Date: Sat, 23 Mar 1996 07:27:16 -0500 
Subject: HRC's ELIZABETH BIRCH TESTIFIES FOR TRANSINCLUSION
From: riki@pipeline.com (Riki Anne Wilchins)

HRC's ELIZABETH BIRCH TESTIFIES FOR TRANSINCLUSION  
in HATE CRIMES BILL  
  
[WASHINGTON DC - March 22]  
In testifying for the re-authorization of the Hate Crimes   
Statistics Act now working it's way through Congress,   
Elizabeth Birch, Executive Director of Human Rights   
Campaign, fulfilled promises she made last year to  
transcommunity leaders.  
  
Following nationwide demonstrations by transactivists  
against HRC's policy of trans-exclusion from ENDA   
(Employment Non-Discrimination Act), Birch promised to 
drop HRC's opposition on ENDA.  In addition,  she  
suggested in sometimes heated meetings at  HRC's  
Washington offices, that a better place to seek   
the first-ever Congressional acknowlegment of   
transcommunity needs would be HCSA.  Ms. Birch  
then pledged HRC's support for transinclusion in   
the bill.    
  
Fulfilling that pledge in a 5-page Congressional   
testimony rendered March 19, Birch stated:  
  
"The Human Rights Campaign wholeheartedly supports   
this change.  I pray for the day that hate crimes,   
against all persons and groups, come to an end.    
But until that day, we must continue to trace these   
abominable crimes as effectively as possible...  
        
"I would also like to point out there is another group of   
Americans who are targeted for hate crimes.  It is HRC's   
position that they should also be covered under the   
Hate Crimes Statistics Act.  Transgendered Americans,   
who either live their lives as the opposite gender, or   
actually go through medical procedures to change their   
gender, are not specifically covered by the Hate Crimes   
Statistics Act.  Like lesbian and gay Americans,   
transgendered persons are often singled out to be   
harassed, often with violent circumstances.  In 1991,   
Brandon Teena, who was a woman living her life as a man   
in Falls City, Nebraska, was brutally raped by two men.    
Two suspects were identified, but the Sheriff refused   
to investigate on the grounds that since Brandon had   
'lied' about his gender, his statement could not be   
trusted.  Brandon was savagely murdered several days later.   
  
"Obviously, Brandon was a victim of hate crimes of the   
worst kind.  I strongly urge this Congress to consider   
covering transgendered persons under the reauthorized   
Hate Crimes Statistics Act." 
 
Said Dana Priesing of the national transgender lobbying  
group, GenderPAC, "HRC has taken a lot of hits from the  
transcommunity about their policies concerning transgendered  
people.  So it's very, very gratifying to see Elizabeth  
Birch and other HRC staff, like senior lobbyist Nancy  
Buermeyer, speaking out and addressing the needs  
of trans-identified Americans, especially on critical   
issues like hate crimes.  They deserve a lot of credit."  
  
"This is one of the first times I'm aware of any testimony  
about transgendered people in the Congressional  
Record, but I sure hope it's not the last.  GenderPAC will 
be working to create the good will and interest in Congress  
necessary to have transfolk added to a reathorized HCSA." 
[END]