crossposted from dailyKos
Recently, the historically important Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) had one important clause part removed: It no longer protects transgender people.
To this straight, white person, that’s a bad idea. It goes in exactly the wrong direction.
We need more voices, not fewer. We need to sing a chorus, not a bunch of solos.
When does an orchestra sound good? When each instrument is tuning up, alone, or when all of them are playing together?
more below the fold
In this diary (also here on docudharma on the front page) about ENDA my good friend Robyn is angry. Justifiably angry. And she is calling on people to do something. This is my something. I’m writing it quickly. Cause when my friends are angry, I get angry. And when my friends ask for help, I try to provide it.
Here’s my point:
WE ARE ALL HUMAN, AND WE ARE ALL IN THIS, TOGETHER
deliberately I shout that.
I’m a Jew. Used to be, not that long ago, Jews could be denied jobs, just because they were Jews. It happened to my dad, and he wasn’t the last.
I’m learning disabled. We used to get called retarded or brain damaged and shunted to institutions and denied educations.
But, more than that, I’m a progressive. I believe people have rights. *ALL* people. Transgender people make some other people uncomfortable. Too damn bad. Gays and Lesbians make some people uncomfortable. I don’t care. Jews and Blacks and Indians and Muslims and atheists and the Mormons and the odd looking and the disabled and the learning disabled and the retarded and the flamboyant make some people uncomfortable. F**k them!
So, here’s what I propose as a new ENDA. It includes everyone. It’s only a sketch, because I don’t know how to write legislation. Some people here do. Go for it in the comments.
No person shall be hired, fired, promoted, demoted, or in any way have their employment affected by any action, belief, behavior, creed, attitude etc. that is not directly and demonstrably related to job performance, and this explicitly includes all behaviors, speeches, pronouncements, publications etc made away from the job.
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this is slipping fast.
Maybe it will fare better here.
understand how it’s even possible that there should be a vote on rights – everyone should be entitled to their human and civil rights simply by virtue of being HUMAN! And there should be NO laws that undermine this basic principle.
As someone who is medically disabled, I’m well aware of the hidden and often unnoticed discrimination that happens. I also might add that presently, we are pushing through a suit involving my husband. He had his position “abolished” at a state hospital due to his union activities. This was back in 2002 and no resolution yet…if we don’t all hang together, we most assuredly will hang separately.
I’m awake now….and pissed.
By the way…Plf…your legislation is right on.
Peace.