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Legislators Don't Get It
Abstract: Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives learning slowly to respect the rights of transgender people.
The federal Employment Non-Descrimination Act was supposed to come up for a vote in committee on October 2, and the week before Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives (including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Representative Barney Frank) tried to "improve the bill's chances" by dropping transgendered people from the list of those whose rights the bill protects.
The House leadership was apparently not prepared for the backlash that followed. On Oct 1, a letter signed by more than 90 organizations was sent to Pelosi and others. It read in part:
We oppose legislation that leaves part of our community without protections and basic security that the rest of us are provided.
Consideration of the bill has been postponed. If you're moved to express an opinion about this bill, visit the ENDA Action Center of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF> or the Stonewall Democrats' Accept No Substitutes page.
We find it interesting that, as of this writing, the New York Times has not found the ENDA Maneuvering or the backlash newsworthy.
