Today at the "Lavender Law V" Conference sponsored by the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association (NLGLA). the first session dealt solely with transgender issues. I was in a panel with Prof Mary Coombs from U Miami Law School and Prof Mary Anne Case of NY Law School. Mary Anne just had published a good article entitled "Disaggregating Gender from Sex and Sexual Orientation: The Effeminate Man in the Law and Feminist Jurisprudence" as it appears in the Yale Law Journal," Vol 105, Number 1, Oct 1995.
There was a good crowd, and I made my usual comments about ENDA inclusion, about protection of TG same-sex marriages, about not "having-to" have genital surgery before getting legal documents done, and about doing coalition work.
I alerted them to the two TG events in DC in February and in May. I also promoted that a very large TG community is out there "sitting on its hands" that would work in large numbers to help a unified lesbigatr community IF we TG folks were included in ENDA and other issues. I also reminded them that we threw the first stones at Stonewall and that we were getting mighty damned tired of being excluded.
Mostly it was preaching to the choir as these folks were already lesbigatr inclusive or else were very receptive to the concept. Lots of law students and more professors who were interested in placing the ICTLEP (International Conference on Transgender Law and Employment Policy) *Proceedings* into their university libraries.
During the coffee break, we were proud to see the sign that announced that the coffee breaks were sponsored by ICTLEP and also by Tobin Sparling, a NLGLA Director who is very helpful and supportive of the TG community.
Next came two workshops at the same time. I was asked to do the "DOMA -- TG same-sex marriage" schtick for 25 minutes but then to break and go to another panel to speak on Jury Selection for a lesbigatr client. As to the schtick, I gave much of what I'd already done but to a new and receptive audience. In the jury selection, I was amazed at how some of the speakers were trying to hedge on the client being lesbigatr. No, no! Put it out there and be proud. My theory is that by putting it out there, a lot of the bigots in the panel will express themselves, and with the proper questions, a good attorney can get them struck for cause without wasting your peremptory strikes.
No presentations this afternoon although other workshops were on going. Dee reported that during the day at the booth there were many questions by many attorneys about the ICTLEP *Proceedings*, about the INDEX and about how they would be useful in litigation. It is so gratefying after all of these years that our work is being recognized for its worth and usefulness in litigation. It is also fun to watch the wheels turn as I tell them how I take non-surgical TS folks through the court and get legal sex change.
More addresses and more e-mail screennames. The building goes on. So does the networking.
It just keeps getting better, folks. Once again, I invite any of you who are lesbigatr or lesbigatr-friendly lawyers or law students to join NLGLA. (Contact me for an address when I'm back in Houston.)
We also want to say how much we appreciate those of you who help with your $10 or more per month pledge. It pays some of the bills and keeps us out there, pushing the edge for transgender legal freedom.