HRC Stands Behind Transgender People...I am Proof

Here is a letter that I sent HRC National. I am on the Steering Committee here in South Florida and I just wanted to write a testimony about how HRC supports us as Trans people. All on my own and not one time asked by anyone at HRC to do this, I wrote, from my heart, the following:

Hello,

My name is Jenny Taylor and I am a member of HRC and on the Steering Committee in South Florida. I am a full-time transgender woman and I am a professional writer, LGBT advocate with an emphasis on Transgender issues and diversity. I reach over 2900 people on Facebook each day and use FB and other social media venues to promote HRC and our mission. I also use those avenues to bridge the gap between gay and straight people and their transgender brothers and sisters. I have a blog with hundreds of engaged readership each month. I have dedicated my life to LGBT equality.

I just wanted to take a few paragraphs to address an issue and also affirm my first-hand knowledge, that HRC supports the Transgender community 100 percent. HRC did not pay me nor did they ask me to post this story. It is my own desire to demonstrate that HRC has been nothing more than fantastic to me on a national and local (South Florida Steering Committee) level.

We all know of an isolated event in the past where a few people did discriminated against a transgender group in an HRC rally. I know of many transgender people who have written me directly or commented publicly, as an HRC "official" about this past event. The concern is still very much out there among transgendered people about HRC. I have been asked why I am still part of HRC if that "discrimination" actually occurred? I don't know first-hand of all the details about that rally, but I do know first-hand about how HRC has stood behind me.

Discrimination or bad actions against one of our LGB or T family should never have happened period. That is a given, but sometimes, a few forget this fact and cause division. The misconduct of a few bad apples should never have occurred, but HRC cannot be held liable as a whole and it's stellar mission and work tarnished because of a few people who should have been more accepting within in their own LGBT family. HRC has made its official statement and now let me tell you my unofficial testimony as to how HRC has been so wonderfully supportive of me.

I was asked to attend an HRC meeting in South Florida one evening by a fellow coworker. I went to that meeting and Andy Mcneil and all of the Committee members were more than accepting to me as trans. As I was offered opportunities to serve the community, I took full advantage and did my part. As I proved myself to be faithful, I was given even more opportunities to serve. They all knew that I was transgender and were actively seeking someone to represent us on the committee. HRC South Florida and HRC National would be sure to not forget the "T" in LGBT. I have been embraced and treated as an equal on all counts. I have excelled and am now part of the Political/Diversity Subcommittee.

HRC was one of the few organizations that I have been part of, where I as a transgender female and full time, could serve without any hindrance whatsoever. I fully express my gender as a female and I have been able to be in full transition at all events, or meetings conducted by HRC. Not one time was I ever discriminated against by any HRC member for being a trans female. In fact , HRC National sent a representative for our annual Steering Committee meeting to Florida and that person too, embraced me with equality. Locally and nationally I have been embraced.

Let me finish by saying that HRC has afforded me such opportunity,as a transgender person, to be fully active and to make a difference. I have a personal goal to one day work at the national office as a transgender female. I believe in HRC that much and I am that confident being transgender. That said, let my testimony in itself be proof that I am fully assured that HRC stands behind any transgender person. They fully affirm transgender people everywhere. I would never be part of this organization if it gave me any reason to doubt that.

Thank you HRC for all you have done for me as a transgender woman. I look forward to what it is that I can now do for you and the others we serve in the LGBT community.

Best regards,
Jennifer Taylor
Political/Diversity Subcommittee Member HRC South Florida