Marisa Richmond: Thoughts On Hate Crimes

[Shana A]

Marisa Richmond: Thoughts On Hate Crimes
by: Autumn Sandeen
Fri Nov 06, 2009 at 12:30:00 PM EST

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/13992/marisa-richmond-thoughts-on-hate-crimes

This is a guest post by Marisa Richmond, Ph.D. She is the president of the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition (TTPC). She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Equality Project & Board of Advisors of National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE). She is a former Board Member of American Educational Information Services (AEGIS), International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE), National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC), and Nashville's Rainbow Community Center. She served as Co-Chair of Southern Comfort Convention in 2001, chaired the host committee of the 2002 IFGE Convention in Nashville, & served on the Planning Committee for Nashville Black Pride in 2004. She won IFGE's prestigious Trinity Award in 2002, and the HRC Equality Award in 2007.
~~Autumn~~

By Marisa Richmond, Ph.D.

The recent adoption of hate crimes legislation by the United States Government is a major step forward for the transgender community.  this is the first time any positive legislation for LGBT people has ever been adopted, and for it to be fully inclusive makes this extra special.

For years, transgender activists fought to be included in this legislation because of the ongoing level of violence against transgender people across the nation.  For many of us, the darkest hour came in 2005 when nearly 40 national groups singed a joint letter to members of the U.S. Senate urging them to adopt the fully inclusive bill which had passed the House, while another group, after pledging they would fight "only" for fully inclusive legislation, both refused to sign that letter and issued its own urging Senators to ignore the House action and adopt a separate bill that left transgender people.  The argument that this "strategy" was necessary to pass such a bill was bigoted and, simply, poor politics.

Today, as we stand on the edge of yet another Transgender Day of Remembrance.

[Robyn]

I worked with Marisa on the NTAC Board. She is a quietly powerful force. I'm happy to see she is still so active.

Robyn