The Banquet Queen

Those that know me know that I am the Executive Director of the CT TransAdvoacy Coalition and part of that job is to support our allies and one of those allies is the CT Women's Education and Legal Fund. Last night I attended their annual banquet but I attended it not only because I the ED of CTAC but also because that was one of the organizations where I interned for my MSW. Also one of my professors was honored last night, she taught my Human Oppression class and it was nice to connect with her again. She just retired from her job as ED of Project Fuel; she was the head of the agency that helps low income families heating assistance.

When we passed the hate crime legislation, the non-discrimination act and the birth certificate bill no one person, no one agency did it but rather a coalition of organizations and individuals help pass the legislation and CWEALF was one of the lead agencies that helped pass the laws and one of the major players in passing not only those three laws but also in securing protection for us under the Connecticut non-discrimination law in 2000 was Rachel Goldberg who was also honored at last night’s dinner.

The beginning of the Declaratory Ruling by the CHRO begins…

On January 31, 2000, the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) received a petition from Attorney Bruce A. Goldberg on behalf of John/Jane Doe (Doe) requesting a declaratory ruling.

And was her request on behalf of her client that first brought us protection here in Connecticut and if you read a little father down in the statement it says,

On March 9, 2000, the CHRO received a petition for Inter-venor status on behalf of: Connecticut Coalition for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Civil Rights; Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund; Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders; Human Rights Campaign; National Center for Lesbian Rights; Female-to-Male International and Gender Public Advocacy Coalition, Inc., in the matter of Doe’s request for Declaratory Ruling.

CWEALF was one of the partners in that ruling

I consider it an honor to have interned at CWEALF and have been able to work on the non-discrimination bills during my internship.

One the fifteenth I am attending the banquet for the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective were I volunteer two days a week. They also were key players in the passing of trans legislation