Maine's LD 1046 Goes Down To Defeat!

Score one for Nicole and the Maine trans community.  Rep. Ken Fredette's (R-Newport) anti-trans LD 1046 went down in flames today.

The unjust bill designed to mess with trans Mainers was soundly defeated in the Maine House on a 81-51 vote which saw 15 Republicans join the Democratic minority in defeating the bill in a late Tuesday night vote.  

Rep. Charlie Priest (D-Brunswick) said the individuals "don't want to stand out," they only want to be accepted by the gender they identify with.   "It is a bad idea to unravel the Maine Human Rights Act in response to an unjustified fear," Priest said.

House Democratic Leader Emily Cain (D-Orono) where Nicole used to live, applauded the vote.   

"Passing this bill in any form , whether in the original form, the committee- amended form or any other form would be a step backwards for Maine and would put an obstacle in front of many people who are simply trying to get to work , go to school and participate like everyone else in our communities/"


Fredette tried to take it to the GOP controlled Maine Senate, where it went down on a 23-11 vote    Sen. Phil Bartlett (D-Gorham) called Fredette's bill mean spirited, potentially discriminatory and unworkable.

Thank you Maine legislature.   Too bad Kenneth Fredette doesn't get that.

Transteen Standing Up For Her Rights In Maine

Ken Fredette was a dissenting vote on the Maine Human Rights Commission when it ruled a transteen was discriminated against at her middle school.

Now Representative Ken Fredette (R) has penned LD 1046, a bathroom bill that says unless otherwise specified, rest rooms, showers and locker rooms designated for one biological sex are restricted to that biological sex.   

Trans people under Fredette's bathroom bill who were denied access to those facilities would also have their ability to claim discrimination under the Maine Human Rights Act taken away since there have been two rulings in favor of transpeople over this issue that Fredette was on the losing end of.

And Nicole, the child the MHRC ruled in favor of last year is fighting this unjust bill along with her family.  In addition to her father's testimony against the bill, she has done her part to be an agent for her own liberation by lobbying Maine's lawmakers.

She has this to say about the unjust bill.

"I think that what I want lawmakers to know is that bill, first of all, makes absolutely no sense," Nicole said in an interview. "It's pointless, I think, because you're not going to know if a person's trans, unless they tell you.  So it needs to be stopped where it is before anything like this gets out of hand."


And a little child shall lead them.     Go get 'em Nicole!

Mainers, why don't you help this youngling out?  Call, fax or e-mail your legislators and tell them to vote NO on LD 1046.

Nicole, her family and the entire trans community of Maine would deeply appreciate that.

Thank You Texas Senate Democrats

Texas trans community, we did it.    We sent the message to our state legislature not to mess with trans Texans.

Now it's time to thank the Texas Democratic senators who helped us send that message by standing their ground and helping us kill the odious anti trans SB 723.   

They always hear from their constituents when they are perceived to have done something wrong or urged to vote for or against a bill.    Well, let's thank them for standing up for us.    Let our legislators know we appreciate them when they help trans brothers and trans sisters out.

Tell 'em thank you for standing up and helping kill unjust SB 723.


Mario Gallegos (512) 463-0106
mario.gallegos@senate.state.tx.us

Wendy Davis (512) 463-0110
wendy.davis@senate.state.tx.us

Rodney G. Ellis (512) 463-0113
rodney.ellis@senate.state.tx.us

Kirk Watson (512) 463-0114
kirk.watson@senate.state.tx.us

John Whitmire (512) 463-0115
john.whitmire@senate.state.tx.us

Carlos I. Uresti (512) 463-0119
carlos.uresti@senate.state.tx.us

Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (512) 463-0120
juan.hinojosa@senate.state.tx.us

Judith Zaffirini (512) 463-0121
judith.zaffirini@senate.state.tx.us

Royce West (512) 463-0123
royce.west@senate.state.tx.us

Leticia R. Van de Putte (512) 463-0126
leticia.vandeputte@senate.state.tx.us

Eduardo A. (Eddie) Lucio, Jr. (512) 463-0127
eddie.lucio@senate.state.tx.us

José R. Rodríguez (512) 463-0129
Jose.rodriguez@senate.state.tx.us

Maine LD 1046 Update- 'Ought Not To Pass'

While I was rightfully concerned with political developments in my own backyard, trans Mainers were concerned about LD 1046, an unjust bill proposed by Republican Ken Fredette.   The bill would repeal part of the Maine Human Rights Act to take away existing protections for trans people when accessing appropriate public restrooms.and allow discrimination against them.

Fredette was on the Maine Human Rights Commission when the successful trans rights cases were voted on.

On May 13 a bipartisan group of five Democrats, 2 Republicans and one independent voted 8-5 to recommend that LD 1046 'Ought not to pass'. 


It was strongly opposed by Mainers such as NAACP board member Bob Talbot of Bangor; Elizabeth Ward-Saxl, executive director of the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault; Jennifer Finney Boylan, an openly trans professor at Colby College and acclaimed author; Westbrook High School student Marissa Exchange, a member of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network’s Jump-Start Student Leadership Team; and many other trans Mainers and their family members.

In most states a negative committee vote is enough to kill a bill, but in Maine the process is different.    Only a unanimous 'Ought Not To Pass' vote kills it at that stage.  

Our trans brothers and sisters in Maine will still be keeping an eye on LD 1046 along with our allies.

Anti-Trans Bill SB 723 Is DEAD!

The peeps living along I-5, I-95 and I-495 didn't think we trans Texans could do it.   Our right wing opponents didn't think we were organized enough or had the ability to stop them from bumrushing a bad anti-trans bill through the GOP dominated Texas legislature.

But we believed we could do it, rolled up our sleeves and got to work killing that unjust bill   

It gives me great pleasure to announce that anti SB 723 is officially dead for the 82nd Texas legislative session.   Time and place of death was at midnight in Austin, Texas in the Senate chambers.

Exhale trans Texas and break out the adult beverages.   Rest up and savor this win.   On Monday we thank all the Texas Democrats for hanging together, standing tall for their trans constituents and helping us kill that unjust bill.

Texas Trans Two Step

An anxious day continues as the eyes of trans Texans were gazing in the directions of Austin and Wharton today.

In the first part of the trans two step we waited for news from the Wharton County Courthouse concerning the Delgado v. Araguz case.    No matter which way it goes, there's going to be an appeal filed in this case.

The presiding judge in this case stated he would take a week before making his ruling.    I'd like to know whether he's a Democrat or a Republican and that will give me a pretty good idea on which way he'll rule in this case.

I'm just sayin'...

Meanwhile, in our state capitol our esteemed state legislature is hard at work until May 30.  Today was a crucial deadline day for any bills originating in the Senate.   They had to be passed and out of the chamber by midnight so they can be dealt with by the Texas House.

One of those bills that hasn't passed yet is the anti-trans SB 723 authored by Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands)   The bill has been blocked several times by Texas Democratic senators urged to keep a united front to kill SB 723 by an avalanche of phone calls, faxes and e-mail from trans Texans and our allies.

After three attempts to put it on the intent calendar and failing to advance it to the Senate floor, Sen Williams was forced to put it on the general calendar where it was languishing 41st in line as of the start of the legislative day at 11 AM CDT.    The Senate recessed until 3:30 PM CDT and if you wish to watch the proceedings you can monitor events on the Texas Senate floor at this link.   

Tick tick tick....