look me in the eyes when you stab me in the back

[sophiaserpentia]

In September, Joe Solmonese stood before a crowd of transfolk and promised, in no uncertain terms, that the Human Rights Campaign would unequivocally oppose any version of ENDA (the Employment Non-Discrimination Act) that did not include us.

Since then, Rep. Barney Frank pulled his support for the trans-inclusive ENDA and introduced his own, trans-exclusive, one. And the HRC wavered a bit, faking us out and stringing us along until finally, today, signing on to a letter reversing Solmonese's promise, not only endorsing the new trans-exclusive ENDA, but opposing the proposed amendment offered by Rep. Tammy Baldwin reinstating transgender rights to the bill.

This whole affair has been terribly painful for the trans activist community. We are only demanding our part of something into which we have poured our blood, sweat, and tears - not to mention our donation money and congressional lobbying efforts. For that, we have been attacked by gay, lesbian, and bisexual activists, who have called us selfish and divisive, and accused us of attempting to "trans-jack" the legislation.

We don't have any allies anymore. Who can we trust? Everyone hates the trannies. We're expendable. We're disposable. Our rights don't mean anything, we're something that can be traded away so the gays and lesbians can make a deal with the right wing.

From the letter, signed today:

We continue to believe that H.R. 2015 is a far better approach. While it is beyond dispute that H.R. 3685 would improve protections for employees who might otherwise face unjust discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, it is also beyond dispute that transgender employees are particularly in need of those protections. They face far more pervasive and severe bias in the workplace and society as a whole.

Oh, that's just swell. What kind of cockamamie happy horseshit are you trying to sell us here? Oh, your hearts bleed for us. We're real fuckin' impressed. I think it was Malcolm Reynolds who put it best: "At least have the guts to look me in the eye when you stab me in the back."

You're not just throwing us under the bus, you're gazing upon our broken, bleeding bodies and clicking your tongues in dismay, handing us a rose while we bleed on the pavement.

And don't give us this "civil rights are gained incrementally" steaming cat diarrhea. That's an empty justification and you know it. It's been incremental and slow because of the strong opposition of bigots, not because civil rights activists thought it was a good idea to make advances only when they're politically safe and expedient.

Oh, sure, we can count on you to come back with us to Congress after you've gotten what you want and lobby with us. We already know damn well that you're not going to come back for us, only a fuckin' idiot would believe that. After the hates crime act and ENDA your next priority is same-sex marriage, not transgender rights. We know this from watching what happened in New York, after transpeople were removed from SONDA five years ago as a compromise to get it passed. We were the next priority! Only we weren't.

Well, fuck you, you back-stabbing, snot-sucking piles of moldy underwear, Fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you FUuUuUuUuUuUuUuUuCK YOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!

Next time we decide to start a riot, your trans-hating butts are not invited.

I feel better now.

Comments

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

It's not just that they screwed us over, it's that they've done it in such a way as to encourage all of the transphobia in the GLB community, which would otherwise have maybe been held in, to come seeping out. We're an albatross around their necks, don't you know. Just like the leathermen and all the other flamboyant queers. So many gay and lesbian people hate us because we're inconvenient to them. Never mind that many of us *are* them and many of them *are* us. They just don't get that.

[ineffabelle]

they will when they get turned down for a job and the boss will use "gender expression" as an excuse...
but it will be too late then.

Of course, the "corporate gays" won't have that problem I guess...