I know that a few of you old timers and fans of Jimmy Stewart remember the old film “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”. Well, this week Paula and I traveled from Columbus Ohio for NCTE’s Lobby Days in DC which involved briefings, meetings and training as well visits to our US Congress members and members of the US Senate seeking what none of us really should have to beg for – rights, dignity and freedoms that every American citizen should have in our society. Specifically we asked them and offered many reasons why they should support the “Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HB 1913) which is established to amend existing laws so as to deter acts of violence and hatred against those in the transgendered community as well as the other equally important categories such as sexual orientation, women (gender) and those with disabilities. The religious right wing Nazis have been hard at work in opposition to this bill on the grounds that their “preachers” will be somehow subject to liability under the Act for condemning us to hell and back! The members of Congress are confused by the laws because they believe this blatant lies.
I can tell you the strategy is one of the old adages….if you tell the lie many times and convince many people of the lies then it somehow becomes true. What bullshit this is…say the lie six million times and it does not make it true. The truth of the matter is that “preachers” will be able to spew their doctrine all they wasn’t because it is protected by the First Amendment freedoms of freedom of religion And expression. However, if some low life moron in the “preachers” congregation decides that because we are all going to hell that it’s ok to attack me and try to harm me or kill me to speed up this process, that person is subject to criminal liability under the provisions NOT the “preacher”. The amendments under the bill increase funding to local agencies and increased resources from FBI to local agencies to aid in the investigation and prosecution of these crimes. Finally the bill expands when the terms apply and does not limit it to just voting and other such actions. Local law enforcement officials, prosecuting attorneys and Sheriffs Association all support the bill. So do many religious organizations that believe in the principles that actions must be taken to discourage hatred and violence against the marginalized communities. The bill has passed the House as of Wednesday April 29th and now heads to the Senate for possible passage. I hope and pray that it does and that those who have worked so hard against its passage from the religious right burn in hell for their support of violence against the LGBT communities! Hate is not any religious value to be promoting and I also believe that lying as they are doing in this smear campaign against this important piece of legislation is also against the principles of the Ten Commandments.
The other issues we lobbied for included ENDA (Employment Non Discrimination Act) as well as the upcoming issues involving health care and insurance for those in the LGBT communities. ENDA is a huge and important piece of legislation for those in the LGBT community because it ends employment non discrimination against the last two unprotected groups in the US (currently the protected classes include gender, race, age national origin, physical handicap, religion etc). The last bastions of discrimination in this country include discrimination based on one’s sexual orientation and gender identity. Of course the objections of extending protection to these groups stems not on legal grounds but on religious grounds. (You know once God condemns us in obscure text sections of the old testament written by men and copulated from many sources and translated so many times one’s head nearly spins that’s it folks – no rights and dignity for you by a government built on the principles of separation of church and state. Never mind there is NOT one single mention of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered people or any condemnation thereof based on the new testament which, by the way, is the basis of how Christianity got started in the first place. I swear that these religious right wing zealots believe that the world will come to an end if these pieces of legislation are enacted
Health care issues will also be on the horizon as well. These include prohibiting discrimination against those in the LGBT communities by health care providers and insurance carriers. We will also seek to include transitional health care costs in the legislation. We spent a good part of Sunday evening socializing and meeting others who had come to lobby. This year’s NCTE Lobby days were the largest on record with just over 200 transgendered people and allies involved in the process. Paula and I met so many new and wonderful friends which only served to remind us how beautiful and talented and caring the people of our community are and how many of us are prejudged by so many so wrongly in our society. Hugs felt so good and I so wish that others in society could see the warmth and talent that exists in our community. Monday was a day filled with briefings and training sessions to learn more about the legislation and issues involved as well as practice on lobbying. Finally at the end of the day each state delegation met plan our strategies for meeting our representatives and senators. For Paula and I that met meeting two Republican Congressman and one Republican US Senator (Voinovich) on the capitol for lobbying. The Congressmen both voted against the Hate Crimes bill despite our best efforts but one of them was so paranoid about meeting us he actually stood behind the door and listened to us but would not greet us while we met his aide for fear I guess that we might be contagious. Senator Voinovich is a different story. He has pledged his support for the Hate Crimes Bill and remains undecided on ENDA. More work is needed to educate and seek his support on this crucial piece of legislation. Senator Brown will support us on these bills as well. At the end of a very long day on Tuesday we took our group photo on the capitol steps and had a nice reception on the patio of a local establishment.
We know we have much work to do but I know we will continue to write, call and visit these people and push them on these important issues! If necessary Paula and I will go back to DC! I know we plan to return for lobby days again next year too and I encourage anyone who has not done so to come if you can. If you can’t come to Lobby Days then write and call and meet your representatives and senators in their local offices. I do sense a change in Washington and in this country but we cannot let up one bit my sisters and brothers- as the right wing will only take its setback in the House on the Hate Crimes Bill as a need to step up their attacks and lies against the LGBT communities. It will get vicious before it is all done- believe me. However, I know the talent and passion that exists in our community and if we all work hard on these issues and in our efforts we can be successful in bringing about changes so long needed in society! Maybe someday when hate and prejudices and discrimination will have little role in our society and everyone can see the world will not come to end because all people have rights and dignity and opportunities in this country built on the premise of equality and life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!
I can tell you the strategy is one of the old adages….if you tell the lie many times and convince many people of the lies then it somehow becomes true. What bullshit this is…say the lie six million times and it does not make it true. The truth of the matter is that “preachers” will be able to spew their doctrine all they wasn’t because it is protected by the First Amendment freedoms of freedom of religion And expression. However, if some low life moron in the “preachers” congregation decides that because we are all going to hell that it’s ok to attack me and try to harm me or kill me to speed up this process, that person is subject to criminal liability under the provisions NOT the “preacher”. The amendments under the bill increase funding to local agencies and increased resources from FBI to local agencies to aid in the investigation and prosecution of these crimes. Finally the bill expands when the terms apply and does not limit it to just voting and other such actions. Local law enforcement officials, prosecuting attorneys and Sheriffs Association all support the bill. So do many religious organizations that believe in the principles that actions must be taken to discourage hatred and violence against the marginalized communities. The bill has passed the House as of Wednesday April 29th and now heads to the Senate for possible passage. I hope and pray that it does and that those who have worked so hard against its passage from the religious right burn in hell for their support of violence against the LGBT communities! Hate is not any religious value to be promoting and I also believe that lying as they are doing in this smear campaign against this important piece of legislation is also against the principles of the Ten Commandments.
The other issues we lobbied for included ENDA (Employment Non Discrimination Act) as well as the upcoming issues involving health care and insurance for those in the LGBT communities. ENDA is a huge and important piece of legislation for those in the LGBT community because it ends employment non discrimination against the last two unprotected groups in the US (currently the protected classes include gender, race, age national origin, physical handicap, religion etc). The last bastions of discrimination in this country include discrimination based on one’s sexual orientation and gender identity. Of course the objections of extending protection to these groups stems not on legal grounds but on religious grounds. (You know once God condemns us in obscure text sections of the old testament written by men and copulated from many sources and translated so many times one’s head nearly spins that’s it folks – no rights and dignity for you by a government built on the principles of separation of church and state. Never mind there is NOT one single mention of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered people or any condemnation thereof based on the new testament which, by the way, is the basis of how Christianity got started in the first place. I swear that these religious right wing zealots believe that the world will come to an end if these pieces of legislation are enacted
Health care issues will also be on the horizon as well. These include prohibiting discrimination against those in the LGBT communities by health care providers and insurance carriers. We will also seek to include transitional health care costs in the legislation. We spent a good part of Sunday evening socializing and meeting others who had come to lobby. This year’s NCTE Lobby days were the largest on record with just over 200 transgendered people and allies involved in the process. Paula and I met so many new and wonderful friends which only served to remind us how beautiful and talented and caring the people of our community are and how many of us are prejudged by so many so wrongly in our society. Hugs felt so good and I so wish that others in society could see the warmth and talent that exists in our community. Monday was a day filled with briefings and training sessions to learn more about the legislation and issues involved as well as practice on lobbying. Finally at the end of the day each state delegation met plan our strategies for meeting our representatives and senators. For Paula and I that met meeting two Republican Congressman and one Republican US Senator (Voinovich) on the capitol for lobbying. The Congressmen both voted against the Hate Crimes bill despite our best efforts but one of them was so paranoid about meeting us he actually stood behind the door and listened to us but would not greet us while we met his aide for fear I guess that we might be contagious. Senator Voinovich is a different story. He has pledged his support for the Hate Crimes Bill and remains undecided on ENDA. More work is needed to educate and seek his support on this crucial piece of legislation. Senator Brown will support us on these bills as well. At the end of a very long day on Tuesday we took our group photo on the capitol steps and had a nice reception on the patio of a local establishment.
We know we have much work to do but I know we will continue to write, call and visit these people and push them on these important issues! If necessary Paula and I will go back to DC! I know we plan to return for lobby days again next year too and I encourage anyone who has not done so to come if you can. If you can’t come to Lobby Days then write and call and meet your representatives and senators in their local offices. I do sense a change in Washington and in this country but we cannot let up one bit my sisters and brothers- as the right wing will only take its setback in the House on the Hate Crimes Bill as a need to step up their attacks and lies against the LGBT communities. It will get vicious before it is all done- believe me. However, I know the talent and passion that exists in our community and if we all work hard on these issues and in our efforts we can be successful in bringing about changes so long needed in society! Maybe someday when hate and prejudices and discrimination will have little role in our society and everyone can see the world will not come to end because all people have rights and dignity and opportunities in this country built on the premise of equality and life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!
Pictured above is Paula and I with Erica from Minn and Debbie from Virginia at the NCTE Reception
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