BGB BelleView - Special Pride Edition - June 1999

PO Box 20173, LouisvilleTake Pride In Being Transgendered!

Pride Month Activity & Meeting Schedule

Sat, June 19. BGB Monthly Meeting, First Unitarian Church, corner of 4th and York, Louisville. Doors open at 6, meeting starts at 8. Carol Kraemer of the Fairness Campaign will speak on Fairness and the TG community, and Amy McCorkle and Melissa Goodman will talk about their upcoming movie, entitled AYou=re The Reason,@ to be filmed in Louisville in 2000 - they're looking for all the help they can get. Got any skills in filmmaking or theatre? Afterwards....who knows, but the town awaits us...

Tues., June 15, 7:30 pm. Interfaith Celebration of Pride. Calvary Lutheran, 1838 Bardstown Rd. Sponsored by ALLeGRO Donations accepted.

Thu., June 17. Hearing on Fairness Amendment for Jefferson County. Shawnee High School, 4018 W. Market St. 7PM. To testify, call Fairness at 893-0788. Anne plans to testify at this meeting, and we'd LOVE to have others who haven't already spoken at the public hearings (Angela and Dawn). Contact Dawn for details

Sat., June 19. 13th annual March for Justice and Rally. Begins at Waterfront Park at noon; march to the Jefferson County courthouse beginning at 2. 502/893-0788. Free. Dawn is speaking at the rally

Sun., June 20, 8 pm. Working Class Kitchen Pride Reading. Local writers read their work at Joseph Beth Cafe. $6-10 sliding scale. Call Kelly at 606/277-6168.

Fri., June 25, 7-10 pm. Stonewall Awards Banquet, sponsored by The Letter. MCC-Louisville, 1432 Highland Ave. Net proceeds going to MCC's Capital Improvement Program.

Sat., June 26. Community Health Trust's annual Pride Fair. Willow Park, Louisville. Raffles, booths, arts and crafts. Free.

Sat., June 26. Volleyball Tournament. Dunbar Center, 545 N. Upper St., Lexington. Registration fee $75. Call Mark or John at 606/294-0901 (evenings) or Tom at 502/564-6539 (weekdays). Anyone interested in assembling a BGB Volleyball Team, contact Marjorie

Sun., June 27. Volunteer Awards Banquet. Ed and Fred's Desert Moon. Lexington. $20.

September 21-26, 1999 - Southern Comfort Conference, Atlanta.

July 3 - Lexington 4th of July Parade - and we're gonna be innit! We need you, especially if you have an open car - contact Marjorie for details

 


©Circles Are Forming!

Yes, We're Forming Circles © But, what are Circles? Simple, really. Circles© are discussion groups that will be meeting to discuss particular issues of transgenderism, and be led by someone who's been there and done that. Join one, or if you have an issue that isn't being addressed, step up and suggest (or lead) it!

©TS Circle - for all those who have transitioned, or are considering doing so, regardless of surgical status. We'll be discussing hormones, therapy, surgeons, electrolysis, and the mundane-but-important details of life in transition. Meeting on the 2nd Sunday Night of each month. Contact Dawn

©Significant Others and Spouses Circle - for family, partners, spouses, and friends of TG people. Meets before/during the regular BGB meeting at 1st Unitarian. Contact Evelyn

©Lexington Circle - for fun and support for those living in or near Lexington, and those who like socializing there. Contact Marjorie


Walking Two Steps Behind

By Anne Casebeer

The Queen of Kings

If you are working for rights for transpeople, you are absolutely full of bovine residue if you do not work for civil rights for all who lack them at the same time. To do otherwise is the height of hypocracy, but I still hear of those who would be doing just that. Of course, HRC=s done that with regards to us for years, but that=s a topic that I=ve hashed enough in the past. The movement to gain rights in employment for GLBT people has its roots at Stonewall, but the smart ones among us learned what to do and how to do it by listening to others who fought for civil rights in the past. When you do that, the trail will lead you to Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., preached. Dr. King=s words still apply and live today for all people who fight for civil rights, and they also live in the legacy that he left to his wife, Coretta Scott King.

So, now flash to May 3, 1999. What possessed 2 trannies with the urge to drive 6 hours each way to Youngstown, Ohio on a one-day trophy dash? Well, my compadre in crime, Dawn Wilson, was asked to present a seminar on transgenderism at a diversity conference at Youngstown State University. The keynote speaker for the afternoon session was Coretta Scott King. Dawn could bring one guest. She didn=t have to ask me twice. So, there I was standing in front of the mirror at 330 AM, a time when I would normally be getting to bed or asleep, cutting myself shaving and attempting to cover up the resulting wound with massive amounts of makeup. Despite this, we hit the road at 5AM, made the trip in record time, and were greeted by the security personnel at YSU, who courteously directed us to our parking and building. No tin soldiers or Nixon coming, and we were not on our own.

Dawn had admission to a luncheon with Mrs. King, which I didn=t have, so I went to the lobby of the student center, and accessed the internet with their campus system. After being online for a few minutes, I=d noticed that the lobby was full of minicams and news media people, and at that moment, a white Lincoln limousine pulled up and disgorged Mrs. King and her entourage. I got a minor wave in before the wave of humanity swept on by. She is a petite woman, about 5'3 I=d sazy, resplendent in a maroon pantsuit that was obviously well tailored, and immaculately mannered and groomed. She appears to be 25 years younger than the 72 years of age that she is. She gave a short press statement (I couldn=t hear what was said), and swept on towards the luncheon.

That was my cue. I had 90 minutes to kill before her keynote address, and proceeded to the food court in the basement. Ordering a grilled chicken sandwich from Arby=s, I found myself greeted by 2 male students, about my size, who wanted to know why I was crossdressed. That resulted in a pleasant 20-minute conversation, in which I was able to open their eyes - they were amazed to learn that many transpeople suffer discrimination and hate crimes and are not protected by law from that, that most transpeople never have SRS and that many don=t want it, and that many crossdressers (this one included) are otherwise heterosexual males who date women and have happy family lives. Their only knowledge of transgenderism came from attending the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and it was fun to be able to point out to them that I was attending that conference with a transsexual with a degree from Transylvania University. After this encounter, I proceeded to gather a souvenir for Amy (a keychain with the Youngstown State Fighting Penguin , which resembled a very pissed-off prom date) at the campus bookstore, where I received a nice compliment on my makeup and outfit from the young lady at the checkout. Things were slow, and I related that I=d had a big makeup problem that morning, and she let me know that I=d repaired everything properly. After this, I visited the campus music exchange, picked up a couple used CDs and had a nice chat with the clerks.

The time for the keynote address had come, and I met Dawn in the lobby, where she related the news that she=d had a chance to chat with Mrs. King for a few minutes, and that she had seemed knowledgeable and supportive of transgendered people and issues. Pictures had been taken, of course, and Dawn had a chance to give Mrs. King the birthday card that she=d purchased for her. We then were treated to a very forceful 40-minute address by Mrs. King, who stated that the fight for civil rights for all must continue, that we must learn to work in new ways (with business, with religious leaders, with local governments, and by running for office), and that to support rights for one interest group and not support rights for all is the height of hypocracy. She did, when speaking of GLBT rights, say the T-word.

The address concluded, I checked myself over again (you know you are out as a transperson when you can fire up an electric razor in the ladies= room before retouching your makeup), and prepared for Dawn=s seminar on transgenderism, knowing that I=d be involved in an unofficial sense. The seminar was well attended, with about 40 students there, actively asking questions of both of us, ranging from sexual preference to religious affiliation to workplace issues. Most were supportive, a couple were not, and some minds were opened and changed. The students revealed that Youngstown is not considered a particularly friendly place to be queer, and most of the students identifying that way that we spoke to prefer to do their socializing in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, or other major cities, instead of in Youngstown or Akron/Canton. Further, nearly all allowed that they planned to leave Youngstown after their college years, which doesn=t bode well for Youngstown. That is precisely why employment rights legislation is needed - intelligent young people need to be made to feel welcome in their own hometowns, and not feel that they have to move to be themselves.

On the way back to Louisville, we stopped at a favorite pizza place in Montgomery, Ohio, LaRosa=s. When we walked in, one of the waitresses jumped to attention, immediately seated us, and gave us great service, despite both of us looking road-ravaged after 16 hours. The truth cam e out when the pizza arrived; her Afather@ was a former member of CrossPort who had undergone SRS is the early >90s. The restaurant was empty, and she spoke to us openly about her journey of acceptance, as well as having to teach Adad@ the craft of womanhood. She was refreshing, good humored, and very outgoing and up-front in her support of us. I hope that I get to meet her Adad@ someday, if I haven=t already.

If you consider yourself a supporter of rights for transpeople, learn this lesson fast. We need to build coalitions with as many interest groups as possible, work with business and clergy, show that we are honorable and reasonable people with something to offer. Why? Because it=s common sense and it works. Besides, Coretta Scott King said so. That, my friends, is good enough for me. But will others listen? I hope so.

Screwed Again In DC - Lobby Days >99

Another Lobby Days is in the books now, and while I admit that I definitely enjoy Washington, DC in the spring, and the cameraderie of my fellow lobbyists, I can't say that I feel that much was gained this time out. In fact, the more I look into it, the more dirt I'm finding below the surface. The announcement by NGLTF that they would not support any ENDA bill that does not include rights for TG people is, unfortunately, falling on deaf ears in the Washington establishment. Worse, something was made clear to the lobbyists who visited the offices of past-supporters Rep. Barney Frank, and Sens. Jim Jeffords and Edward Kennedy: TG rights will not be allowed to be included in ENDA this, or any year. We are the victims of HRC=s bigotry as much as the Religious Reich=s. And, I resent it very much.

Bigots come in all shapes and sizes, all colors, religions, and, yes, all sexual orientations and gender identifications. Representative Frank is an openly gay man, and as such, should have a better feel for the issues of the transgendered than most on Capitol Hill. What I think Barney Frank has is a better feel for money than for people's rights. He wants his, first and foremost, and why be surprised? He studied under former House Speaker Tip O'Neill. Lobbyists from the Northeast and New England, including the best and brightest of the TG community have been lobbying Frank for years. I don't believe Frank is stupid. Is he crooked? Well, why should he not support us otherwise? Answer: remember February 1997? HRC preceded us to offices then. Did they do so again? I've heard that they did. HRCprovides funding for the campaigns of Rep. Frank. Has he been bought? And, why does HRC feel the need to buy off people, talk them out of supporting TG people? All this, while inviting TG lobbyists to receptions at their Washington offices, and putting perfunctory mention of us on their web page.

I'm going to go quickly over the various stops we made in Washington; for those scoring at home, we visited the offices of Repreentatives Anne Northup, Ernie Fletcher (R-KY), and Ken Lucas (D-KY); and Senators Mitch McConnell, Jim Bunning (R-KY), Fred Thompson (R-TN), and Jesse Helms (R-NC). We knew that our lineup was not likely to be one bearing a great deal of support for our causes, and indeed Reps. Whitfield, Rogers, and Lewis of Kentucky refused to even allow an appointment to be made. Still, in each office, we were greeted with good manners, and most listened to what we had to say. I was dismayed that Rep. Northup seems to have her office stacked with ex-Alfonse D'Amato castoffs who haven't ever been to her district, that Senator Bunning's office seems to be as rock-ribbed knee-jerk Reichist as we expected, and that Lucas does not appear to be even a possible supporter. Mitch McConnell's people greeted us well, as always, and we received a better-than-expected audience in the office of Jesse Helms, although the chances of any support from that office is nil. Every year, I am challenged by the prospect of finding a possible way to justify either an ENDA or HCPA bill around the states' rights orientation of Senator Thompson; it tests my college study of political science. He may never support either bill, but I do believe that Senator Thompson is a man of integrity and not a bigot; I understand that he comes to his point of view from a strict Constitutional perspective, one I don=t share but do respect, and that our talks with his office were and are a constructive eye-opener.

The biggest surprise was the last visit of the day, to Representative Ernie Fletcher of Lexington. Rep. Fletcher is not a friend of ours, having massive support from conservative religious organizations in Lexington. However, in our 45-minute discussion with him (yes, the Representative himself, plus an LA), we found him to be friendly, open, engaging, and knowledgeable of the history of the gay and trans community of Lexington, right down to knowing about James Herndon (Sweet Evening Breeze). The most telling part of the discussion came when he spoke of HRC's opposition to our rights initiatives; in short, he cannot understand how a community can turn on its own, then brought up Sweet Evening Breeze and the involvement of TG people in the Stonewall rebellion in New York. I'm under no impression that he will ever support us, or that he is any sort of friend, but this visit, and the one to Thompson and McConnell underscores why lobbyists must visit the unfriendly as well as the friendly, since you never know what you may learn.

Later communications with fellow lobbyists from other states who visited our so-called 'friends' found that they aren't necessarily friends at all. Lobbyists who visited Frank of Massachusetts and Jeffords of Vermont, both former supporters, found them unreceptive to TG inclusion in ENDA. I remember very well the 1997 exchange we had with Senator Harkin's LA about HRC visiting the office 2 weeks before our lobbying effort, encouraging them to discourage us from pushing for ENDA inclusion of transpeople. I learned then not to trust HRC, and subsequent news of their actions and direction does not encourage me. It is time for us to accept that the Religious Reich is not our only enemy; that many of our enemies may be people who ostensibly should be our friends. By opposing us, they open all of our initiatives to charges of "special rights", but most importantly, all of us should be working for civil and human rights, not gay, lesbian, or transgendered rights. Simple? To me it is. To HRC? Well, there's no money in common sense. F@&* them!

The New Board

I'd like to salute the newly elected members of the BGB board, all of whom, I'm confident, will do a very good job of leading this group. The board's goal for the next year, as well as me personally, is to lead this disparate group of people to a degree of acceptance of transgenderism in the local community, to help build better resources locally for us to use, and to go to places where nut-brown ales and porters are sold. We held board meetings on May 25 and June 6, and I=m impressed with the professionalism and preparation shown by the board members so far. Fun is important, and an important form of support, and all ways to do that will be tried. I also want to emphasize that nobody on this board is an island, and that you don't have to be on the board to help. I also want to note that we all represent our group and community by our behavior, and that public misbehavior is counterproductive to the cause of public acceptance of transgenderism. So, let's remember to get out publicly, have fun, and be ladies and gentlemen at all times. It's the best form of outreach. Likewise, if you're traveling this summer, why not visit another TG group in the area you're visiting, and spread a little goodwill?

Just in case you are wondering, my column bears its new moniker for a significant reason. I=ve been managing businesses for many years now, and I=ve read most of the significant texts on management that exist. You can be a one-minute manager, manage for results, be a Theory X, Y, or Z manager, practice Japanese style management, and the list goes on. But, this isn=t a job, although it involves work, and I certainly don=t know everything there is to know about being transgendered. But I do know this: the Chinese philosopher Sun-Tzu once said that Ato lead the people, walk 2 steps behind them.@ I=ve used that lesson when running businesses for some time now. The leader who thinks their staff doesn=t know what should be done is a foolish leader. Only you know what you want. So, I=m leading you from 2 steps behind, because you=re the real leaders, and I=m (and the rest of the board) really your servants.

If you expected Fidel Castro, sorry to disappoint you! But, maybe a Macanudo Presidente is in order.....

Pride In The Name Of Fun

Pride Month in Louisville and Lexington is here, and I'd like to encourage members of BGB to participate in as many Pride events as they have time to do. The Pride Picnic June 12 and Pride March June 19 in Louisville are being spearheaded by Terri, while Marjorie is arranging for our presence at the Lexington Pride Picnic June 13 and the Lexington Parade July 4. Please volunteer and help Terri and Marjorie. This is our annual chance to show our faces to the GLB communities of Louisville and Lexington, and show them who we are. Likewise, take note when we publish the schedule of Royal Sovereign Imperial Court events, along with Louisville Barony events; these are very good occasions for people to get out safely in public.

The Latest from ITKY

Time for some more local politics from Angela=s messy, cigarette ash strewn desk, located in the swank corner office of It's Time, KY. The Fairness Ordinance, pertaining to public accomodations and housing, has been reintroduced in the Louisville Board of Aldermen. Vote will come in the next few weeks. Consideration of Fairness legislation in Jefferson County continues, with 2 more public hearings to be held June at Atherton High School and June at Shawnee High School, and a vote projected for August. The City of Henderson is considering similar legislation, as is Lexington/Fayette County (Marjorie has this`covered). These bills all are TG-inclusive, and I would like to encourage everyone to support them. A bill has been pre-filed by State Rep. Kathy Stein covering employment rights; this is not TG-inclusive. Likewise, efforts to attempt to change her mind and this legislation are being planned. As always, I would like to invite and encourage all TG people and supporters to join and work with It's Time, Kentucky (or It's Time, Indiana, as applicable). Ask Angela Bridgman for details on this.


With No Apologies

By Dawn Wilson

If you want a place in the sun you've got to put up with a few blisters, n ot to mention fatigue. But the ultimate question is this: is it worth it? In this case, it was well worth it. On Tuesday, May 4th, Anne Casebeer and I drove 6 hrs to Youngstown State University . Why? To meet Coretta Scott King and give a presentation on transgenderism at a diversity conference.

Needless to say, the trip went off without a hitch. I was very privilaged to represent the Transgendered Community in what I hope was a positive light to YSU and Mrs. King. (yes Trans was mention in her address). I was able to present her with a birthday card on the behalf of all of us and speak to her for a few minutes on transgendered issues. She is aware of what is going on in the GLBT community, especially with HRC. As a representive of this community, I was able to make some contacts with other school officials who would like us to come back. Both Anne and I recieved personal invites to speak at two other universities as a result of this conference. I will turn over these contacts to the Ohio Folks for some follow-up. They truly want the help of the GLBT COMMUNITY as a whole, at YSU they would like to start a student GLBT group. They want to reach out to the trans community. They want continued education on our issues. We need to respond. Judging from the preliminary evaluation sheets we turned in ( 10 of 35 ) and what we heard things went excellent.

It is said " The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour". If that is the case I hope that my conduct led to a sterling reputation for the Transgender community as a whole.

Trannies In The Lobby >99

Yes, your favorite trouble making Transsexual was at it again! I have been lobbying congress since 1995, with mixed results. As a former McConnell aide, I do know how Washington works and it is far from perfect. However, we in the GLBT community have a lot to learn!

Let's start with Rep. Ernie Fletcher, R-KY. I met with him and his chief of staff for over 45 min. Not only was he knowledgeable of the GLBT community in Lexington, but he gave us a rundown on the history of the GLBT community in Lexington. He also talked to our delegation (Anne Casebeer, Cathy Platine of Ohio, and myself) about Sweet Evening Breeze, and is well aware of the Lexington Fairness Campaign and Jeff Jones. We discussed HR 1082 ( Hate crimes Prevention Act ) and ENDA. He agreed with us that Barney Frank's opposition to trans- inclusive language is ludicrous, at best. I gave him a copy of the Louisville Fairness ordinance, with he read eagerly right there. He asked questions and asked us to keep in touch with him, as he studied HR 1082. One thing he said got my attention. He clearly separated himself from people like Frank Simon and Southland CC.

Now if you think that was strange, consider this: we had more positive results out of the Republicans than the Democrats. No Joke. Senator Mitch McConnell's office was about the same. They did not have a copy of the Louisville Fairness ordinance, either, which the transgender delegation provided. Guys, in my opinion, this was a critical error on the part of the GLB community in Louisville. At McConnell's we discussed S 622 (Hate Crimes Prevention Act ) and ENDA., meeting with staff for over 45 minutes. They asked a lot of questions concerning what Louisville has done and the hate crimes cases including the Police Brutality cases in Louisville - they were very >concerned. Someone will feel some heat. Guaranteed.

We then paid a visit to Tennessee's Fred Thompson. Their concerns centered around interfering with states' rights, but overall, the chief aide had no problem with the legislation's intent. This is the same reaction Anne had from a this Senator last year. Meeting with staff for over 40 minutes was very encouraging. They asked a lot of questions concerning about what Louisville has done and the hate crimes cases of transpeople overall. We had specific cases for Tennessee.

In the case of Anne Northup, What a waste of time!! She is useless. One, she has a legislative staff that is not from Kentucky, and is totally ignorant of the state's issues. They were very ignorant of what has transpired recently in the state. Now, tosome extent this is advantage in that Frank Simon, Jerry Stephenson and Southeast Christian have been flooding them with E-mail and letters about the Louisville Fairness ordinance. We gave them a copy. As a former aide, I can say this: my dog could do better. The aide we spoke with was a refugee from former New York Sen. Alfonse D=Amato=s office, was a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker, and admitted that she=s NEVER BEEN TO LOUISVILLE! Friends, Congressman Northup is not representing us well.

We paid a visit to Jesse Helms of NC. We had a 30min chat with the legal staff over the legitmiacy of S46 and S622. I made the point to them that sec 4 under findings in s622 has the same ethical aim as S46 making S46 some what retractable. The legal counsel agreed. They accepted our literature, without incident.

The rest were lost causes. However, they all wondered why transgenders from Kentucky were coming to Washington to speak to them, yet no one from the Kentucky GLB community has ever made the effort. In my opinion this is a grave mistake. If we in the KY. GLBT community do not make our voices heard, we will be ignored. HRC has given up on KY. They don't visit our delegation, and we heard from more than one Rep and Senator that they didn't. When I handed Nancy Buermayer of HRC a copy of the Louisville Fairness ordinance, she was completely surprised. Likewise, our conservative delegation needs to see that we aren=t going away quietly, and if we are able to elect friendly legislators soon, they won=t be able to be corrupted by HRC if we keep hitting their offices. So, next year, let=s try to have some of our friends at Fairness join us?