Crucifax Autumn
4/16/2009, 01:32 AM
OH...The IRONY!!!!
New Hampshire's House of Representatives Wednesday approved (by 1 vote!) a transgender-rights bill. (Bonus: Wednesday was Tartan Day, when Scottish-descent hetero legislators wore kilts to work.)
Today is Tartan Day in the New Hampshire House, the annual holiday when House members of Scottish heritage and sympathies bust out their plaids, and many men sport kilts.
The day begins with a re-vote on the transgender rights bill.
The bill, which opponents have dubbed the "bathroom bill, " failed two weeks ago. It would ban discrimination by landlords, employers and others against individuals who were born into one sex but who identify as the other.
Yes, that's right: Today, a proud tribe that some deride as men in skirts just might debate the rights of a proud tribe that critics decry as . . . men in skirts.
The Monitor checked in with Gerri Cannon, a Merrimack carpenter who has become one of the chief lobbyists for House Bill 415 and who was at the State House yesterday making the rounds. Born male, Cannon identifies as a woman, takes hormones to soften her features and hopes to have surgery one day.
Cannon had a good long laugh at the coincidence. "What a great day to vote on this!" Cannon said. She said she'd check her closet to see if she has any plaid to wear for the occasion.
Rep. Ed Butler, the sponsor of HB 415, chuckled.
"All I can say is that there will be men in skirts, or if you will, kilts, waiting in the wings!" he said
By a one-vote margin, House lawmakers yesterday reversed course and backed a transgender rights bill that they had originally rejected last month. The bill passed 188-187, largely along party lines, with most Democrats voting yes and all but a few Republicans voting no.
The bill, which opponents dubbed the "bathroom bill," would forbid landlords, employers and others from discriminating against those born into one sex but who identify with the other, some of whom undergo sex-change operations. Opponents said the bill would blur distinctions between men and women and claimed it would prompt mischief in public restrooms.
House Speaker Terie Norelli made the rare decision to personally press the bill, stepping down from the podium to speak for the first time this year. The Portsmouth Democrat and fellow Democratic leaders argued that the bill is a simple nondiscrimination measure that would extend protections to a vulnerable group under laws that already ban discrimination on the basis of sex, race, nationality, religion and sexual orientation.
"We're not asking you to open up bathrooms to sexual predators," Norelli said. "We're asking you to stand tall against discrimination."
Opponents yesterday largely argued that the bill is not ready for passage, saying that its terms were too broadly defined and could allow troublemakers to claim protections under provisions meant to guard the state's small population of transgender people. They proposed a dozen amendments, including ones that would exempt religious groups, hospitals and bathrooms from the law's purview. Every amendment failed.
"This bill is not needed. It's dangerous. It's ill-considered. It's not ripe for legislating. It needs to be rejected," said Rep. William O'Brien, a Mont Vernon Republican.
Rep. Fran Wendelboe, a Republican from New Hampton, read aloud definitions she said came from websites she'd found that advocate for transgender individuals. One key passage: "Sex is what you have between your legs. Gender is what you have between your ears."
She also spelled out scenarios that she saw as problematic, giving one example of someone named Fran getting a job measuring women for ladies' underwear or performing bikini waxes. What, she asked, happens "if Frank shows up?"
Democratic Majority Leader Mary Jane Wallner and Majority Floor Leader Dan Eaton of Stoddard alternated making one- or two-sentence cases against each amendment. One from Wallner, of Concord, went simply: "If I believe discrimination is wrong, would I now vote no?"
The bill's victory elicited a gasp in the House that's become a common sound lately as lawmakers have closely split on a series of controversial bills. Four Republicans joined most Democrats in voting for it, and 24 Democrats joined most Republicans in voting against it.
Proponents of the bill said the biggest factor that had changed since last time was turnout: 71 members were absent when the measure failed 172-157; yesterday, all but 25 representatives were present and voting.
Another difference was Gerri Cannon, a Merrimack carpenter who has spent two weeks lobbying for the bill and working to put a face to the transgender community. Born male, Cannon identifies and dresses as a woman and takes hormones to help her transition.
Cannon, who watched the debate from the gallery yesterday, estimated she had met with 75 people to make the case. Yesterday morning, she sat in on the Democratic Caucus meeting, where she said lawmakers gave her a standing ovation; after the vote, supporters gave her handshakes and hugs.
"It's going to help a lot of people," said Cannon, who suspects she lost her old job because of her gender identity. Though she's now self-employed and gets on well in her own neighborhood, she said this bill will help others. "To have this in place is critical for their sense of well-being."
The bill's prospects remain unclear.
New Hampshire's House of Representatives Wednesday approved (by 1 vote!) a transgender-rights bill. (Bonus: Wednesday was Tartan Day, when Scottish-descent hetero legislators wore kilts to work.)
Today is Tartan Day in the New Hampshire House, the annual holiday when House members of Scottish heritage and sympathies bust out their plaids, and many men sport kilts.
The day begins with a re-vote on the transgender rights bill.
The bill, which opponents have dubbed the "bathroom bill, " failed two weeks ago. It would ban discrimination by landlords, employers and others against individuals who were born into one sex but who identify as the other.
Yes, that's right: Today, a proud tribe that some deride as men in skirts just might debate the rights of a proud tribe that critics decry as . . . men in skirts.
The Monitor checked in with Gerri Cannon, a Merrimack carpenter who has become one of the chief lobbyists for House Bill 415 and who was at the State House yesterday making the rounds. Born male, Cannon identifies as a woman, takes hormones to soften her features and hopes to have surgery one day.
Cannon had a good long laugh at the coincidence. "What a great day to vote on this!" Cannon said. She said she'd check her closet to see if she has any plaid to wear for the occasion.
Rep. Ed Butler, the sponsor of HB 415, chuckled.
"All I can say is that there will be men in skirts, or if you will, kilts, waiting in the wings!" he said
By a one-vote margin, House lawmakers yesterday reversed course and backed a transgender rights bill that they had originally rejected last month. The bill passed 188-187, largely along party lines, with most Democrats voting yes and all but a few Republicans voting no.
The bill, which opponents dubbed the "bathroom bill," would forbid landlords, employers and others from discriminating against those born into one sex but who identify with the other, some of whom undergo sex-change operations. Opponents said the bill would blur distinctions between men and women and claimed it would prompt mischief in public restrooms.
House Speaker Terie Norelli made the rare decision to personally press the bill, stepping down from the podium to speak for the first time this year. The Portsmouth Democrat and fellow Democratic leaders argued that the bill is a simple nondiscrimination measure that would extend protections to a vulnerable group under laws that already ban discrimination on the basis of sex, race, nationality, religion and sexual orientation.
"We're not asking you to open up bathrooms to sexual predators," Norelli said. "We're asking you to stand tall against discrimination."
Opponents yesterday largely argued that the bill is not ready for passage, saying that its terms were too broadly defined and could allow troublemakers to claim protections under provisions meant to guard the state's small population of transgender people. They proposed a dozen amendments, including ones that would exempt religious groups, hospitals and bathrooms from the law's purview. Every amendment failed.
"This bill is not needed. It's dangerous. It's ill-considered. It's not ripe for legislating. It needs to be rejected," said Rep. William O'Brien, a Mont Vernon Republican.
Rep. Fran Wendelboe, a Republican from New Hampton, read aloud definitions she said came from websites she'd found that advocate for transgender individuals. One key passage: "Sex is what you have between your legs. Gender is what you have between your ears."
She also spelled out scenarios that she saw as problematic, giving one example of someone named Fran getting a job measuring women for ladies' underwear or performing bikini waxes. What, she asked, happens "if Frank shows up?"
Democratic Majority Leader Mary Jane Wallner and Majority Floor Leader Dan Eaton of Stoddard alternated making one- or two-sentence cases against each amendment. One from Wallner, of Concord, went simply: "If I believe discrimination is wrong, would I now vote no?"
The bill's victory elicited a gasp in the House that's become a common sound lately as lawmakers have closely split on a series of controversial bills. Four Republicans joined most Democrats in voting for it, and 24 Democrats joined most Republicans in voting against it.
Proponents of the bill said the biggest factor that had changed since last time was turnout: 71 members were absent when the measure failed 172-157; yesterday, all but 25 representatives were present and voting.
Another difference was Gerri Cannon, a Merrimack carpenter who has spent two weeks lobbying for the bill and working to put a face to the transgender community. Born male, Cannon identifies and dresses as a woman and takes hormones to help her transition.
Cannon, who watched the debate from the gallery yesterday, estimated she had met with 75 people to make the case. Yesterday morning, she sat in on the Democratic Caucus meeting, where she said lawmakers gave her a standing ovation; after the vote, supporters gave her handshakes and hugs.
"It's going to help a lot of people," said Cannon, who suspects she lost her old job because of her gender identity. Though she's now self-employed and gets on well in her own neighborhood, she said this bill will help others. "To have this in place is critical for their sense of well-being."
The bill's prospects remain unclear.