TransCarolina will be leading a Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Coalition in a picket Demonstration at the Time Warner Stadium in Charlotte North Carolina during the Demarcate National Convention the week of September the 3rd. The purpose of this demonstration is to bring attention to the Employment Non Discrimination Act known as ENDA. By taking this action ENDA could be added to the presidential platform for 2012 by the delegates during their stick building process.
ENDA has been introduced in every Congress since 1994 (except the 109th) while previous employment anti-discrimination legislation has been proposed since 1974.[1] The bill gained its best chance at passing after the Democratic Party broke twelve years of Republican Congressional rule in the 2006 midterm elections. In 2007, gender identity protections were added to the legislation for the first time ever. However, some sponsors believed that even with a Democratic majority, ENDA did not have enough votes to pass the House of Representatives with transgender inclusion, and dropped it from the bill, which passed and subsequently died in the Senate. LGBT advocacy organizations, and the community, were divided over support of the changed bill.
On February the 23rd 2009 at the HRC Gala in Charlotte NC, TransCarolina lead a coalition of transgenders who stood up for their rights and as a result this was the last transgender demonstration of many that was held across our nation. We were mission accomplished. Many of you who attended the HRC Gala in Charlotte remember us braving the wind and cold on the corner at the Charlotte convention center on that bright sunny day. Check out the link showing us during the demonstration sorry I look hideous from being windblown.
The Transgender community along with the Gay and Lesbian community can come together and excel forward. It just takes guidance from the right leadership. I say we must come together and trust each other again. This is our only salvation. We must not wither. If we do we are dead in the water. I have been planning this picket demonstration since the DNC’s announcement about coming to Charlotte several months ago. The permits are in place and the signs are being made. All we need is you. If you want to participate and make a difference contact me at Janicecovington1@aol.com