Connecticut To Consider Transgender Anti-Discrimination Proposal (Hartford Courant)
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
By: Daniela Altimari

Transgender activists believe this is the year they will gain equal protection under the state's anti-discrimination laws. "We feel good," said Jerimarie Liesegang, who leads the Connecticut TransAdvocacy Coalition. "We've done the groundwork, we've done the education and we know we have the votes."

Connecticut has long prohibited discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation. In fact, the state was one of the first to outlaw bias against gays and lesbians.

Activists say the new proposal would extend those protections to people whose appearance doesn't mesh with gender stereotypes, such as women who favor traditionally "masculine" clothing or hairstyles, or men who appear effeminate.Such individuals would be protected even if they don't view themselves as transgendered.

The term transgender covers a wide variety of people, including: transsexuals, who physically alter their gender through surgery or other means; cross-dressers; and intersex individuals who are born with ambiguous genitalia.

There are no definitive statistics on the number of transgender Americans. Estimates of the number of transsexuals — people who identify as, and acquire the physical characteristics of, the opposite sex — range from 0.25 percent to 1 percent of the U.S. population, according to the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights group.

"How many times do we discriminate against someone based on how they look?" Liesegang asked. "If a woman is a little more masculine, that doesn't mean she has a right to be fired. ... This isn't about special rights, it's about basic human rights and making people comfortable with difference."

The measure has its critics. Kevin Witkos spoke out against the bill in 2007, while he served in the House. Witkos, a Republican from Canton, was recently elected to the Senate and continues to have reservations.

In particular, Witkos expressed concerns about the ramifications of the measure on the state's public schools. "It impacts the learning environment," he said. Witkos and other critics would also like to see a "restroom except" to prevent men from using a public women's bathroom, for instance.

"There are a lot of perverse people, I see it as a policeman," said Witkos, a Canton police sergeant. "They could use the provisions in this bill to try and go into the opposite sex's bathroom. That would have to be addressed in the legislation or it will not get my support."

The measure does, however, have the backing of a broad coalition, including the Anti-Defamation League and Love Makes a Family, a coalition of gay rights organizations.

In some places, there has been tension between gays and lesbians and the transgender community.

"Gays and lesbians are focused on sex orientation," Liesegang said. "They say what does transgender have to do with us? A lot of it is just education. ... It doesn't mean everyone in the gay and lesbian community gets it, but we're working with them to realize it is important and we're doing the same with the heterosexual community."

Love Makes a Family has long been a key part of the coalition behind the gender identity bill.

"This is something that's been a priority for our organization for several years now," said Carol Buckheit, associate director of Love Makes a Family. "Certainly, we're going to redouble our efforts in support of this legislation."