Much of this political drama painfully reminds us of the line that was repeated like a mantra on the reimagined Battlestar Galactica show when it was on the air.
All of this has happened before-and will happen again.
Those of us who have been in the TBLG rights trenches since the 90's and in the preceding decades have long memories about dealing with backstabbing predominately white gay and lesbian activists and organizations whose standard operating procedure back in the day was 'frack the trans community'.The signing ceremony reminded us of the far too familiar pattern and numerous times that the GL community either brazenly cut us out of civil rights legislation that started out inclusive or used us as a bargaining chip to get the 'sexual orientation' only legislation they actually desired.
The GL community activists and their trans apologists would then attempt to soothe our righteous anger over being screwed by our so called allies by parroting their standard 'incremental progress' mantra. They would say the sexual orientation only law 'wouldn't have passed with trans in it', play the shame and guilt card by saying 'if we include you, it'll hold up needed rights for others', flip the script and call us 'selfish', say we need to do 'more education' of legislators, or pimp the classic 'half a loaf of bread is better than none at all'.
If that didn't work, then they'd smile, pat us on the back they just stabbed us in and say 'we'll come back for you'.
Yeah, right. Once the lesbigay community gorged themselves at the civil rights table and celebrate their victory in obtaining a GL only protective law, they would never follow through on that promise. Think I'm kidding? Ask the trans peeps in Wisconsin and Massachusetts if the GL community has come back for them?
So no, trans folks are NOT happy about being thrown under the civil rights bus again or being Left Behind from civil rights coverage that we desperately need.
When are we transpeople going to be included in the 'We The People' part of the United States Constitution?
We're sick and tired of being sick and tired of the jacked up situation where the trans community is treated like a disrespected junior partner or being used as legislative bargaining chips.
The anger is even more intense about this situation in the trans communities of color We don't even have a fracking seat at the table to help determine the policy direction that will benefit us and the entire movement..
We need JOBS, JOBS, JOBS. We needed an inclusive ENDA passed years ago and we needed Rep Barney Frank to stop being a lavender oppressor and start being an ally. We need to pass a TBLG rights law such as ENDA that benefits not only the entire GLBT rainbow, but helps straight people as well,.
But what does the trans community hear in the gayosphere that the GL community wants to spend this hard earned political capital on? Gay marriage.
It's another issue that only benefits a narrow slice of the GL community. Most of us in the BTLG community could care less about same gender marriage. It's not high on our priority lists when we struggle to get and keep jobs. You can't get married unless you have a J-O-B and money in your pocket or purse to pay for the wedding license, the wedding ring, the wedding and the wedding reception.
In addition the 0-31 gay marriage push has had a deleterious effect on trans people's abilities to get married.What was the chant the GL community screamed at the POTUS in this DADT drama? No delays, No excuses. That also goes for you GL people and the Gay, Inc orgs that represent you.
Take your Dallas Principles and apply them to yourselves. You have no excuses for not passing trans inclusive legislation and doing it right the first time without delay
So if you wanted to know why many of us were a little lukewarm in terms of letting the congratulations flow for DADT repeal passage, now you know.
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