From: Riki Anne Wilchins <riki@pipeline.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Oct 1995 23:52:31 -0400
Subject: National Gender Lobby Day / Tyra Hunter Demo

National Gender Lobbying Day Takes Off 
 
WASHINGTON DC - October 4 
Over 100 transgender-transexual activists and friends took to the nation's
capital in the first National Gender Lobbying Day, dramatically exceeding
organizers' most optimistic predictions.  For many this unprecedented and
historic event marked the coming-of-age of the transgender movement as the
first time activists from across the US have worked openly and in unison
for national political change. It also seemed to signal a definitive step
past the "conference culture" which has so long been the primary feature of
the gender community. 
 
Dividing up the more than 500 Senate and House officeholders, Phyllis Frye
of the Transgender Law Conference and Karen Kerin of It's Time America
coordinated a largely successful effort to have each and every  one of them
lobbied by a transgender activist.  The primary lobbying issues included
employment discrimination, medical care, and bias-related hate crimes. 
Other issues included discrimination in the military, and prison conditions
for transgendered inmates in Federal prisons. 
 
On Monday, October 2nd a brief photo-op of all attendees on the south steps
of the Capitol Building was followed by a national news conference attended
by ABC, Fox News, Family News, CNN and Reuters.  Then, of course, the OJ
non-verdict came in, and, although unopened, pushed us right off the tube. 
(Of course, Family News Service probably *did* carry us, since they were
worried about the critical and entirely absent issue of trans-people
teaching in the schools; do these folks *ever* get a life?) 
 
On a personal note, it was hard to describe going into the Longworth
Building cafeteria at noon and seeing table after table of translobbyists
at lunch.  It was also fun watching Congressional staffers come in and
slowly doing some classic double-takes (Yes... you've just entered
GenderHELLLLL. *We* control your horizontal.  *We* control your vertical. 
And *we* control your hormones.)  It was also fun getting off the
underground Congressional subway going to the House, only to watch a
carload of transgender lobbyists boarding on the other side on their way to
the Senate.  Hey! Just your average day in Congress, no? 
 
 
Menace Demonstrates for Full Investigation of Tyra Hunter Death & Cover-up 
 
WASHINGTON DC - October 4 
 
>From 8-9am this morning, over 40 gender activists from around the US, most
of them participants in Lobby Day, demonstrated in front of Mayor Marion
Barry's office.  Demonstraters, many in black Menace t-shirts, handed out
over 800 fliers calling for a full investigation into Tyra's death and an
end to DC Fire Dept's coverup.  Deputy Sheriff Tonye Barreto-Neto of TOPS
(Transgender Officers Protect & Serve) arranged a meeting with the Mayor,
at which he pressed Mayor Barry to call for full inquiry into the behavior
of the EMS surrounding Tyra's death. (For details see: "Another One: It
Just Doesn't Stop").  Tonye also somehow arranged a meeting between TOPS
members, including Sgt. Stephan Thorn, Fire Capt Michelle Kamerer, and DC
Fire Chief Latin.   
 
Although there were 8 eye witnesses, to date Chief Lation has maintained
that no investigation or disciplinary action is necessary, and has refused
to release the name of the EMS technician involved.  During the meeting ,
the TOPS group pressed for a full investigation, better sensitivity
training, and an apology to Tyra's mother (which the Chief has promised for
over 2 months now).   
 
Although the meeting occasionally grew heated, Chief Latin rebuffed all
attempts to resolve the matter, instead hiding behind one transparent
excuse after another to avoid taking action.  The Menace demonstration was
coordinated with local activists from GLOV, TransgenderNation, and NGLTF,
including Tracy Conaty and Jessica Xavier. 
 
[END]