Living Transgender In American Society Today: Please Support the Inclusive ENDA Bill

Monday, June 22, 2009

Please Support the Inclusive ENDA Bill

This week, Representatives Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin and Jared Polis introduced an inclusive version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) which would extend the existing federal law prohibiting employment discrimination to protect people on the basis of sexual orientation AND gender identity. The bill was introduced by a group of bi-partisan Representatives and it is important that you contact your legislator to become a cosponsor as well. Becoming a cosponsor shows that the Representative will stand firm with our community and helps build momentum for the bill’s passage.

In DC, make their phone ring! Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and have them connect you to your Representative (based on your zip code). Tell them:

"I am a constituent and I would like you to please tell Representative _______ that I would like him/her to become a cosponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. ENDA would ban discrimination against all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the workplace. Can you tell me whether or not Representative _______ has cosponsored the bill?"

2 comments:

Justine ValinottiJune 23, 2009 at 11:10 PM
Eva-Genevieve, I am loving your blog. It's a great combination of the personal and political--and, most important, the spiritual.

Too often, other people think that we've chosen to live "as" the "opposite" gender (or, in my case, undergo gender reassignment surgery, as I will in two weeks) for sexual or body-image reasons. I can honestly say that my journey is a spiritual one: I have a female spirit and chose, at age 44, to live by it. From reading your blog, I suspect that you could say something like that.

Thank you for being so open about your thoughts and feelings. I'll keep on reading.
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Eva-Genevieve!June 24, 2009 at 9:04 PM
Thanks Justine,

I do also have body-image reasons because it makes sense for the body to match ones spirit, but yes, my spirit is female. I ususlly tell people I have the "emotional hardwiring" of a woman because that is easier for some to understand than speaking spiritually. Embracing the feminine buried inside has enabled me to fully embrace my spirituality openly. It has taught me how to love myself and how to love my neighbor and that love drives me out into the world to speak out and attempt to improve the world.

I believe it to be the fruit of the Spirit at work in my life and I so much want to share it with everyone I encounter.

Hugs,
Eva!
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Any Body, Everybody, Christ’s Body…

…was the theme at this years National Gathering of the UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns this year in San Diego (July 14 –17). There were about 125 attendees from all across the US and we even had folks from other countries. Several topics were discussed including ways to make Church accessible to all – many physical and mental challenges were included in this discussion as well as LGBT concerns, Mentoring Queer youth – the emphasis being the need for all of us to be mentors as we are able and that we all have something to teach others, Advocacy & Empowerment, OnA Next Steps: Telling Our Stories, and also a panel discussion on including “transgender” and gender expression more specifically in OnA statements, and immigration issues too – far more issues and information than one person could take in or even list here.

Starting Wednesday afternoon we jumped right in with a very lively worship service with wonderful music and through the course of the gathering we heard many inspiring speakers and participated in several “breakout” workshop sessions. We broke into small discussion groups daily, heard many points of view on important topics, and made many friends in the process. On our last evening the General Minister and President of the UCC, the Revered Geoffrey Black was the keynote speaker at the banquet. My favorite speaker at the conference was Felix Carrion who often contributes to the UCC’s “Stillspeaking” on-line daily Devotional. We ended the conference Saturday morning with another lively worship service and dismissed just in time for several of us to rush over and march in San Diego’s Pride parade with the Mission Hills UCC Church and Bloom in the Desert Ministries (also UCC affiliated). I brought back lots of things to discuss in upcoming Mission Board meetings, but more than anything else it is the personal connections that made the conference very worthwhile. I feel a part of something much larger now – there was so much positive, hopeful energy shared there. I felt so very warmly welcomed by everyone and I believe that my input there was greatly valued as well. And, of course, I made an impression with my array of colorful dresses and hats too! (Would you expect anything less)? I was so blessed for being allowed to represent First Congregational Church in Riverside at this Gathering.

Follow this link to pictures from the event -the photos are in no particular order and a few shots of the fire that broke out behind the motel where I was staying.

Hugs and Blessings,

Eva-Genevieve!