You know what sucks? The fact that in 29 states people can be fired for the sole reason that they are gay.
You know what sucks even more? The fact that in a whopping 38 states people can be fired for the sole reasons that they are transgender.
My home state of Connecticut has made the former illegal, but the latter remains - which is why I was so pleased to see HB 6599: An Act Concerning Discrimination being raised in the state legislature.
To read some top-notch testimonies, check out the ACLU of CT, ctEQUALITY, or the Connecticut TransAdvocacy Coalition. However, allow me to touch on one aspect that, in my view, is completely underreported.
If you take a listen to Republicans speak about unemployment, it becomes obvious that they hold two main views on the matter. First, they believe that people without jobs should pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and find work. Second, they believe that the government is enabling people to remain unemployed.
(Even if I do not agree with them or believe that they actually live by these standards, for the sake of argument, we shall presume that they do.)
If one believes in those principals, then it is pretty difficult not to support such anti-discrimination legislation. Transgender Americans want to work. However, because the government tolerates and enables employers to fire them on the sole basis of gender identity, they are prevented from doing so. If Republicans stay true to the aforementioned principals, then support for this bill should be a no-brainer.
(Of course, we all know that they will come up with bullshit excuses and not vote for it. Sigh.)
If you live in Connecticut, use this page to call your legislature. Your support could not be more important. Do the right thing.
You know what sucks even more? The fact that in a whopping 38 states people can be fired for the sole reasons that they are transgender.
My home state of Connecticut has made the former illegal, but the latter remains - which is why I was so pleased to see HB 6599: An Act Concerning Discrimination being raised in the state legislature.
To read some top-notch testimonies, check out the ACLU of CT, ctEQUALITY, or the Connecticut TransAdvocacy Coalition. However, allow me to touch on one aspect that, in my view, is completely underreported.
If you take a listen to Republicans speak about unemployment, it becomes obvious that they hold two main views on the matter. First, they believe that people without jobs should pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and find work. Second, they believe that the government is enabling people to remain unemployed.
(Even if I do not agree with them or believe that they actually live by these standards, for the sake of argument, we shall presume that they do.)
If one believes in those principals, then it is pretty difficult not to support such anti-discrimination legislation. Transgender Americans want to work. However, because the government tolerates and enables employers to fire them on the sole basis of gender identity, they are prevented from doing so. If Republicans stay true to the aforementioned principals, then support for this bill should be a no-brainer.
(Of course, we all know that they will come up with bullshit excuses and not vote for it. Sigh.)
If you live in Connecticut, use this page to call your legislature. Your support could not be more important. Do the right thing.
