Zoe, nice to see you. But, honey, in a addition to being Australian, you're also straight (did you forget?), so there's another way you won't be affected.

And for those who don't know her, Zoe is a real-life rocket scientist, a neoconservative, a person with a not-insignificant impact on public policy, and one who has an amazingly facile brain. When she writes, we should all read carefully.

I have an idea. Rather than pass a split or even complete ENDA, why not those of you with jobs, and enough money to pay lobbyists, simply give us t-people jobs? It seems like all the money spent on lobbying and galas and all could be saved if you short circuit this useless legislation and begin "Hire a GLBTranssexual Week!"

Oh yes, I'm T. The survey in S.F. says 75% of T people are unemployed or underemployed. Why do you think so many of us have so much time to volunteer? We could use an EDNA bill, but we'd rather just have jobs! There, problem solved. Legislation isn't usually worth the paper it's written on. If it was, I would already have the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and all that, and since I am created equal, why SHOULD I need an EDNA bill?.

I also take exception to the two tired lines, yours was... "Why do they want to cut it off" and someone else said... "Woman Trapped in a man's body". If either of you don't know the answers to those by now, than you haven't asked the right people, or you have watched daytime television, for way too long.

O.K you admit you don't know much about trans people, and you can't see why we're included, but IF you get your rights, you'll help us out "later". Cool man, I'm, glad I have found an ally.

If you want to be my ally, you should know that in the biology of life, men and women have parts that are essentially of parrallell construction, that is to say the same parts have pretty much the same manufacturer, and one is more or less interchangeable, seriously. Just so you know forever more, thay do not "cut it off". There are you happy? Your maleness is safe. They invert it. Remember the previous parrallell construction idea? Secondly, I am not a woman "trapped" in a male body. I'm a woman, albeit a trans-woman, but I'm not trapped. I have had said parrallel construction, and I am FREE! So you see I am neither trapped, nor have they cut it off. Thirdly as was mentioned, you must be misogynist because there are what you think of as "women" who are now men. trans-men (Just so you know) , I don't hear you complaining about them "Gluing it on" You don't seem upset that there are men "trapped in women's bodies".

Moving along. As an out and visible trans-woman, you'd be surprised how many times I am called upon to explain "male homosexuality". Check it out, I actually defend it, and by definition you, even though I'm not technically male *at least according to my surgeon, and I don't actually have much in the way of male on male sex, so that is where we have something in common. I am the person that defends YOU.

The Compton's Cafeteria riots as has been stated pre-dates Stonewall, and you guessed it, it was the outwardly different via "Gender Identity" that threw the coffee at the police, and threw the punches, and got locked up and did the jail time. Those who pass, often tucked their tail and... hid, or relied on "I'm NORMAL". Well you know what, SO AM I. And without people like me, there wouldn't be gay rights to talk about.

I really think this open conversation has been long overdue, and I applaud your writing the article, because open conversation is what is really needed.

So, we can start with "take a transsexual to lunch" day, and then we work up to "take a transsexual to work" day. and maybe someday we can all band together to make rights for all of us the law of the land, and vote together against those that harm any of us...

YOU PLUS me = more votes!

LaurieNY: "Transgender people *are* often gay. For example, a MTF (male-to-female) transgender woman who is sexually attracted to other women identifies as a lesbian. Why exactly should she not enjoy all the same rights you do as a gay person? Because she was not as fortunate as you were, to be born with all the right parts?"

Are you freakin kidding me?!? This "MTF" is a MAN with a man's chromosomes. HE was already born with the right parts! Slapping some lipstick and a dress on, cutting off his balls, even plastic surgery does NOT CHANGE THE MEDICAL FACT THAT HE'S A MAN.

I can wear a French military uniform, a funny hat, stick my hand in my coat and call myself Napoleon, but that does not change facts!

John A. says:

>>I really do think that the best thing the trans leaders could have done would have been to make a statement similar to yours from the beginning - something like: yes, it saddens us, but we support our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters and want to see them move ahead so all of us can move ahead.<<

Interesting that in your article you question why T's are considered the gay community's "siblings" and not "cousins", but you expect them to consider gays and lesbians their "brothers and sisters."

I also find it this statement to be revealing:

>>Its comments like yours that make me WANT to do more to help trans people.<<

In other words, you are more enthusiastic about supporting transgender rights because one transgender person wrote and said ENDA should go ahead without the T. If you really care about civil rights (incremental or not), your support shouldn't be based on qualifiers.

As for ENDA, I think once the agreement was made to make the bill inclusive, it should stay inclusive until it becomes law. This gay guy would not feel anything close to celebration or good about my "community" if a sort-of civil rights bill were to be passed.

first: as someone as informed as the "next" gay "activist," i have never heard the silly batch of initials/acronymns with which you water down the dignity of "lgbt" and with which you provide fodder to those who wish it.

second: you contradict yourself - repeatedly - in this blog of yours (if nothing else, with your quotes of intelligent coleagues who tell you e.n.d.a. WILL pass).

third: your argument reminds me of nothing so much (perhaps) as when the democratic party suddenly threw it's weight to john kerry's candidacy - "because he can win." at that very minute, i told the dnc leader/s that they had just lost the election...that more than any other time in our history, then was not the correct time to just continue the fallacious politics of "expediency" which had/have gotten us into such a mess AND which have rightly alienated the electorate - if not also made americans wonder if there IS any difference between the republican & democratic parties.

fourth: it was my good fortune to be included in a series of OutGiving seminars (l.g.b.t. philanthropists, etc) a number of years ago. and - yes - even a part of that grouping were uncertain about the "t" issues of the l.g.b.t. community. rikki wilchens spoke brilliantly about it, and i have rarely been so proud of our community - and of our country - as when one of us allowed that (indeed) he had trouble grasping all the aspects of the "t" issues, but that it would be immoral for americans to fight for the rights of one group while leaving another behind.

sincerely,

christopher english walling.