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Together We Can Stop Transgender Discrimination in Cleveland!
But Only With Your Help!
Take a Minute to Read About How You Can Make A Difference
On Tuesday, September 8th, the Primary Day for Cleveland City Council!
It's been just over a year since legislation was introduced which would make people who are transgender safe from legal discrimination in Cleveland. But for now in Cleveland it's still legal for a transgender person to be kicked out of their home, be fired from their job, or even be denied service at a public place like a restaurant just for being who they are. At ASK Cleveland, we feel that a person should not be discriminated against just because their gender identiy doesn't match the sex that they were assigned at birth. That's why it's essential that we gather the support of thousands of Cleveland voters to make sure that this addition to Cleveland's anti-discrimination law passes -- and we're told that a vote is coming close on the heels of the November election, so we don't have much time to do it.
Our best upcoming opportunity to talk to as many voters as possible is on Primary Day, September 8, 2009.
We need at least 120 volunteers working at poll sites so that we can talk to as many voters as possible. We can't reach that number without all of you. There are two shifts available, and you are encouraged to work one or both shifts, if possible.
The shift times are from 6:30am to 9:30am, and 4:30pm to 7:30pm - these are the peak voting hours.
If stopping discrimination against transgender people is important to you, this is one of the most crucial times for you to join the team.
Please contact Jenn at jenn [at] askcleveland [dot] org, if you can volunteer on Tuesday, September 8. In the email, please include your name, the best number at which to reach you, and the shift you are available to work. Make the subject of your email "I Want To Make A Difference on September 8th!"
Also, check out our website, www.askcleveland.org [2], for other opportunities to volunteer and additional information about the Stop Transgender Discrimination campaign.
Thanks for your time,
Ask Cleveland
Ask Cleveland is a broad-based organization of gay rights supporters in greater Cleveland working to protect and advance equal rights for the LGBT (lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender) community. Our strategy has many components united by a common purpose and by a common tactic—we ask.
The LGBT rights movement has learned over the years that asking is important -- often the difference between winning and losing.
- We ask local voters to support LGBT rights issues at the polls. By asking, we open conversations that provide an opportunity to educate fellow members of our community, to listen to their concerns, and to persuade them to support our rights. These conversations help us to identify the voters we need to get to the polls during elections. They also help us to build a far larger LGBT rights movement including everyone who believes that gay rights are fundamental civil rights.
- We ask local LGBT rights supporters to help in the work of protecting and advancing our rights. When we ask, we discover that more people are willing to help advance and defend LGBT rights. We discover that some people who are already helping are willing to help more if they see a way to do it. We know that when a large enough group of ordinary people work together, they can do extraordinary things. We also know that there is an untapped pool of leaders in the community if you are imaginative about looking for them.
- We ask our supporters to take on meaningful roles in participating -- and leading -- our campaigns. By asking, we open conversations that allow us to discover people’s interests and strengths, and our supporters envision themselves as members or leaders of the team, rather than mere spectators cheering us on. Many of Ask Cleveland's leaders are new to the LGBT rights movement. Some are new to politics altogether.
Right now, we’re asking you to get involved with our current campaign ... to:
Stop Transgender Discrimination!
Ask Cleveland's Stop Transgender Discrimination campaign is working to pass a Cleveland city law which would prohibit discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on gender identity and gender expression.
Legislation relating to gender identity was introduced last August, and has been stalled since. It was scheduled to be voted on in December -- but amid the uproar over the Cleveland domestic partnership registry, the vote was postponed.
Ask Cleveland believes there's nothing inevitable about the LGBT community being outcampaigned by our opposition. We have a choice. We could continue to be a community of a few, quietly lobbying behind the scenes, asking our legislators to resist the popular outcry they hear when they stand up for us. Or we could mobilize our supporters, and create an even louder popular outcry of our own. Ask Cleveland knows from experience that if we look, we'll find people willing to fight for equal rights -- from transgender people themselves, to allies from the lesbian, gay and bisexual communities, to progressive straight allies. The vast majority of people who support LGBT rights don't participate in the political process. But during our campaign to defend the registry, Ask Cleveland learned that there is enormous potential in the community if we ask people to help.
Ask Cleveland is not going to let the opposition outcampaign us again.