Enda Moving In For Another Review In Congress

[Guest Eth]

ENDA is being reviewed by Congress again soon - if you haven't already heard. Please make sure to write to and/or call your Congressmen and representatives to get your voice heard.

Here's my letter, which I sent via email to my state's representatives, asking for the inclusion of "gender identity" in the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. You can use any part of this that you like in your own messages except for pieces containing my name and personal story, if you want.

Dear -title- -name-,

I have heard about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) moving into Congress once again and am writing to you to please, please support the inclusion of "gender identity" and "sexual orientation" in the bill.

Right now people can be fired or denied work in 29 states for having a sexual orientation that differs from heterosexuality, and in 38 states you can be fired or denied work just for having a gender identity that is incongruent with your anatomical sex aka; for being transgender.

Statistics gathered from various sources (the ones I use here will be listed at the bottom) show that more than 70% of transgendered people in the United States are unemployed, and that almost 70% of those who are employed state that they feel that they are underemployed.

The numbers are absolutely staggering and should show that something obviously needs to be done. We cannot sit idly by and let an entire group be pushed out of work, house and home just because some unscrupulous people feel "uncomfortable" with the idea that human life might actually be diverse and that not everybody is attracted to the 'opposite' sex or has an identity that is congruent with their anatomy. Throughout history human beings have shunned whatever group seems to be the minority and attacked them visciously as if they were some sort of plague even though who or what they are was no fault of their own and in almost every case wasn't even wrong or a "bad" thing.

3,000 years ago we stoned people for being blind and deaf.

Hundreds of years ago we threw babies off of cliffs because they were born with albinism (and this still happens in some parts of the world!).

Hundreds of years ago we referred to autistic individuals as "soulless masses of flesh" (to quote Martin Luther (10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546)) and up until only decades ago we subjected them to the most horrible of "therapies" including mutilation and electroshock therapy.

Less than 100 years ago we brought black people from Africa into the United States and forced them into hard labor for little or no payment. Many people beat them, and for a time they were counted as "one fifth" of a person.

For many decades shops sported signs on their doors reading: "No Jews, No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish".

Between 11 and 17 million people - mostly Jews, non-heterosexual and transgendered people - were mass murdered in cup cake Germany.

We have killed more than 1 billion people throughout history solely because their religious beliefs (or lack thereof) were different from our own.

If we believe that those things are wrong, then how can we believe that it is right to allow people to fire or deny work to those who are non-heterosexual or transgendered? How can we believe that it is okay to live in a society that drives 36.5% of non-heterosexual and 33% of transgender youth to suicide? How can we believe that it is okay that at least 84% of LGBT students have to endure verbal harassment just for being who they are, or that 91.5% (97% of highschool students specifically) have to constantly hear degrading slang such as "(censor gets this one)", "(this one too)" or "that's so gay"? That nearly 83% of LGBT students report that faculty or staff never intervene even when in the presence of these incidents of harassment? That 53% of students hear those comments being made by the SCHOOL STAFF? That 50% of LGB youth are rejected by their parents, just for being who they are? That 80% of LGBT students don't even know of ONE supportive adult in their school? That 64% of LGBT youth feel unsafe at their school, and that 41% report actual violence at the hands of families, peers and/or strangers?

Is it okay to live in and support a country where 26% of LGBT youth are forced to leave home by their parents? Where around 40% of all homeless youth identify as LGBT, even though LGBT youth supposedly make up only 10% of the total population? Where 55% of transgender youth report being physically attacked at at least one point in time? Where 74% of transgender youth report having been sexually harassed at school, and where a schocking 90% of transgender youth feel unsafe even attending school? Where 78% of transgender youth are verbally harassed at school, and where 48% have reported being victims of assault, including assault with a weapon, sexual assault and/or rape?

What about the fact that we still allow "'ex-gay' conversion programs" and "reparative therapy clinics" to continue to operate and exist, even though the APA has spoken out against them and even though the data and reports surrounding them all show them to do significantly more harm than good? Even though they claim that they only have willing patients who "want to change their sexual attractions", it cannot be ignored how in a 2002 study 202 participants were followed and only 8 were reported to be "cured" of their homosexuality. 176 were reported as "failures" and out of those "failures" 155 reported significant long-term harm as a result of the "therapy". 18 participants were forced to undergo shock therapy and induced vomiting. All sorts of horror stories like these are heard when we talk about "reparative therapy clinics", and yet somehow they are still allowed to operate here in the U.S, despite the insanity that has been reported to occur within (including torture and child rape).

How about the fact that churches are allowed to open up "Hell Houses" - an extremist christian version of the traditional haunted houses we see at amusement parks (except this time they tell you it's not smoke and mirrors - that this is all "real"). I can personally testify against this one as when I was 10 or 11 years old, I was once made to go through one of these atrocities. Inside children - mostly teens and preteens, although some even younger - are made to walk through a haunted house-style passage where they enter several rooms in order and watch actors play out scenes often depicting abortion as a crazy monstrocity and homosexuality as a sick perversion that you will be damned to burn in hell for. Somehow in the US we still allow this psychological TORTURE to exist - and yet we call ourselves a free country. A country that defends the weak and protects humanity. What happened to defending our own, too? Or do these children deserve to be left to their own devices amid this hostility and homophobia?

There are horrible things that still go on in this country and we have to pay attention to them. We have to stand up and protect the rights and freedoms of every single citizen here in the United States; no matter whether they are part of the largest majority or the smallest minority. Every little step we take towards improving the lives of EVERY American citizen is a giant leap toward a better and brighter tomorrow. Things like the recent passing of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act are what we should be striving for. These are the things that will change America for the better.

So please, please support the inclusion of "gender identity" and "sexual orientation" in the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Not just one of those - but both. Because nobody should be left to fend for themselves in a world that says they are to be hated. Nobody should be left alone like that. The change has to be made now - not tomorrow - because for so many tomorrow is too late.

"They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." - Andy Warhol (1928-1987)

"The assertion that 'all men are created equal' was of no practical use in effecting our separation from Great Britain, and it was placed in the Declaration not for that, but for future use." - Abraham Lincoln (American 16th US President (1861-1865), who brought about the emancipation of the slaves. 1809-1865)

-Eth

Sources/Links/Resources:

http://www.youthprideri.org/Resources/Stat...27/Default.aspx

http://thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/..._Hell_House.pdf

http://www.lauras-playground.com/

http://www.tsroadmap.com/index.html

[Guest Donna Jean]

WOW!

That's very good, Eth.......

I'm on it!

Thanks, Hon!

Donna Jean

[Guest Maelee]

I called my representative but am going to put together an email tonight and send out in the morning. It is important for everyone to get the message of this out to their friends and their congressional representatives. I was looking for a current update on it tonight and found this article which just made me so upset reading it.

http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/beam/11628821/#discuss

I know I should not let hate drivel like that get to me but it really does. Makes me so angry I am starting to cry.

It is b s like that that we need to fight against. So get the word out there.

Love and *hugs*

Mae

[Guest Eth]

Maybe Im just being a pessimist, but I seriously doubt my letter would be read, and even if read, would be listened to.

Sure, its a great idea, but the truth is, those who will vote for this already have their minds made up, those who will vote against it do too, and those being paid for vote a certain way are already bought and we cant afford to change their mind.

I live in Kansas.

Theres no way they will vote yes for it here. They would sooner approve a bill to execute all LBGT people then protect them here

I have written to Pennsylvania Senators Robert P. Casey, Jr. and Arlen Specter several times in the past and have ALWAYS received a real response from them showing their concern and appreciation for my letters. Awhile back I even wrote to a Republican Ohio Representative - Ross McGregor - to THANK him when he made a speech that quite possibly caused for the passing of the bill (House Act 176 I think?) that would ban workplace discrimination in Ohio. He wrote back to me too, and said he would share my letter with others.

Pessimist or not - you can't argue against the fact that if you don't do it, you have no chance of being heard, but if you do do it, at least there's the possibility of it. For equality and the fight for equal rights, isn't that worth a little of your time? Hell if you don't want to waste your own time, just take my letter, replace my name with yours, remove my personal story, and send it off. Should take around 15 minutes at most depending on how much difficulty you have in finding out who your representatives are, if you do it that way.

But it's up to you in the end.

[Guest Leigh]

thanks Eth, this is so much nicer than the pre-written letters i usually get in my email.

i'll be sure to edit out anything mentioning you, but i'm definitely using parts of this, mostly b/c it's so well done...and partially cuz i'm too tired or lazy to write my own.

peace&love

[Guest Bailey]

That is one beautifully written letter. If you do not mind I would like to send it on to my Reps. Thank you for such a concise and well thought argument.

Bailey

[Guest Donna Jean]

. Awhile back I even wrote to a Republican Ohio Representative - Ross McGregor - to THANK him when he made a speech that quite possibly caused for the passing of the bill (House Act 176 I think?) that would ban workplace discrimination in Ohio. He wrote back to me too, and said he would share my letter with others.

Eth...that's HB176 (House Bill)

And thank you...that bill affects me directly as I live and work in Ohio....

I also wrote when that bill passed....

Short explanition....

With a vote of 56 to 39, the Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 176, the Equal Housing and Employment Act. The historic vote marks the first time in Ohio that a vote on the floor of the Ohio General Assembly has occurred on legislation protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

We need everything that we can get!

No action is worthless....

HUGGS!

Donna Jean

[Guest Eth]

Update: I have ALREADY received a reply from Pennsylvania Senator Robert P. Casey via email, telling me that he is a cosponsor of the bill and telling me some of the specifics about it. Here's a large excerpt from that email containing most of the important stuff:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me about S. 1584, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) of 2009, of which I am a cosponsor, and similar bills H.R. 2981 and H.R. 3017. I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.

S. 1584 was introduced in the Senate on August 5, 2009. This bill would extend federal employment discrimination protections (which currently exist for race, religion, sex, national origin, age and disability) to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Specifically, S. 1584 would prohibit public and private employers, employment agencies, and labor unions from considering an individual's sexual orientation or gender when making employment decisions such as hiring, firing, promotion, or compensation.

These protections would apply to Congress, the federal government, and employees of state and local governments. ENDA would not apply to businesses with fewer than 15 employees, religious groups, or members of the Armed Forces (the bill has no effect on "Don't Ask Don't Tell"). Lastly, it would not allow for preferential treatment or quotas.

S. 1584 is currently pending before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, of which I am a member. On November 5, 2009, I attended a committee hearing on this bill and heard testimony from both legal scholars and law enforcement officials on the importance and impact of ENDA for our nation's workforce.