GLBT History Month 2007
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender organizations in Colorado oppose transgender exclusion from ENDA
The following statement was released by nine Colorado-based organizations working to advance equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
The statement is in response to recent news stories indicating a shift away from the inclusion of transgender protections in the national Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA): Our organizations share the belief that transgender protections must be included in the federal ENDA currently being debated in committee in the U.S. House of Representatives.
These necessary protections do not only impact those who identify as transgender. Too often, individuals face discrimination because they do not fit gender "norms". These people, straight and gay, deserve protections in the workplace.
We call on all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people as well as our friends and family to contact their congressional representatives and urge their support for an ENDA that is inclusive of transgender protections.
Please join us in standing with our trans brothers and sisters.
Ryan Acker, Executive Director, Pikes Peak Gay and Lesbian Community Center, Kirsten Spielmann, Interim Executive Director, Boulder Pride, Jeffrey Shaw, Chair, Colorado Stonewall Democrats, Cathryn L. Hazouri, Executive Director, ACLU of Colorado, Kate Bowman, Chair, Board of Directors, Gender Identity Center of Colorado, Jen Lowe, President, Board of Directors, Lambda Community Center, Karen Bachman, Chair, Colorado Stonewall Democrats Transgender Caucus, Equal Rights Colorado, The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of Colorado.
If you would like to take action we encourage you to contact www.nosubstitutes.org. This is a website setup by the National Stonewall Democrats to gather grass roots support for the original ENDA (H.R. 2015), which included transgender protections.