Fri Sep 09, 2011 at 06:59:27 PM EDT
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(@Jay_Lass: I am hearing very positive preliminary results from the DNC election. This is good news for Babs, pending confirmation by Babs herself. - promoted by Jay Lassiter)
 Until 2 years ago, the DNC had never had a member - there are more than 400 across the country - who is a transgender person. In 2009, Babs Casbar Siperstein (yes, Siperstein like the paint company) from Edison, New Jersey & a member of the Blue Jersey community, became the first. Tomorrow, if she wins a party election at the DNC Fall Meeting in Chicago, she will become the first out transgender person ever on the DNC's Executive Committee.
Babs, who has been a Democratic contributor for about 10 years, didn't always feel as accepted in Party circles as she's beginning to now. About the national Dems of past years, she says:
All they knew about 'trans' was baby drag queens. They didn't know. So they needed to be educated. It's 100% better now. Rather than confront or turn people off I tried to engage in a positive way. |
| Rosi Efthim :: Babs Casbar, first-ever transgender person at DNC, may rise to help lead it tomorrow |
| Which isn't to say she isn't direct. In 2004, she was a DNC delegate from New Jersey, and new to the national meetings. There was already a GLBT caucus, but in reality, she says, "all you ever heard in speeches was 'gay' and 'lesbian'. Transgenders weren't mentioned. Our issues weren't mentioned." It wasn't any better in caucus. At one point she came to GLBT caucus meetings with a big sign. Whenever "gay and lesbian" was mentioned, Babs would stand up and hold up a big piece of paper marked: T.
Babs isn't shy.
But she says when people got to know her, and see she wasn't "the person with the horns and tails" but simply an active Democrat, she saw things change. (Babs Casbar is the most loyal Democrat I know). About 40 people make up the DNC's executive level, with slots for each regional caucus. Babs is currently Vice-Chair of the eastern regional caucus (a spot she'll give up if she wins tomorrow's election). Tonio Burgos of NJ is also on the executive committee. Babs is running for an unexpired term to replace a delegate from New York. The exec committee's made up of about 40 people across the country. In 2009, Babs was a chairman's pick via DNC Chair Tim Kaine (Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is the current chair). The DNC has changed; gender identity is now part of the non-discrimination policy in DNC's charter & bylaws.
That election's tomorrow in Chicago. I'll update Blue Jersey when I know how it came out. Good luck, Babs. |
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