What Happens In Other States Trans Rights Wise IS My Business

We've had mounting criticism over the last few days building online about the GINDA bill in Maryland that doesn't include public accommodation language.

When Kat Rose posted a link to her recent ENDABlog post about it on her Facebook page, a commenter had this to say in the thread.

I wish people would worry about taking care of business in their own states/mind their own business.

Kat responded with this comment:  

Nothing that happens - or is allowed not to happen - in one state remains in that state. Maryland in 2001 legitimized New York in 2002.

Trans needs should take all precedence over gay wants.
I responded with:

what happens in MD IS my business...especially if what happens in MD is replicated in my state or other areas and used as justification to screw us out of the comprehensive trans legislation we need to pass.

Just as what happens in the Diaspora is my business, and what happens trans rights wise around the world is my business, so is anything trans rights wise that happens inside the borders of the United States.


The 'it's my business' attitude is especially valid when our right wing opponents have no such problems and qualms about sticking their noses in the civil rights business of not only other states, but as our Ugandan and Jamaican cousins can attest, other nation's civil rights business as well.      

When we in Louisville were fighting to reauthorize the Fairness Law in 2004, we had four out of state anti fairness activists led by Alveda King who came to town, tried to pass themselves off as 'native Louisvillians' and in conjunction with our local drum majors of injustice fought hard to deny us that reauthorization we overwhelmingly won.  Bigot Harry Jackson was flying to California during the Prop 8 battle in 2008 and sticking his big nose in the DC marriage one despite living in Maryland.

I am free to use my First Amendment rights to comment on any issues that relate to trans civil rights pro or con that occur anywhere in the world.    My mouth will open, my pen will write letters and my fingers will be flying across this keyboard as fast as I can type to write about any issue that peeps want to keep quiet to shine a bright spotlight on it.

The same thing will occur when I see that a proposed trans rights bill that has a possibility to get passed is flawed or we're about to get cut out of trans friendly legislation. 


And my social justice antenna are definitely going to be up when its occurring in a state in which transpeople were screwed out of desperately needed civil rights coverage in 2001 based on a lie told by GL activists Liz Seaton, Cathy Brennan and Shannon Avery.

Some of those transpeople affected by that lie share my ethnic heritage..

Doesn't matter if the people who perpetrated the original political crime are no longer involved in the new organization.  The wounds are still fresh, the memory of what happened is still fresh on the minds of the people who got screwed.and until you prove by deeds that you aren't cut from the same backstabbing incrementalist cloth,  your words and press releases are as believable as a Fox newscast.

So yes, what happens in other states trans wise is my business, especially when my business is to ensure that comprehensive trans civil rights passes the first time with no exceptions, no delays and no bull feces.