Friday, October 19, 2007

In The ENDA, Who Gets To Impact Strategy?


The Stonewall Citizen take is that the back story issue of ENDA is really about who gets to sit at the big table and craft strategy.

The real uproar was created when Frank modified his own legislation to exclude trans people- folks who were included in the original legislation. Hundreds of organizations and blogs moved quickly to rebuke Frank and Baldwin on this strategy, and insisted on having a say in framing the debate. The new big tent strategists were overwhelmingly for trans inclusion.
The new strategists also cracked open the effective monopoly over LGBT beltway policy that the well funded Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has enjoyed for decades. Looking forward, HRC has some take-home messages to seriously consider. HRC has a culture that is very male dominated, very money-centric, very exclusive.
strategy uproar, and The growing unhappiness over these flaws showed itself within the ENDA. HRC is now on the hot seat, along with Frank, and the guardians of LGB-minus-the-T civil rights.

Leaders are challenged, and their response determines, in part, the legitimacy of their leadership. Frank let us down, choosing stand-pat paternalism over sensitivity to his base. His pragmatist plea really appears to cover a commitment to maintaining power over the process.

HRC moved quickly to the fence, and just as quickly hopped off to action with Pelosi in support of creating an opening for trans inclusion. This reflected a good degree of flexibility, thus far. HRC has a lot more soul searching to do. Frank does as well, although his leadership of LGB, and LGBT community is so badly shaken, its difficult to see how he can recover, particularly with the Trans community. Baldwin is offering the amendment on the floor to include the T-which Frank assures us is the poison pill. Baldwin knows which way the wind blows. And perhaps as a lesbian, she has been elbowed away from the gay male table often enough to know how Trans folks feel.

BREAKING NEWS: FRANK JOINS BALDWIN AMENDMENT as we write. Let the makeover, and healing, begin.

Now, lets go get a real law in 2009, together.


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