Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 22:49:13 GMT
Subject: CIVIL RIGHTS ROUNDTABLE: COMING AROUND?
From: riki@nyc.pipeline.com (Riki Anne Wilchins)


CIVIL RIGHTS ROUNDTABLE: 
COMING AROUND? 
 
Historic Meeting in California 
------------------------------- 
 
    For the first time, the Civil Rights  
Roundtable, the national coalition of groups  
engaged in "queer law," has openly considered  
taking on transgender cases.   
 
    The Roundtable is composed of groups  
including the Lambda Legal Defense Fund,  
the NY Center for Lesbian Rights,  
the American Civil Liberties Union  
Gay Rights Project (ACLU), the Gay and  
Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD),  
and others.  It meets every six months in  
different cities around the country. 
 
      Through their local chapters many of  
the Roundtable's member organizations have  
long resisted taking on trans cases, 
arguing they were already overwhelmed  
with gay and lesbian litigation, or  
that they were concerned only  
with "sexual orientation."  
 
 
Changes View of TransLitigation 
------------------------------- 
 
        Although the Roundtable itself does  
not set policy, it is clear this meeting  
represents an important turnaround in  
members' willingness to consider transpeople  
as part of the larger queer community.   
 
       This could prove vital for the trans  
community itself, which lately found 
itself the target of a seemingly endless,  
escalating barrage of prejudice and bigotry  
in the form of hate crimes, employment  
termination, marital custody fights,  
murders, and incarcerations.   
 
     Due to widespread employment discrimination  
against genderqueers, many if not most of those  
involved cannot afford legal representation  
or counsel. 
 
 
Some TransPeople Need Not Apply? 
------------------------------- 
 
       According to one source who wished to  
remain anonymous, a representative of a  
national trans law group invited to address  
the Roundtable suggested member organizations  
consider trans litigation on a case-by-case  
basis, pointing out that some transpeople are  
not gay or lesbian identified.   
 
       "But that misses the whole point,"  
declared Alison Laing of IFGE, a national  
umbrella group for the transcommunity.   
"Trans people must be considered a part of  
the larger gay community.  I think  
Melinda Paras, Executive Director of NGLTF,  
made that point very clearly when she  
recently addressed IFGE's National Conference  
as our keynote speaker." 
 
 
The Larger Gay Community 
------------------------ 
 
       "'Gender oppression' includes issues of  
affectional discrimination *and* gender  
expression," continued Ms. Laing.   
"Suggesting Roundtable members consider only  
those of us who are 'gay or lesbian' leaves  
many people out in the cold.  We at IFGE  
remain firmly committed to broadbased  
coalitions which leave no one behind." 
 
       Echoing this sentiment, Riki Anne  
Wilchins of GenderPAC, the new national  
political organization dedicated to  
"gender, affectional and racial  
equality" stated, "We will continue to  
struggle for a unified front and unified  
actions which address gender, affectional  
and racial equality as *shared* political  
struggles born of shared oppressions.  None  
of us is free until all of us are free." 
[END]