LGBT Equality March in Washing D.C.

Comment by Karin Higgins on October 13, 2009 at 6:37pm

Charlene:

Thanks for going on our behalfs. Can you fill us in on what happened? Did you meet other TGs? Were there many of us there? What kind of response did you get? Sorry for all the questions, but CNN, etc. didn't mention our folks at all as the President pretty much didn't either. It seems to me, that the T in LGBT is getting tossed under the bus at the moment. Am I wrong?

Thanks,

Karin

Comment by Danielle Krieger on October 13, 2009 at 7:05pm

Honestly, it's been a hard fact to learn, but the HRC (the ones that orchestrated the march and meet w/ President Obama) couldn't give a **** (fill in your own vulgarity here) about the "T". To them, it's the LG community. Nothing else exists to them other than the gays and lesbians who "look just like everybody else". That's all they've been about for the last 10 years, or so.

Thanks for being a visible presence at the march, though. I wanted to go, but finances being what they are... *sigh* I really think we need some advocates to start dialogue with the President, myself. I don't think he truly understands our plight. I mean, sure, we were mentioned when the "Matthew Shephard Bill" passed through the house but ENDA is coming up as well. Now, more than ever, we need to have a voice on that man's ear.

Comment by Charlene Marr on October 14, 2009 at 7:55am

There were 4 or more transgender speakers. I saw at least 10 in the march and at the event. Transgenders were a full part of the presentation. But of course the news only shows the gays in the military and gay marriage. It was awsome. I was well accepted by the gays and lesbians around me and they supported our cause also. I don't know about Obama's thoughts about us but we did get a lot of positive exposure. We deffinatly were not tossed under the bus. I loved the rainbow around the sun. Sorry I said that before.

Comment by Charlene Marr on October 14, 2009 at 8:00am

I think its because we are about the smallist minority as far as civil rights go. So a lot of people are still trying to figure out what we are or who we are as far as the public is concerned. The politicians always listen to the largest group of voter base first. I think it was good that we were included in all the speaches on sunday. They all said (except one speaker) that it is the Lisbian, Gay, Bi and Transgender community!

Comment by Charlene Marr on October 14, 2009 at 8:01am

Sorry about the typo's

Comment by Caroline Grace on October 14, 2009 at 11:06pm

Hi, Charlene

Only 10 of us there at the march? How did I miss you? Alisha Manning was with me... and we walked with with a group from Millersville University. In about a week I wil post some photos from the march. It was Lisa's camera and I need to connect to download them...

While waiting for the march to start I also saw the rainbow you mentioned. It was in a sky that was almost totally clear, there was no rain and only a few small clouds nearby, too. Some people were joking that it was a sign from God, others weren't. I did get a picture of it, too, so we do have proof. And for those trying to prove or disprove the existence of God and/or his/ her love for us, my photo will be made available for research purposes.

While on the march I met a translady walking with a 4 year old girl (her daughter, I found out later in our conversation). I asked if she knew about Transparent Day and that it was set for Nov 1st of this year? I was shocked when she said she had because some friends of mine had just launched the campaign (Erica Fields and Sharon Stevens) shortly before SCC. Then she identified herself as Allyson Robinson and gave me a business card saying she is the TS / TG liaison with the HRC. She said a Google alert had come to her on the subject and she was trying to figure out how to help get the word out through HRC.

Allyson is simply a delightful lady. I mentioned this to Sharon. Later Sharon shared with me Allyson's bio and a video from the HRC website. Everyone should check these out.

We have a terrific advocate in her. She's former military and served as a minister for poverty stricken areas in the US. Having met Allyson and knowing that we had so many transgendered speakers there, I totally disagree with Danielle assessment about what HRC thinks about the T community. Seems to me that we could do more to outreach to her and through her have a greater impact with our allies in the HRC.

I also met many people along the march who supported us. Several PFLAG members were very interested in supporting T folks back at home, so I pointed them to several resources including PE and Mensroom (FtM"s site). A special shout out to the PFLAG folks in Iowa who discussed trans issues with me for about 20 minutes.

During the march we had a scant few hecklers. One caught my eye when were near the White House. He was in a suit and tie shouting stuff through a bullhorn. I went up to him and asked if I could hug him. He said yes and so I did. (If anyone needed a hug that day it was him. He was outnumbered by tens of thousands to one. More importantly he was a lost soul... love was not something that had yet found its way into his heart.) I hope that my hug might get something started there.

As for the HRC, I have heard all kinds of stories about the past; none of which do I have any firsthand knowledge of. But I do know there's a saying that goes like this, "Thank God for my tailor. He' s the only reasonable person I know because each time he see's me, he takes my measurements anew - and doesn't persist in trying to fit me to my old self!"

So Charlene and I agree that the HRC was backing us... we definitely had friends in the crowd, and I think I counted 37 TG/ TS folks there... I'd suggest that those who want to build bridges with others might start by building one with Allyson.

Hugs, Dana

Comment by Caroline Grace on October 15, 2009 at 12:37am

Information on Allyson Robinson taken from HRC site:

http://www.hrc.org/scripture/adventvideo.asp (video)

http://www.hrc.org/about_us/11416.htm (Bio as shown below)

Allyson Robinson
Associate Director of Diversity

Allyson Robinson joined the Human Rights Campaign as Associate Director of Diversity in 2008 to lead the organization and its volunteer base in promoting awareness of transgender issues and to ensure that all program areas demonstrate measurable commitment to transgender equality and inclusion.

A native of Scranton, Pa., Robinson is a 1994 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where she majored in engineering physics. After an internship at Los Alamos National Laboratory, she was commissioned as an officer in the Army and served with PATRIOT missile units in the United States, Germany and Saudi Arabia. She also worked for NATO as an air defense evaluator and advised the Royal Saudi Air Force on missile defense tactics, techniques and procedures.

http://www.hrc.org/scripture/adventvideo.asp

Robinson resigned her commission in 1999 to pursue a calling to Christian ministry. After her ordination, she served as pastor-teacher to churches in the Portuguese Azores and in central Texas. Her ministry work focused on raising awareness of systemic poverty and the intersecting systems of oppression that create and sustain it, while working to organize responses to poverty at the local, regional, national and international levels. She earned a master of divinity degree in theology, with a capstone emphasis in social justice, from Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary in 2007.

Robinson lives with her wife and their four children in Gaithersburg, Md.

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