TransGriot_ Why The Transgender Community Hates HRC.pdf

27/05/2015 TransGriot: Why The Transgender Community Hates HRC91 mais Próximo blog» Criar um blog LoginTransGriotNews, opinions, commentary, history and a little creative writing from a proud African­American transwomanabout the world around her.TransGriot Tip JarMonday, October 08, 2007Why The Transgender Community Hates HRC2014 GLAAD MediaAwards OutstandingBlog FinalistThank you forsupportingTransGriot!About The TransGriot2011 BWA Best LGBTBlog FinalistMonica RobertsA writer, awardwinning activist,lecturer, speaker,native Houstonianand Texan whotransitioned in 1994and absolutely lovesher semi­boring lifenow.View my completeprofileCopyrighted Blog­Reprint RightsThis work by MonicaRoberts is licensedunder all applicableUS Copyright Lawsand a CreativeCommons Attribution­Noncommercial­NoDerivs 3.0Unported UnitedStates License.I'd deeply appreciatea link back toTransGriot if you wishto feature my posts onyour blog. If you wishto quote, no remix oraltering of text and nomore than 300 words.For permissionsbeyond the scope ofthis CreativeCommons licenseplease contact theauthor attransgriot@yahoo.comTransGriot BlogMission StatementThe TransGriot blog'smission is to becomethe griot of ourcommunity. I willintroduce you to andtalk about yourAfrican descendedtransbrothers andtranssisters acrossthe Diaspora, reclaimWhy does the transgender community hate HRC? It’s a question I get frequentlyasked in GLBT settings. Considering the recent GLBT family feud erupting overENDA, it's an appropriate one to ask as well.Before I get started trying to shed light on it, I need to point out in the name ofjournalistic integrity that I was the Lobby Chair for the National TransgenderAdvocacy Coalition (NTAC) from 1999­2002.The roots of the animosity start after Stonewall. In an effort to appear more'mainstream' to the straight community, Jim Fouratt and friends bounced SylviaRivera and other transpeople out of New York’s GLF (Gay Liberation Front). JimFouratt’s anti­transgender comments culminating in a 2000 one at a Stonewallobservance in which he called transpeople 'misguided gay men who'd undergonesurgical mutilations' also added insult to the injury.In a pattern that persists to the present day, The GLF had protections fortranspeople removed from a proposed 1971 New York GLBT rights antidiscriminationbill under the pretext that it wouldn’t pass with such 'extreme'language.Ironically the bill failed anyway and the New York City GLB­only rights bill wouldn'tpass until 1986. Transgender inclusion was fought at that time by Tom Stoddard,who would later head Lambda Legal. Transgender people didn't get added in theNew York City bill until after Sylvia Rivera's death in 2002.In 1979 Janice Raymond poured moregasoline on the fire with her virulentlyanti­transgender book The TranssexualEmpire. Raymond also took it a stepfurther in 1981 and penned a quasiscientificlooking report that wasresponsible for not only ending federaland state aid for indigent transpeople, butled to the insurance company prohibitionson gender reassignment related claims.Germaine Greer’s anti­transgender writingcombined with Raymond’s led toinvoluntary outing and harassment oftranswomen in lesbian communitysettings. It also sowed the seeds for theanti­transgender attitudes in the lesbiancommunity that persisted through the late90’s.So what does this have to do with HRC since it didn’t get founded until 1980?The problem is that the senior gay leadership is still influenced by the Fouratt­Raymond­Greer negative attitudes towards transpeople. That sentiment isconcentrated disproportionately in California and the Northeast Corridor. The earlygay and lesbian leadership also sprang up from those areas as well.2010 BWA Judges'Vote Winner BestLGBT Blog2008 Best LGBT BlogFinalistTransGriotSpeaking/EducationEfforts InfoThe TransGriot isavailable for speakingengagements,college lectures,media interviews,conferences or Trans101 education effortsfor your school,business orprofessionalhttp://transgriot.blogspot.com.br/2007/10/why­transgender­community­hates­hrc.html 1/7

27/05/2015 TransGriot: Why The Transgender Community Hates HRCand document ourchocolate flavoredtrans history, speaktruth to power,comment on thethings that impact ourtrans community froman Afrocentricperspective andenlighten you aboutthe general thingsthat go on around meand in thecommunities that I ama member of.­­Mission Statementcompiled January 2,2011The TransGriot LovesCommentsFeel free to leavecomments on theposts. But bear inmind that you areguests in mycyberhome. As soonas I get to them, yourcomments are postedat my pleasure.They will post as soonas I approve them, sono need to repeatsending them.I strive to make it asafe zone for peopleto respectfullyexpress themselves,but I have zerotolerance for hatespeech, blatantlydisrespectfulcomments or adspam.I reserve the right toedit your commentsfor clarity.Page Hits SinceJanuary 17, 2007Who's FollowingTransGriot?Join this sitewith Google FriendConnectMembers (784)More »Already a member?Sign inTransGriot TwitterUpdatesfollow me on TwitterThe transgender community around the late 80’s renewed its organizing efforts tofight for its rights. The early leadership was also concentrated in the NortheastCorridor and California as well and regarded the gay community as natural allies.One thing they didn’t take into account was how deeply entrenched the antitransgenderattitudes and doctrines were amongst gay and lesbian leaders. BarneyFrank (D­MA) is a prominent example of it. They still persisted in holding the viewthat transgender people were ‘crazy queens’ who would cost them their rights. Gayleaders were still trying to use the 70’s assimilationist strategy to counter theReligious Right campaign against gay civil rights fueled by fear of the HIV/AIDSpandemic.In the 90’s the transgender leadership became more national in scope and morediverse by the end of the decade. In addition to the founding core leadership fromCalifornia and the Northeast corridor, transleaders emerged in Arizona, Colorado,Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, andIllinois. The emergence of leaders from what was derisively called ‘flyover country’by the peeps from Cali and the Northeast Corridor changed the dynamics of thetransgender rights movement.The addition of leaders from these states brought people into the movement who notonly believed in the principles of Kingian inclusion and non­violence, they practicedthose values. The rise of the Internet gave them efficient communications links toexchange information and tactics, coordinate strategy and inexpensively talk toeach other.They were also people of faith who had ringsideseats to the Religious Right takeovers of theRepublican parties in these regions. The Texanswatched their state be used as a laboratory forthe tactics that would be used in the South andlater the rest of the country.As people of faith who were mostly Southerners,the new transleaders correctly perceived that theReligious Right was the same coalition of 60’s racist anti­progressive forcesmasquerading in ‘family values’ drag and urged coordinated efforts to defeat them.Unfortunately, while the Religious Right was using the 80’s and 90’s to organize forculture war and develop their Machiavellian playbook to power, transpeople werefighting a pitched battle with the gay and lesbian community just to be included.This civil war against the GLB transphobes sucked time, energy and money fromthe transgender community that could have been better spent combating theReligious Right.The predominately white and bicoastal­based gay and lesbian leadership didn't seethe Religious Right as a threat because they not only didn't have fundies in theirbackyards, they let their anti­transgender biases color their perceptions. Theydismissed the threat because it was transpeople who were sounding the warningbells about it. At the same time they were cavalierly dismissing their concerns aboutGLBT unity and the Religious Right threat, they arrogantly demanded thattranspeople work to pass gay­only rights bills.According to legal scholar Kat Rose, such laws have the effect of creating a regimein which the same gays and lesbians who fought to prevent trans­inclusion have thede facto right under the resultant non­inclusive law to discriminate against transpeople. It also allowed them to keep their leadership ranks and employeepopulations in these organizations transgender­free without fear of facingdiscrimination lawsuits.When transgender leaders would balk at those demands or point out the hypocrisyof leaving us behind, they would state they would ‘come back for us’.So far the only states in which the gay and lesbian community has ‘come back’ fortransgender people are Rhode Island (2001), California (2003), New Jersey (2006)and Vermont (2007). In New York they are still having a difficult time passingGENDA after transgender people were cut out of SONDA by gay rights advocatingthe same 'we'll come back for you' incremental rights spin.The first gay only rights bill, passed in Wisconsin in 1982 has been that way for 25years now. There's no indication by the GLB leadership in that state if they'll moveto rectify the omission of their transgender brothers and sisters or if they'll assign ita priority as high as the one they place on marriage equality.We also heard the excuses during the 90’s to justify the gay and lesbian strategythat ranged from ‘the country needs more education on transgender issues’, weneed 'incremental progress' to the mean­spirited ‘it’s not your turn to get rights yet’.Ironically there are now more transgender inclusive laws on the books than gay­onlyones, and those numbers are increasing.And where does HRC fit into this equation?organizations.For events outside theHouston metro area, Iask that travel andlodging expenses becovered. Ask aboutspeaking fee.For additional info, e­mail me attransgriot@yahoo.com with the date anddetails of yourproposed event. Bookas early as possiblefor your date becauseslots rapidly fill up.CMBA DisclaimerThis personal blogallows me to expressmy constitutionallyguaranteed FirstAmendment freespeech rights andkick knowledge toy'all at the same timeon various issues.Nothing in it shall beconstrued, spun,remixed, altered orinterpreted to mean itrepresents the viewsof my employers orthe boards of theorganizations that I siton.Photos and videosposted to this blog areused for illustrativepurposes only.Unless noted in thepost, photos/videosdon't indicate or arenot intended to implythe person depictedin said photo/video istransgenderTransGriot ArchivedBlog Post SearchSearchTransGriot ArchivedPosts► 2015 (395)► 2014 (981)► 2013 (1188)► 2012 (1183)► 2011 (1561)► 2010 (1260)► 2009 (982)► 2008 (643)▼ 2007 (457)► December (49)► November (59)▼ October (47)Halloween­TheTransgenderNationalHolidayHappyHalloween!http://transgriot.blogspot.com.br/2007/10/why­transgender­community­hates­hrc.html 2/7

27/05/2015 TransGriot: Why The Transgender Community Hates HRCSaying it loud, I'munapologeticallyBlack, trans andproud!Trans Rights AreHuman RightsFavorite BlogsActs Of Faith InLove And LifeAfroSpearBlabbeandoDeep ThoughtElectronic VillageELIXHERENDABlogFeministeJack and JillPoliticsJasmyne CannickJump Off TheBridgeKeith BoykinMaybe It's Just MeMes Deux CentsMy Private CasbahNew Black WomanPam's HouseBlendRaceWireRacialiciousRepublic of TRod 2.0 betaSisters TalkSoujourner's Placesoulbrother v2The Angry BlackWomanThe BilericoProjectThe ChronicleThe CruelSecretaryThe Polar BearSpeaksTHINGS AccordingTo MeWhat Tami SaidWimminwiseWomanist MusingsWomen's SportsBlogInteresting LinksOne of the people most responsible for excluding transpeople from an attempt topass a gay rights law in Minnesota in 1975 was a gentleman by the name of SteveEndean, who in 1980 would leave Minnesota to help found the Human RightsCampaign Fund, the proto organization that later became HRC. Some Minnesotansassert that it's not a coincidence that the same year HRCF was born in DC,Minnesota's gay rights proposals became T­inclusive and eventually lead to the firstT­inclusive law in 1993.In 1995 Elizabeth Birch took over asExecutive Director of HRC at a timewhen there was an epidemic of gaysand lesbians cutting transpeople out ofcivil rights legislation.In many cases gay people who sat onvarious HRC boards either nationally orregionally led the efforts. In 1999Dianne Hardy­Garcia, who was theexecutive director of the Lesbian GayRights Lobby (now Equality Texas) atthe time and an HRC board member,led the successful effort to cuttranspeople out of the James ByrdHate Crime Bill (to mine and TGAIN"svehement opposition). That bill waseventually killed in the GOP­controlledTexas Senate but passed in 2001 as aGLB only bill and was signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry.Elizabeth Birch for a while eclipsed Janice Raymond as Transgender Public EnemyNumber One when she was quoted at a Chicago GLBT event as stating thattransinclusion in ENDA (the Employment and Non Discrimination Act) a toplegislative priority of transgender leaders would happen ‘over her dead body’.That sowed the seeds to the growing perception amongst transpeople that HRCwas ‘The Enemy’. It got worse when transgender lobbyists were told by sittingsenators, congressmembers and various staffers that HRC Capitol Hill lobbyistsNancy Buermeyer and Winnie Stachelberg showed up on the Hill accompanied byGenderPac’s Riki Wilchins before transgender lobby events in 1997, 1998, and1999. They asked those members and staffers to tell the transpeople coming toWashington that inclusion in ENDA wasn’t possible, but hate crimes was. Thatrevelation so enraged the transgender community that a group of activists thatincluded yours truly founded NTAC in 1999.After doing an investigative report during the summer of 1999 that determined theextent of HRC co­option of GenderPac leaders, NTAC decided to pursue a multiprongedstrategy to deal with it. They decided to explore partnerships with otherGLBT organizations, made it clear that transinclusion in federal ENDA and HateCrimes was non­negotiable and during my time there I helped author a legislativestrategy designed to go around the congressional barriers set up to blocktransgender inclusion in ENDAIn 2000 NTAC also began the ‘Embarrass HRC’ campaign to call attention to thehypocritical nature of the relationship between HRC and the transgendercommunity. Activists across the country began protesting HRC dinners and callingthem out at GLBT community events about their resistance to adding transpeople toENDA. The campaign got the attention of people to the point where they startedasking HRC leadership tough questions and their contributions started taking hits.Despite this success, the transgender community didn’t embrace NTAC. It was amulticultural organization whose early leadership was predominately Southern.NTAC was relentlessly savaged by people for fostering what they called ‘horizontalhostility’. A group of white northeastern activists that wanted to pushaccommodation with HRC formed the National Center for Transgender Equality in2003 and named Mara Keisling as its executive director.But NCTE to some transpeople had uncomfortably close HRC links that causedpeople to question not only NCTE's effectiveness in lobbying for transpeople but itsindependence. Transgender historian and legal scholar Kat Rose bluntly said that "Isimply do not trust NCTE or Mara Keisling".The interesting thing was the timing. NCTE came into existence after HRC loudlyproclaimed that they didn't want to talk to NTAC. There were unconfirmed rumorsthat some of NCTE's startup money was provided by HRC supporters.Not long after NCTE’s startup, the shift of the gay and lesbian rights priority fromsuccessfully passing inclusive rights laws on a state by state basis to marriageequality started. Transgender leaders such as NTAC’s Vanessa Edwards Fosterwarned that this was a mistake to push the issue a year before the 2004 elections,but once again transgender concerns were brushed aside.When the Religious Right backlash resulted in gay marriage constitutional bansoverwhelmingly passed in 18 states during that election year, the transgenderTransgenderRights Are AWorldwideStruggleStop The PainAnd The WinnerIs...Drag Kings InThe House AtMITENDA InsanityRep. AnthonyWeiner'sENDA FloorSpeechTom Joyner'sFatherPasses AwayDomino!Happy BirthdayHillary!I'm The ENDABillT’was the NightBefore ENDAI Got My Rights­Forget Y'allMonica's RecipeFor APhenomenalTranswomanCall ForTranssexualNarrativesThe CalmBefore TheStormOpen Letter ToThe CBCThe ChicagoTripGoin' ToChicagoThe 1965Dewey'sLunchCounter Sit­InTrans­lessENDA MovesTo HouseVoteNBJCResponse toENDAControversyEbony LaneThe 2002 NTACCBC InitiativeMeetingNotesThe NTAC 2002CBC Initiative2007 MissAmazingPhilippineBeautyPageantTAVA PressRelease onENDAYour GLBMovement IsNOT LikeMineDear OprahStealthTranspeople,C'mon Out!Barney ComeCleanHelp A SistahOutWhy TheTransgenderCommunityHates HRChttp://transgriot.blogspot.com.br/2007/10/why­transgender­community­hates­hrc.html 3/7

27/05/2015 TransGriot: Why The Transgender Community Hates HRCAfrican­AmericanRegistryBlack HistoryCanadaBlackAmericaWeb.comBuzzflashCoco And CremeConversationsWith Frank LeonRobertsCovenant WithBlack AmericaElectronic FrontierFoundationGlobal CommentIFGEMedia BloggersAssociationNAACPNationalAssociation ofBlack JournalistsNational BlackJustice CoalitionOnline JournalismReviewPambazuka(African SocialJustice Forum)The DemocraticStrategistTrans FMTransgenderAmerican VeteransAssn.Transgender Lawand Policy InstituteTranssistahs­Transbrothas 2.0WNBAHouston/Lone StarBlogsBurnt OrangeReportDallas ProgressHouston Met BlogsHoustonistIsiah Carey's InsiteJuanita Jean'sLegislative QueeryRoland S. MartinThe Diva PoliticaThe FeministTexicanThe GlamazonChroniclesTrue Blue TexanWhatever ComesTo Mindand we'vereplacedstatements like "It'sall good" w/revolutionary criescommunity was proven correct once again.This irritated the transgender community on multiple levels. The marriage­as­aprioritygays refused to acknowledge that not only did their actions cause thebacklash to gay marriage and possibly generated enough conservative voters at thepolls to help propel George W. Bush to a second term, despite the evidence ofdozens of state DOMAs and anti­marriage constitutional amendments, they are insevere denial about it.Transpeople are also miffed at the lack of HRC concern as to how this backlashspecifically affects our lives. Transpeople were never consulted and had no inputwhatsoever regarding the push for gay marriage, but the Religious Right anti­gaymarriage laws get interpreted by the courts in such a way that they had the negativeaffect in some cases of wiping out existing pro­trans marriage and even identityrights.We're also pissed that the same people who demanded (and still demand) that weaccept 'incremental progress' when it comes to trans rights hypocritically have nointention of accepting 'incremental progress' when it comes to legal recognition ofsame­sex relationships.In conclusion, the drama between the transgender community and HRC (whichsadly flared up last week after Rep. Frank introduced a non­inclusive ENDA) is aforty­year­old stew flavored with historical hatred, arrogance, politicalmiscalculations, communication failures, misunderstandings, mistrust, andMachiavellian duplicity.HRC also has a pathetic history of refusing to deal with trans people as equals notonly in terms of civil rights legislation but even in hiring talented transgender peoplefor their organization. This historical negativity keeps transpeople from working withHRC in any capacity. (Don't even get me started about the African­Americancommunity beefs with HRC, that's another post.)The sad part is that this animosity is preventing HRC and the transgendercommunity from effectively working together to defeat their common enemy despitethe desires of people on both sides to do precisely that.The flare up this time may have not only burned the bridge that people like recentlyresigned HRC board member Donna Rose and others were trying to build towards aworking partnership with HRC, but made any talk of doing that in the transgendercommunity moot for years to come.You might also like:Loudoun CountyVA Trans BigotDelgaudio GetsSmackdownCommentsThere are no comments posted yet. Be the first one!Post a new commentEnter text right here!Hearts and Ears,Inc Presents AnEvening of MusicFeaturing ...DeLee Trial Day 3LinkwithinLoginEmbed video Add poll Check Spelling2007 WeblogAwardsNominationsAre OpenA View To AProtestMorallyBankruptGone Protestin'AnotherStereotypicalTVTranssistahMother SpeaksOut ForWoundedTrans ChildKitchenChallengedInternationalFederation OfBlack PridesSupports ...Your TransistionAin't LikeMineWhip CountQuestionsENDA UpdateYou're UnderArrestI Ain't Hatin' I'mAppreciating► September (38)► August (40)► July (33)► June (28)► May (28)► April (34)► March (34)► February (41)► January (26)► 2006 (124)African­AmericanTrans BlogsTHE D LINEJoyful1 week agoDyssonance“active, intentionaldialogue”: Michfest,NCLR, and TheTask Force1 month agoA Bitch ForJusticeThe New YorkHustle; Ransom of ACell Phone5 months agoComment as a Guest, or login:blac (k) ademicIt is Bigger ThanMicroaggressions10 months agoName Email Website (optional)Displayed next to your comments.Not displayed publicly.Subscribe to NoneLinks to this postCreate a LinkIf you have a website, link to ithere.Submit CommentDiamond StylzNew Music fromDiamond Stylz “FindThe Right Words”1 year agoTransMusePlanetI’mBaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack1 year agohttp://transgriot.blogspot.com.br/2007/10/why­transgender­community­hates­hrc.html 4/7

27/05/2015 TransGriot: Why The Transgender Community Hates HRCPosted by Monica Roberts at 2:58 PMLabels: GLBT politics, history, Texas, transgenderNewer PostHomeSubscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)Older PostLaverne CoxLaverne On "TotallyBiased" on FXX1 year agoNot your typicalgirlCrossdressingMayors, part 15 years agoAmanda MorganTrue.6 years agoTrans BlogsBrittany NovotnyCecilia ChungQuestioningTransphobiaStillettos AndSneakersT­CentralThe Donna Blog­The View FromThe Other Side­The View From(Ab)NormalHeightsTrans Media WatchTrans PoliticalTrans UniverseTransadvocateTransgederWorkplaceDiversityInternational TransBlogsAKI NO YUKI | AMalaysianTranssexualFemale'sComments, Life,Opinions,Understanding &Thoughts.How Much Sugar IsIn Your 3­In­1 DrinkSachet?6 months agoDented BlueMercedesIndiana put the lie to“religious freedom.”But CanadianEvangelicals hopeyou didn’t notice.5 weeks agoLeona's BlogLiving LindsayOn The Other Side3 years agoMalika's IndianTransgender BlogJoin me on Twitternow1 year agoPhet Ti Saam ­The Third SexMore pictures ofKate4 months agohttp://transgriot.blogspot.com.br/2007/10/why­transgender­community­hates­hrc.html 5/7

27/05/2015 TransGriot: Why The Transgender Community Hates HRCThai Ladeez­b |Ladyboy BlogLady Gaga ofThailand | Shade ofGaga3 years agoTransfofa emBlog12 hours agoTRANSGENDERFILIPINA(PinayTG)The T in LGBT inthe Philippines1 year agoTransGriot Live TrafficFeedLive Traffic FeedA visitor from Goiânia,Goias viewed"TransGriot: Why TheTransgender CommunityHates A visitor HRC" from 49 Istanbul mins agoviewed "TransGriot:What Does 'Tell It Like ItT­I­SA visitorIs' Mean?"from Brooklyn,50 minsagoNew York viewed"TransGriot: AnniversaryOf The 1959 BermudaTheatre Boycott" 54 minsagoA visitor from Aspen,Colorado viewed"TransGriot: RubyCorado Gets Married!" 54mins A visitor ago from SaintLouis, Missouri viewed"TransGriot: HoustonFloods, I'm Okay AndDry!" A visitor 55 from mins United agoStates viewed"TransGriot: NBJCStatetment On BayardRustin" A visitor 57 from mins United agoKingdom viewed"TransGriot: July 2012"59A visitormins agofromMiddletown, New Jerseyviewed "TransGriot" 1 hr1AminvisitoragofromHomestead, Floridaviewed "TransGriot: Sex,Lies, And Gender" 1 hr 3mins A visitor ago from OwingsMills, Maryland viewed"TransGriot: Yo HallmarkChannel, Next Year CanWe Get More Diversity InYour Christmas Movies?"Real­time view · Get FeedjitProud of My President!If you wish to irrationally hate on President Obama and the First Family (and I get to define irrational) take your unhinged commentary to a right­wingsite who cares.TransGriot BlogoversaryAn AfroSpear Bloghttp://transgriot.blogspot.com.br/2007/10/why­transgender­community­hates­hrc.html 6/7

27/05/2015 TransGriot: Why The Transgender Community Hates HRCIntense Debate CommentsKontera plug inTransGriot is a proud AfroSpear member blog since July 2008LinkWithinSimple template. Powered by Blogger.http://transgriot.blogspot.com.br/2007/10/why­transgender­community­hates­hrc.html 7/7