing, but has picked up the support of most transsexuals! I totally agree with withdrawal of the Massachusetts chapter of the Transgender American Veterans Association from the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition on January 11 after MTPC announced a pledge of $25,000 from HRC. TAVA wants to represent Transgender American Veterans! They would love to be part of an organization in Massachusetts like in New Jersey. In taking the money pledge from HRC, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalitions has shown that they do not represent transsexuals! That they believe It is OK to be used as a bargaining chip! That (the) HRC method of treatment of us is OK!

I live in New Jersey. HRC can not take any credit for New Jersey’s transgender positive
Laws! Transsexuals and the rest of GLB’s in The Garden State Equality and Gender Rights Advocacy Association of New Jersey have made great strides in getting positive actions with the laws in New Jersey! We did not have the leader of The Garden State Equality and Gender Rights Advocacy Association of New Jersey promise us they would include us, and then back track, drop us, and then, talk about incremental increases! Our state leaders understood how important it was for transgendered individuals to be protected! No lies, no selling out, no “The public is not ready for transsexuals”, Nothing like that! We were a real part of the whole process! Respected, listened to, trusted and understood! Truly GLBT’s all working together!

Idea!

The leaders of The Garden State Equality and Gender Rights Advocacy Association should be the leaders of HRC! I and most other T’s would then Support HRC  We would be united and ENDA with the “T” in there  would have a chance of being passed?

Regina Leigh

Response from the article’s author Rick Rosendall:

Regina,

I understand how you feel, but HRC and Barney Frank are not going away, and the reality is that the United ENDA coalition was not able to change more than a handful of votes in the House. So it seems to me that boycotting will do more harm to transgender people than to those being boycotted. In any case, we have a long road ahead. And those of us who support transgender rights are not all going to drop dead or stop our advocacy.

Best,
Rick Rosendall

Category: Transgender Opinion