Ceremonies in July

ICTLEP Announces Award Winners

By Phyllis Randolph Frye


A British attorney, and two U.S. activists who succeeded in causing progress on TG legislation have been named this year's major award recipients by the International Conference on Transgender Law and Employment Policy.

The awards to Stephen Whittle, Sarah DePalma, of Texas, and Jessica Xavier, of Maryland, will be presented during the fifth TG Law Conference to be held at the Ramada-Astrodome Hotel in Houston, TX USA from 3-7 July. The conference is sponsored by the ICTLEP.

Each year, ICTLEP has available three awards:

The Transgender Advocate Award is for any attorney or legal organization who has advanced the legal standing of the transgender community.

The winner, Law Professor Stephen Whittle from the University of Manchester, England, who is an out transgendered man (FTM) who has written several books on transgender legal issues in England.

He is also involved with "Press for Change", and advocacy group in England. Recently, he took the British Courts to the European Court of Justice. The ECJ ruled that the British Courts were in error, and that "discrimination prohibited on the basis of being transexual" was the same as discrimination prohibited on the basis of sex."

This is a quantum leap. In all three US Appeals Court rulings (this issue has never reached the US Supreme Court) the courts have held that transexuals were NOT protected under Title VII prohibitions against discrimination based upon sex. Imagine, thanks to Prof Whittle, European transexuals have more legal protection than do those of the USA and probably anywhere else in the world.

The Transgender Pioneer Award is for any NON-attorney transgendered person or organization who has advanced the legal standing of the transgender community.

The winners are Sarah DePalma of Texas and Jessica Xavier of Maryland. Both were instrumental in having stand-alone, transgender protective legislation be introduced and be voted favorably out of committee of one house of their respective state legislature.

In spring 1995, Sarah introduced a bill to allow pre-surgical and non-surgical ts folks to change their gender identification and sex designation in an upfront and streamlined fashion. After favorable testimony from assembled tg activists, the Bureau of Vital Statistics and the Department of Public Safety, the Family Law and Juvenile Justice Committee voted the bill out of committee and to the House with a favorable vote of 7-2.

In the fall of 1995, Jessica introduced a comprehensive bill dealing with employment and housing discrimination into a similar committee of the Maryland House where again favorable testimoney was given and a favorable vote was given. It is expected that during the next legislative sessions, that these two Pioneers will carry their bills further along and that others from other states and nations will do the same.

The Transgender Champion Award is for any non-attorney, non-transgendered person or organization who has advanced the legal standing of the transgender community. There are no winners to announce at this time, although suggestions are invited and will be considered.

These will be awarded at the Saturday evening Awards Banquest, 06 July. To send congratulations and "Job Well Done"

Stephen Whittle at s.t.whittle@mmu.ac.uk Sarah DePalma at ita@mail.phoenix.net Jessica Xavier at ita@mail.phoenix.net