Friday March 24, 2006 SGN.org |
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Volume 34 Issue 12 |
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Monday, Mar 22, 2010
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Time for civil rights protections for Transgendered individuals in King County |
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| Time for civil rights protections for Transgendered individuals in King County | |
| by Metropolitan King County Council Chair Larry Phillips
- Special to the SGN
Last month, a community in New Jersey was in an uproar over whether a teacher should be allowed to remain in her job. The teacher's job performance wasn't in question and her qualifications were undisputed. It wasn't about allegations of wrong-doing or any specific complaints against her as a teacher. The issue was her gender expression. Until this year, Lily McBeth had been William McBeth. And because of that fact, members of the community lashed out in fear and prejudice. Some parents in Eagleswood, New Jersey reacted as if McBeth was a monstrosity from which their elementary-aged children needed to be sheltered. They turned what could have been a lesson in diversity, acceptance, and simple humanity, into a lesson about hysteria and discrimination. This high profile example illustrates the need for civil rights protections for Transgendered individuals here in King County. We have heard from citizens about the discrimination they face, about difficulties finding work, making ends meet, and battling the depression that can result from such hardships. As Chair of the Metropolitan King County Council, I sponsored legislation to protect the civil rights of Transgendered individuals here in King County. Existing King County laws protect citizens from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on the grounds of race, color, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, ancestry, national origin, and disability. The legislation I'm proposing, which has been co-sponsored by my four Democratic colleagues, would add "gender expression or identity" to the statue's definition of "sexual orientation." People shouldn't have to choose between being who they are and hiding their gender identity in order to hold down a job or find a place to live. On February 27, 2006, the King County Council passed legislation to change the logo of our county from the imperial image of a crown to the image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As a man who fought for the democratic ideals of freedom, equality, peace, and opportunity, King is a better symbol for our county than a crown, which symbolizes monarchy and the social hierarchy of royalty. The civil rights movement that Dr. King ignited allowed cultural and racial diversity to thrive in King County and throughout our nation. We would not be living up to that symbol and namesake if we allowed discrimination to continue for Transsexual and Transgendered people here within the borders of our county. Larry Phillips represents District Four on the Metropolitan King County Council, which includes Ballard, Magnolia, Queen Anne, Downtown, and parts of Capitol Hill. |
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