Comment: …sort of mind boggling:
A newly formed pro-transgender political action committee has sent out a questionnaire to each of the major 2016 presidential candidates — but only Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders has responded.
The Trans United Fund, launched in April with the goal of building the transgender community’s political power, sent out a questionnaire to campaigns for both Hillary Clinton and Sanders. Although the Clinton campaign initially signaled it would answer the questions, the campaign has yet to return the questionnaire, the committee says.
The 15-page questionnaire prepared for the candidates covers a range of transgender issues, seeking candidate’s positions on transgender employment as well as access to transition-related health care, education and housing.
Why do transpeople need education and housing? I mean, anymore than anyone else?
In his responses, Sanders affirms support for trans rights in each of these areas. Additionally, he volunteers a proposed executive order requiring all federal employees to have access to workplace facilities consistent with their gender identity and to establish an interagency working group to increase opportunities for the trans community.
Okay, bathrooms again. How do we increase opportunities for transpeople?
The candidate also recommits himself to fighting HIV/AIDS in response to questions on the epidemic and pledges to work to reform state HIV criminalization laws, which to varying degree penalize the transfer of HIV.
WTF, I thought knowingly transferring a deadly infection was criminal, and it should be.
Sanders identifies as his greatest achievement for transgender people his role in enacting the Affordable Care Act, which he says secured $11 billion to expand the network of Federally Qualified Health Centers to assist minority communities like transgender people.
$11 B is not enough.
But Sanders didn’t respond to all of the questions. One on whether he has employed a transgender person to work for him in a government and business context, and another on whether he supports the legalization of sex work were left unanswered.
What does TG have to do with prostitution (sex work)? Apparently, a lot; perhaps these are the opportunities previously referred to. I was right, others were wrong: legalized prostitution is apparently next, call it WWP.
Many of Sanders’ answers reflect his responses during an interview last year with the Washington Blade in which he promised to make transgender people visible in his administration and became the first presidential candidate to endorse openly transgender military service.
How do you make TG’s “visible” in your administration? As for the armed services, I have my doubts.
