just out ▼ august 2, 1090 ▼ 13
ranssexual rights activist Margaret
police and the sexual minority community. The
Deirdre O ’Hartigan is waging a very
issue you have raised is not a police-community
public, and some would say bitter,
conflict. I am sorry you are not happy with Roni
campaign to have a member of a Port
Lang’s letters to the Metropolitan Human Rights
Transsexual activist Margaret Deirdre O 9Hartigan leads public Commission, but I believe we are all entitled to
land Police Bureau Crisis Response
Team removed because that volunteer opposes
freedom of speech. Again, membership on the
effort to oust crossdresser Roni Lang from volunteer position
the inclusion of specific references to transsexu
Response Team is based on performance. At this
▼
als and cross-dressers in Portland’s human rights
time there is no evidence that Roni Lang has
ordinance.
refused
to be helpful or compassionate to anyone
by Inga Sorensen
Roni Lang, across-dressing heterosexual male
while serving in the capacity of Response Team
who claims to live up to 90 percent of the time as
herself out there as though she’s representing all
member.”
provide emotional and practical support to sexual
a female, sent two letters to the Metropolitan
of us. Well, she doesn’t, and that’s partly what I
minority victims of crimes or traumatic accidents.
LaVeme Lewis, executive director of the Les
Human Rights Commission outlining his opposi
was trying to say through my letters.”
CRT members are called to the scene by the
bian Community Project and a CRT member,
tion. (At Lang’s request, we will from this point
“There were other people who opposed [the
police to assist victims and their families in the
says: “We don’t get to pick and choose who the
use the pronoun “she” when referring to Lang.)
inclusion] but none used the abusive language
immediate wake of tragedy. In addition to provid
victims we’ll have to deal with are,” says Lewis,
that Roni did,” says O’ Hartigan. “Roni also lied in
Those letters were prompted by MHRC hear
ing emotional support, they will also make refer
adding she was on CRT duty when a call came in
his
letters.”
(O’Hartigan
is
aware
of
Lang’s
pro
ings held in late March and April, which, says
rals to appropriate agencies, provide information
involving a victim who happened to be a regis
noun preference, but refuses to adhere to it be
commission executive director Helen Cheek, were
and help in notifying family, friends and clergy.
tered sex offender.
cause Lang described herself as a male in another
designed to assess the level of discrimination
“Lang’s use of the Roundtable and Crisis
“1 didn’t let my personal feelings get in the
publication.)
against “transsexuals and other sexual minori
Response Team to lend an air of legitimacy to his
way,” she says. “If I had, I would and should have
In an MHRC let
ties” in Portland.
transphobic opinions re
been dismissed.... We
ter, Lang says of trans
The hearings could
flects negatively upon
are evaluated on our per
sexuals: “Even though
result in an amendment
each and every partici
formance on the scene
“ Who will be the next group to
they dress as women
pant, and his holding up
to the city’s human rights
rather than our personal
and try to act as
the physically ch al
ordinance— which al
approach the city council for feelings. That’s the way
women, they still come
ready prohibits discrimi
lenged and transsexuals
be.”
inclusion in the charter, one- it should
across as men in
to ridicule is repugnant,”
nation based on sexual
Bruce Prunk, a
dresses. If this person
says O’Hartigan.
orientation—that explic
eyed, peg-leg, bicycle riders deputy chief and the
has an attitude, then I
itly includes protections
“Were gays and les
bureau’s liaison to the
that
are
discriminated
against
can understand why
for transsexuals. (MHRC
bians the targets of his
sexual minority commu
they may be discrimi
is pulling together a re
prejudiced comments
nity says, “Roni has al
for
not
riding
fast
enough
in
nated against.”
ways been very helpful
port on the hearings,
there would be no ques
Lang also asked,
tion as to his unsuitabil
which is expected to be
and has not dem on
the bike lane?“ asks Lang.
“Who will be the next
strated a particular
ity to participate in the
sent to the Portland City
bias.... I’m sure we have
group to approach the
Council for consideration
C risis
R esponse
city council for inclu Team— are transsexuals any less deserving of a
lots of people on the force who hold strong opin
in the very near future.)
ions about a lot of things. But when they’re on the
sion in the charter, one-
sympathetic ear in time of trauma than gays and
O ’H artigan
was
eyed, peg-leg, bicycle
lesbians? Roni Lang’s antipathy toward a seg job, they do their job. If their beliefs affect perfor
among those who testi
mance, that’s when you do something.”
riders
that
are
discrimi-
ment
of the sexual minorities community renders
fied in favor of inclusion
He adds, “We’d like to see Roni and Margaret
£ nated against for not
him unfit to serve on the Crisis Response Team,
and criticized the state
resolve their issues between themselves.”
and cries out for his immediate dismissal,” she
riding fast enough in
Bureau of Labor and In
Lewis echoes that sentiment: “I think this is
the bike lane?”
says.
dustries’ failure to inves
more
of a personal issue between Margaret and
On
June
11,
O’Hartigan
organized
a
protest
O’Hartigan
is
fur-
tigate transsexuals’ com
Roni.”
| ther angered by Lang’s against the Portland Police Bureau for “refusing
plaints of employment
There is apparently some history between the
to
let
transsexuals
voice
their
concerns
at
the
o
assertion
that
“even
the
discrim ination. O ther
two, although neither classified it as a “personal
monthly Roundtable meeting.” (O’ Hartigan even
5 psychiatric manual,
supporters shared tales of
conflict.”
harassment and voiced Margaret Deirdre O ’Hartigan
DSM-4, does not clas tually did so at the July gathering.)
According to Lang, O’Hartigan threatened
sify this condition as a
She accused Roundtable facilitator Mary Otto,
frustration with the insur
legal
action a few years ago because someone
mental disorder.” O’Hartigan says the DSM-4
a bureau employee, of refusing to schedule the
ance industry for refusing to cover sex-reassign
wrote in a NWGA newsletter that O ’ Hartigan was
clearly states: ‘There are two components of issue on the May 14 meeting agenda.
ment surgery.
a
disruptive force. Lang, who says she took over
O’
Hartigan
reacted
by
sending
a
letter
to
Port
Gender Identity Disorder, both of which must be
Lang, who did not testify, instead sent MHRC
the newsletter around that time, says she wrote a
land Police Chief Charles Moose, charging him
present to make the diagnosis. There must be
a couple of missives. In one letter she said, “I have
retraction.
Lang says O ’Hartigan ultimately
with
violating
the
1994
partnership
agreement
evidence of a strong and persistent cross-gender
lived for the last 15 years in the female guise and
dropped her legal threats.
signed by the bureau and members of the sexual
identification, which is the desire to be, or the
never have been discriminated against, maybe
“I’ve barely said a word to Margaret, so I don’t
minorities
community.
insistence that one is, of the other sex.... There
snickered at a few times, but never denied any
think of this as a personal situation,” says Lang.
O' Hartigan says, “The agreement specifically
must also be evidence of persistent discomfort
services or goods.”
Meanwhile,
states,
‘The
Roundtable
about
one’s
assigned
sex
or
a
sense
of
inappropri
Lang further stated “the city charter is becom
MHRC’s Cheek says:
will encourage the dis
ateness in the gender
ing too cluttered,” and
“We
received all kinds
cussion
and
mediation
role
of
that
sex.”
expressed the belief that
“Lang
}
s
use
o
f
the
Roundtable
of letters expressing a
‘That has been in of police-sexual minori
many of the issues ad
wide variety of opinions
terpreted
in
different
ties
community
con
dressed by transsexuals
and
Crisis
Response
Team
to
on [the transsexual in
flicts.’ Well, transsexu
ways by different
can be rectified in other
clusion],
and I think it is
als
are
part
of
the
sexual
people,”
Lang
says
of
lend
an
air
o
f
legitimacy
to
his
ways, e.g., by lobbying
inappropriate
to pullout
minorities community,
the DSM-4 descriptive.
the insurance industry
transphobic
opinions
reflects
one or two letters and
and we have a conflict
“We are concerned
to cover sex-reassign
use it against the au
with the police over their
because the author of
ment surgery, which it
negatively upon each and
thor.... I think we’re try
infliction of Lang upon
these transphobic letters
has traditionally consid
every
participant,
and
his
ing to do something
our community.”
is a volunteer with the
ered cosmetic surgery.
positive here and it’s a
Moose responded via
Portland Police Bureau
Lang, whose list of
holding
up
the
physically
shame that the process
letter.
It
reads
in
part:
Sexual
Minorities
Cri
com m unity involve
may be being manipu
“Roni Lang is a volun
ment includes the challenged and transsexuals to sis Response Team—
lated.”
teer
m
em
ber
o
f
the
which
means
Lang
is
Sexual
M inority
ridicule is repugnant, ” says called upon to assist Sexual Minority Crisis
This isn’t the first
Roundtable, Crisis Re
time
O’ Hartigan has led
Response
Team.
Team
queer
victim
s
of
sponse Team and North
O Hartigan.
a public effort to create
members are trained and Roni Lang with former chief Tom Potter
crime—includingtrans-
west Gender Alliance, a
change.
You may recall
judged
on
their
perfor
sexual
victims.
At
our
social and support orga
that last July she staged a protest at Portland’s
mance. Being a team member does not require
most vulnerable moments we may be subjected to
nization for cross-dressers and transsexuals, says
First Unitarian Church to denounce what she
one
to
forget
one’s
personal
beliefs
and
have
prejudice
and
bigotry—and
it
will
be
the
fault
of
she did not realize her letters would be made
described as “ 17 years of anti-transsexual litera
opinions that satisfy everyone that is a member of
the police,” says O’Hartigan.
public. (They were copied and circulated by
ture produced by the Unitarian Universalist
the
Sexual
Minority
Roundtable....
The
Crisis
Response
Team,
whose
members
O’ Hartigan, who describes Lang’s actions as “anti
Association’s Beacon Press.” Additionally,
“You and I have a different understanding of
are from the sexual minorities community, is
transsexual lobbying.”)
O
’Hartigan has helped foster a name-change of
the
partnership
agreement.
The
clause
‘The
designed to fulfill another major component of
“Listen, I don’t totally disagree with what
Roundtable will encourage the discussion and
Right to Privacy’s flagship event, the Lucille Hart
the Portland Police Bureau’s partnership agree
Margaret is trying to achieve,” Lang tells Just
Dinner, after claiming Hart was not a lesbian, but
mediation
of
police-sexual
minorities
commu
ment with the sexual minorities community.
Out. “I just don’t necessarily think she’s going
nity conflict,’ refers to conflicts between the
rather a preoperative transsexual.
CRT is a group of screened volunteers who
about it in the proper manner. You know, she puts
T
Activists collide