From: jakec@ralvmm.vnet.ibm.com
Subject: Re: NOTICE - Details of the March on Washington
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 92 21:37:22 GMT
News-Software: IBM OS/2 PM RN (NR/2) v0.16 by O. Vishnepolsky and R. Rogers
Reply-To: jakec@ralvmm.vnet.ibm.com
Organization: IBM T. J. Watson Research

yorton@turtle11.rtsg.mot.com (James J. Yorton) writes:
>The MOW goes further than demanding rights for gays, lesbians,
>and bisexuals.  It includes transgender people.  [...]
>The question isn't whether transgender people shouldn't be
>discriminated against.  It's what does transgender have to do
>with a person's sexual orientation?  Nothing.  You can be
>gay or straight and be a transvestite or transsexual.

well then, it would appear that there are more goals for
the MOW than simply demanding a non-discrimination policy
with regard to sexual orientation.  the MOW platform also
makes a demand for a non-discrimination policy regarding
transsexuals and transvestites.  what's your problem?

>For years, the religious right, Pat Buchanan, Jesse Helms,
>Lou Sheldon, etc.  have been saying, as an example,
>that a lesbigay civil rights bill would allow a transvestite who
>is a school teacher to come to school in drag.  Well
>guess what?  This time they'd be right.

gads.  use your brain.  a non-discrimination policy doesn't
negate codes of professionalism.

>The MOW is asking for a transgender clause to  be included
>in the Federal Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights Bill.  [...]
>If a transgender clause (transvestites & transsexuals) is
>included in this Bill, it will *never* pass.

how do you know it will "*never*" pass?

>Do you think Bill Clinton will support something
>like this? 

something like *what* exactly?  just what is it that you
have against transgender people?

>As I said before, I do not condone discrimination on *anyone*,
>including transgender people.  But a platform like this could
>set the lesbigay movement very far back.

yes, you do.  you support discrimination against transgender
people to further your own agenda.  discrimination is
discrimination is discrimination.

>Along with two friends, I have already purchased plane tickets
>and made hotel reservations for the MOW.  Hopefully MOW
>officials will modify the platform (again).  If they don't,
>I will not be going.  It does not represent me. 

my problem with the MOW platform is that it tries to accomplish a
bit too much a bit too quickly.  it doesn't represent me fully, but
then, clinton doesn't represent me fully.  my congresspeople don't
represent me fully.  my company doesn't represent me fully.  the
media doesn't represent me fully.  nothing represents me fully
except myself.

i'm attending the MOW to shout at Washington and tell my elected
officials how to better represent me.  to sit at home in protest
because the MOW platform doesn't represent me is to waste this
opportunity for a show of force to affect change.  you can sit home
and suck your lips for all i care, but i'll be in Washington
screaming until i'm hoarse.

>For those of you who are going, you'd better do some research,
>read the fine print, and make damn well sure you know what
>you're marching for.  You have to ask yourself: What do
>transgender issues, bilingual education, prisoner's rights, among
>other things, have to do with sexual orientation and a MOW for
>lesbigay civil rights?

why should attending the MOW be a precondition for asking
myself these questions?

>For your information, here is a list of the 7 demands.
>If anyone has a list of the 55 other items, I'd like to see them.

your confession that 2 out of 55 demands, of which you are
completely ignorant of 48 demands, only demonstrates that
you are prejudiced against transgender people.  ignorance
never lends credence to a poor argument.

>(Oh yeah, another muffin bites the dust.  Hi.  :-)

bites the dust is right.  hi yourself.

Newsgroups: soc.motss