The Human Rights Campaign Holds Gala Amidst ENDA Controversy

Especially driving around the San Francisco Bay Area, you might see one of these stickers: a yellow "=" in a blue square. That’s the logo for the Human Rights Campaign.
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That’s Amanda Clarke. She was discharged from the army after coming out as a transgender woman. The HRC is one of the nation’s most prominent gay rights organizations. They’ve given over $500,000 to defeat the gay marriage ban. –But, like Clarke, many transgender activists and queer allies have been angry at the group since the fall, when its leaders agreed to support a federal job discrimination protection bill. That legislation protected gay men, lesbian women and bisexual people, but not transgender people. Amanda Clarke:
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The HRC insists, however, that they are a group committed to the civil rights of transgender people as well as gay men and lesbians. In fact, a theme for tonight’s fund raising event is, “Unity.”
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David Smith is Vice President for Programs at the Human Rights Campaign.
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That was David Smith with the HRC. -And I’m Rose Ketabchi, reporting for KPFA.