ENDA.....how I hate it!

I have realized looking back at my recent blogs that I haven't directly talked about ENDA or the Employment None Discrimination Act. Something that has pissed me off over the last week or so. So, I thought I would for this blog. Fasten your seat belts kiddies, as I get political on you once again.

The HRC and Democrats in congress want to pass ENDA into law. The current form of ENDA would protect all LGB people from being fired just because they are LGB WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED. While the law also protects Trans people from being fired just because they are trans, that comes with a catch. The catch is that transwomyn and transmen will NOT be able to use the bathroom that they feel most comfortable in. To quote the ignorant-transphobic-bastard Barny Frank trans people with “one set of genitals would not be able to go to a bathroom for people with another set of genitals." Frank is the same man who told the people who marched on Washington last year, of which I was one, that "The only pressure they (the marchers) will have is on the grass!" He also said "Concessions had to be made." Once again trans people get the short end of the stick and that is OK in the view of Barney Frank and the HRC! And just how exactly will employers know whether someone has the "right set" of genitals? Easy, genital inspection.

If the current form of ENDA goes into law, employers will have the right to basically ask someone to "describe" their genitals and can even request that they show them their genitals. Lets count the ways this is wrong. 1) My genitals are NO ONES business unless I choose to tell you about them and 2) Talk about humiliating. My cisgender readers image that for a second. Image that an employer asking YOU to describe your genitals to them? Humiliating is it not? I know the law doesn't say that in writing, but I don't think it is a stretch to image that shit like that WILL happen if the current form of ENDA goes into law! Not only is this form of ENDA humiliating, but it is also dangerous.

Image what could happen if a transwomyn walks into a mens bathroom. There is a big chance of them getting verbally harassed, beaten up, killed or sexually assaulted by men in those bathrooms. Also imagine the humiliation of having to EXPLAIN why you are in that bathroom. My trans sisters and brothers and I will have to say that we have the "wrong" genitals. On a personal level, I feel like this will hurt transwomyn more so than transmen.

I am in no way saying that transmen WONT be affected, because they will, but transwomyn have a harder time passing in a lot of ways. For instance estrogen doesn't change our voices the way testosterone, or T as it is known in the transmen community, changes transmens. Granted T doesn't deepen transmens voices 100% of the time, but there is an EXTREMELY good chance it will. Also while estrogen slows down body hair like facial hair, and sometimes lightens it, facial hair still grows and takes years and years of expensive electrolysis to remove. While T adds facial hair and a lot of the time is used as a way to pass for them. Not saying that transmen have it good either as far as passing, but in those ways they have it A LOT better than transwomyn do. With that I bet you that more transwomyn than men will be asked to "describe" their genitals.

This whole thing just pisses me off! Barny Frank and the HRC could give a flying fuck about trans people. That fuck-head Frank continued to say that “consistent gender presentation” would also be required in order to sue. The example he gave of something people CAN'T do is sitting there with "full beard and a dress." To me this just PROVES that transwomyn are the target in this. I don't think this a reasonable requirement at all. Just another way for cisgender people to FUCK people who don't fit into those gender boxes and have no interest to do so. That part is all about cisgender people not being comfortable with how trans people present themselves, well I say fuck you. Trans people deserve to be respected because they are human beings! Talk about judging a book by its cover.

So basically in order for trans people to be able to use ENDA they have to jump through hoops. They have to prove a) they are "presenting consistently", how the fuck are you suppose to prove that in a court of law? And b) follow the part of the law about matching genitals. So, if they are caught using the "wrong" bathroom ONE time and someone complains the employers can use that and they are off the hook! While it gives cisgender LGB people a no questions asked way out! ENDA isn't trans inclusive at all! ENDA tries to pay lip service to trans people and maybe has "good intentions", but in the end only makes us stand out even more than we already do. Fuck Barney Frank and FUCK the HRC if they think this is a good enough for trans people.

I hope that this form of ENDA doesn't go through. For once I hope the party of "No", aka the Republicans, who hate the bill win! I actually agree with them for once. For totally different reasons, but I still agree. Can't tell you how much it pains me to say that.

Byes!