MEDIA RELEASE -- August 7, 2004

 

The Transgender Law & Policy Institute Applauds HRC Board for Trans-inclusive Stance on Federal Legislation

 

Contacts:          Shannon Minter, 415-595-2125  or   Paisley Currah, 917-686-7663

 

The Board of Directors of the Human Rights Campaign voted today to adopt a policy to support ENDA only if it is inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.  The Board voted to take this historic position after hearing from transgender activists, Congressional staffers, and HRC staff.

 

“We are extremely pleased that the HRC board has taken this historic step that will strengthen and unify the LGBT community,” said Kylar Broadus, a TLPI board member and one of the activists at the meeting. “We’re looking forward to working closely with HRC and our allies in Congress to build support for and to pass a unified non-discrimination bill.”

 

“This is a natural evolution for HRC,” said Shannon Minter, TLPI board member and Legal Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights who was also at the meeting. “Especially since changing its mission statement to include transgender people in 2001, HRC has made advocating on behalf of transgender and gender non-conforming people an integral part of its work. Today’s vote has taken that commitment to a new level.”

 

“A non-discrimination bill that covers gender identity and expression along with sexual orientation is necessary to ensure that everyone in our community is protected,” said Paisley Currah, TLPI board member and another activist at the meeting.  “This is important not only for transgender people but also for lesbian, gay and bisexual people who are gender non-conforming.”

 

Transgender activists have been pushing for the inclusion of gender identity and expression since ENDA was first introduced in 1994. 

 

“As important as this single event is, I wish to digress to the larger event that has just occurred with this HRC agreement,” said Phyllis Frye, founder of the International Conference on Transgender Law and Employment Policy and widely recognized as the mother of the transgender rights movement. “That larger event is that finally, 35 years after the Stonewall Riots, the greater American LGBT community is unified.  No longer will energy and organization and money be wasted on internal bickering over who does or does not get left behind. United at last, we queer folks can work for equal rights under our constitution for the inclusive LGBT community.  Make note of this seventh day of August 2004.  On this day, we continued our civil rights struggle as one people.”

 

The Transgender Law and Policy Institute is dedicated to engaging in effective advocacy for transgender people in our society. The TLPI brings experts and advocates together to work on law and policy initiatives designed to advance transgender equality. Visit us on the web at www.transgenderlaw.org or email query@transgenderlaw.org.

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