Speaker Nancy “impeachment is off the table” Pelosi is so in over her Botox’d head that it isn’t funny. In fact, the argument could be made that it’s Nancy Pelosi who needs to be impeached.
On Monday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and Rep. Barney Frank of Massschusetts pulled transgendered people from what had promised to be landmark legislation that would protect gays and lesbians from workplace discrimination.
Nearly 100 gay rights organizations sent a letter Monday to every member of the House saying “very clearly and unequivocally that we refuse to accept and in fact we oppose any legislation that leaves any part of our community behind, particularly the transgender community.”
Pelosi, who is unwilling to impeach President George Bush and incapable of cutting off funding to his Iraq war, remained true to character and managed to flip-flop twice over a period of three hours vis a vis to full support for America’s LGBT community.
First, she declared her personal support for including transgender people in the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) but asserted she would stick by her decision to drop them from the bill to give it a greater chance of passage.
Tree hours later, the Speaker issued a new statement saying, “After discussions with congressional leaders and organizations supporting passage” of the bill, committee and floor votes on the bill had been postponed to “allow proponents of the legislation to continue their discussions with members in the interest of passing the broadest possible bill.”
Pelosi and Frank are scheduled to be honored this week at two major gay activist dinners in Washington. Frank at a Victory Fund dinner scheduled Wednesday and Pelosi at the Human Rights Campaign national dinner Saturday. Some gay groups were organizing protests over Pelosi’s appearance.
Editors note: 365gay.com reports several dozen members of San Francisco’s LGBT community demonstrated Tuesday in front of the Federal Building, where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has an office.
The Democrat, once a favorite of the Bay Area’s gay and transgender community has run into opposition over changes to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that would remove protections for trans people and reduce rights of workers in same-sex relationships.
From the Left 
Complete rights for all or no rights for anyone. It seems fairly straightforward to me and I’m neither gay or transgendered. Each day that passes, I get a little more sick and tired of Beltway cowards like Nancy Pelosi. I wish she would just step down and aside and let someone else assume the position of House Speaker because not much is getting done under her leadership.
In other words Pelosi decided to listen to the only one whose opinion matters to her, and it isn’t the American people.
Paging Cindy Sheehan.
Paging Cindy Sheehan.
You just picked up another 12 points of support from people who would like to see you clean up Market Street with Pelosi’s Armani suit.
Nancy is listening to someone but not these 90 organizations:
October 1, 2007
http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/
Dear Madam Speaker and Representatives:
The undersigned represent the vast and celebrated diversity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in this country. Some of us are national leaders of organizations with tens of thousands of members and constituents, some of us run the only local organization in our state. But we are united in a common cause: We ask you to keep working with us on an Employment Non-Discrimination Act that protects everyone in our community, and to oppose any substitute legislation that leaves some of us behind.
We ask and hope that in this moment of truth, you will stand for the courage real leadership sometimes demands. You each command enormous respect from all of us and we do appreciate the difficulty of balancing a variety of competing demands. But the correct course in this case and on this legislation is strikingly clear. We oppose legislation that leaves part of our community without protections and basic security that the rest of us are provided.
You told us you supported a fully inclusive ENDA and would bring it up for a vote this year. We expect that you will honor that commitment and we look forward to working together to pass a bill that we can all be proud to support.
Sincerely,
National Organizations
National Association of LGBT Community Centers
National Black Justice Coalition
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs
National Coalition for LGBT Health
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Inc.
National Stonewall Democrats
National Transgender Advocacy Coalition
National Youth Advocacy Coalition
American Institute of Bisexuality
BiNet USA
Bi Mental Health Professionals Association
Bisexual Resource Center
Bi Writers Association
COLAGE (Children of Lesbians And Gays Everywhere)
DignityUSA
Equality Federation
Equality Project Investor Advocates
Faith In America
Family Pride Coalition
Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders
GLSEN – the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
GenderPAC
Freedom to Marry
Immigration Equality
International Federation of Black Prides
Keshet
Lambda Legal
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program at Human Rights Watch
Matthew Shepard Foundation
Metropolitan Community Churches
Mautner Project: the National Lesbian Health Organization
New Ways Ministry
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Pride At Work, AFL-CIO
Reconciling Ministries Network (United Methodists)
Transgender American Veterans Association
Transgender Law and Policy Institute
Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund
TransYouth Family Advocates
State Organizations (grouped by state, alphabetically)
Equality Alabama
Equality Arizona
Equality California
Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center
Transgender Law Center (California)
AMBI (California)
Equal Rights Colorado
Love Makes A Family (Connecticut)
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, D.C.
Equality Florida
MEGA Family Project (Georgia)
Idaho Equality Committee of Your Family Friends and Neighbors
Equality Illinois
Indiana Equality
One Iowa
Kentucky Fairness Alliance
Equality Maine
Equality Maryland
Triangle Foundation (Michigan)
OutFront Minnesota
Equality Mississippi
PROMO (Missouri)
Montana Human Rights Network
Citizens For Equal Protection (Nebraska)
Garden State Equality (New Jersey)
New Jersey Lesbian & Gay Coalition
New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition
Concord Outright (New Hampshire)
Seacoast Outright (New Hampshire)
PFLAG-New Hampshire
Equality New Mexico
Empire State Pride Agenda (New York)
New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy (NYAGRA)
Equality North Carolina
Equality Ohio
EqualityToledo Community Action
Kaleidoscope Youth Center (Columbus, OH)
Basic Rights Oregon
Equality Advocates Pennsylvania
Northeastern PA Rainbow Alliance
Marriage Equality Rhode Island
Alliance For Full Acceptance – South Carolina
Equality South Dakota
Tennessee Equality Project
Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition
Equality Texas
Equality Utah
R.U.1.2? Community Center (Vermont)
Equality Virginia
Equal Rights Washington
Center Advocates (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
My blood is boiling after reading this. Both Pelosi and Frank have sold out the entire LGBT community by slicing away job protection rights for transgendered Americans. Separate but, equal? Did anyone learn the lesson from Brown v. the Board of Education? Apparently, Pelosi and Frank didn’t.
“Speaker Botox?” ROFLMAO! Brilliant.
There is great post at the blend but on Autumn Sandeen’s blog transadvocate.com..called stripped down ENDA worse than we thought..
talk about getting your blood boiling..they had stripped out gender perceptions, and appearance ..and some of the mandates for health care for domestic partners..these freakin dems.and the HRC cannot be trusted at all..HRC is a PAC and acts a lot like one..they want our money..they support candidates like clinton that are NOT our true friends but who exploit our votes and hopes..
its a sickening state of affairs.
i am hoping for a miracle..his name is Dennis Kucinich for all the best and broadest reasons..starting with the war, the earth, our industrial base, and true civil rights and health care for all.
He is not taking corporate donations..and thusly is way behind in fund raising..i suggest any spare gay money we have – get sent to him STAT !!
Matteo thanks for posting that letter..i got one too and signed it. I am proud of Equality NM. and all of these groups listed..maybe we need a federation or something.. the HRC is not in touch with our community at all – they are power drunk and have a decieving name..
Complete rights for all or no rights for anyone
Pretty much sums it up for me.
Evidence is pointing toward the “no rights for anyone” spectrum.
Christopher,
I hear your frustration and anger with these people. As you know, I’m right there with you in solidarity.
I just wanted to pass this historical niblet along about Speaker Botox for your enjoyment.
This isn’t the first time Pelosi has shown ambivalence to the gay community.
Pelosi’s career was launched in classic checkbook fashion. She married money. Her husband, Paul, is a former banker who became a wealthy real estate developer and the Pelosi fortune makes her the richest member of California’s House delegation estimated in the $30 million dollar range.
Her political largesse and fund-raising skills brought her to the attention of the late Congressman Phil Burton, a powerhouse of a man who took her under his wing and guided her ascendance to chair the California Democratic Party. She lost her first campaign for Democratic national chairman, but after serving as fund-raising chair for the Democrats’ 1986 U.S. Senate campaign, Pelosi was tapped by Phil Burton’s brother John to take over the family House seat which Phil’s widow, Sala, had occupied after her husband’s death.
Her opponent was San Francisco Supervisor Harry Britt, who’d been picked by the gay community as successor to the assassinated Harvey Milk. Pelosi buried Britt in money, and ran a nasty campaign that portrayed him as a “gay socialist.”
So much for her so-called liberal San Francisco cred.
Even former S.F. Supervisor Tom Ammiano, the once and future mayoral candidate who’s built a successful progressive coalition against the Willie Brown pro-business machine, said of Pelosi, “I’ve rarely ever had her support,” adding, “We could do worse than Pelosi — but we could also do better.”
So could the nation.
Chicago Tom – Always count on you for excellent background! We know now that when push comes to shove, Pelosi won’t battle, instead she steps out of the line of fire. She’s a political coward and just as Tom Ammiano said, we can (and we must) do better.
OK, so Equality Utah gets it but, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi doesn’t? Is this a joke? This stupid woman isn’t working for us — she’s a puppet of the status quo.
Pelosi, Frank et al were just doing what comes naturally, selling us for twenty pieces of silver. The issues become interconnected by their efforts to betray us. Democrats have to appear to be for GLBT rights while they torpedo them, and to appear to be for peace while supporting the war.
In the Senate Republicans and Democrats demonstrated their commitment to Iraqi self-determination by voting 75-23 in favor of partitioning Iraq. That will make the sale of Iraqi oil facilities to the oil pirates al that much easier. Then they approved the war funding bill by 92-3., with the hate crimes bill attached. Five senators were absent – all presidential candidates busy hustling the voters. In the house they tried to gut ENDA, hopefully unsuccessfully.
Those were Clintonesque maneuvers worthy of the Bill himself. They vote for the war funding act after promising not to during the 2006 elections, AND nobody notices because the hate crimes bill is attached as a rider, AND they set up the hate crimes bill for a fall, AND they claim they did their best, AND they’re off the hook with the bigots, AND they divide up a sovereign nation to grab its oil. Slimy personified.
This Congressional gross out comes on the heels of this weeks Washington Post/ABC news poll that shows that most Americans want war funding cut off (3%), sharply reduced (43%) or reduced somewhat (23%). Unsurprisingly the same poll shows that Republican Bush is in the cellar with an approval rate of 33% and the Congressional Republicans and Democrats have dropped into the sewer with an approval rating of 29%.
But the Congress is just doing their duty for the ruling rich. Here’s a hint for conservatives and liberals who might be scratching their head when these deals go down. Recently George Shultz, former Reaganite Secretary of State and Nixonian Secretary of the Treasury said “Politics and the economy are all one big interactive system.”
He neglected to say it but politicians, Republican and Democrat, are owned by the same people who own the economy, the ruling rich.
Check out the US Labor Party.
Anyone but, Bush.
Anyone but, Hillary.
Anyone but, Rudy.
Anyone but, Nancy Pelosi. Time to run along Nance – you’ve worn out your welcome.
This photo of Pelosi looks more frightening than the one of Debra Cagan.
The View” co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck tried to convince Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) that the escalation of U.S. forces in Iraq was “a success.”
During a discussion on the war, Pelosi asked the View-ers, “How much longer should our troops sacrifice their lives when the government of that country is not willing to make the political change necessary?”
But Hasselbeck interrupted. “How can you turn your head at the percentage of deaths that have gone down, when in the past, people have been quick to jump on? If there was a surge in deaths, they would say, ‘this surge is a failure,’ but now we’re seeing a reduction in those civilian deaths. And we’re giving them the space that they do need for that political change that is happening. In my mind, and I’m sure many others, that it a success.”
Pelosi shot back, with loud applause from the audience, “Elisabeth, if I may, with all due respect, there’s still a lot people dying.”
Pelosi says one thing but does another!
It is inexcusable to compromise and omit transgendered people from the protection of the law. I am very disillusioned with both Nancy and Barney Frank.
Pretty Sad. More evidence that there are large number of Democrats in Congress who are not progress and have more in common with Republicans.
Time to dump the Bush Dog, Blue Dog, Yello Dog, DLC Democrats.
Is Sheehan still thinking of running against her? And could she win?
If its “Complete rights for all or no rights for anyone.” Does that you mean you oppose the 1964 civil rights act which gave much needed legal protections to African-Americans? That law does not include sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
Should the trans-inclusive ENDA be scrapped because it does not provide protections for undocumented immigrants?
Saying “Complete rights for all or no rights for anyone.” may make us feel good, but it denies the current reality of politics. Its not enough to say I am not going to play your game so I am taking my marbles and going home.
We have to fight like hell for what we want, but we have to have the courage to see things as they are not as we wish them to be.
Wow, this has certainly caused a stir.
If we have the courage to see things as they are Bloggernista..we ought to then recognize that our game plan needs to be more radical, more intransigent..and not go along to get along..we “act up” this time on the internet. with petitions, etc. Accepting the status quo ie..well its always taken time, and what can you expect etc..is self defeating.. We must channel our righteous indignation, build coalitions..and fight tooth and nail. And not give one more gay dollar to a PAC like HRC that is as slick as any K street pac. WE need to put our money to our true friends. Kucinich is our true friend. and a friend of the earth and humanity – NOW ..is the crux..but but people say oh thats not practical – he could never win..we need to be realistic…thats where i say NO – lets dream. send money. organize. and write or call Kucinich and get him to run independent.
Why is she not standing up and doing her job? Seems they are far from the mark on the war in iraq, simple….cut funding and bring them home.
Fun health care with the money they would spend on war.
Equal rights for all!
I am really having difficulty understanding what democrats or republicans can not accomplish these simple task.
Kendal
Don’t feel alone. For a century and a half, since Lincoln’s reelection in 1864, the American people have had a sullen, sometimes hostile approach to elections, candidates and politics because they’ve been force fed one ‘lesser evil’ after another until they’re gagging on it. Sick of it, tens of millions of Americans refuse to accept the legitimacy of these dismal frauds. Why would anyone? Why should we?
In most elections the majority party is the party that gets the ‘none of the above’ vote. These aren’t lazy voters by and large; they’re sitting it out because there’s no one worth voting for.
Our movements’ job is to give them an alternative to the criminality of the Democrats and Republicans. That will sooner or later be much more than just an electoral question.
I’m so depressed with the current state of affairs in the Democratic party. I feel like a fool. When the Dems took over last November I honestly thought things would improve: ending the war, expanding gay rights but instead, we have less progress than when the GOP was in the majority. I will never trust the Democrats again.
I hear ya’ David. The current state of politics is very sad. I don’t read as much as I did last year and I post less too. The 110th Congress is pathetic. What a disappoinment.