Dear Editor:
We respectfully disagree with the sharp rhetoric from some of our friends in the LGBT community being directed at HRC [Human Rights Campaign] in the wake of its support for the version of ENDA that recently was approved in the House. Like them, we wanted an ENDA bill that included protections for the T community but, unfortunately, given the realities of the current political environment, putting such a bill to a vote would not have led to any legislative achievement at this time. We believe that what needs to be heard now is not criticism of HRC, but rather plans to channel our allies’ energy into something positive.
Rather than spending hours organizing a protest at an HRC event, a better use of time would be for the LGBT community to pull together and organize in-district lobbying appointments with their elected officials, create volunteer committee phone banks to call constituents, reach out to fair-minded religious leaders and hold community meetings to educate individuals about gender identity and expression.
The Human Rights Campaign Chicago Steering Committee is eager to work with other community organizations to put together a collective Transgender plan on lobbying, education and awareness. We hope many will take us up on our offer.
—HRC-Chicago Board