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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 1996)
ju s t out ▼ d s c e m b s r 2 0 , 100 6 ▼ 15 local news Stirring the w aters A local chapter o f the national trans-rights group It’s Time America! debuts to discord , by Inga Sorensen Industries reversed years of policy and began hat we want to do is work with accepting complaints from transsexuals who claim existing trans groups. We’re not discrimination because of their status as trans here to replace anyone’s mem sexuals. bership in other organizations,” BOLI said that transsexualism must be con says Lori Buckwalter, founder and director of It’s Time, Oregon!, a fledgling sidered a protected disability under Oregon law. While heralded by some, however, critics say organization whose goal in part is to “focus on a GID diagnosis perpetuates the stereotype that [the] legislative, legal and civil rights effort for transgendered people are inherently disturbed or transgendered people...[and] offer for the first unstable. That perception, they say, only hurts the time a direct credible link from Oregon to a overall trans-rights movement. national coalition of transgender advocacy groups.” GID diagnosis critics also say a growing num ber of jurisdictions are prohibiting discrimination Buckwalter, 46, is a preoperative transsexual against transgendered people without reference who has undergone hormonal therapy for nearly to GID. Those places include San Francisco, a year and hopes to have gender-reassignment Santa Cruz, Calif., Seattle, Minneapolis and St. surgery in early 1997. Paul, Minn. She says she got the idea for ITO after speak They say the trend marks the beginning of a ing with Jessica Xavier, founder of It’s Time, new era in transgendered civil rights, one which America!, which was established in August 1994 has the potential to move beyond the disability as a grass-roots political action organization for model to a more comprehensive civil rights agenda. the transgender community. ITA is currently form Buckwalter says ITO will likely advocate for ing chapters throughout the country. a more “ordered shift from the strictly psychiatric Buckwalter got a chance to chat with Xavier in diagnosis toward one that recognizes more physi October when she was in Oregon for a speaking ological and medical factors. engagement. “I spoke with her about many issues involving the c o m m u n ity ,” says Buckwalter. “Jessica is one of the best grass-roots organizers in the country.... After speaking with her I decided to start a chapter here.” Buckwalter is currently working to pull together a board, which she hopes will include representatives from a diver sity of communities. She says ITO will work in association with ITA and the Gender Public Advo cacy C o alitio n (G enderP A C ), a community wide association that includes several trans groups “dedicated to work Lori Buckwalter ing on issues of gender, affectional and “But our agenda really is to network. There are racial discrimination at a national level.” other organizations in Oregon that serve the trans “The first issue I hope to address is trans community, but they haven’t networked.” violence. This is a common issue for all of us, no Margaret Deirdre O’ Hartigan, a longtime trans matter our beliefs on other matters,” she says. “I sexual rights activist, questions whether ITO is would like to see us promote a survey on trans necessary: “When I talk to well-known trans violence.” activists here, their immediate response is, ‘What The compiled data, says Buckwalter, would do we need ITO for?’ There already is a long be presented to relevant parties, including law history of trans activism here in Oregon.” makers and other public servants. O ’Hartigan and other trans activists criticize Additionally ITO will advocate for the pas sage of statewide and federal antidiscrimination ITO’s association with GenderPAC, because some believe the latter is endorsing the elimination of a legislation that is inclusive of transgendered GID diagnosis in trans youth, “the effect of which people. will be the loss of all civil rights protections in the A battle was fought between some trans-rights State of Oregon for trans youth as well as the loss supporters and national gay and lesbian groups of medically appropriate treatment for our youth.” earlier this year over inclusion of trans people in While O’Hartigan says she will not actively the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, fed oppose ITO, “that doesn’t mean I won’t oppose eral legislation which sought to bar employment their proposal.” discrimination based on sexual orientation. “We will not tolerate an attack on our diagno The bill, which was ultimately defeated by one vote, did not include trans coverage. sis,” she says. O’Hartigan further believes it is counterpro Perhaps the most controversial m atter ductive to lobby for trans-inclusive antidiscrimi Buckwalter says ITO will take a position on is the nation legislation in Oregon in light of BOLI’s one involving gender identity disorder, which is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual o f recent action. “We already have statewide protections. It Mental Disorders, published by the American would be redundant to push for trans coverage,” Psychiatric Association. she says. “We should not alienate gays and lesbi For transsexual adults, a GID diagnosis is usu ans.... We don’t need to be included in the bill. ally necessary to get hormones and surgeries or to What we should be doing is working to pass a bill get reimbursed for transition-related care. GID has that protects them.” also been used to gain antidiscrimination protec She adds that she fears lobbying lawmakers tions for transgendered people in some jurisdic may only bring more attention to the fact that tions, under the aegis of laws prohibiting discrimi transsexuals do have some protections, “and [leg nation against people with psychiatric disabilities. islators] might try and take that away.” In October, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and W Photographic Image Gallery 240 SW First Ave., Portland 503-224-3543 D on ’ t S ay Y ou C an ’ t G et A H ome L oan U ntil Y ou ’ ve P honed H ome ♦ First Time Buyers ♦ FHA/VA Loans ♦ Self-Employed ♦ Bankruptcies & Foreclosures ♦ Complicated Borrowers ♦ Investment Properties ♦ Manufactured Housing/Lond ♦ Credit Problems ♦ 3 % Down Programs ♦ Pre-approvals for Purchase " C all today fo r a free qualification over tnc phone. Christine C. Hall Mortgage 'Broker 503/ 870-1666 W e're your f u ll service mortgage company. 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