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I think it’s a really good thing, sometimes, to focus on local civil rights activism. Here’s something from a press release sent to Pam’s House Blend:
Ask Cleveland, Cleveland’s most active LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) rights organization, announced today that Cleveland volunteers will present more than 2,500 postcards from supporters of a transgender non-discrimination law to members of Cleveland City Council before Monday evening’s Council meeting. The postcards, signed by voters across the city, urge council to enact legislation that would add gender identity and gender expression to the city’s existing non-discrimination law.
“Right now, it’s legal to fire someone from a job, throw them out of housing, or even deny them service in a restaurant just because they’re transgender,” explained David Caldwell, spokesperson for Ask Cleveland. Transgender people, including thousands of people in our city, make up one of the most marginalized groups in society. A 2006 study concluded that the unemployment rate for transgender people was 35%, with 59% earning less than $15,300 annually. Many of Ask Cleveland’s own transgender volunteers have suffered discrimination — discrimination that is currently legal.
So what did Ask Cleveland do? Here’s the plan:
In response to an August survey by the Gay People’s Chronicle, an Ohio gay newspaper, only 8 of the 21 members of City Council expressed support for the non-discrimination law. “It will be much easier for members of Council to publicly express their support for this law — and vote to pass it — knowing that thousands of the voters they represent are asking them to support it,” added Caldwell.Ask Cleveland, a volunteer-based grassroots organization, has been working since May to organize supporters of the law in Cleveland. Hundreds of volunteers have talked with thousands of voters where they live – Glenville, Fairfax, Collinwood, Edgewater and other neighborhoods. “We’ve seen overwhelming support for legislation that would protect transgender people in our city,” said Jennifer Dowd, Ask Cleveland’s field director, “and it’s clear that voters want Cleveland to join the many cities throughout Ohio that already have laws like this one.”
Basic civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people is something the general public has been supporting in opinion polls, and have voted to support is cities like Gainesville, Florida and Kalamazoo, Michigan. It seems that antidiscrimination and public accommodation laws are the low-hanging fruit on the LGBT civil rights tree. Essentially, there’s no reason to think civil rights based on gender identity and expression couldn’t become law in Cleveland, Ohio.
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indeed AutumnThis is an absolute no brainer, and the relative popularity of such measures should be conveyed to the city council.
You know…I’ve been sitting here wondering how it is that in this country people are able to vote on whether or not others have basic civil rights. As long as any people have a choice over other people’s rights we will never be equal.
Gwen
Fort Worth, TexasThe city council of Fort Worth will be voting on extending their non-discrimination policy to include transgendered people tomorrow night. They are also talking about covering gender re-assignment surgery. The have on vote to also extend domestic partnership rights to gay couples that are employees of the city. There are several other items that will be on the agenda, including education and services to the GLBT community.
Several Christian groups have promised to show up at City Hall in opposition to these extensions. Also the local Republican Party has come out in opposition to these moves by the city.
Sunday evening a protest by Queer LiberAction was shut down by some Christians. The Queers reported that they were in fear of violence and so folded up.
The GLBT community will have two events starting at 5:00 including a car parade through the city starting at the Rainbow Lounge led by Fairness Fort Worth. Queer LiberActions and Equality March Texas will be at City Hall starting at about 5:00 to protest. We have been warned that there will be several Christian and conservative groups in counter-protests.
Fight for you Rights.
Guess I’ll be looking for news out of Dallas too!
I’m from OhioWhat’s surprising is that in 1988, Toledo passed an ordinance 12-0 to add a non-discrimination policy based on sexual orientation (which also covers gender identity through perceived sexual orientation), and not a peep of opposition!
It surprised me that Toledo beat out what we here in Ohio call the “three C’s”: Cleveland/Columbus/Cincinnati in this!
Then a few years back, Cincy finally threw off the yoke shoved on the city by Issue 3, which banned any non-discrimination ordinance by voting a repeal of the ban. The city then got to passing another non-discrimination ordinance which openly included gender identity.
The bigots from the Coalition for Community Values who shoved their Christofacism down the throats of Cincy back in ’82 tried once again to force a vote, and they were found to have committed massive fraud in the petitions and was tossed.
Sometimes Ohioans can get it right… it just takes us a little while longer.