My Knight(mare) in Shining (Rusted) Armor

With Friends Like Barney...

...who needs Republicans? Looks like Rep. Barney Frank still wants to kick me out of his little club. The gay blog, Towleroad, interviewed the Ol' Barn at the Democratic National Convention, to which he declared:

"If we pick up 15 or 20 Democrats, most of them will be supportive. But I am disappointed in the transgender community. They seem to think that if Nancy Pelosi and myself, George Miller and a few others waved a magic wand we could deliver it. Look, this past year in the legislatures of Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York, efforts to add transgender protections...were defeated. And I testified for it in Massachusetts and lobbied for it. And as a political problem out there, I wish there weren't, but pretending that something doesn't exist is never a good way to deal with it. I am afraid that too many people in the transgender community think that talking to me and Nancy Pelosi is the way to do it. I don't yet see enough grassroots lobbying on their part.

"I do think that the hearing that we had — and by the way, we had a hearing in the House over the objections of many of the transgender leadership. But I really doubt their political wisdom...Because they said it was part of our deal to separate it from ENDA and they wanted to not have anything separate. We did a good job in that hearing and we helped persuade some people. So we're making progress. We'd make even more progress if the transgender community was willing to do the hard political work. And not, frankly, think they can just talk a few leaders into handing this to them."

Wow....could he have been just SLIGHTLY less demeaning? Could he have said just SOMETHING inclusive or encouraging? Dear Barney, I ask you....I beg you....please stop talking "for" me. You don't. In 2004, many believe the election of George Bush was made possible by the tactic of Karl Rove to develop "wedge issues", one of which was gay marriage. The mantra God, Guns and Gays was affixed to the effort. Who needs Rove in 2008, we've got Barney!

Who else has done more to divide the LGB and T "community" than Barney? Who else has done more to lend authority for those of the LGB part to express their own transphobia and tran-hatred. I've read the blogs. Its horrible. Never in the history of advocacy groups or organizations has a bloc expressly divided its constituency as Frank and the Human Rights Campaign did with the ENDA vote last fall. A vote that was doomed to failure anyway. And they just keep at it.

Let's see...Barney suggests that us transfolk are some Dickensian waif pleading for his gracious benevolence in rescuing our poor lives from such horrific existences. Pish. I've done just fine without ya Barn. Let's see...Barney suggests that us transfolk are so politically naive that we'd be lucky to find the appropriate restroom (trans joke intended here!) in the Capitol. Pish. Here's a political reality for ya Barn...I'm done with politics and supporting spineless self-aggrandizers who'd push their own mother off the bus if they felt it meant political capital for them. Let's see...Barney suggests that us transfolk were against (!?!) the recent Congressional hearing. Pish. The biggest complaint was that you kept moving the date (four times?) so that us naive, waiflike transfolk couldn't come in support or to simply watch our history unfold. OUR history, Barn, not yours. Besides, in all honesty Barn, we both know that Congressional hearings are often just sop offered to a fellow member. Make one wonder what favor Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ), chair of the subcommittee was repaying.

HRC's own website says as far back as 2002 that they were advocating and educating Congress about transgender issues. So now you say that transfolk didn't do their job? What has HRC been doing then all this time? Nevermind, I already know the answer - the proof was in that vote. The one where they said 30...no wait it was 48...Democrats were too jelly-legged to stand up for an inclusive measure.

If Barney would stop trying to "represent" me, I'll be happy to stop my commentary. But until then, my support for his party has evaporated, my voice for issues that are important to LGB people but not the T people is silent. Obama? Forget it. I'll watch history be made, but I won't be a party to it.