A few key points
emerged last week amid the whirl of activity regarding
transgender federal workers, "don't ask, don't
tell," and counting gay couples in the U.S.
Census.
A few key points
emerged last week amid the whirl of activity regarding
transgender federal workers, "don't ask, don't
tell," and counting gay couples in the U.S. Census.
-John Berry, the
highest-ranking LGBT official in the Obama administration, said
the presidential memo that President Obama signed last week
does extend protections to transgender employees
of the federal government. The memorandum directed
Berry's agency, the Office of Personnel Management, to
issue guidance to all executive branch departments and agencies
regarding complying with civil service laws, which according to
White House, "make it unlawful to discriminate against
federal employees or applicants for federal employment on the
basis of factors not related to job performance." Berry
confirmed in several interviews, including one with National
Public Radio, "That is going to allow us to extend
protections to transgender employees." Gays and lesbians
were already protected by an executive order that had been
signed by President Bill Clinton.
-Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid clearly asked the White House for guidance on a path
forward for overturning the military's ban on gays:
"We do not have a DADT bill introduced in the Senate yet,
but a number of senators are working on a bipartisan approach
to get DADT repealed," Senator Reid said in a statement
Tuesday. "We would welcome a legislative proposal from the
White House on repeal so as to provide clear guidance on what
the president would like to see and when. With presidential
leadership and direction, I believe we can find the time to get
repeal done in this Congress. We need all the troops we can get
right now."
-Following on the heels
of Majority Leader Reid's statement, White House press
secretary Robert Gibbs said Wednesday that "don't ask,
don't tell" could be repealed during this Congress.
Though both Reid and Gibbs stopped short of making pledges on
timing, their remarks are significant because they are really
the first indication from Senate leadership and the White House
of any potential timeline.
-The U.S. Census Bureau
now plans to count same-sex couples in the 2010 Census.
"They will be counted, and they ought to report the way
they see themselves," spokesman
Steve Jost told the Associated Press
. "In the normal process of reports coming out after the
census of 2010, I think the country will have a good data set
on which to discuss this phenomenon that is evolving in this
country."
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