GenderPAC

GenderPAC is the national advocacy organization working to ensure every American's right to their gender free from stereotypes, discrimination and violence, regardless of how they look, act or dress or how others perceive their sex or sexual orientation.

Background

GenderPAC was initially begun by Riki Anne Wilchins as a lobbying group for transgender rights in the United States, and later expanded - under much controversy - to include all gender-related rights. Their explanation for this is that

"GenderPAC is dedicated to a vision of 'post-identity' politics, that addresses the issue of gender-based oppression rather than any one group. The moral reason is that we believe the 4-year old harassed on the playground for being "faggy," the lesbian beaten for wearing a suit and tie, the FTM father who loses custody of his own children, the young woman raped for wearing a tight blouse and short skirt, the star quarterback humiliated by his coach for crying after a tough loss, the gay professional fired because his boss thinks homosexuals are somehow unmanly, the aging woman who suffers a wholely unnecessary hysterectomy because older bodies are de-sexed, and the youth harassed at work, on the job, and on the street for wearing nose rings and buzz-cut purple hair -- all of these people have a common stake in gender civil rights. We believe that a gender movement which refuses to seek justice for all may find justice for none."

Projects

GenderPAC puts on an annual National Conference on Gender, every May in Washington, D. C., and organizes free National Gender Lobby Days where everyone interested is invited to come educate Congressmembers about the prevalence of gender-based violence and the need to end gender-based discrimination in the workplace.

The Lobby Days are their biggest event. They were begun after the murder of Brandon Teena in 1996, and include an all-day gender policy institute educating activists on lobby techniques and on the state of gender in employment discrimination and hate crimes; training with professional lobbyists; networking and coalition-building between activist groups; and of course, lobbying and educating government officials on gender-related issues.

They frequently file in support of relevant court cases, such as the case brought by Brandon Teena's mother against the court finding her child partly responsible for his own murder, (JoAnn Brandon v. The County of Richardson, Nebraska, and Charles B. Laux, Richardson County Sheriff), or the Kansas case in which a transwoman's marriage was voided upon the death of her husband because the state found out she was trans. (The Court of Appeals of the State of Kansas in the Matter of the Estate of Marshall G. Gardiner, Deceased.)

They also sign on to or start boycotts, such as the early 2001 boycott against supermarket chain Winn-Dixie when the chain fired a delivery truck driver (after 20 years of service) for wearing "feminine clothing" off the job.

GenderPAC also has more specific projects such as the Congressional EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) Project, which asks Congressmembers to sign a diversity statement publicly affirming that they will not discriminate in their congressional offices based on employees' gender orientation. During the 2000 Lobby Day, when this project was introduced, 28 Representatives and 2 Senators signed.

Contacts

http://www.gpac.org
1638 R Street NW
Suite 100
Washington DC 20009-6446
(202) 462-6610 (phone)
(202) 462-6744 (fax)
gpac@gpac.org