Join Our ENDA Voice in DC on March 14

Abroad, America's greatest source of strength has always been our ideals. The same is true at home. We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution: the notion that we're all created equal; that no matter who you are or what you look like, if you abide by the law you should be protected by it; if you adhere to our common values you should be treated no different than anyone else. President Barack Obama: State of the Union, January 27, 2010

Political eyes in Washington are beginning to focus on our tiny community. Will it be enough to generate some “ayes” in Congress to lift the economic roadblocks that too often bar us from living a basic life? For more than three decades, Ingersoll has fought to end discrimination based on gender identity. The city of Seattle passed one of the first ordinances barring this long-standing bias back in 1984. The state of Washington did not pass a statewide ban until 2006. Finally, our plight is being heard in the other Washington. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is currently moving through the Congress and our own community can do its part! The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) is organizing its annual “Lobby Days” from March 14-16. In any other year, this alone would be a fantastic opportunity to see sausage being made. This year, it could hold a key to whether or not ENDA is acted into law, and more importantly, if discrimination based on gender identity is retained in that legislation. As recently as the fall of 2007, ENDA went through a torturous process in the US House of Representatives. Some voices in the lesbian and gay community, led by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) stripped ENDA of its gender identity protections. It was suggested that the trans community stand aside until the time was right. The token version did pass the House, but never made it into the Senate during the 110th Congress. It was unlikely to be signed by then-President George W. Bush.

During the 2007 debate, hundreds of national GLBT organizations — including Ingersoll — unsuccessfully rallied support to keep gender identity protection in the House bill. Now the bill has been reintroduced in both the House and the US Senate. Lobby Days is our opportunities to make our voice heard front and center with those that represent us in the other Washington. NCTE will hold an educational session on Monday March 15, for those that attend Lobby Days, and set up appointments on Tuesday, March 16, with specific representatives such as Jim McDermott, Jay Inslee, David Reichert, and Adam Smith or US Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell. This is an unprecedented opportunity to make our community’s national presence known, not to mention the possibility that we will effect a landmark change for the entire GLBT community across the United States. You might be thinking, why should you make an effort to travel clear across the country to pressure Congress to give rights we already enjoy here in the state of Washington to communities that don’t have local protections? Not only do we owe our community a helping hand, state protections can be easily ignored and be subject to frequent attempts at repeal. In recent months, the Obama administration has quietly issued orders that there should be no discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in hiring federal personnel. The administration proudly announced the first-ever presidential appointment of a trans individual, Amanda Simpson, as an executive in the US Department of Commerce. The federal bureaucracy packs heavy ammunition to support civil rights. First, however, our community must work hard for the government to be given the rights to use this ammunition.

For more information on Lobby Days go to NCTE’s Web site at http://transequality.org/lobby_day/lobbyday10.html If you want to join Ingersoll’s delegation to Lobby Days, please contact Barbara Sehr at barbara@barbarasehr.com