HRC: Only Trans-Inclusive ENDA Will Do

Debra, You say, "Men who have sex with men are seen as adopting female behaviors." Frankly, I think that so long as the LGBT community adopts that attitude it is going to drive people away from the cause. Brokeback Mountain was a huge success partly because it showed people that there ARE masculine guys who fall in love with each other. My homosexuality goes hand in hand with my masculinity. So if straight men perceive me as "breaking gender expression norms," I kindly explain to them that no, I am just as "masculine" as you are, I simply find myself attracted to other men. I will stand up for any gay man who is more "feminine" than I am, and I want to do all I can to make same-sex marriage legal, but that doesn't mean I want to throw all gender norms out the window. It is the right to marry and have sex with the same sex that we can all unite around, because in terms of "gender roles", the LGBT community is large and varied.

Christine Smith: Whether some trans people identify as 'straight' after transition isn't the point. No matter how they identify their sexual orientation, they are discriminated against in employment, housing and, often, with violence far more often than LGB people are. Many trans people fall into the LGB community as well. Moreover, freedom of gender identity/expression is also about those non-trans LGB people who aren't viewed as gender normative. And if we're talking about going back into the closet, how about all those gay men and lesbians working in corporate America or as teachers who are on the down-lo at work? See, they can throw on a suit and tone down their 'behavior' and pass. Many transpeople, even post-transition, don't have that luxury. Yes, there are separate issues between all our sub-communities, but this most certainly isn't one of them.

Robert says ' I don't think HRC should throw gays under the bus for the sake of transgendered people. I have transgendered friends and family, so don't get me wrong'. I bet you have Jewish, black and Hispanic friends to huh? HRC has been transgender peoples nightmare since it's inception. They were able to get away with selling our lives for a couple hundred bucks at extravagant 'gala' parties BEFORE! NOT SO ANYMORE. Gainesville is a perfect example of the respect gained by selflessly putting ones own rights on the line for another. THAT was noticed by all of our potential allies. Maybe, just maybe solmonese will lead a respectful and dignified org. That's to be seen. As far as those HRC rank and file that are willing to sacrifice others lives in order to celebrate hollow victories, maybe just maybe they will also change. Kelli Busey Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies

A year-and-a-half after the exclusive-ENDA debacle it's shocking that so many gay people don't get it -- transgender rights is your issue too. The straight world doesn't hate gay people because of their sexual orientation as much as they do because they perceive gays as as breaking gender expression norms, which is the essence of transgenderism. Men who have sex with men are seen as adopting female behaviors -- get it?

@Chuck Anziulewicz- Example: Wisconsin. Which has had Gay rights for over 30 years now. The GLB movement said they'd come back, but somehow, it's never seemed to happen. The average delay due to having an all-inclusive bill is impossible to measure accurately. There are a number of examples where the time from a non-inclusive bill last being rejected, and an inclusive one passed, is less than 5 years, so this is an upper limit. The delay due to including trans rights is always less than 5 years. The average delay when the GLB movement has "come back" for the T is nearly 20 years, but it's over 35 in some cases, and still climbing as Trans people still haven't been covered.

there are plenty of people who are supportive of gay rights and yet on the fence about trans rights. i am one. to say that i should be "ashamed" for not supporting every social group in their "quest for freedom" is ridiculous. the right to marry someone of the opposite sex is a very different right than the right to turn INTO the opposite sex. maybe you can convince me that the issues are related, but to presume that i'm going to support anybody who differs from the sexual norm just because i do is a mistake. i also think people should be allowed to smoke marijuana legally, so should we hold off on gay rights until that issue is resolved?

Who are these mythical people that are so supportive of gay and lesbian rights, and so opposed to trans rights? We've been duped into swallowing this ridiculous excuse for far too long. The HRC never should have backed down from demanding an all-inclusive ENDA in the first place.

I have to admit I'm somewhat torn on this subject; I can definitely see both sides. We desperately need to get ENDA passed, and excluding transgender folks from it makes that easier (as bad as that sounds). But the bottom line truth here is that transgender folks need these protections too; perhaps more so than those of us that are LGB. Even though it might delay getting ENDA passed (and that affects me personally), I think it would be unfair of us to abandon our transgender allies. The ENDA bill must be inclusive; I'm glad that HRC is finally completely on board with this.

@ Christine Smith Christine, Half of them don't "move on" they are gay or lesbian. A far more bigger percentage than the non-trans people out there. Me, a proud lesbian first and a trans person second. Also a Pride Center Trustee in my state.

Whether or not some of you think the T community could obtain their rights in the near future; as long as you think that they should step aside while we get our rights you should be ashamed. To turn away a fellow human being in their quest for freedom just so you can selfishly obtain yours is a pretty sad statement. Way to discriminate, isn't that what we are trying to fight here? Maybe we should put off the transphobic people's rights until everyone else's rights are passed. After all I think more discrimination would hold us back. Equal rights, not chronologically convenient rights.