GenderPAC
Encyclopedia
GenderPAC was a LGBT rights organization based in Washington, DC working to the stated aim of ensuring classrooms, communities, and workplaces are safe places for every person to learn, grow, and succeed, whether or not they conform to expectations for masculinity
or femininity
. It was active from 1995 to 2009.
, sexual orientation
, age
, race and class
. GenderPAC's major programs were Workplace Fairness, The GenderYOUTH Network, and the Children As They Are parenting network.
The organization did not name itself a transgender organization, though it worked on issues affecting trans people: it argued that violence and discrimination based on gender variance was not limited to people who identified as trans. It was often, however, recognized as a transgender rights organization.
GenderPAC's annual budget grew to $250,000 in its first five years of existence. Most of its revenue came from contributions from members, though a few large donors and fundraising campaigns also played a part.
as an association of existing organizations, in response to a lack of inclusion of transgender and gender-variant issues by national gay and lesbian organizations, and grew quickly. Its areas of activism included incidents of discrimination against trans and gender-variant people, such as Brandon Teena
's murder.
In 1996, the group began holding National Gender Lobby Days, during which activists would meet with members of Congress to discuss discrimination and violence. One part of these events was a Congressional Equal Employment Opportunity Project, which asked congresspeople to sign a statement saying that they would not discriminate against employees because of their gender identity. Signers included Jan Schakowsky
, Jerrold Nadler
, and Carolyn Maloney. These activities were financially supported by organizations such as the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
, the Gill Foundation
, and the Human Rights Campaign
.
In 1997, GenderPAC produced The First National Study on Transviolence, a large research project on violence against transgender and gender-variant people
. It was cited in the political struggle for hate crime
protections for trans people.
GenderPAC was a member of the Hate Crimes Coalition that effected in 1999 the introduction of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, eventually passed in 2009. When the organization was founded, passing a trans-inclusive version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act
(ENDA) was a priority, but during Lobby Day, members of Human Rights Campaign
persuaded GenderPAC to shift its support to hate crime laws, saying that this would be more politically efficacious.
The organization incorporated in 1999, with a new board of directors comprising individuals instead of groups, and received tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
GenderPAC held the first National Conference on Gender in 2001, coinciding with the sixth annual Gender Lobby Days; one speaker was NOW
president Patricia Ireland
. The June 2001 issue of Time
named Wilchins one of 100 national innovators.
In 2006, GenderPAC published 50 Under 30: Masculinity and the War on America’s Youth, which detailed the murders of gender non-conforming youth, particularly Black and Hispanic, over a 10-year period. The report was used by the House Hate Crimes Subcommittee, the federal-level activist Hate Crimes Coalition, the International Association of Police Chiefs, and the NYC Anti-Violence Project.
On May 28, 2009, GenderPAC closed its doors and shut down its website, citing the number of other organizations now doing the work that it was originally created for. Its GenderYOUTH network and resources were transferred to Choice USA
.
: Sheila Jeffreys
wrote that its aims ignored women in favor of "transgenders, most of whom are men, and homosexuality," and that the organization's conception of gender as something that should be protected, rather than eliminated, would serve to reinforce discrimination.
Conversely, other transgender rights organizations were angered by GenderPAC's rejection of the label of a transgender organization and to focus on trans issues. These latter criticized GenderPAC's shift of focus away from a trans-inclusive ENDA at the prompting of HRC, their unwillingness to engage with identity categories, and what they saw as a "violation" or exclusion of trans people through the use of their stories to raise money which was not spent primarily on trans issues.
Masculinity
Masculinity is possessing qualities or characteristics considered typical of or appropriate to a man. The term can be used to describe any human, animal or object that has the quality of being masculine...
or femininity
Femininity
Femininity is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with girls and women. Though socially constructed, femininity is made up of both socially defined and biologically created factors...
. It was active from 1995 to 2009.
Activities
GenderPAC aimed to promote understanding of the connection between discrimination based on gender stereotypes and genderGender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
, sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
, age
Ageing
Ageing or aging is the accumulation of changes in a person over time. Ageing in humans refers to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social change. Some dimensions of ageing grow and expand over time, while others decline...
, race and class
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
. GenderPAC's major programs were Workplace Fairness, The GenderYOUTH Network, and the Children As They Are parenting network.
The organization did not name itself a transgender organization, though it worked on issues affecting trans people: it argued that violence and discrimination based on gender variance was not limited to people who identified as trans. It was often, however, recognized as a transgender rights organization.
GenderPAC's annual budget grew to $250,000 in its first five years of existence. Most of its revenue came from contributions from members, though a few large donors and fundraising campaigns also played a part.
History
GenderPAC was founded in 1995 by Riki WilchinsRiki Wilchins
Riki Wilchins is an activist whose work has focused on the impact of gender norms. While she started out as a transgender leader -- founding the first national transgender advocacy group -- her analysis and work broadened over time to include discrimination and violence regardless of individuals'...
as an association of existing organizations, in response to a lack of inclusion of transgender and gender-variant issues by national gay and lesbian organizations, and grew quickly. Its areas of activism included incidents of discrimination against trans and gender-variant people, such as Brandon Teena
Brandon Teena
Brandon Teena was an American trans man who was raped and murdered in Humboldt, Nebraska. His life and death were the subject of the Academy Award-winning 1999 film Boys Don't Cry, which was based on the documentary film The Brandon Teena Story.-Life:Teena was born Teena Renae Brandon in Lincoln,...
's murder.
In 1996, the group began holding National Gender Lobby Days, during which activists would meet with members of Congress to discuss discrimination and violence. One part of these events was a Congressional Equal Employment Opportunity Project, which asked congresspeople to sign a statement saying that they would not discriminate against employees because of their gender identity. Signers included Jan Schakowsky
Jan Schakowsky
Janice D. "Jan" Schakowsky is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. She is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes many of Chicago's northern suburbs, including Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette, Park Ridge, Des Plaines and Rosemont...
, Jerrold Nadler
Jerrold Nadler
Jerrold Lewis "Jerry" Nadler is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1992. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes the west side of Manhattan from the Upper West Side down to Battery Park, including the site where the World Trade Center stood...
, and Carolyn Maloney. These activities were financially supported by organizations such as the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force builds the political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community from the ground up. The Task Force is the country’s premier social justice organization fighting to improve the lives of LGBT people, and working to create positive, lasting...
, the Gill Foundation
Gill Foundation
The Gill Foundation is one of the largest private funders of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equal rights work in the United States...
, and the Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
.
In 1997, GenderPAC produced The First National Study on Transviolence, a large research project on violence against transgender and gender-variant people
Trans-bashing
Trans bashing is the act of victimizing a person physically, sexually, or verbally because they are transgender or transsexual. Unlike gay bashing, it is committed because of the target's actual or perceived gender identity, not sexual orientation...
. It was cited in the political struggle for hate crime
Hate crime
In crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or...
protections for trans people.
GenderPAC was a member of the Hate Crimes Coalition that effected in 1999 the introduction of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, eventually passed in 2009. When the organization was founded, passing a trans-inclusive version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act
Employment Non-Discrimination Act
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act is a proposed bill in the United States Congress that would prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity by civilian, nonreligious employers with at least 15 employees.ENDA has been introduced in every...
(ENDA) was a priority, but during Lobby Day, members of Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
persuaded GenderPAC to shift its support to hate crime laws, saying that this would be more politically efficacious.
The organization incorporated in 1999, with a new board of directors comprising individuals instead of groups, and received tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
GenderPAC held the first National Conference on Gender in 2001, coinciding with the sixth annual Gender Lobby Days; one speaker was NOW
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
president Patricia Ireland
Patricia Ireland
Patricia Ireland is a U.S. administrator and feminist. She served as president of the National Organization for Women, from 1991 to 2001 and published an autobiography, What Women Want, in 1996....
. The June 2001 issue of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
named Wilchins one of 100 national innovators.
In 2006, GenderPAC published 50 Under 30: Masculinity and the War on America’s Youth, which detailed the murders of gender non-conforming youth, particularly Black and Hispanic, over a 10-year period. The report was used by the House Hate Crimes Subcommittee, the federal-level activist Hate Crimes Coalition, the International Association of Police Chiefs, and the NYC Anti-Violence Project.
On May 28, 2009, GenderPAC closed its doors and shut down its website, citing the number of other organizations now doing the work that it was originally created for. Its GenderYOUTH network and resources were transferred to Choice USA
Choice USA
Choice USA is a reproductive rights non-profit organization in the United States based in Washington, D.C. and Oakland, California. It is youth-led, with a focus on pro-choice movements....
.
Criticism
GenderPAC exemplified what certain feminists opposed about queer rights movements and certain elements of gender studiesGender studies
Gender studies is a field of interdisciplinary study which analyses race, ethnicity, sexuality and location.Gender study has many different forms. One view exposed by the philosopher Simone de Beauvoir said: "One is not born a woman, one becomes one"...
: Sheila Jeffreys
Sheila Jeffreys
Sheila Jeffreys is a lesbian feminist scholar and political activist, known for her analysis of the history and politics of sexuality in Britain. She is a professor in Political Science at the University of Melbourne in Australia...
wrote that its aims ignored women in favor of "transgenders, most of whom are men, and homosexuality," and that the organization's conception of gender as something that should be protected, rather than eliminated, would serve to reinforce discrimination.
Conversely, other transgender rights organizations were angered by GenderPAC's rejection of the label of a transgender organization and to focus on trans issues. These latter criticized GenderPAC's shift of focus away from a trans-inclusive ENDA at the prompting of HRC, their unwillingness to engage with identity categories, and what they saw as a "violation" or exclusion of trans people through the use of their stories to raise money which was not spent primarily on trans issues.
See also
- LGBT rights in the United States
- List of LGBT rights organizations