Montpelier – In mid-March a collection of LGBT groups and allies, expressing concern that the Gender Identity Bill was going nowhere fast, sent a collective letter urging House Judiciary Chairman Bill Lippert (D-Hinesburg) to hear testimony before the end of the month.
     Lippert had delayed introducing the bill until eight weeks into the session while searching for additional sponsors that would show tri-partisan support. It was filed with the Legislative Council just before the legislature took its weeklong Town Meeting break.
     The bill, H.487, proposes to clarify Vermont's anti-discrimination statutes by adding "gender identity and expression" to the list of categories for which it is illegal to discriminate in employment, housing, public accommodation, banking, and insurance. It was introduced with 25 co-sponsors, including representatives from all sections of the state and all three major parties.
     The groups urging the House Judiciary Committee to take testimony on the bill included, at press time, the VT Network Against Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault, VT Cares, the National Organization for Women, Mountain Pride Media, Spectrum Youth & Family Services, the Barony of All Vermont, and TransAction.
     TransAction is an ad hoc committee of individuals and representatives from a wide range of organizations committed to the inclusion of Gender Identity and Expression in Vermont's non-discrimination laws. The organizations involved in TransAction include Equality Vermont, Safe Space, R.U.1.2? Queer Community Center, UVM's LGBTQA Services and Free to Be student organization, Outright Vermont, and the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force.
       "The bill has a good chance of passing because it's the right thing to do," said Sherry Corbin, acting as a spokeswoman for TransAction. Corbin is also the director of the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force.
     Asked about Rep. Lippert's characterization of H.487 as 'educational,' Corbin said the designation should not be interpreted as 'will not pass this session.' "Does the state of Vermont need to be educated about this issue? Without a doubt. Does the lesbian and gay community need to be educated? Absolutely. Transgender people are part of our community, and when one part is discriminated against, we all need to take action."
     Corbin suggested that the various constituencies identified with the "alphabet soup" (L-G-B-and-T) have not in the past worked well together. "Work on this bill is a huge step in our communities coming together," Corbin said.
     Past efforts to get gender identity explicitly included in Vermont's non-discrimination clauses have foundered. A 2003 Lippert-introduced bill never received attention from the House Judiciary Committee, then chaired by Rep. Peg Flory (R-Pittsford). Flory, now the House minority leader, was asked to sign onto the current bill as a cosponsor, but declined.
     A previous attempt was driven primarily by the personal lobbying of Elizabeth Campbell, a CPA from Rutland and a transwoman. Campbell said later that she agreed to let go of the bill so as not to complicate an anticipated legislative struggle over same-sex marriage.
Justices Retained
      In other legislative news, the House and Senate met in joint session last month to vote on whether to retain the state's current Supreme Court justices, three of whom ruled on Baker v. State, directing the legislature to extend all the rights of marriage to same-sex couples. Following the recommendation of the joint Judiciary Retention Committee, chaired by Rep. Lippert, all three were retained.