HRC funding

[DonnaT]

While out to lunch today, a young man was on the corner soliciting for HRC.

I shook my head no. Then I told him that the problem is that HRC turned it's back on the transgendered. He said, "Oh, I recently heard about that."

[Ann Stef]

What is HRC, gov't or charity??

[DonnaT]

Activist

http://www.hrc.org/

The Human Rights Campaign represents a grassroots force of more than 700,000 members and supporters nationwide. As the largest national gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, HRC envisions an America where GLBT people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.

[ChristineK]

HRC turned it's back on the transgendered.

I must have missed some part of this!

[Carolynn]

Uhmmmm, well, last year when ENDA came around for getting it out of committee, Rep. Barney Franks (who is gay and transphobic by his own statements) bowed to supposed pressure from someone (though no one will say who that was) that the bill would not be passed if it kept the transgendered part of the GLBT in the bill, and HRC decided the passage of the bill was more important than it be inclusive of all the so called alliance. The HRC Board made the decision to support Franks in the rewrite, and joined him to put pressure on Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the house, to rewrite the bill and re introduce it without transgender being part of it. They did this after assuring their own recently appointed TG board members that they would not support Franks, then did without even notifying the TG representatives about their changed intent, and the TG representatives resigned over it. There is currently no TG representatives on the board nor in the organization.

That is the THIRD time that HRC, which is primarily a GLBQ organization, has stabbed the transgendered in the back over political expediency, and claimed we "have not paid out dues yet" with on the street activism. In fact, though we have not raised hell in the street, we have raised money and stuff for the support each time we were asked, and always with the assurance of being included in whatever legislatiion they were striving for. This time, as the last two times, even though they stabbed us in the back, they did not get the bill signed into law anyway, and managed to garner the ill will of many former supporters.

HRC got a lot of negative acknowledgement from the GLBT community nationwide, and a lot of these groups made their displeasure known to HRC in no uncertain terms in the days leading up to the reintroduction of the bill. They have been trying to make peace since then, and sucker more money out of us.

It was interesting that the local representative of the HRC, volunteered to be Grand Marshal of this year's Pride parade in our area. She wasn't asked, she volunteered, and the local GLB groups were stupid enough to let her bull her way in. We had a TG "float" in the parade, so we put a sign on the leading edge of the thing, "WE ARE THE "T" in GLBT. DON't FORGET US LIKE THE HRC". She came to our booth at the pride fair all smiles the next day with her little donation record book, and we were polite, but she left without any donation from us, nor any personal pledges. Most TGs I know in this area want nothing to do with them, now nor in the future, and they will never see another penny from me.

[Jeannie]

Hi Ladies
I remember listening to Representative Franks explaining why the Transgendered had to be taken out of the ENDA bill or it didn't have a chance of passing. No pun intended.
You know how those Gay guys are. They want a man to look like a man or they throw a hissy fit. It's not pretty. Hugs.

Love
Auntie Jeannie

[DonnaT]

And don't forget, it was the HRC president Joe Solomese who gave a talk at SCC, you know that large TG conference in Atlanta, assuring us of their support, only to turn around and support a nonenclusive ENDA.

[DeeDee]

HRC is under a bit of fire lately...they totally dismiss the T community because we haven't paid our "dues". let me stomp my heels here and explain something to them (and I have had this conversation at our local GLBT place). T girls aren't flush with money, or secure in job situations. Many are broke from the expenses invloved and under-employed...not to gay bash (never would) but its MUCH MUCH more dificult to be a T-person because of how we must present. Anyway, heres an article from San Fran..its not just us....GRC is being stupid, leadership is off on a strange agenda. The "pay your dues" agruement is at best...amazingly stupid. http://www.washblade.com/blog/index.cfm?blog_id=19557
hugs
DeeDee

[JoAnnDallas]

DonnaT wrote

As the largest national gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, HRC envisions an America where GLBT people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.

You mean:

As the largest national gay, lesbian, and bisexual civil rights organization, HRC envisions an America where GLB people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community. Since they seem not to want to support us.

[DeeDee]

exactly, JoAnn

[Maria]

Since I live in the Bay Area, I don't participate in HRC or other groups that backstab the transgendered community. Exclusion of the transgendered only benefits the interests of HRC. Representative Barney Frank of MA made a serious mistake in excluding the transgendered in the congressional bill. He does not speak for us in the transgendered community.

Maria

[Azurielle]

Uhmmmm, well, last year when ENDA came around for getting it out of committee, Rep. Barney Franks (who is gay and transphobic by his own statements) bowed to supposed pressure from someone (though no one will say who that was) that the bill would not be passed if it kept the transgendered part of the GLBT in the bill, and HRC decided the passage of the bill was more important than it be inclusive of all the so called alliance.

Way to go! Backstab your friends while you're at it!

Its just as if blacks would be kkk-like to hispanic people just to be accepted into white society. Racism is racism, sexism is sexism.

We mush have a united front against all discriminaton! Thats what HRC was supposed to be!