the cold technical words that underlie my second-class citizenship

[sophiaserpentia]

As far as i can tell, the Baldwin Amendment to ENDA, which would have reinstated protection for gender identity to the bill, never even came up for a vote. At least that's what this page seems to be telling me. Can anyone confirm this? I want to know if my rep in Congress voted on it.

ETA: nevermind, this page answered the question - the amendment was withdrawn, and then Baldwin voted for the bill as written.

ETA 2: sfzboy points out in transnews how HRC attempted to justify their move by pointing to a poll saying that the majority of people in the GLBT community support their pragmatic move. This is a supremely hypocritical move for an organization within a movement which argues that minority rights should never be put to a majority vote.

Comments

[legolastn.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's right, she introduced the amendment but later withdrew it before a vote.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

How convenient for the Democrats who would have voted against it.

::sigh::

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

See, this is why transgender activists claim that such a thing as cisgender privilege exists. Because, in the end, everyone who is not transgender, male and female alike, straight, bi, and gay/lesbian alike, are free to collude against us when it is expedient for them, without fear of negative consequence.

Except maybe for a few bad words from some of us, which they can easily enough ignore.

[gesundyke]

*hands you your set of tire tracks* these just came in the mail....

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Oh, hey, they're addressed to both of us.

[rhonan.livejournal.com]

I would have had no problem with not covering gender identity in EDNA this time around, if the thing had had any chance of making it into law. I'm pragmatic enough that I'll gladly take %80 of the goal now, and work to get the rest next session. That was not the case here. In any form, EDNA didn't have any chance of passing or surviving a veto. If dropping gender identity had been the difference that would have got it over a veto, then I would call it good tactics. This version of EDNA was ritual, not legislation, and as such should have been as inclusive as possible. So no, I don't see this as a pragmatic move at all, and HRC backing it was a stupid move on their part, as they will lose a hell of a lot of good-will over it.

[kitkatlj.livejournal.com]

That is exactly my line of thought.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

You know, i'm actually not angry about ENDA passing as is. I'm angry about the double standards, the empty justifications, the platitudes, the lies.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

She caved because she was strongarmed by Pelosi through a parliamentary procedure. The whole thing underlines the dirty tricks they used on this. Pelosi and Steny Hoyer promised Baldwin a shot at debating the amendment on the full floor of the house if the non-inclusive ENDA came out of committee. But then when Baldwin's amendment came up it was basically strangled. I guess she could have pushed really hard, but you kind of have to pick your fights. I'm not mad at her over it.