Activists On Capitol Hill
For 2nd National Gender Lobby Day

THE SECOND National Gender Lobby Day has been called for May 5th in Washington, DC, as scores of transgender, bisexual, gay, intersex, lesbian, and sexual rights activists from across the US converge for 2 days of Congressional advocacy and education.

Sponsored by the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition or GenderPAC, the event has been endorsed by a broad spectrum of national groups, including the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), BiNet USA, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA), the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF), and the International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE).

GenderPAC's first National Gender Lobbying Day in October, 1995 drew over 100 activists to Capitol Hill for advocacy on a range of issues connected to discrimination based on sexual identity, orientation, or desire.

A Murder Trial and Hate Crimes

With a verdict expected soon in the Chelsea, MA jury trial for murdered transgender woman Chanell Pickett -- one of many trans-murders in the past 2 years -- lobbyists are expected to focus heavily on gender-based hate crimes, including gay-bashing and rape. Ms. Pickett was strangled to death on November 20, 1995, by Mr. William C. Palmer. Palmer admitted to the killing, but claimed his distress associated with discovering Ms. Pickett's transgender status was to blame. Included among transgender murders in recent years have been Debbie Forte (MA), Christian Paige (IL), and Brandon Teena (NB)

With help from the Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, GenderPAC has just completed its first National Study on TransViolence, and is expected to distribute it widely to Congressional offices. Also high on activists' agenda are: the need for employment protection for gender expression as well as sexual orientation; the continued cutting of intersex infants' genitals in US hospitals for cosmetic and social reasons (Intersex Genital Mutilation or IGM); and improved access to health care for those who are differently-gendered, HIV+, or gay.