Employment Non-Discrimination Act...

It seems that we may once again have hope of a federal law against discrimination for gay and trans people.

http://www.pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=36468

A while back this bill was moving through the regular channels. It looked like the bill would be hard to pass if the inclusion of transgender rights were attached...so Barney Frank and others decided to jettison the trans inclusion in order to get rights for some, but not all.

It was disgusting and disheartening. I went to a vigil in front of the storefront for the HRC (Human Rights Campaign) in The Castro in San Francisco. My late sister Victoria (complete with a scarf on her chemo-ravaged head) and her husband Noah joined us and we heard speeches and tried to hope for the best outcome.

That version of ENDA died...and a lot of time has passed.

In preparation for the vigil we had purchased candles at Walgreen's. We used them at the vigil and I promised that I would not light the candle again until an inclusive ENDA passed. The candle has been dormant in my closet ever since. It's collecting dust. I glanced at it a couple weeks ago and felt sad. The candle reminds me of my now-gone sister...and of how horrible we treat reach other when there's a lot at stake.



Well...it looks like we're up to bat again. I don't know what's going to happen this time...but I've got the candle out on my desk now...and I'm ready to light a match at a moment's notice.

Maybe this time we'll do what's right.