National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE)

NCTE, the National Center for Transgender Equality, demonstrates the importance of trans-specific giving in the current post-ENDA LGBT community.

You've all recently heard from me about my incredible state organization, Equality Maryland. Now I would like to turn to the premier transgender advocacy organization in the country, headquartered in D.C., the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE). 

HISTORY 
 
NCTE was founded in 2003 by my friend and colleague, Mara Keisling. Mara has been the heart and brain of the operation for the past five years, living her advocacy 24/7, often to the point of burnout. Yet, under her leadership, and with the invaluable assistance of her friend at the Task Force's Transgender Civil Rights Project, Lisa Mottet, the U.S has seen 40% of its population covered by state and municipal-level civil rights protections. Most of this since 2001, under the Bush administration – a phenomenal achievement. Having pushed through a similar bill in my home county, Montgomery County, Maryland, this past fall, I can attest to the invaluable assistance provided by both Mara and Lisa. And I am a proud board member. 

ENDA  
 
I don't think I have to remind you of the remarkable story of the ascendance of UnitedENDA during 2007, propelled by Mara and Matt Foreman of the Task Force, with the help of Dave Noble (he of the Obama LGBT effort) and many others who basically didn’t sleep for months. Some of you on this listserve serve on the TF's board, and you are all otherwise well-connected, so there is no need to elaborate. The phenomenal birth of a 350-member organization, representing approximately 2 million LGBT citizens, was made possible by the relationships nurtured over the past five years between NCTE and the Task Force (which provided NCTE with its first office space). It's a classic example of how people matter far more than money. 

DOCUMENTATION 

Back to NCTE. Mara, besides being the transgender community's leading lobbyist on the Hill, and the go-to person for the networks and print media, works tirelessly (no exaggeration) on the even more important and life-critical issues such as documentation. Many of you may not be aware of the threats to life and limb a transitioning person is exposed to due to incorrect ID, and the situation has deteriorated since 9/11 and the near-institution of Homeland Security's "No Match" program, which would have forced employer's to fire employees whose sex did not match Social Security records. NCTE was one of the groups that convinced DHS to back off, and we hope we can ride out the Bush Administration without any precedent being set.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT
 
It is this type of work, most of all, which is in need of your financial support. I don't think I need to emphasize that in the constellation of LGBT giving, transgender-specific giving is a step-child. I made my first substantial contribution to the Task Force after my transition, because I could earmark it to Lisa's program. But there are simply not very many well-off trans people. Many of our board members can't afford to attend our board meetings. We don't have a T-8; many trans persons assimilate and go stealth after transition because life is simply too difficult out of the closet. Our fight for a trans-inclusive ENDA was not a vanity issue – our community is underhoused, underemployed if not unemployed at frightening levels, and as a result subject to the worst hate crimes in our nation.  
 
Many of you have probably never given to a transgender-specific organization; I ask you to seriously consider doing so now. Your contribution to NCTE will have a far greater impact than one of a similar amount given to a much larger organization. We don't have our own building; we have only recently been able to afford to hire staff to free Mara up to do what she does best. 

ACCELERATING PROGRESS

In 2007, we put the transgender civil rights issue on the nation's radar. The Democratic leadership now knows we exist, as does President Obama, who has committed to an inclusive ENDA and made a down-payment by requiring the Transition to be fully inclusive. The media is rushing to create well-crafted trans characters who can serve as role models rather than bogeymen. More trans people are slowly coming out into the light, helping to educate a woefully ignorant population. The issue of gender non-conformity, critical to the gay and lesbian community but also to the larger straight community as well, is finally getting attention. We are airing our differences and getting to know one another much better.  
 
Please consider contributing to that effort, and help bring a fully-inclusive America closer to reality.