3/31/11

Equality Maryland HB235 Transgender Killing BULLDOZER knocked down a Notch

Maryland Transgender community has become accustomed to staring at this bulldozer the past few months, as the riders grew in numbers so did our diminutive stature become more evident.

We are the poor. The disadvantaged. The blacks. The Italians. The Irish. The Jewish. The Hispanic. The transgender people from the city. In despair we began to doubt that we could ever stop HRC's funded federation member equality Maryland as they ran us over again and again.

But at the last minute a saviour appeared as if god sent. Bloodied but not beaten westare in amazement! A politician has stood up to the machinery of gay.com and announced our existence! Finally someone with power who would record our calls, our emails our pleas for help.

After these months of being afraid if we called your office again you would return our calls to SCREAM and THREATEN us again Del. Pena-Melnyk the shoe is on the other foot ain't it? Yeah.

I WAITED A WHOLE HOUR FOR SENATOR FROSH!!Boooooooooo

3/30/11

Judge adds Sexual Orientation but not Gender Expression to Dallas county nondiscrimination policy

Time for the T to Step UP!

Judge Jenkins who won his job as chair Dallas County Commissioners Court on a promise to include sexual orientation and gender expression now says a definition of transgender needs to be established before gender expression can be added to the county's non discrimination policy.



Source Dallas Voice
"The Dallas County Commissioners
Court voted earlier today to add sexual orientation to the county’s employment nondiscrimination policy.

However, the amendment adding “sexual orientation” to the policy does not include gender identity/expression, meaning it covers gay and lesbian employees but not transgender workers.

County Judge Clay Jenkins, who chairs the Commissioners Court, and Commissioner Elba Garcia told Instant Tea they were under the impression that sexual orientation includes gender identity/expression, which it does not. Jenkins and Garcia, both Democrats who took office in January, spearheaded the proposal to add sexual orientation to the policy."
Those of us who helped with the emancipation of Dallas's "Miss T Dart" know that when a politico claims ignorance to the definition of transgender it is a usually just a excuse for non inclusivity.

Rafael McDonnell, a trusted ally, communications director of the Resource Center of Dallas has informed me that there was no communication between the Commission and any North Texas LGBT groups during the drafting of the amendment.

We can call and email the Commissioners using the list below or you can make a immediate impact by attending the next meeting. Here's the lowdown:

You must call 214-653-7886 and register with the clerk to speak.

The Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays in the County Administration Building, 411 Elm St. in Dallas. Google Map

County Judge Clay Jenkins – 214-653-7949
Email: Clay.Jenkins@DallasCounty.org

Dist. 1 Maurine Dickey – 214-653-7552
Email: Maurine.Dickey@DallasCounty.org

Dist. 2 Mike Cantrell – 214-653-6100
Email: MCantrell@DallasCounty.org

Dist. 3 John Wiley Price – 214-653-6671
Email: John.Price@DallasCounty.org

Dist. 4 Dr. Elba Garcia – 214-653-6670
Email: Elba.GarciaDDS@DallasCounty.org


Also in the The Dallas Morning News

3/27/11

Maryland Senate: NO Trans-Crow Law! NO Slavery!

The time has come for the Transexual Menace to rise up.

The Maryland Judicial Proceedings Committee is now considering a "transgender anti discrimination" bill stripped of public accommodations provisions. What does that mean to you and I, the average trans person? It means you would be allowed workplace protections but none for public accommodations.

You may soon be existing in a society much the as it was during the Jim Crow era. Transgender people could work at but would be subject to arrest just for being in or using a"Place of public accommodation" which is defined as an inn, hotel, motel, restaurant, cafeteria, lunchroom, lunch counter, soda fountain,a motion picture house, theater, concert hall, sports arena, stadium, or other place of exhibition or entertainment.

The majority trans peoples income is lower than 18,000 which indicates most of us work in public service jobs, with public accommodations the only option.

Or fired by your employer for not following the enhanced dress code. Or thrown out of emergency shelters if you demand to be housed with the gender congruent with your expression. HRC is calling on its entire membership to enslave transgender people. HB235 would make you a second class citizen living at the whim of the ruling class.... In other words, a slave.

Regardless of where you live this bill is a threat to you because it is being pushed by HRC.

Every Maryland transgender group opposes this bill, but our voices have been censored so the Senators will never know how much we were against this legislation, unless you act. Equality Maryland as it has all but banned dissension from its Facebook page while simultaneously lording over us their victory in Maryland's House.

The Washington Blade, like most gay publishers deletes most dissenting opinions to its articles pimping Equality Maryland's dis empowerment and assimilation of transgender people.

We must take action now. The Senate hearing could take place as early as Wednesday the 30th.

Please call these Senators and tell them No to Trans-Crow. No to HB235.

Brian E. Frosh, Chair (410) 841-3124, (301) 858-3124
Lisa A. Gladden, Vice-Chair (410) 841-3697, (301) 858-3697

JAMES BROCHIN Democrat, District 42, Baltimore County (410) 841-3648, (301) 858-3648 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3648 (toll free)

JENNIE M. FOREHAND Democrat, District 17, Montgomery County (410) 841-3134, (301) 858-3134 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3134 (toll free)

JOSEPH M. GETTY Republican, District 5, Baltimore County Carroll County (410) 841-3683, (301) 858-3683 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3683 (toll free)

NANCY JACOBS Republican, District 34, Cecil & Harford Counties (410) 841-3158, (301) 858-3158 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3158 (toll free)

VICTOR R. RAMIREZ Democrat, District 47, Prince George's County (410) 841-3745, (301) 858-3745 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3745 (toll free)

JAMIN B. (JAMIE) RASKIN Democrat, District 20, Montgomery County (410) 841-3634, (301) 858-3634 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3634 (toll free)

CHRISTOPHER B. SHANK Republican, District 2, Washington County (410) 841-3903, (301) 858-3903 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3903 (toll free)

NORMAN R. STONE, JR. Democrat, District 6, Baltimore County (410) 841-3587, (301) 858-3587 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3587 (toll free)

ROBERT A. (BOBBY) ZIRKIN Democrat, District 11, Baltimore County (410) 841-3131, (301) 858-3131 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3131 (toll free)

3/23/11

HR235 Vote March 24th on the Maryland Transgender 'equality' bill without equality

*UPdated March 28th 2011

HR235 has just been voted out of the subcommitte Friday the 25th March 2011. It needs to crossover into the Senate by March 28 (no sessions this weekend which mean a vote on Monday the 28th.) Then go to the Judicial Proceedings Committee for a vote and to the floor of the Senate for a floor vote by the April 11th.

It is also reported that there are some amendments to the bill not yet annotated on the bills official page. It is presumed these changes are going to be added to appease legislators not yet committed and not the Maryland transgender community represented by Transmaryland and Trans-United or local journalists who have voiced loud objections to the removal of public accommodations provisions

Dana LaRocca, a Maryland transgender woman sums it up nicely;


"HB235’s omission of public accommodations is a flaw that will not easily be remedied in the future. All previous anti discrimination bills have included public accommodations protections and that omission in this bill will in the future be seen as a legislative intent to create a second class of citizenship for transgender Marylanders. I understand that it is considered an easier bill to win in its current form. The transgender community is not interested in an easy win. We are interested in justice. By denying equal access to public accommodations HB235 denies the dignity of an entire class of persons."

"Out of respect for the dignity of human persons HB235 must be rejected and we must not consider such legislation until such time that it includes the same protections for transgender persons as the law does for all other classes of citizens. We are all entitled to the same goods inherent in social practice. That is what social justice means."

On behalf of the half dozen Maryland transgender activists who HRC is throwing it multi million dollar corporate might against I ask the people who are entrusted with our freedom please do not pass HB235.




This is so very wrong.

3/22/11

ACLU of Maryland accessory to EQMD oppression of Transgender Community

After numerous unsuccessful attempts at contacting the ACLU of Maryland this facebook post and tweet mentioning their unconscionable support of inequality Maryland got a reaction. I think I finally struck a nerve.

My tweet:
@ACLU_MD supports #eqMD horrific #HB235 despite MD transgender groups opposition http://goo.gl/GKJCy and experience http://wp.me/plmvK-gu

My Facebook post:




ACLU of Maryland responds "Please contact our legislative team with your concerns: curtis@aclu-md.org"

I will Contact Curtis and ask him why the ACLU of Maryland is supporting EQMD despite their self admitted censorship of transgender objections to HB 235. This action by The ACLU of Maryland is contrary to their opinion on freedom of speech.

Statement to House subcommittee, May 2010



I will ask Curtis why the ACLU of Maryland is supporting a bill that the a minority clearly opposes. NOT being the oppressed ACLU of Maryland is not in a position ton dictate to transgender people what their concerns are.

The first paragraphs of the ACLU testimony at the House hearing.
"The ACLU of Maryland strongly supports HB 235 as providing long overdue protection to
Maryland’s transgendered residents. It should receive a favorable report from this committee."

"The state’s current antidiscrimination law prohibits discrimination based upon race, color,religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or disability, but provides no protection for transgendered individuals, leaving them vulnerable to discrimination in all areas of civic life. The bill closes this loophole."
NO it OPENS a 'loop hole'.

What HB235 does is places the onus on future legislative efforts to show exactly why transgender people should be treated as equal in societies public accommodations when they were clearly denied that right under previous legislation. This legislation is not better than than nothing it is worst than nothing.

EQMD tries to justify HB235 by suggesting the near future social climate in Maryland will be more conducive to passing public accommodations amendment. EQMD crafted the previous exclusionary amendment a decade ago. Why would we believe they would ever come back' for us now that the Marriage issues remains unsolved. This self serving lie only condemns generations of transgender people to generations of servitude and second class citizenship.

The last ditch defense offered by eqMD of this fail is debunked because HB235 does not protect transgender people in homeless shelters


ACLU, get out of bed with equality Maryland. Maryland Transgender people DO NOT want HB235!

Transgender Marriage Rights Under Attack in Texas


Senate Bill 723 would disallow proof of sex change as appropriate documentation for marriage.

Texas Family code as amended in 2009 currently allows the use of an original or certified court order of name change or sex change for purposes of marriage in the state of Texas. Senator Tommy Williams (R-Woodlands) has authored a bill that would disallow such proof, effective September 1, 2011.

This legislation is a direct attack on civil rights garnered by transgender Texans in 2009 and effectively erases gender diversity from legal protection and public discourse.

What are some things you can do?

In the Austin area: Go by the Senate Committee on Jurisprudence meeting on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at 1:30 pm room 2E.20 (Betty King Cmte. Rm.) of the Capitol and submit a testimony card AGAINST SB 723.

Please contact the members of the Senate Jurisprudence Committee and tell them to leave the law the way it is, vote NO on SB 723.

Chair Chris Harris 512-463-0109

Vice-Chair Jose Rodriguez 512-463-0129

John Carona 512-463-0116

Robert Duncan 512-463-0128

Mario Gallegos 512-463-0106

Joan Huffman 512-463-0117

Carlos Uresti 512-463-0119

Special thanks to:

Tara Smith Texas Trucker extraordinaire somewhere on the highways of America.

Daniel Williams at: legislativequeery.com

transgriot.blogspot

Transgender Education Network of Texas


For more information on this bill:

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/82R/billtext/html/SB00723I.htm

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/82R/analysis/pdf/SB00723I.pdf#navpanes=0

Tommy Williams is the Senator who wants cities that do not enforce ICE immigration policies during traffic stops to lose state funding.

Senator Tommy Williams tearing apart Texas families one at a time.