I’ve been reporting for a few months on the Democratic presidential candidates LGBT statements and positions — and especially relating to transgender inclusion in civil rights legislation like ENDA.

There are clear statements now on the record for Senators Clinton and Obama on gender identity inclusive ENDA and hate crime legislation, written under their own bylines:

Sen. Barack Obama:

I will also place the weight of my administration behind the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Act to outlaw hate crimes and a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act to outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Sen. Hillary Clinton:

We’re going to expand our federal hate crimes legislation and pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and assure that they are both fully inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.

My transgender peers, my transgender allies, and I are putting the candidates on notice: Lip service to transgender inclusion in ENDA and hate crimes legislation will not be sufficient past January 20th of 2009. It will not acceptable to just sign any ENDA that passes their desks. I expect whichever of these two becomes president to put the full weight of the Oval Office — including the pressuring reluctant Congresspeople — to pass a fully inclusive ENDA.

My peers, my allies, and I will accept no less from them than a vigorous push by them for fully inclusive, LGBT equality under the law. We will not accept the excuse “I’m signing the non-inclusive ENDA bill because that’s what Congress sent to my desk to sign.”

No lip service. No weaseling out of his or her statement once he or she takes office. In the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr., we demand equality under the law:

Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.

If no where else but here at PHB and Stephanie Stevens’ and my pee-wee blog The View From (Ab)Normal Heights, I will personnaly hold our current candidates accountable for ensuring gender identity or expression is in all federal LGBT civil rights and hate crime legislation. Nothing less than a Democratic President’s signature on fully inclusive versions of ENDA and hate crimes legislation will be acceptable.

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Related:
* Q Of The Day - What’s Your “Deal Breaker” Issue?
* Do They Mean What They Say? Do They Say What They Mean?
* With Regards To LGBT’s T, Trying To Define “Change” This Election Year
* Donna Rose Comments On The LGBT Americans For Hillary Steering Committee
* Sen. Clinton Today Wrote The Words “Fully Inclusive” With Regards To ENDA