News 2009
Hearing on ENDA in House of Representatives
Committee on Education and Labor Hears Testimony on Workplace Discrimination
(September 23, 2009, Washington, DC)—The House Committee on Education and Labor, led by Chairman George Miller, heard testimony this morning about the devastating impact of workplace discrimination faced by gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. The hearing was part of the Committee’s work on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), HR 3017.
One witness, Vandy Beth Glenn, had worked for the Georgia state legislature for a number of years until the day when she informed her supervisor that she was transitioning from male to female; she was immediately fired from her job. Her experiences, unfortunately, are not unique. The recent National Transgender Discrimination Survey led by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) found that 26% of the 6,450 transgender people surveyed had faced an adverse job action, such as losing their jobs, being denied a promotion or not being hired because of their gender identity or expression. Almost every person who responded to the survey—a staggering 97%— had experienced harassment or discrimination on the job because they are transgender.
“Now is the time that we must pass legislation designed to protect Americans from this kind of blatant and unfair discrimination,” commented NCTE’s Executive Director, Mara Keisling. “Every single day, transgender people are being fired for being who they are, even when they have excellent work records and skills. As a result, their families struggle and often fail to make ends meet, people lose their homes, careers end, all because someone’s supervisor decided that it was okay to discriminate. That is not the American way. This legislation is absolutely needed to make it clear that discrimination is never acceptable.”
Several committee members were visibly moved by Ms. Glenn’s testimony and expressed concern at the way she was treated. They also asked detailed questions of the witnesses and many cited their support for ENDA’s passage.
Transgender advocates continue to be actively engaged in work to pass ENDA, with people around the country visiting, writing and calling their members of Congress. A companion bill has already been introduced in the Senate, S.1584.
Inclusive ENDA Introduced in the Senate
Washington, DC, August 5, 2009— A fully inclusive version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) was introduced today in the Senate with bipartisan support. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), joined by Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Edward M. Kennedy (D-Massachusetts), introduced the bill, which would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
“Our goal with this legislation is clear and simple,” stated Mara Keisling, Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. “Hardworking transgender people deserve the right to go to work without the fear of being arbitrarily fired. We want to apply for a job and be confident that we’ll be evaluated based on our qualifications. Our work should be judged on our skills and our expertise, the same as everyone else. ENDA is simply about basic equality in the workplace and freedom from discrimination.”
A House version of the bill was introduced by Rep. Barney Frank on June 24 and now has 152 co-sponsors. It is currently being considered in committee. President Obama has already declared his support for ENDA.
What You Can Do
This week, please take action by contacting your Senators to ask them to co-sponsor this vital legislation. There are a number of ways you can do this:
- Call your Senators. You can find the phone numbers at www.senate.gov and select your state in the upper right hand corner. That will give you contact information for both of your Senators.
- Write an e-mail online with our ENDA action: http://www.rallycongress.com/enda/
- Go to a town hall or other public meeting in your state while your members of Congress are home in August. You may still be able to get an appointment to meet with your members of Congress or a staff member. See our Toolkit for more information about how to do this. National Center for Transgender Equality’s ENDA Toolkit
It is critical that members of Congress hear directly from transgender people and our families, friends and allies about the need to pass this bill. Please speak out today!
Want more information?
Visit our ENDA webpage and find out more. http://nctequality.org/enda.html
ENDA's Introduction Announced in the House
(June 29) The National Center for Transgender Equality applauds the introduction of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) as a vital step towards employment equality for all Americans.
NCTE’s Executive Director, Mara Keisling, commented, “Day after day, we hear from transgender people who have lost their jobs for no other reason than plain and simple discrimination. This includes people who have had long and distinguished careers who, after they transition, suddenly find themselves unable to find meaningful work and young transgender people who are unable to get their first job. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act will be an important step in helping these folks get to work. When asked, Americans are consistently clear on the fact that we believe that people should be judged at work for the quality of their work, not on unrelated factors. This bill would bring the law into line with what Americans already know—prejudice has no place in the American workplace.”
NCTE is calling on its members to be actively involved in the process of passing the bill, including visiting their members of Congress during the summer. The organization has been working for this bill from its inception in 2003.
Are Transgender Federal Employees Protected?
How Does Today’s Announcement Affect Trans People? Some good news and some “we’ll see.”
(Washington, DC; June 17, 2009) Today, President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum on Federal Benefits and Non-Discrimination. The memorandum follows the Administration’s review regarding what benefits may be extended to the same-sex partners of federal employees in the civil service and the foreign service within the confines of existing federal laws and statutes. The memorandum also directs the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to issue guidelines within 90 days to all executive departments and agencies about how to comply with and implement the civil service laws, which make it unlawful to discriminate against federal employees or applicants for federal employment on the basis of factors not related to job performance.
Today’s announcement was a small first step in addressing the needs of LGBT people in federal employment. Obviously, any policy that benefits same-sex couples will benefit transgender people since many trans people are in same-sex relationships. But it would be a pyrrhic victory indeed if transgender federal employees could count on limited partnership benefits, but not on actual protection from employment discrimination. Thus NCTE has and continues to prioritize securing clear policies from the administration that federal employees are protected based on gender identity and expression. It is one of our eleven priorities for 2009 and progress is being made with this announcement today.
While we are just as concerned as many other LGBT people and organizations about the need to increase the pace of positive policy change, it is nonetheless clear from our ongoing work with the administration, as well as public statements made today by OPM and other administration officials, that it is their intention and commitment that the OPM guidance to be issued in the next 90 days will provide real, robust and meaningful protections for transgender federal employees and job applicants. NCTE will continue to provide expertise as OPM moves forward.
Officials we spoke with today reconfirmed that the decision is firm that the new guidelines to agencies and departments will make clear that discrimination based on gender identity and expression is forbidden under civil service policies and that the policy will be enforced by this Administration. We will be meeting with them in the coming weeks, as part of our continuing work with them, to discuss the specific guidance that will be sent to the many agencies of the federal government to communicate the decisions and explain the policy. The process is also already underway at OPM to update federal personnel materials to make it clear that the federal government does not tolerate discrimination based on gender identity and expression in its hiring practices.
We are now conducting an independent legal analysis of the memo signed by the President today, and we will work with OPM to make sure that they will have a sufficient and meaningful impact protecting transgender federal employees from job discrimination.
We hope that you will join with us in continuing to look for and advocate for these important steps. While we are heartened by our conversations with White House officials and glad for their commitment to providing equal opportunities for all Americans, we will also continue to work diligently to ensure that these decisions are implemented and communicated effectively. The White House understands, as we do, that this is the first step of many steps we need to take to bring about equality for transgender people.
We know you share our commitment that transgender people need and deserve the opportunity to work, being judged by the quality of our work and the skills to do the job, not by our gender identity or expression.
UPDATE (June 4, 2009): Chaffetz Amendment passes today.
Vote coming on Whole Body Imaging Scans
Chaffetz Amendment to the TSA Authorization Act
Would
Rein in Whole Body Imaging Scans
June 3, 2009
Call Your Member of Congress TODAY to Protect Transgender Airport Privacy
The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act (H.R. 2200) this week. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) has added an amendment to the bill which would prohibit using Whole Body Imaging as the sole or primary method of screening at airport security checkpoints, and would allow passengers the opportunity to choose a full pat down as an alternative to Whole Body Imaging.
This is particularly important for transgender people because Whole Body Imaging scanners produce a three-dimensional image of the passenger’s nude body, including breasts, genitals, buttocks, prosthetics, binding materials, and any objects on the person’s body, in an attempt to identify contraband. These scanners may out transgender people to TSA staff and potentially subject transgender people to further screening at the airports.
Call your Member of Congress TODAY and ask that they support the Chaffetz amendment to the Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act.
Need to know more about Whole Body Imaging? NCTE has put together an FAQ on Whole Body Imaging with more information on the program, how it works, what TSA staff sees through the scanners, and what you can do to avoid airport problems.
The Reuniting Families Act
June 1, 2009
Immigration Equality is an LGBT organization that has been a strong champion of transgender rights, working with transgender people seeking asylum in the United States. They have an important immigration bill that will be introduced in the next few days. We are passing along this action alert from them and encourage you to take action today.
From Immigration Equality:
Take Action to support LGBT Immigrant Families!
Tell Congress: Keep Our Families Together!
Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA), a long-time champion of the LGBT community, will soon introduce The Reuniting Families Act. This landmark immigration bill ends harmful practices - such as long visa wait times and discrimination against LGBT families - that prevent loving families from being together.
In an historic move, Congressman Honda has included same gender couples as part of this remarkable legislation . . . marking the first time in Congressional history that these couples have been included as part of a multi-issue immigration bill.
As our country begins a conversation about comprehensive immigration reform, this important first step helps to ensure that, moving forward, same gender couples are included, too. The President supports us, and Congress is increasingly on our side. Now, our community can be part of fixing our nation's broken immigration system by supporting their efforts.
Please stand with Congressman Honda and our families, and urge your elected representative to co-sponsor The Reuniting Families Act.
ACT NOW to Urge Your Member of Congress to Cosponsor the Reuniting Families Act!
Please call your U.S. Representative and ask him or her to cosponsor the Reuniting Families Act, which will allow Americans to sponsor their same gender partners for immigration.
Along with the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), Congressman Honda's bill is another sign of historic progress for the LGBT community, and it is critical that our elected representatives know this is an important issue for our community.
There are two QUICK ACTIONS you can DO TODAY to support family unity:
- Call NOW to urge your Representative to cosponsor the Reuniting Families Act! Contact the Capital Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be directly connected to your Representative. (If you don't know who your representative is you can find out at www.congressmerge.com)
- Forward this message to 10 friends immediately and urge them to participate.
Thanks for making sure that comprehensive immigration reform is truly comprehensive - and includes LGBT families!
For more information on immigration discrimination against LGBT families, see www.immigrationequality.org. For more information on the Reuniting Families Act and its supporters, see http://honda.house.gov/legislation/2009/family-reunification/
Hate Crimes Bill Passes
Includes Gender Identity
April 29, 2009
Today the United States House of Representatives voted 249 to 175 in favor of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (H. R. 1913), moving one step closer to the passage of the first federal law to include gender identity and transgender people in a positive way. This bill would add sexual orientation, gender identity, gender and disability to the categories included in existing federal hate crimes law and would allow local governments who are unable or unwilling to address hate crimes to receive assistance from the federal government.
“This is a great day for America,” commented Mara Keisling, Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, “as we make a clear statement that all lives are valuable and that no one deserves to be targeted for violence just because they are transgender. It is vital that we make it absolutely clear that violence motivated by bias is not tolerated in our country, because while this is a victory, the true victory will come when everyone is genuinely free from violence and discrimination. That’s what we are working for.”
Transgender people continue to be disproportionately targeted for bias motivated violence and thirteen states and Washington, DC have laws which include transgender people in state hate crimes laws.
NCTE Statement on the Greeley Colorado verdict
(April 22, 2009) The National Center for Transgender Equality is pleased that this horrendous crime against Angie Zapata and her loved ones was taken very seriously by local authorities, and that they treated Angie with the respect she deserves. The prosecution did a skilled and caring job of refuting the absurd and inhumane stereotype that transgender people are somehow being deceptive by being themselves and deserving of such horrific treatment. We hope that Angie’s family can find some measure of peace and healing.
Hate Crimes Bill Introduced
Includes Gender Identity
April 3, 2009
Last night, Representative John Conyers of Michigan re-introduced The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, H.R. 1913. This would be the first-ever federal law to provide protections for transgender people. It is identical to the hate crimes bill passed by the House of Representatives in 2007 and includes the language that transgender advocates requested. It is also the first transgender inclusive bill to be introduced during this Session.
In his comments introducing the bill, Rep. John Conyers stated, “Hate crime statistics do not speak for themselves. Behind each of the statistics is an individual or community targeted for violence for no other reason than race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. Law enforcement authorities and civic leaders have learned that a failure to address the problem of bias crime can cause a seemingly isolated incident to fester into widespread tension that can damage the social fabric of the wider community. The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 is a constructive and measured response to a problem that continues to plague our nation. These are crimes that shock and shame our national conscience. They should be subject to comprehensive federal law enforcement assistance and prosecution.”
Take Action
The time to act is now!
Call your Representatives today.
Representatives are heading home to their districts for spring recess from now until April 21st. It is vital that you call them in their district offices to urge their support for this critical piece of legislation. Those who oppose this legislation will be active during this time—we need to be as well so that members of Congress are hearing from those directly affected by this legislation. Please take this important step to help address the violence faced by transgender people.
To find your Representative, visit our Take Action page or go to the House of Representatives webpage at www.house.gov and enter your ZIP+4 to find your member of Congress.
And please consider joining us in Washington for what is shaping up to be the largest transgender Lobby Day ever—the hate crimes bill may come up for a vote that same week. There’s still time to register and to meet with your members of Congress and tell them why this and other transgender-inclusive bills are so important to us.
Introduction of the Senate version is expected soon. We’ll let you know when that happens.
What the Bill Says
The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, H.R. 1913, would:
- Extend existing federal protections to include "gender identity, sexual orientation, gender and disability"
- Allow the Justice Department to assist in hate crime investigations at the local level when local law enforcement is unable or unwilling to fully address these crimes
- Mandate that the FBI begin tracking hate crimes based on actual or perceived gender identity
- Remove limitations that narrowly define hate crimes to violence committed while a person is accessing a federally protected activity, such as voting.
The Hate Crimes Prevention Act is supported by nearly 300 civil rights, education, religious, and civic organizations. The bill is also endorsed by virtually every major law enforcement organization in the country—including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National District Attorneys Association, the National Sheriffs Association, the Police Executive Research Forum, and thirty-one state Attorneys General.
For more information:
- To read the specifics about this legislation, please visit the Library of Congress and search by bill number: H.R. 1913
- View our fact sheet about the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act and read additional information about hate crimes on our website
NCTE to honor Rep. John Conyers, Attorney Shannon Minter and the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry
Celebrating excellence in the work for transgender equality
March 25, 2009
Hundreds of transgender people and allies from across the country will gather to honor the achievements of Representative John Conyers, attorney Shannon Minter, and the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry, at an awards celebration, Moving Forward Together, on Monday, April 27, 2009. Each year the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) hosts the event to honor individuals and organizations whose worked has made a substantive difference in the lives of transgender people and in our work for greater equality under the law.
“This is a significant moment as we move ahead with legislation that will save transgender lives,” said Mara Keisling, Executive Director of NCTE. “Representative Conyers has been integral to the success of the hate crimes law and understands how vitally important it is to ending discrimination and violence aimed at transgender people. We are so glad to be able to take a moment in the midst of this work to thank and honor all of these incredible advocates for making such a significant different in our movement.”
Representative John J. Conyers Jr. (D-MI) has been a principle advocate for the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which would add gender identity, sexual orientation, gender and disability to existing law. In his tenure of more than forty years in the House of Representatives, Chairman Conyers has been a tireless advocate for equal rights for all Americans, with a particular passion for economic justice, the rights of women, civil rights and health care. Chairman Conyers is a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Shannon Price Minter, Esq, is the legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights and a transgender man. Minter was the lead attorney for the same sex couples in the California marriage rights case before the state Supreme Court. He is the author of numerous articles and books on LGBT legal issues, including Transgender Rights (University of Minnesota Press 2006) and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Family Law (West Publishing 2008). Minter serves on the American Bar Association Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. He is being honored by NCTE because he represents the vital connection between our work as transgender people and our integral place in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement.
The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, was founded in 2000 to transform faith communities and our broader world as we look at issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. For the past three years, CLGS has been a strong organizational ally to NCTE, working in partnership to produce an annual Transgender Religious Leaders Summit. At a time when public discourse often paints a portrait of people of faith as intransigently opposed to civil rights for LGBT people, the CLGS has countered that by contributing a positive and compelling vision of the diversity of faith communities and a commitment to justice and equality that includes transgender people.
The awards celebration will be held on April 28, 2009 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Loews Madison Hotel, located at 1177 Fifteenth Street, NW, in Washington, DC. More information is available at http://nctequality.org/celebration.html
Transgender Equality and the Federal Government
What would federal policy look like if transgender people were fully and fairly included? Over the past months and years, NCTE has compiled a list of 112 separate policies that directly impact the lives of transgender people and our families that need to be added, removed or changed. Our latest publication, Transgender Equality and the Federal Government outlines each of these issues. We expect that some of these policies can be changed in the short term, while others will require long term activism. Some of the issues here will be at the forefront of NCTE’s work in the coming year and in other areas, our partners in this work will be the ones to lead, with our support.
We believe that our community should be informed about the ways in which the federal government is impacting all of our lives. We share the responsibility for advocating for fair treatment under the law and we hope that you will play a role in making these changes.
Transgender Equality and the Federal Government was compiled by NCTE’s staff, with input from dozens of individuals and organizations who brought their expertise on these diverse policies.
Take Action
Join us April 26-28 in Washington, DC as we speak directly with Congress about the issues outlined in this document. We will arrange meetings for you to meet with lawmakers and tell them why, as one of their constituents, you need protection from discrimination and violence. These meetings are critical to the process of making lasting policy change both for ourselves and for the transgender people and their families, friends and allies in generations to come. Won’t you join us? More information is available on our Lobby Day information page.
Participating in the National Day of Service
January 12, 2009
President-Elect Obama has called for a National Day of Service on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 19, 2009. NCTE was honored to be asked to participate in this important event by hosting a FEATURED session to give allies information about our lives and the ways in which they can support full equality for transgender people. You can find more information about NCTE’s session on the Presidential Inaugural Committee website.
You and your local community can get involved in this historic day as well. If you’d like to lead a training in your town like the one we are doing in Washington, DC, you can have it listed on the inaugural committee’s website by going to http://www.usaservice.org.
To help even more, we are launching a new resource, Teaching Transgender], that will help you plan an educational workshop in your local community center, workplace, school, hospital, community of faith, you name it. Maybe you’ll want to host it next Monday or use the time to schedule it for a future date. One of the most important things we can do for transgender rights is to educate people about the realities of our lives. This resource provides all of the information you’ll need, whether you are a new trainer or a veteran activist, and is entirely free to download and use.
You may also want to consider participating in other activities next Monday. At www.usaservice.org, you can find many events in your area where you can help out. Working together to improve the lives of people right where you live is a great way to remind people that we are also a part of the community.
Please, take just a few moments today to plan a training or sign up for an existing event as we honor Dr. King’s legacy of service and look forward to a better future for our country.