Obama: The Most Transgender-Friendly President Ever– Re-elect Him!
©2012 by Dallas Denny
Without a doubt, President Barack Obama has been this country’s most trans-friendly President. His opponent, Willard Mitt Romney, would most definitely not be either gay — or transgender-friendly.
Before you make your choice in the November 6 election please take a look at this article by Dana Beyer and this timeline.
Following are just a few of the transgender-affirmative things done during Obama’s first administration:
- Hosted the first-ever LGBT Pride White House reception (2009)
- Ordered the federal government to extend key benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees (2009)
- Awarded the Medal of Freedom (the nation’s highest civilian honor) to Billie Jean King and Harvey Milk (2009)
- Signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (2009)
- Created a national resource center for LGBT elders (2009)
- Banned discrimination based on gender identity in federal workplaces (2010)
- Clarified the Family and Medical Leave Act to ensure family leave for LGBT employees (2010)
- Allowed transgendered Americans to receive passports in true gender without having had surgery (2010)
- Awarded a grant to the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Community Services Center to work with LGBT foster youth (2010)
- Recorded the “It Gets Better” video and hosted first-ever White House conference on prevention of bullying (2010)
- Declared the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional and announced the federal government would no longer enforce it (2010)
- Signed repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (2011)
- Completion of Institute of Medicine study on LBGT Health, the first of its kind (2011)
- Issued guidelines to ensure safer working conditions for transgendered federal employees (2011)
- Ended the Social Security Administration’s “gender no-match” letters (2011)
- Clarified the meaning of “family” to include LGBT relationships (2011)
- Permitted military chaplains to perform same-sex marriages where legal (2011)
- Called for equal treatment of same-sex adoptive parents (2011)
- Announced HUD’s new role protecting against housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (2012)
- Enabled searches for same-sex partner benefits on www.healthcare.gov (2012)
- Ensured transgender Americans receive respectful care in gender of identity at Veteran’s Administration facilities (2012)
- Announced support for same-sex marriage (2012) (This also legitimizes transgender marriages)
- Pentagon celebrates LGBT Pride for first time (2012)
Category: Transgender Community News, Transgender Politics
About the Author (Author Profile)
Much of Dallas' work is available on her website. Dallas Denny is a writer, activist, and educator. She holds a M.A. and was licensed to practice psychology for many years. She retired her license after relocating to Georgia. Dallas founded and was for eight years Executive Director of the American Educational Gender Education Service. She started the Atlanta Gender Explorations support group in 1990. She was part of the group that started the Southern Comfort conference and did programming for the conference. She has long been involved with Fantasia Fair, where she was Director for six years. Dallas was editor of the journal "Chrysalis" from 1990-1998 and "Transgender Tapestry" from 2000-2006. She has three published three books and many book chapters and journal and magazine articles. Dallas holds a number of honors, including IFGE’s Trinity and Virginia Prince Lifetime Achievement Awards and Real Life Experience’s Transgender Pioneer Award.Subscribe
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Amen ladies, being conservative and Transgender is an oxymoron in my way of thinking
Oh, and by the way, while you’re in that voting booth marking your ballot for Obama, make some of your other marks for Democrat senators and representatives even if you have to hold your nose! If we re-elect Obama but give him a majority republican congress, we’ll not see any more progress than we’ve seen these past years. Thanks! LYNDA WARREN
I wish I could say something positive about Republicans in general and Mit Romney in particular, but I can’t think of anything. The last time I voted for a Republican was 1968 and the candidate was Richard Nixon.
Bless you, Dallas Denny, for saying this! It’s been like everyone is afraid to declare who they support for Prez for fear that they’ll make someone uncomfortable or be other than PC! It all depends on how important LGBT issues are in your life. If they’re somewhere near the top, Obama is your man! I have nightmares about life under Romney/Ryan! The self-righteous right want to take rights and priviledges away from us to the point where they think we’ll all just wake up one morning and decide that it’s just too much trouble to be LGBT so we’ll just quit being LGBT. That’s only one of the wacky ideas they have. But don’t get me started! Thanks, Dallas!
LYNDA WARREN