| Last Thursday evening about 6:15 PM ET I received an automated phone call on my personal cell from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) about ENDA, and if I wished they would automatically put me in touch with my congressperson to ask for his support. Everything went well until the connection was lost before the congressman's office was actually called. There was no call back from HRC.
A few hours later, I received an unrelated call from a congressional staffer who knew that my Congressman, Republican Leonard Lance NJ-7, was an original co-sponsor of ENDA, but there was a clear indication that Lance, as he did with the Mathew Shepard- James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes bill, would vote with the Republican Bloc on a "Motion to Recommit" (MTR) effectively killing the bill by sending it back to Committee! Supposedly, they would use the "trans" issue as a wedge to minimize transgender inclusion. There are obvious ironies here, but let's look at the facts:
LGBT "friendly" Republicans follow their "Conservative Leadership" First! Back on October 8, 2009, House Republicans led a "Motion to Recommit" attempting to "kill the bill" by sending it back to Committee. Roll call #769 at 3:17 PM barely defeated that move by a vote of 208 - 216 with only Democrats voting to keep the Hate Crimes Bill alive! That means all Republicans voted to kill it! Just seven ( 7) minutes later at 3:24 PM, 44 Republicans flip-flopped after they couldn't break the Democratic Majority, and jumped aboard to vote for the final passage in roll call #770 and the vote was 281- 146 for the first LGBT inclusive federal legislation!
(Here in NJ, the 3 Republicans who flipped and voted "yes" in the final vote to show their "moderate credentials" were Frelinghuysen, Lance, and LoBiondo. As an aside, Leonard Lance, one of the original sponsors who voted to kill the Hate Crimes Bill, joined the festivities at the White House after the bill signing.)
So that brings us to ENDA HR 3017, already watered down to appease the right wing, now faces a crucial and imminent markup and vote. I know I don't have to repeat how important this is... it is jobs ... in most states in the USA you can be fired just for being or being perceived as gay or transgender! So now, what is our ask? Now is the time to get smart and be aggressively focused! Let's expose our "fair-weather" friends. No more excuses!
Here is "my ask" to all the Republicans and wavering Democrats who may vote for ENDA ... Heck, let's ask everyone! Show them we've a little political sophistication!
My "general" ask:
"I'm asking Congressman Lance (or insert your Congressperson) to make sure all LGBT people are included in ENDA, including transgender people just like New Jersey law that has been embraced in our state includes transpeople. I won't accept anything less than support for a fully inclusive ENDA" (with thanks to Steven Goldstein for word-framing)
The technical ask:
1. " Please commit to voting YES on ENDA including supporting the bill and voting against any "Motion to Recommit" (MTR) that minimizes transgender inclusion." (You need my vote; I need yours, and I need you to commit to voting against any MTR negatively affecting transgender people.")
2. Staffer:" you let your boss, my Representative, know that I have made this call/sent this email."
What is extremely interesting is the personal case of Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, Vice-chair and the "only" Republican member of the Congressional LGBT Caucus. Last month it was revealed that she has a transgender son. In her home state of Florida, there are no statewide LGBT protections of any kind! Will she again vote with the unanimous Republican bloc to kill the bill or strip transgender protections and thus deny her own child Federal employment protections ? Or will she do the just and moral thing and put politics and partisan politics aside for "true family values"?
Or will she follow the lead of Log Cabin "darling" Mary Bono Mack, whose stepson, Chaz, has publically transitioned, heck, and Mack won't even sponsor ENDA!
OK folks, what would the NRA do? Let's not think too long ... Action Now! No more excuses!
Babs Casbar Siperstein |
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