Pride Agenda response to decision by House Leadership to strip ENDA of trans protections

We just put out this statement on ENDA and wanted you to know about it:

“Promise on ENDA was not kept,” says Pride Agenda’s Van Capelle

Statement by Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle
September 28, 2007

“We do not agree with the decision of the House Leadership to vote on a non-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

Congressman Barney Frank should have tried harder. It appears taking out protections based upon gender identity in ENDA was his call. He made the wrong call. It does not reflect what the LGBT community wants. Speaker Pelosi promised LGBT Americans that the House would pass a trans-inclusive ENDA. The promise on ENDA was not kept; we are upset and disappointed.

Our community was ready to do the education that was required with the House of Representatives to get it to a place where it could be comfortable passing a bill that protects all of our community, even if it meant a delay in the vote. We were not given that opportunity when these last minute concerns came up.

The Pride Agenda is committed here in New York State to passing the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, known as GENDA (A.6584/Gottfried, S.3753/Duane), which will provide not only workplace protections based upon gender identity and expression, but also protections from discrimination in housing, public accommodation, credit and other areas of everyday life.

We will be looking to our Legislature to take GENDA up and pass it in 2008. Transgender New Yorkers should not have to wait one more day for the protections they so desperately need.”