Posts Tagged ‘Current Affairs’

Transgender Win: American Eagle Updates Corporate Policy

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Thanks to New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and Make the Road New York, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting equity and opportunity for all New Yorkers, retail chain American Eagle has committed to changing its corporate guidelines and employee handbook to include transgender-friendly policies.

The retailer had an anti-LGBT policy on personal appearance for employees, requiring staff to wear gender-specific clothing. While this may not seem like a huge victory, the popular chain employs more than 2,000 people in more than 60 stores across New York State. That means that not only do current transgender employees are now allowed to wear the clothing that best expresses their gender, but that potential recruits will now not be deterred from working at the popular clothing store for fear of gender discrimination.

In addition to allowing workers to wear what they please, American Eagle has also agreed to train its staff on transgender issues, including which pronouns to use when referring to customers and fellow co-workers.

Although the change originated from a lawsuit that American Eagle decided to settle out of court on, an American Eagle company spokeswoman said “We wholeheartedly believe that transgender individuals should be treated equally.”

According to this New York Daily News article, the resulting settlement is “the first crackdown against a retailer under the section of the state's Human Rights Law that bars employers from discriminating against applicants because of their gender identity.” New York State’s Human Rights Law originally passed in 1945 was the first of its kind in the United States, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of “age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex or marital status.”

While this is fantastic for transgender persons in New York State, let’s remember that a number of states still do not have any state-level protection for LGBT employees.

Of course, the Family Research Council (see here) has come out (no pun intended) stating that this violates the rights of American Eagle and its employees by imposing “cross-dressing” policies. Bill O’Reilly also covered the American Eagle announcement (see video below), seemingly comparing transgender people to "ewoks," as well as repeatedly asking the question, “So, if your name is Fred, you can dress like Dolly Parton?”

Now I love me some Dolly Parton (ewoks are another story) but comparisons like these only serve to bolster ongoing misconceptions about transgenders, particularly about what it actually means to be a transgender person.

Transgender is the state of one’s gender identify, self-identifying as a woman, man, neither or both. It doesn’t necessarily imply any specific form of sexual orientation. The term “cross-dresser,” while not exactly defined, is a person that identifies with one sex but who wears the clothing of the opposite sex.

It’s factually incorrect to suggest that all transgender are “cross-dressers” or vice versa, and it perpetrates misleading stereotypes about transgender people. This is why the Out Front Blog continues to stress that language matters and that words have power.

| May 20th, 2010 1 Comment »
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Gay? King Says Keep It Quiet

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This week, Iowa Congressman Steve King was a guest on Washington Watch Weekly, the radio program hosted by Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council (FRC). George Rekers is one of the FRC’s co-founders…you might be familiar with him.  King offered his thoughts on the upcoming Congressional vote on ENDA, or as the FRC affectionately calls it, “The Cross-Dresser Protection Act.”  King also had some wise words for the LGBT community, stating that if gays weren’t so open about their sexual orientation, they wouldn’t be discriminated against.

A few snippets of the interview, courtesy of a great HuffPo article by Alvin McEwen:

Tony Perkins: Someone could come in dressed one day as a woman or a man, the next day they come in dressed as the opposite sex.

Steve King: I can imagine someone coming in and interviewing one day in man’s clothes and come back the next day and apply for a job in woman’s clothes, and then setting up a lawsuit in a sting operation to harass our religious organizations.

King’s main issue is with people “wearing their sexuality on their sleeve” (Ed. Note –I have yet to see a gay-sleeved shirt). That ultimately leads to “entrapment legalized by ENDA,” violating the individual rights of employers to decide who to hire or fire at their own discretion.

So, clearly the FRC has major problems with ENDA, stating that it grants special rights to homosexuals, while ignoring those of employers. While I could go on for pages about the FRC and ENDA (particularly that the FRC’s assertion that ENDA would mandate the employment of homosexuals in inappropriate occupations…what exactly is an inappropriate occupation, I wonder?), I’d like to point out two of the FRC’s main issues with ENDA:

  • Such legislation affords special protection to a group that is not disadvantaged.
  • The issue is not job discrimination.

Now I don’t mean to get all Webster’s dictionary on you, but one of the definitions of disadvantaged is “lacking.” Can we honestly say that the LGBT community isn’t lacking the same advantages given to its non-LGBT counterparts? The ability to marry? The ability for a lesbian couple to send their child to the school of their choice

And the issue absolutely IS job discrimination. LGBT individuals should be afforded the same rights given to their straight contemporaries when it comes to employment, namely that they should not be denied a job or fired from one solely based on their sexual orientation.

When the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (and subsequent bills) made it illegal to separate school students based on race, was that giving “special” rights to non-whites? What if a teacher didn’t WANT a black student in their classroom? Or how about the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which prohibited wage discrepancies based on sex? What if an employer decided that he/she didn’t want to hire a woman? Based on FRC logic, wouldn’t that fall under “employer hiring discretion?” Yet, I can’t find a darn thing on the FRC website about the Equal Pay Act. Interesting.

While I didn’t mean for this post to focus solely on the FRC and ENDA, I do think that the FRC’s messaging, including King’s comment on being publicly out, continues to further the misconception that sexuality is a preference and that LGBTs are solely identified on the basis of sexual acts or attraction. Fostering the notion that homosexual conduct is harmful to those engaging in it, as well as being associated with negative physical and psychological health, is not only inaccurate – it’s harmful and hateful and strives to keep LGBTs in the proverbial closet.

And because I can’t think of anything better to end this blog with, I shall steal from the ever-wise, previously cited Alvin McEwen, “Closets are for clothes, not people.” 

| May 13th, 2010 1 Comment »
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Coming Out in the South: A Q&A with Bobby Hilburn, Executive Director, LGBT Center of Raleigh

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As a Northern transplant, I’ve found myself pleasantly surprised, personally and professionally, by the city of Raleigh. While I had expected the hot weather and oh-so-charming accents, I was unprepared for how socially liberal and progressive the city is, especially regarding the city’s LGBT residents. Many states in the South, North Carolina included, still have NO state-level protection for LGBT employees. Southern states’ hate crimes laws also remain uninclusive of sexual orientation or gender identify.

As regular readers of this blog, we know that LGBTs are often victims of verbal and physical harassment and discrimination and we all know how important it is to have a safe, supportive outlet (be it a physical place or a person to talk with) for overwhelming or unmanageable times. And one of Raleigh’s most glaring problems was that this diverse city didn’t have an official community gathering place for its LGBT citizens.

Thankfully, Raleigh will be opening its very own LGBT Center this Friday, May 7 on Cabarrus St. in downtown Raleigh, although the center is still shopping around for a larger, permanent location. I was fortunate enough to sit down with Bobby Hilburn, executive director, and discuss the center.

As in previous Q&As, we’ve broken this post into two parts: today, Bobby will talk about his history and career path and what it means to come out in the South. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about the LGBT Center and its grand opening. 

Erin: Bobby, thanks so much for spending some time with me and OutFront! I’d like to start by mentioning that you recently quit your very lucrative job as a financial planner to take on the executive director role full-time. That’s quite a decision – I’d love to hear more about it.

Bobby: Ha, yes. I recently left my practice to become the interim executive director for the LGBT Center of Raleigh (LGBTCOR). I’m from southeastern North Carolina, one of the more conservative parts of the state, and was raised in a very traditional, conservative family.

After leaving home to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I worked abroad and traveled quite a bit before finding myself back in Raleigh. As a financial planner, I worked with many members of the LGBT community, and as a way to give back, I wanted to become more involved in ongoing efforts to create a stronger, more unified LGBT “group.”

The more involved I became in LGBT affairs in the area, the more I realized that Raleigh NEEDED an LGBT community center. I quickly discovered that this was more than a weekend activity, that it had become my passion. For me, there was no question about it – I had to take on this new challenge in order to continue building support to create and maintain a successful center. 

Erin: Being a North Carolina native, why is this center important for Raleigh, and the South, in general?

Bobby: Being gay or lesbian or bi or transgender puts you in a minority, particularly in a small Southern city like Raleigh. People act differently when minorities are not visible – they’re much more likely to discriminate the idea of something rather than the reality of something. Having an LGBT community center in Raleigh will bring much needed visibility to our community and the South, both socially and politically.

Raleigh, and the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill) have large LGBT populations, yet we’re JUST opening our first community center for LGBTs. We must not self-segregate as a community and we cannot remain under the radar to policy makers. It is vital that the LGBT community, all ages, races, ethnicities, religions, have a fixed location available to them as a place of support and celebration. It is equally important to use that we are seen by those not directly involved with the LGBT community – both allies and non-allies. I strongly believe that the center will increase our visibility and establish our presence in this city, driving support and ultimately, equality.

Erin: What does it mean to be out in the South, a traditionally socially conservative area?

Bobby: Let me tell you, it isn’t easy for many people to be out in the traditional South. It often means being ridiculed, bullied and often, ostracized simply for being gay. Let’s face it, even with recent triumphs for the LGBT community – we have a long way to go as a society. Even in progressive areas, many gay, lesbian, bi and transgendered people are still scared to be open about their sexuality, orientation or gender identity. Little by little, we’re hoping to change that  – first, we’ll open a center for LGBT citizens, and then we’ll continue to support Raleigh’s “coming out” with education and awareness campaigns.

Come back tomorrow for the second part of our Q&A with Bobby Hilburn of the LGBT Center of Raleigh.

(Photo courtesy of the LGBT Center of Raleigh)

| May 4th, 2010 No Comments »
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Drawing the Line – Pedophilia in LGBT Communications

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The German media currently have one issue which they cover more or less 24/7: sexual abuse of minors. For about a month now more and more cases are revealed in which children were abused by custodians such as priests and teachers.

Whenever cases like these are revealed I automatically hold my breath. The past showed that there was a reflex by the public and some media to link pedophilia with homosexuality because most cases involved the abuse of boys by male adults. Thus, I was very pleasantly surprised that this time the media didn’t draw that connection and was very considerate in its comments.

However, I was not so pleasantly surprised anymore when my colleague Eva gave me an article to read headlined “The Pink Slip.” The story stars the caring teacher of a boarding school who comes across as the gay version of John Keating from Dead Poet Society. Then you have the high school dropout who realizes at some point that a diploma might not be a bad idea after all. So he calls up Mr. Keating and both meet a couple of times at the teacher’s house to discuss the prospective student’s re-admittance into the boarding school.

So where’s the drama? Here it comes: Apparently, Mr. Keating came across a bit too clingy and caring during and after the meetings. The prospective student thought that the teacher acted “strangely” and was apparently irritated that the teacher openly addressed his homosexuality a couple of times. Inevitably, through various channels, the story finally reached the school administration.

Given the current media attention paid to sexual abuse it was only reasonable for the administration to check what happened when the teacher and prospective student met. In several hearings, the student repeatedly claimed that nothing inappropriate happened. He didn’t feel sexually harassed or otherwise inappropriately treated. Despite the fact that the teacher’s conduct by no means constituted a criminal behavior and is at worst inappropriate, the school administration decided that Mr. Keating will be fired if he doesn’t resign. The reason given was that his conduct was harmful to the school’s reputation. Mr. Keating decided to resign in order to avoid getting a pink slip by his employer.

At this point it has to be asked to what extend the fact that the teacher is gay influenced the decision of the administration. Of course I cannot determine this as there are no official statements by the school, but it would probably be naïve to deny any such influence. Simply, the overarching goal of the administration was to protect students from sexual assaults. But at the same time its judgment of the situation was misled by the knowledge of Mr. Keating’s homosexuality. This allows the conclusion that homosexuality and pedophilia were (subconsciously) linked to a certain extent.

Despite the very good progress LGBT communications have made to educate the public in this field, this case clearly shows that we have to go on emphasizing two aspects

  1. Whether hetero-, homo-, or bisexuality, there is a very clear difference between sexual activities between two consenting adults and sexual relations between an adult and a minor. This is not a fine line! This is a line which deserves to be articulated very clearly!
  2. Speak up against the prevailing stereotype that male homosexuals are child molesters per se. For example, it was good to see how sharp the media in Germany reacted when officials of the Catholic Church tried to link homosexuality and pedophilia

If this is clearly stated and repeated, another question arises: Should members of the LGBT community come out when they interact with children, be it as a teacher, coach or spiritual guide? Does open communication help to counter accusations in the context of sexual abuse or do these individuals become vulnerable when they come out?

Some of my friends are in this situation and I don’t know one of them who actually regretted being out front about their lives with their wards. This supports my point of view that honesty and openness work as a shield against such accusations.

In the example above, the school administration already stated regret for their hasty decision made out of fear of shattered public image.  It’s another example for why communicating the difference between homosexuality and pedophilia can make a difference.

What are your thoughts on the challenge of communicating this highly sensitive issue?

For some stats and numbers on pedophilia, please watch this video!

Link to the Blog "Waking Up Now"

| April 23rd, 2010 No Comments »
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Powerful People

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As we end yet another week, some powerful people are being recognized for their contributions to the LGBT community and their prominence in the national spotlight. And no, I'm not talking about the return of Glee or the series finale of Ugly Betty, though both merit my praise for raising awareness of our community while being consistently entertaining.

Let's start with Out's "4th Annual Power 50." This list recognizes America's most influential gay men and women. After I didn't find my name on the list (must have been #51), I spent some time reviewing those individuals who earned the spotlight. Among my favorites (with their corresponding Out descriptions):

  • #50: Urvashi Vaid: "In her 25 years as an LGBT rights activist, attorney, and author, Vaid has lead the NGLTF and held positions at the ACLU and the Ford Foundation. Currently the executive director of the Arcus Foundation, a key grant-maker supporting gay rights charities, she was honored in 2009 by the Equality Foundation as an LGBT Icon."
  • #30: Dustin Lance Black (friend of Bryan's): "The Oscar-winning Milk screenwriter came off the award hot last year, finishing his directorial debut, What’s Wrong with Virginia?, which stars Ed Harris and Jennifer Connelly, narrating a documentary about Mormon influence on Prop. 8’s defeat, and writing a screenplay for a biopic of J. Edgar Hoover, which has attracted Ron Howard’s production team, the directorial interest of Clint Eastwood, and, in turn, super-early Oscar buzz."
  • #28: Dan Choi: "With his stirring speech at the National Equality March on Washington in October, discharged Lt. Dan Choi became the face and voice of the rally and underscored the personal aspect of our political fight for gay marriage equality and the repeal of DADT. He clashed with the HRC among other gay groups when he was arrested for chaining himself to the White House gates in March, Choi continues to be the U.S.’s most outspoken serviceman."
  • #24: Anthony Romero: "Under Romero’s fearless leadership, the membership of the ACLU has doubled since he started to serve as executive director in 2001, and the organization has taken to task everyone from the state of California for its ban on gay marriage to President Obama, whose administration the group is urging not to back down from prosecuting the 9/11 terrorist subjects in civilian court."
  • #12: Rich Ross: "Disney reaffirmed its status as an outpost of progressiveness in the movie industry last October by making Rich Ross the first openly gay studio chief in history. Having steered the careers of both Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers as president of Disney Channels Worldwide, Ross has wasted little time in bringing in fresh blood and cutting the number of movies on the slate (C’est la vie, Wild Hogs 2). With Steve Jobs as the studio’s biggest individual investor, expect to see a radical new approach to distribution with Apple’s new iPad."
  • #8: Joe Solmonese: "This year the Human Rights Campaign celebrates its 30th anniversary. As president since 2005, Solmonese oversees the largest LGBT group in the country, numbering more than 750,000 members. Despite criticism because the president does not support gay marriage per se, the HRC hosted Obama at its 2009 annual dinner, which preceded the National Equality March in Washington in October. The event garnered much-needed coverage in mainstream media and momentum and counted Lady Gaga among its guests."

Each one of the 50 individuals recognized give us the opportunity to do what we do every day– to openly advocate for and market to the LGBT community. By using their prominence for the good of the cause, they open doors for us to follow. Their "mainstream" status takes us one step closer to acknowledgement and inclusivity. Who were your favorites on the list?

The other news about a powerful person in our community came last night. In a memo to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, President Obama ordered most hospitals in the country to grant the same visitation rights to gay and lesbian partners that they do to married heterosexual couples. This means that any hospital receiving Medicare and Medicaid money honor all patients' advance directives, including those designating who gets family visitation privileges.

Thank you, Mr. President. I can't imagine what our community has gone through specifically related to this issue– being turned away from visiting the ones we love most in a final hour of need. To know that soon we may have the right to be at the bedside to say goodbye to someone who was our most important hello is a huge step in giving us the rights we deserve.

 

| April 16th, 2010 No Comments »
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