Stand Together.

[samuel]

Hello ,all of us can now be pleased with what we like wearing but if we all stand together united hopefully we all can send a message to government
to alter legislation so that we to can have equal rights to wear what we choose.IE sign a petition and take it to no 10 downing street where mr tony blair priminister resides.
After all if we dont do it we will be waiting forever, so who is with me to start getting our rights why? should we feel we are doing wrong.

[Strike]

I second that mate. :)

[Heather Daniels]

Is it illegal in the UK to wear womens clothes?

[Tristen Cox]

Is it illegal in the UK to wear womens clothes?
I don't think so, the issue (as with elsewhere) is not being able to stand dressed how we want protected from critisism.

[MonaSmith]

It's not illegal to crossdress in the UK. So it would be a waste of time petitioning for it to be 'acceptable'. We have the same rights as everyone else and I personally don't feel that I am doing wrong at all. The only thing that has to be changed is peoples attitudes towards us, and the only way to do that is to change them ourselves by being open, honest and not so afraid.

Mona xx.

[Sigrid]

It's not illegal to crossdress in the UK. So it would be a waste of time petitioning for it to be 'acceptable'...
Perhaps a better use of time and resouces then would be to petion to enact hate crime legislation. Any progress in the UK along these lines?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_crime

[DonnaT]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Immediate Release: Dated May 27, 2005

From: The National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC)

Chair, Vanessa Edwards Foster; Houston, Texas

Contact Email: ntacmedia@aol.com

media@ntac.org

Contact Phone: 832-483-9901

Website: http://www.ntac.org



NTAC Lobbyists Hit Hill, Hate Crimes Legislation Submitted by Congress



A week after transgender lobbyists blanketed Capitol Hill, the House of Representatives submitted the first-ever transgender-inclusive Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (LLEHCPA) of was filed in the House of Representatives. The lead sponsor is John Conyers (D-Michigan) and there are currently 96 co-sponsors.



The bill (HR2662), sponsored by Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA), Christopher Shays (R-CT), John Conyers (D-MI) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) was created to give federal protection to the victims of hate crimes. Currently LLEHCPA has 96 co-sponsors.



On May 19 and 20, National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC) held its third lobbying foray on Capitol Hill, simultaneous to GenderPAC’s convention and lobby day. Yet again, a spirited group of lobbyists pressed for inclusion in both the Hate Crimes bill and the Employment Non Discrimination Act (ENDA). After years of diligent efforts, it appears the persistence has finally paid off in the House of Representatives.



The overall news from the Hill was mixed, as the Senate appears to favor last year’s legislative language, which did not specify coverage for “gender identity.”



“We realized that we needed to make a small change to last year’s bill by explicitly including transgendered persons for protection under this bill,” said Rep. Barney Frank in a congressional press release. “It is important to carefully identify those people who are most likely to be singled out for pernicious acts.”



“This is truly welcomed news,” claimed NTAC Chair, Vanessa Edwards Foster. “After a week of disappointing visits in the Senate, this bill’s introduction was timed perfectly. We really have to give Rep. Barney Frank due credit here. He stood up strongly and insisted on our inclusion in this bill in the midst of a very dicey congressional session. That took a lot of guts. This is one issue where he’s definitely championed our cause.”



Foster also referred to the upcoming second trial set in the Gwen Araujo case in Oakland. Araujo, 17, was at a party with friends who were previously suspicious of her true gender, and who was later brutally beaten and strangled after her after confirming she was still biologically male.



“Again we are hearing the defense attorneys claim Gwen’s death was "classic manslaughter," in order to excuse her murder,” Foster said. “[The attorneys] claim the discovery of Araujo's “biological identity was a violation so deep, it's almost primal.” If loathing is so deep-seated, so primal that it has to result in extreme violence, then you have the perfect argument that Hate Crimes truly exist and must be legislated out of existence.”



In addition to the expanded coverage of gender identity, the House bill will also amend the Hate Crimes Statistics Act to include a specific category for gender identity based violence. There has never been a specific category for the FBI to track anti-transgender violence. Currently, any bias-related incidents targeting transgenders is either rolled up under sexual orientation or gender-related violence if tracked at all. Religious bias and sexual orientation bias accounted for 16.4 percent of reported single-bias hate crimes, followed by ethnic or national origin bias with 14.2 percent.



The proposed legislation would also provide assistance to the states to avail themselves of federal resources and personnel in investigating and prosecuting cases based on state law.




- 30 -



Founded in 1999, NTAC - the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition - is a §501(c)(4) civil rights organization working to establish and maintain the right of all transgendered, intersexed, and gender-variant people to live and work without fear of violence or discrimination.

[DonnaT]

Historic First for Transgender People

The National Center for Transgender Equality celebrates the planned introduction of the first major explicitly transgender-inclusive piece of federal legislation.

Scheduled for introduction in the U.S. House of Representatives this Thursday, May 26, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2005 would help protect against bias crimes based on gender identity, sexual orientation, gender and disability. The bill would also add gender identity to the Hate Crimes Statistics Act.

“This is an historic moment,” said NCTE Executive Director Mara Keisling. “The introduction of this bill marks the first time members of Congress have openly expressed the need for explicit federal protections for transgender people.”

NCTE’s staff, board, members and supporters have worked tirelessly for years to educate Congress and our allies on the importance of clear transgender-inclusion in this and other federal legislation.

“We are seeing the efforts of transgender advocates and allies reflected in this legislation and in the growing understanding that we desperately need federal assistance to end the continuing epidemic of bias violence that too many of us face,” Keisling said. “Transgender-inclusive hate crimes legislation sends a strong message that violence based on gender identity and expression is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Currently eight states and the District of Columbia have hate crimes laws that include coverage for transgender people. And already this year inclusive state hate crimes bills have passed the Maryland and Colorado General Assemblies and await the signatures of the respective governors.

NCTE congratulates trans advocates and our allies whose hard work made the introduction of this bill possible.

We also applaud and thank the lead sponsors of the legislation: Reps. Barney Frank, D-Mass.; Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla.; John Conyers Jr., D-Mich.; Christopher Shays, R-Conn.; and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.

[DonnaT]

http://www.planetout.com/news/article.html?2005/05/26/4

Maryland governor signs hate crimes bill
PlanetOut Network
Thursday, May 26, 2005 / 05:15 PM


SUMMARY: Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich signed a hate crimes bill that includes violence committed because of the victim's actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich signed a hate crimes bill on Thursday that includes violence committed because of the victim's actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

The new law makes Maryland the ninth state in the country to include transgender people in hate crimes laws, and the third to do so this year.

Advocates for LGBT rights praised the Republican governor's move, which came less than a week after he vetoed two gay rights bills.

"Enacting the transgender-inclusive Hate Crimes Penalties Act sends a strong message that violence against trans people is not acceptable and will not be tolerated in the state of Maryland," said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality.

"Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in the state of Maryland now know that all hate crimes will be equally investigated and prosecuted," said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign.

Gov. Ehrlich also signed the Safe Schools Reporting Act, which requires public schools to report incidents of intimidation or harassment against students, including harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Last Friday he vetoed two bills that would have extended limited protections to same-sex couples who register with the state.

[Sharon]

Gads, doesn't anybody read the Political Forum down in the Lounge? This stuff (from another source) was posted yesterday! :bonk:

[Wendy me]

who is this Gads?????a new member???

[DonnaT]

Gads, doesn't anybody read the Political Forum down in the Lounge? This stuff (from another source) was posted yesterday! :bonk:

Nope, not a member of the political forum :D

But the posts fit here in reply to the original post.

[Tristen Cox]

Uhm not to nit pick but, 10 Downing Street is in the UK, hence that is where this was aimed at. *runs away and hides*