Date: Fri, 24 May 1996 23:26:26 GMT Subject: 2nd NAT'L GENDER LOBBYING DAY ANNOUNCED From: riki@nyc.pipeline.com (Riki Anne Wilchins) 2nd NAT'L GENDER LOBBYING DAY ANNOUNCED ========================================== Contacts: Riki Anne Wilchins, Riki@Pipeline.Com, Alison Laing, a.l@lng.com, Dana Priesing, DPriesing@aol.com [NEW YORK CITY - May 25, 1996] GenderPAC, the new national political organization dedicated to "gender, affectional and racial equality" has announced the 2nd National Gender Lobbying Day to be held on Monday and Tuesday, May 5-6 in Washington, DC. Last year's Lobbying Day on October 2-3 drew over 100 activists to Capitol Hill to lobby for gender rights issues, including trans- inclusion in the Employment Non-Discrimination Bill (ENDA) and the Hate Crimes Statistic Act (HCSA), as well as issues around trans health care and the treatment of transpeople in the military. In over 2 days of intense lobbying, activists called on the offices of nearly every one of the 503 Senators and Representatives. Changes from the 1st Lobby Day ------------------------------- NGLD was originally planned for October once again. However, it became apparent that most members of Congress would be in their home states, working on re-election. After consultation with community leaders, as well as several Congressional offices, the dates was moved to May 5. In another break with the 1st Lobby Day but in keeping with GenderPAC's commitment to "gender, affectional and racial equality," lobbyists will be asked to focus on ENDA and HCSA, but also on issues of women's rights, gay rights and marriage, and the increasing tide of racial intolerance in the US. Although this is an aggressive agenda to ask of activists, it nonetheless reflects GenderPAC's mission, and its understanding that these are shared, linked oppressions. Everyone Welcome ---------------- Said Alison Laing, acting co-Chair of GenderPAC: "This is a chance for anyone concerned with gender, affectional or racial equality to show up in Washington and have their voices heard. We welcome all people to participate, to let the incoming Congress know that we are not going away, that no American is free until *all* of us have our rights." Dana Priesing, Washington DC lobbyist for GenderPAC, declared "Based on my recent visits to Capitol Hill, it's clear that we made an real impression in 1995. Telling our stories humanized us: it made them see us as real people instead of tabloid television subjects. This time we'll be returning with a focused, polished and more professional approach, identifying the bills and the language important to us and working to educate everyone with whom we come in contact." [END] FIRST NATIONAL CONFERENCE on GENDER ACTIVISM ============================================== Contacts: Riki Anne Wilchins, Riki@Pipeline.Com, Alison Laing, a.l@lng.com, Dana Priesing, DPriesing@aol.com [NEW YORK CITY - May 25, 1996] Seizing the announcement of the 2nd National Gender Lobbying Day as a chance to rally and focus the increasing tide of transactivism sweeping the country, GenderPAC has announced that May 4, the Sunday preceding Lobbying Day (Monday, May 5), will be set aside for the first National Conference for Gender Activists. The all-day event will be strictly devoted to gender activism. High on the agenda are open discussion on national coordination of lobbying on legislative issues like ENDA, community organizing, the wave of trans-related murders, and concerns like the upcoming Brandon Teena movie "All S/he Wanted." In keeping with GenderPAC's mission to be a "tool chest" for the community's use, informal how-to discussions will be held on such topics as: * Lobbying 101: How the Pros Do It * How to Picket & Demonstrate: Logistics, Organizing, and Execution * Introducing an Employment Non-Discrimination Bill in Your City/State * How to Get Press Coverage for Your Actions: an Intro to the Art of Media Relations * The Transexual Menace Guide to Picketing and Demonstrating * Adding TransInclusion to Your Company's EEO Statement * Fundraising: Do's and Don'ts * Welfare System: Where Transpeople Are & Whats Needed * Gender, Affectional & Racial Equality: Making the Connections, Building the Bridges Recent years have seen the rise of out- front gender activism such as the Tyra Hunter Vigil (Wash.DC), the Channel Picket demonstration (Boston), the Brandon Teena Memorial Vigil (Falls City, NB), the picketing of the American Psychiatric Association (NYC), National Gender Lobbying Day (WDC), work on transinclusion with the National Organization for Women (NOW), the formation of TOPS (the national organization for transgender peace officers), and a host of other efforts. However, until now there has been no conference where activists could join together and work on skills, consensus, coordination of effort, and the transfer of knowledge. The event will be held at the Quality Inn in College Park, Maryland, where rooms are already being reserved for lobbyists attending Lobby Day. GenderPACs Activists Conference will be a no-or- low cost, non-profit event. The evening following the Conference will be devoted to lobbying training for the following 2- days on Capital Hill. As last year, both National Gay Task Force and the Human Rights Campaign have been asked to send representatives to help brief activists on what's happening on the Hill, as well as hone their lobbying. Declared Riki Anne Wilchins, a founding member of GenderPAC, "The time for broad-based, national gender activism has come. As activists, we need a place to get together, commune, and plot our efforts for the coming years. This is not going to be about the right to dress, or the right to surgery, its about the whole shootin' match: we want to make it okay for *all* identities, and this conference is the first step to coordinating a national attack on the issues that oppress us. This is the formal, founding gesture of new movement." [END]