Two national leaders working for transgender civil rights will be traveling to Vermont at the end of January to advise local organizers working to promote a transgender non-discrimination act during this year's legislative session.
     R.U.1.2? Queer Community Center, Equality Vermont and the University of Vermont have invited Mara Keisling, director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, and Lisa Mottet, legislative lawyer for the Transgender Civil Rights Project of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to attend this year's Queer Visibility Day at the State House on January 28. Keisling and Mottet will also spend time meeting with students, faculty and administrators at UVM and a full day working with grassroots organizers at the ninth Queer Summit, scheduled at the State House on January 29.
     Queer Visibility Day organizers have chosen to focus the annual event on transgender rights this year. The last legislative biennium saw a transgender rights bill, introduced by openly gay Representative Bill Lippert, languish in committee. Organizers hope the political make-up of the new House, with a likely robust majority of GLBT-friendly members, represents a strong opportunity for the bill to be passed into law this session. The legislation would explicitly protect transgender people from discrimination in housing, public accommodations, credit, employment and other areas.
     Local organizers invited Keisling and Mottet to Vermont in order to share their experiences working with other states and municipalities that have passed similar legislation. Minnesota, Rhode Island, California and New Mexico currently protect transgender people from discrimination under state law. Many municipalities also include gender identity or expression in their non-discrimination codes. "We're excited about sharing what we've learned in other parts of the country with Vermonters," Mottet said. "We want to be as helpful as we can so that Vermont can continue to lead the way on transgender and other queer issues."
      Visibility Day typically offers grassroots LGBTQ organizers the opportunity to set up information tables at the State House and meet with legislators to explain the important issues facing our community. This year, organizers hope to set up a "shadowing" program where local activists will be able to spend a significant part of the day with their legislator, eating a meal together, watching committee work in action and touring the State House. Organizers will also be able to join in an educational workshop about the Legislative Process jointly hosted by R.U.1.2?, Equality Vermont and the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. The Network is also welcoming their members to the State House that day.
     Queer Visibility Day will begin at 8:00am on Friday, January 28, at the State House. To register in advance for the shadowing program, call Equality Vermont at 802-310-6296. The Queer Summit is the following day and will be an organizing strategy session for the transgender non-discrimination act. Transgender people are especially encouraged to attend.

Christopher Kaufman is the executive director of the R.U.1.2? Queer Community Center. For more information on the Summit, contact him at R.U.1.2?, 802-860-7812.