Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 17:17:28 EST From: Lori Rice To: Multiple recipients of list GLB-NEWS A PRESS RELEASE FROM: It's Time, Texas! Sarah DePalma, Chair Houston, Texas Internet: fingers@phoenix.phoenix.net Gender Education & Information Service (GEIS) Tere Fredrickson, Director San Antonio, Texas Internet: TereF@aol.com Subject: Transgender protest and demonstration at the April, 2, 1995 March on Austin, sponsored by the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas. Following a three month effort to work with the Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby of Texas (LGRL) on transgender inclusion in the hate crimes bills currently before the Texas Legislature, two transgender groups have announced plans to stage a protest because of the LGRL's exclusion of gender identity and expression coverage within the pending legislation. Discussions between It's Time, Texas! (ITT) and the LGRL began in December of 1994, but it wasn't until March 23, 1995 that the LGRL began to take the threat of a protest seriously according to Sarah DePalma, Chair of ITT. "The very first point on our list was a recognition that we share many common allies and enemies and our two organizations should agree to work together on common issues. But even that simple truth was turned down as a point of agreement." she said. "On what basis could we discuss transgender inclusion if they can't even agree that we share the same boots of oppression and hate on our common necks?" "We want people to understand that we are not marching against gays, lesbian, and bisexuals" said Tere Fredrickson, Director of the Gender Education & Information Service (GEIS). "We will hold a peaceful, non-confrontational demonstration to protest our exclusion from the proposed hate crimes legislation. What we are asking people to do is participate in the march as they had planned to do, but at the end of the march to come and stand behind our banners as a sign they support transgender inclusion." The LGRL is continuing to take a position which ignores the 1993 March on Washington platform, the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association resolutions, and the resolutions of the San Antonio Equal Rights Political Caucus (SAERPC). A co-sponsor of the March on Austin, SAERPC specifically recommended to the LGRL that the transgendered be included within LGRL orgnizationally and in the verbiage of the hate crimes bill. Both ITT and GEIS are asking for all transgendered persons and supportive straight, gay, lesbian, and bisexual people to join them in protesting the LGRL discrimination against people with diverse gender identity and expression. "We ask that people join with us to demonstrate to the LGRL the 21st century concepts of welcoming human diversity and recognizing human dignity," concluded DePalma; "a hate crime against anyone is a crime against everyone."