Friday, June 28, 2013

Thank You Sen. Henry!

I'm already stoked that Delaware has become the 17th state to enact anti-trans discrimination legislation.  I'm even more stoked about it after I discovered some interesting tidbits about the senator who sponsored the legislation, Margaret Rose Henry.

She is not only the first African-American to serve in the Delaware state Senate, she also has a Texas connection, having earned her undergrad degree from Texas Southern University here in Houston. 

In the wake of white gays (John Aravosis) trying to throw that tired 'Blacks are more homophobic' shade (that needs to die), I find it interesting and amusing in the wake of that Illinois legislative debacle that an African-American legislator not only sponsored this trans rights bill that is the law of the land in Delaware

So John. me and the African-American community are still waiting for that apology for your loud and wrong pronouncement of a few weeks ago.

Since that's not going to happen, let me move on to what his post is for.

***

Dear Senator Henry,
We in the national trans community breathlessly watched as this just SB 97 legislation you introduced back on May 31 wound its way through the Delaware legislature and eventually became law. 

On behalf of the national trans community, thank you for sponsoring it.  I know the trans community of Delaware deeply appreciates your efforts, and so do their trans brothers and sisters around the country and the world.

For African-American members of the trans community, it gave us a great sense of pride to know that the sponsor of the Delaware Gender Non Discrimination Act is one of us and was standing up for our humanity and our human rights.   It lifted our spirits at a time when we face unacceptable levels of anti-trans discrimination and hatred aimed at it.    It was also wonderful to note that even in the wake of a period in which we lost three more African-American trans lives in April to that violence, to see a person who shares our history and ethnic background stand up so publically and forcefully for trans human rights.

It gives us renewed hope that other African-American legislators and thought leaders will follow your sterling example and I hope your constituents in your senate district and the state of Delaware realize how fortunate they are to have you as a champion and shero fighting for them 

God bless you Senator Henry and continued success in all your future endeavors.

Sincerely yours,
Monica Roberts
the TransGriot

   

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