RESIST AND RESIST

This year will prove to be a more active one for me. I will attending the women's march later this month. I hope that it will trigger some courses of action in what we need to focus on. I'm working on whether to take a trip to Albany to help pass the Gender Employment Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA).  I cannot sit idly by as our rights are being taken away. 

I attended a community forum this past September in my Washington Heights neighborhood. I saw what a sellout my councilmen is. Couple that with the fact that he backed state senator who is an enemy of the LGBTQI community. As you can see local politics is on my plate, albeit reluctantly. It's been said that all politics is local and I saw it first hand. 

These are just a few things up for me. I will fill you in as events and changes happen.

Time To Work Together

Between now and he new year I will be choosing to fight the battles that are important to me. Right now affordable housing is a big issue in my neighborhood. Working to get GENDA passed is another issue that I want to see passed. 

The next four years will be quite interesting. I pray that people will work together and find solutions to the things that are important to us. More than ever before differences will need to be put aside. Time is precious and it can't be wasted on needless bickering and quarreling.

First Post For 2016; Some Goals

I finally have time to making my first post of the new year. I'm looking forward to an even better year. I got off slowly with my reading in 2015 but picked it up the last six months. Play writing took the front of the stage and was able to write a few short ones. We still had Transgender Day of Remembrance with more trans women murdered than ever before. We did gain more visibility however.

This year I will work to see that the Gender Employment Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) gets passed here in New York. With the demise of the Empire State Pride Agenda (ESPA), I need to explore other options regarding improvement for transgender people. I'm currently involved in the affordable housing issues in my neighborhood. Gentrification has come where I live. From what I see, poorer and some middle class residents will lose out. It's expensive living here as it is. 

these are two of the issues I'm involved in. I'm still formulating some other goals and it looks like it will be an interesting year, especially with the presidential election coming up later this year. 

Post Pride

We are in the second half of 2015. The June pride events here in New York are over. Now the work continues. ENDA and GENDA (here in New York state) both need to be passed. I'm taking a more active approach in the latter because GENDA is long overdue.  

I'm happy that marriage equality became the law of the land but in San Francisco it overshadowed the trans pride march. It reminded me of shortly after the Stonewall Riots in 1969, when transgender and gender-variant people (especially people of color) were shut out of the decision making process. Seems that I'm leaning toward being a historian because transgender people are being whitewashed from TGLG history. We helped shape many of the social movements throughout history. I refuse to see our influence pushed aside for assimilation and political correctness.

Plans are pride 2016 are being made now. I pray that ENDA and GENDA will be passed by next pride. I was encouraged by the large number of young people in the parade. I pray that this will lead into more grassroots activism. 

State Senate Fails To Pass GENDA Again

For the eighth time at least, the New YORK state senate has failed to pass GENDA (Gender Employment Non-Discrimination Act) after the state assembly passed the measure. It means that transgender NewYorkers can still be fired from their jobs because they are transgender. This latest defeat is very disappointing.

I'm not giving up! I have to see what I and others can do to change this. GENDA, formerly known as SONYA, has been on the docket for about 15 years now. When marriage equality was passed in 2010 ,GENDA  was on the same platform but was overlooked in the hoopla of the passage of marriage equality. I have a couple of my own theories about this but that's for another day. In t he meantime, I will become involved  more with this until GENDA is passed.

Equality and Justice Day- Overview

Yesterday, I was present at Equality and Justice Day in Albany, New York. Over 600 people came to the annual event. It was comprised of mostly young people from all over the state which is encouraging. I tried posting yesterday on my tablet but could get a consistent internet connection.  

The day begun with a welcome from Empire State Pride Agenda. Later it was workshops and lobby visits with senators and assembly members. I decided to sit in on a workshop. Creating Supportive Schools for Transgender Students was the one I sat in on. I listened to high school students share their experiences of coming out in their respective schools. They all were bullied, harassed, and in some case with us strangers and encouraged them in their future endeavors.

I attended a rally at the capitol stairs after lunch. The speakers were eloquent and strong in their assessment of the need to pass the Gender Employment Non-Discrimination Act. I attended a workshop Queers in the Coop: Combating the Decline Of Safe Spaces and Improving LGBTQ Job Security with Workers Cooperatives. Afterwards, I spoke with one of the facilitators about the need for different types of coops, and that food coops, in particular, are growing. 

I met some wonderful people on the bus. On the way back our bus broke down so we doubled up with another bus. All in All it was a wonderful day and I learned more on my second go around. 

I will be traveling tomorrow to Albany, New York for Equality and Justice Day. We will meet with legislators, attend workshops, and a rally on the steps of the state capitol. Daniella Carter, a rising star as a trans activist, will be the featured speaker. I attend my first EJ Day last year and found it to be interesting and eye opening. There were many youth at last year's conference and I expect more this year.

My main reason for going is to see the state of the fight for employment protections for transgender people. the Gender Employment Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) has been on the docket for over a decade now. It should have passed the same time marriage equality was in 2010 but was conveniently forgotten, even my the mainstream LGBT organizations because everyone was caught in the euphoria of the passage of marriage equality. 

I will get more information and see what I can do to help move this along. I will give updates as the day moves along.   

Equality and Justice Day

I will be attending Equality and Justice Day in Albany, New York on  Tuesday, April 28th. I attended last year for the first time and found it rather interesting. I'm looking to get more involved because there are some issues that need to be addressed (GENDA is at the top of my list). 

I met a couple of my trans sisters there last year and I hope to do so again. I would love to see those politicians who say they support us become more visible in voice and and at protests. 

Choosing My Battles

Tonight my wife and I were talking about a number of events that are happening here and abroad. I have been seeking to get involved in issues that are important to me. Choosing what battles to become engaged in is not always easy. There's only so much that an individual person can do. It takes much thought, guidance, and counseling to pick the ones that we believe are important.

I'm preparing to speak to my church family about transgender basics (Transgender 101) in June during pride month. It will be a good time to educate folks about what it is to be transgender. This is greatly needed in the church and outside the church. I have made it a personal mission to educate people that transgender people front and center during the famous Stonewall Riots in 1969 in New York City. It seems that some want to erase our participation in this historical event. I'm not going to let that happen.

Another battle I will be active in is seeing that the Gender Employment Non-Discrimination Act in New York State comes for a vote this year. It's been on the docket for over a decade and I'm tired of all the excuses and oversights on why it has not passed. I'm still doing my homework on which organization to become involved with about this. Well, these are just three battles that I will be actively involved in.I will keep you posted on how things are working out.

A Clean Slate

One aspect of ending the year is letting go of the things that didn't go well. I was asked the question what I wanted to let go of from 2013 and want to do in 2014. I was letting go of all the negative influences. Letting go of negative people, thoughts, and activities will release me from all the negative energy that can stop me from accomplishing my goals. 

For 2014, I want to speak out more about issues that concern me. The Gender Employment Non-Discrimination Act is one issue that's dear to me. Here in New York State transgender employees can be denied employment or be fired from their jobs just because they are transgender. I have other concerns but this one is really important to me. 

I look at the new year as beginning with a clean slate. It's the chance to start over and achieve those goals we never accomplished or forgot. Think positive! You can do it.

GENDA IN 2013

I havent though about my goals for 2013 yet but one came to me while I was changing the backround of my blogsite. Purple is one of my favorite colors. This year was one of coming out many times and connecting with like minded folks. It was a year of educating others.

In the upcoming year, I will be involved in two or three issues that are very important to transgender people. One of those issues will be the Gender Expression Non Discrimination Act (GENDA) here in New York State. Probably will travel upstate as to put a face on what it is to transgender.  

I don't know what the other topics will be at this point but I'll post it when I have them.

ENDA and GENDA Must Be Passed Now!

The passage of ENDA (and GENDA here in New York) is of utmost importance in light of attacks of transgender woman in Washington, DC. On Monday, a transgender woman was brutually murdered in East Harlem, a neighborhood just 2 miles from my home.

It's also important that these laws are ENFORCED! I was appalled when the police in DC wouldn't even write a report after five lesbian woman were harrassed and attacked. With transgender people more visible, I am not surprised by these occurences. Still we must be viligant because our foes are wrong.

~Genevieve