Protesting HRC
NOTE: The first letter was sent just prior to Illinois Gender Advocates' scheduled Dec. 2 protest of the Human Rights Campaign-sponsored appearance of transwoman Susan Stanton in Oak Park.
Unlike every other lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered ( LGBT ) organization, the Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) was the only LGBT group to support the recently passed Employment Non-Discrimination Act ( ENDA ) ( H.R. 3685 ) that did not provide employment protection based on gender identity. Such policy position appeared to be based on misinformed notions of incremental civil rights protections for some—but not all—of the LGBT community. Illinois Gender Advocates ( IGA ) believes that HRC actively lobbied for a non-inclusive ENDA in Congress while making public statements to the contrary during October and early November of this year.
Contrary to these actions, at both the national and local level, here in Chicago HRC continues to make public statements regarding its support of the transgendered within the LGBT community. Susan Stanton ( who was the city manager for Largo, Fla., and who gained national media attention when she was fired after her planned transition from male to female gender was discovered ) has been engaged by HRC Chicago for an undisclosed honorarium to speak at an HRC Chicago Transgender Outreach-hosted event at the Unity Temple, 875 Lake Street, Oak Park on Sun., Dec. 2. ( For more information on Susan, her media group or to contact her for other paid speaking engagements, just search the Internet. )
IGA intends to peacefully protest HRC's event featuring Susan Stanton. We intend to send a clear message that education initiatives and paid public appearances do not compensate for national HRC policies and local HRC Chicago complicity in failing to stand up for all of the LGBT community when legislative proposals and protections are at stake. We find it particularly hypocritical that HRC supported the passage of ENDA legislation that would not have provided any protection against her own job loss to its featured speaker, Ms. Stanton, although we are happy that Susan, unlike the vast majority of unemployed and underemployed transgendered persons, will hopefully receive something for her appearance.
LGBT groups almost universally seem to understand that gender identity is intertwined with sexual orientation, which led to the rapid growth of United ENDA to over 360 organizations. None of those groups thought ENDA without gender identity protection was acceptable. We sincerely hope that HRC will change its policies and reach the same conclusion. Our protest of HRC-sponsored events is intended to encourage such change. We understand that HRC may contend that actions other than protest could be more effective. Unfortunately, we note several troubling recent developments that suggest HRC is actually unwilling to work together with anyone from the LGBT community on these concerns—namely the recent resignation of transgendered HRC board and council members and reversal of prior HRC board action supporting only a gender identity inclusive ENDA. These recent disturbing developments, coupled with our understanding that even now HRC works to advance non-gender identity inclusive ENDA in the future, have caused us to believe that the LGBT community must continue to be made aware of HRC's failures. HRC's conduct has given us grave reservations regarding both its actual treatment of the transgendered and whether it in fact even perceives the LGBT community as a single community, where all of its members are truly equal.
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Dear Editor:
I struggled to contain both my composure and anger while reading the letter from the HRC Chicago Steering Committee telling members of the LGBT community that they shouldn't waste energy protesting them ( HRC ) and instead focus their energy on educating legislators about the need for transgender protections.
Last time I checked, one of the roles of HRC was to educate and lobby legislators.
It seems as if HRC, locally, is trying to deflect well-deserved criticism for the role the national HRC had in leaving my transgender brothers and sisters ( and non-gender-conforming LGBs ) out of ENDA. The LGBT community has every right to call out national groups ( and their local steering committee members ) if that organization betrays a constituency it purports to serve and breaks past promises to include them in ENDA.
And, yes, we outside the beltway are well aware that the spin being put on the passage of a non-inclusive ENDA is that a trans-inclusive bill wouldn't pass in today's political climate in Washington.
If you aren't changing that climate and continue to pass the buck, then you are wasting the very limited resources you are taking from Chicago that could be spent on an organization that can actually create change and make a difference, not excuses.
—Robert Castillo, Chicago
Conventional wisdom
Dear Editor:
In November 2008, voters can exercise one of the most fundamental cornerstones of our democracy by voting for a constitutional convention. A 'Con-Con' would provide the people of Illinois the opportunity to review how our state works and why, at times, it doesn't. The convention allows for elected delegates from each legislative district to assemble for the purpose of proposing amendments to the current state constitution.
Critics from both the left and the right say that holding such a convention will open a 'Pandora's Box.' It is, however, important to realize that a Con-Con does not equate to a rewriting of the constitution of our state. To the contrary, the convention would be borne out of the document itself, which by its very content states that there shall be at least one opportunity every 20 years for the voters of Illinois to choose to review our state's blueprint.
A Con-Con could bring the kind of government Illinoisans deserve and should demand. Ideals could reign over agendas, and meaningful discussions could replace political posturing.
—State Rep. John Fritchey,
11th District, D-Chicago