Human Rights Campaign

Revision as of 20:03, 16 September 2014

HRC equality logo

Human Rights Campaign is a large and long-standing LGBT advocacy group and political lobbying organization.

History

1980: Human Rights Campaign Fund

1995: Human Rights Campaign

2002: National headquarters established in Washington, DC, US.

Criticism and Controversy

Trans are humans too

Do Not Divide logo

Many members of the TG Community were upset that the HRC failed to actively oppose H.R. 3685, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007 (ENDA), which would have prohibited employment discrimination for sexual orientation but not for gender identity or gender expression. The bill was introduced by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA). The original bill, introduced earlier that year by Frank, H.R. 2015, was trans-inclusive, but died in committee.

Joe Solmonese, President of HRC at the time, stated that HRC would "oppose any legislation that is not absolutely inclusive" of all within the LGBT spectrum. The HRC later stated that it would neither actively support nor actively oppose the non-trans-inclusive bill. Although this statement was made, many TGs were of the belief that HRC, at minimum, consented to the trans-omission in the bill.

The Grand Apology

Chad Griffin, current (2014) President of HRC, presented a keynote address at the Southern Comfort Conference in September of 2014 and stated:

"HRC has done wrong by the transgender community in the past, and I am here to formally apologize. I am sorry for the times when we stood apart when we should have been standing together." -- Chad Griffin, President, HRC, 2014