Feedback requested - Trans access to resources

Please tell me how you think ENDA could affect the reduction barriers for Trans folks accesses resources and community services ?

We have a writer on 'our' side who is trying to make an argument for more conservative social justice groups to 'actively' support ENDA and wants to use this argument - as it is an integral part of most of these groups missions and purpose. She is also going to use this/these arguments to attempt to influence legislators opinions. The angle is to educate that this is not just about employment - employment offers individuals there most significant opportunities to resources and livelihood. The rates of lethality in cases of sexual assault, domestic violence and other victim experiences have a direct relationship with barriers to access services. Lack of employment security creates barriers by limiting resources which puts trans folks at higher-risk. What are the ways you see or experience that lack of employment security increase our challenges, or limits our access to resources. Your voice here can have a profound impact on our lives and others. Your voice is important and this is a great avenue to get your ideas out there.
Please help her to help us. Thank you.

[NOTE: moved from "news" to "community-building"]

If I understand correctly, you are saying employment is a security-issue and this writer is looking to highlight that, is that basically correct? I think that is true, certainly in the system as-is, and a good point to be making.

I'm curious to know for whom this person is writing. Personally, I consider all MSM interactions extremely highly suspect. The Orlando Sentinel as an example has slurred the community time and again, and we've had long time members who have tried to work with them only to feel thoroughly fucked over. I have talked to a few people who felt they had good experiences, but overwhelmingly it seems to me it has been negative, which doesn't surprise me at all. OTOH, there is lots of great (and shitty) indy media out there, and I am personally much more willing to offer them my trust.

As for ENDA, I think it's prolly good intentions without enough substance. African Americans and wimmin didn't get their civil rights laws without first getting the fire hoses turned on them - and for what? It's way more than a generation later and African Americans and wimmin still don't have anything resembling pay equity. This is to say that I think using history as a guide, we're unlikely to see meningful change pushing ENDA. We might get an ENDA, but then see it watered down or overturned (remember how we "won" only to lose on Prop 8? And that was in California!). And what if ENDA sticks, why is there any reason to believe it will be more effective than similar laws "protecting" POC and wimmin which haven't?

I don't know of any time where I think "law" has pushed social progress. The purpose of law is to protect property rights primarily, and the people with the most property are also the ones making the laws. How many of them are Queer? The laws I know of that have changed have only done so as a *reaction* to the real work already having been done. So typical, a community will do the blood, sweat, and tears work, then someone else will swoop in to claim the reward. Capitalism moves into the "social justice industry."

If trans people, or Queer people in general want jobs, I think we're gonna hafta create them ourselves. Straighty doesn't even have enough jobs for his own kind, why should he give a shit about us? OTOH, we *know* how clever and resourceful we are. This *is* something we can do, and it's dignified - no going on bended knee with hat in hand asking for a handout! The Center board is talking about how to bring in some business seminars and even get the kitchen certified for commercial use so that members of the community can use it in a cooperative fashion.

Sorry, I didn't mean to hi-jack the thread =-( Sometimes I get going and don't know where it will land, lolz.