- Kelli Busey
The transgender community in North Texas has been in the spotlight for the last week or so, thanks to the Fort Worth City Council’s vote last Tuesday, Nov. 10, to amend the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance to include protections for trans people.
I am pretty sure the council didn’t plan it this way, but the vote happened less than two weeks before the 2009 Transgender Day of Remembrance, the day set aside each year to remember and honor our trans brothers and sisters who have fallen victim to anti-trans violence.
North Texas went a year or two without having any big events planned for TDOR. That changed last year. And this year, there are several events planned to mark the day. Dallas Voice staff writer David Taffet listed the local events in last week’s issue.
Among the trans people who spoke during the public comment session held Nov. 10 before the FW council voted was Kelli Busey of Arlington. She invited all the council members to attend the TDOR event in Fort Worth, taking place at Texas Christian University at 7:30 p.m. Friday night at Carr Chapel, 2855 S. University Drive, Fort Worth. In an e-mail this morning Kelli told me she had contacted Mayor Mike Moncrief’s secretary, and the secretary said the event has been placed on the mayor’s calendar. I hope he attends.
There are a lot of other people that attended the council meeting who could stand to attend and perhaps get a better education on trans issues — I am talking about a majority of those who spoke against the amendment. As Kelli said: “The opponents of a yes vote more often than not prefaced their comments with statements that including transgender people in Fort Worth’s anti discrimination policy as contrary to their biblical teachings, a potential threat to their freedom to practice religion, a threat to the freedom of speech, an added burden to local business because of legal costs defending employment decisions, as undesirable to family communities and, and most erroneous and disingenuous of all, a threat to woman and children in public places.
“All of these perceived threats have been shown to be untrue in Dallas since it’s including in 2002 of transgender people in it’s anti discrimination policies and across the country in hundreds of inclusive cities.
“Why this invitation to you is so very important: I found disturbing the incorrect terminology used by both the council members and our opponents, to describe us as ‘Living a life Style Choice’ and that our mysterious decision was contrary to all they had been taught during their upbringing. These statements would lead one to believe that the Council is, by no fault of it’s own, ignorant about transgender people and that they believed we had a option as to our who we are. I assure you we do not.”
Thank you for posting this Tammye.
I received a reply from the the mayor and regrettably he will be unable to attend. There maybe one council member attending the FW TDOR but I have not received a confirmation as yet.
As for the Council members who voted no, if they did respond, they did so with an out outright no. That was not a big surprise, only a disappointment.
My roommate expressed his displeasure in what he saw as futility in inviting the Fort Worth council as it seemed to him that their expressed desire to learn was not being backed up by deed.
I concurred with him that it was frustrating since the council has yet to decide on whether to pursue including Sexual Reassignment Surgery(SRS) in it’s insurance and extending benefits to the partners of same sex couples of city employees.
For the record, Since San Francisco began covering SRS they have profited from the increase in rates. Face it, what heterosexual or homosexual person would willingly lose their most valued member?
This is so frustrating since the ONLY way to truly understand your LGBT family mayor Moncrief and council is to be with us in our joy and sorrow. Then you will know us and then you stated ignorance and misconceptions will evaporate like morning mist.
In the long run LGBT advocacy is accomplished by Tammye Nash, John Wright, Fairness Fort Worth, Queer LiberAction, Equality March Texas, Equality Texas, Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies doing our particular thing to bring the message to our goverment and society.
In that light we are a smashing success.
Kelli also sent a letter to Dallas Voice that is addressed as an open letter to the Fort Worth mayor and council. The letter includes an invitation to attend TDOR and explains why they should. The letter will be in the Friday issue of Dallas Voice, both in print and online. The invitation does extend to all of us who need to learn more about our trans brothers and sisters, and I hope people will accept that invitation and attend.