What Does the HRC Have to do With a Trans-Inclusive ENDA, and Why are we Protesting Their Dinner?
Because HRC leader Joe Solomonese is a habitual liar who has betrayed every other major LGBT organization in the nation:

• At the Southern Comfort Conference (SCC) in September 2007, Solomonese promised that HRC would oppose any attempt to introduce a non-inclusive ENDA bill. While at the conference, HRC culled many new memberships and donations from the LGBT community, including many previously skeptical transgender leaders.  But last Fall, HRC actively fought to exclude gender identity protection from ENDA.
• Worse still, Solo monese and HRC senior staff worked behind the scenes to strip gender identity protection from ENDA – first alleging to support an inclusive bill, and then alleging to be “neutral” – betraying every other, major national and state organization, including PFLAG, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Lambda, the Stonewall Democrats, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights – as well as the 350 other local, state, and national organizations working tirelessly for an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act

“Betrayal, distrust, and anger”

Because HRC has betrayed the transgender community, including its own transgender leaders:

• HRC has betrayed the trans community
• The only transgender member of HRC’s Board of Directors, Donna Rose, resigned in October, stating that “the relationship between HRC and the transgender community is one scarred by betrayal, distrust, and anger.”

Because Solomonese and HRC have betrayed San Francisco.

• San Francisco leaders and organizations universally support inclusive civil rights protections – especially “inclusive ENDA”.  Last Fall, representatives from every elective body in the City expressed strong support for ONLY an inclusive ENDA bill.
• Also, numerous organizations, including the Alice B. Toklas and Harvey Milk Democratic clubs, Pride at Work, the SF LGBT Center, the Transgender Law Center, And Castro For All, and others worked diligently for an inclusive ENDA bill, and expressed dismay with HRC’s “strategy.” In fact, this Spring, the San Francisco LGBT Pride Committee felt so betrayed by Solomonese and HRC that they nominated the organization for their “Pink Brick” award

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 1st, 2008 at 7:53 pm and is filed under Campaigns, General, Queer rights, Trans-inclusive ENDA, Workers and Unions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.