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10/01/2007
Another hour, another ENDA letter
A few hours ago, we told you how 90+ LGBT groups had banded together to tell Congress to leave The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) in its original, trans-inclusive state. Well now, another set of groups has released their own ENDA-supporting letter. And the big news is that this one includes the Human Rights Campaign, somewhat appeasing fears that they were going to go along with the Dem's new "T"-dropping strategy without much of a fight:
Human Rights Campaign signs ENDA letter to Capitol Hill [HRC]
So hold up, those who were planning to remove their HRC bumper sticker from their auto in a fit of rage. First off, the difficulty in getting those sons of bitches off can greatly decrease the drama of the gesture. Secondly and more importantly, however -- HRC actually seems to be doing the right thing and standing up for the "T" in the LGBT rainbow. It may not be an all-out opposition yet; but it's a hopeful step.
**SEE ALSO: Nancy Pelosi, George Miller, and Barney Frank have also announced that the mark-up and vote on the bill will be postponed until later this month:
Pelosi, Miller, Frank and Baldwin Statement on ENDA [Speaker.gov]
This gives everyone time to send a trans-inclusive message to Congress. Including little ol' you.
**UPDATE, 10/02: HRC has further clarified that it "will not support the newly introduced sexual orientation only bill." However, they also say the will not "encourage Members of Congress to vote against...the newly introduced sexual orientation only bill." Here is the statement:
Human Rights Campaign Board of Directors votes to reaffirm 2004 policy on ENDA [HRC BackStory]
Hmm...
Your thoughts
Good. You're right, those things are a bitch to get off your bumper. Besides, I didn't have much faith in getting HRC to stop the automatic withdraws from our account.
Posted by: Mike in the Tundra | Oct 1, 2007 8:41:31 PM
The HRC, Pelosi, Frank et al were just doing what comes naturally, selling us for twenty pieces of silver. The issues become interconnected by their efforts to betray us. Democrats have to appear to be for GLBT rights while they torpedo them, and to appear to be for peace while supporting the war.
In the Senate Republicans and Democrats demonstrated their commitment to Iraqi self-determination by voting 75-23 in favor of partitioning Iraq. That will make the sale of Iraqi oil facilities to the oil pirates al that much easier. Then they approved the war funding bill by 92-3., with the hate crimes bill attached. Five senators were absent - all presidential candidates busy hustling the voters. In the house they tried to gut ENDA, hopefully unsuccessfully.
Those were Clintonesque maneuvers worthy of the Bill himself. They vote for the war funding act after promising not to during the 2006 elections, AND nobody notices because the hate crimes bill is attached as a rider, AND they set up the hate crimes bill for a fall, AND they claim they did their best, AND they're off the hook with the bigots, AND they divide up a sovereign nation to grab its oil. Slimy personified.
This Congressional gross out comes on the heels of this weeks Washington Post/ABC news poll that shows that most Americans want war funding cut off (3%), sharply reduced (43%) or reduced somewhat (23%). Unsurprisingly the same poll shows that Republican Bush is in the cellar with an approval rate of 33% and the Congressional Republicans and Democrats have dropped into the sewer with an approval rating of 29%.
But the Congress is just doing their duty for the ruling rich. Here’s a hint for conservatives and liberals who might be scratching their head when these deals go down. Recently George Shultz, former Reaganite Secretary of State and Nixonian Secretary of the Treasury said "Politics and the economy are all one big interactive system."
He neglected to say it but politicians, Republican and Democrat, are owned by the same people who own the economy, the ruling rich.
Check out the US Labor Party.
Posted by: Bill Perdue | Oct 2, 2007 4:52:10 PM
Every person deserves to live their life unharassed and free. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness apply to every american. But I'm tried of the people who contend they speak for me insisting that transexuals' struggle is one and the same as ours. It's not. It's harder, and it's longer, because it's different.
When it comes to the T in GLBT... well to be fully honest I think it ought to be GLB. Would I donate to a T charity? If I had the money I would probably give to both GLB and T charites, but I would do it separately because they face different issues. Let the transexuals who fully understand their problems (as only someone going through them can) stand up and fight for their own rights.
I wouldn't ask a transexual fighting the good fight to simply use a public restroom (or any other perfectly reasonable act/part of life) to divert their energy to help gays and lesbians wed. I don't agree with the prevailing trend of doing the opposite. Our fights are different and we should wage them separately.
Posted by: tracker | Oct 3, 2007 4:45:41 PM
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