DNC Platform’s Stand on LGBT Issues, A Transgendered View

Yesterday, the Platform Committee of the Democratic National Committee met in Pittsburgh to review and amend the draft platform.  In July, community meetings were held all across the country to gather input from people of all walks of life.  Those of us in the 2nd Transgender Caucus stepped up in our own way to ensure that the concerns of the Transgender community were heard and ncluded.  Amanda Simpson of Arizona met with her Governor, Janet Napolitano, who was the Chair of the Drafting Committee.  Several others, including me, met directly with Platform Committee members from our respective states.  Tennessee has three members on Platform and I met or talked with all three.  In our meetings, we expressed the desire to have language calling for Democrats to support only a fully inclusive, employment non-discrimination act.   We also urged passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act, access to health care for all Americans, and expressed concern over various ID laws at the federal and state levels.  For Transgender Tennesseans, this includes the right to change gender on Birth Certificates, and opposition to the Real ID Act and new voter ID’s.

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