Transgender law, others go into effect

CARSON CITY -- Nevada's estimated 25,000 to 50,000 transgender people finally become full-fledged citizens under state law today .

That's when bills prohibiting discrimination against transgender men and women in the workplace, housing and public accommodations go into effect.

"It means I can feel I am part of the whole shebang," said Las Vegas marriage and family therapist Jane Heenan, a transgender activist. "I am included. I am OK. I don't feel I am such a weirdo."

Nevada becomes the 15th state to extend the same legal protections to transgender people as it does to others on the basis of their race, creed, age, sex, religion, disability, national origin or sexual orientation.

The Nevada Equal Rights Commission will investigate complaints when transgender people think they are victims of discrimination. Laws prohibiting discrimination against gay people became law in 1999.

Transgender people are those who identify with or express behavior consistent with the gender that is opposite to the one given them at birth. Some have gone through sex change operations, and many have undergone hormone replacement treatments. The laws do not apply to those with a fetish for occasionally cross-dressing, but to people who live a full-time lifestyle in the sex opposite of their birth sex.

PSYCHOLOGICAL LIFT

Through the summer as word got out that Nevada has moving toward equality for transgender people, Heenan noticed a difference in the psychological well-being of her transgender clients.

"They were saying, 'I can come out at work now. I have less fear in my life.' It has been a struggle for them for a long time. But now their outlook on life is improving."

Silver State transgender people are celebrating the most momentous day in their history with a Equality Won! reception between 6 and 8 p.m. today at Equality Nevada Services Center, 708 S. Sixth St. in Las Vegas.

Special recognition will be given to Assemblyman Paul Aizley and state Sen. David Parks, both D-Las Vegas, sponsors of the bills, and to Assemblyman Ed Goedhart, R-Amargosa Valley, one of the handful of Republicans who voted for all three bills.

The bills were approved by narrow legislative margins in the spring, but Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval did not hesitate to sign them.

Laws protecting transgender people are great, but Mel Goodwin of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center in Las Vegas, said a lot of work is ahead in informing businesses of their obligations. She feels there already is widespread public acceptance of transgender people and their right to equal protection of the law.

Goodwin said she and others made thousands of phone calls in the spring for passage of the three bills, and about 80 percent of respondents expressed support.

"People believe in fairness," Goodwin said. "They believe in treating others with fairness and dignity."

Heenan said that while support for transgender people is widespread, about 10 percent of the population always will consider transgender people "just terrible," and no amount of persuasion will change their views.

"Basically all we want is to live and let live," Heenan said.

She said the most important law is the one preventing employment discrimination. During hearings, transgender people testified their unemployment rate is twice the state rate, and even when they have impeccable education and work records, some employers refuse to hire them.

A TOURISM DRAW?

Goodwin and Heenan believe that through news reports, the Internet and word of mouth that transgender people across the country will learn of Nevada's move toward equality and many will visit the state.

Nevada Resort Association President Virginia Valentine said that her organization supported the bills and that many hotel-casinos strive for high Human Rights Campaign ratings because they want to publicize their willingness to serve all types of people.

"Already there is marketing to the gay and lesbian communities," Valentine said. "This gives them the freedom to market (to another group) in a manner they choose. Anything that attracts people to Las Vegas is good."

Masen Davis, executive director of the Transgender Law Center in San Francisco, which rates hotels and other businesses across the country, said the new laws show gays, lesbians and transgenders that Nevada welcomes them.

He said Americans' ideas about what it means to be a man or a woman are evolving, noting it once was not acceptable for women to work outside the home.

Discrimination against transgender and "gender nonconforming" people is life-threatening, he added.

"It affects our physical and economic security by denying us opportunities in everything from basic health care to gainful employment. That's why laws to protect transgender people are so important."

WHAT THE LAWS SAY

The new state law prohibiting employment discrimination against transgender people applies only to companies with 15 or more workers.

The law prohibiting people from renting or selling housing to transgender people does not apply to landlords with three or fewer homes or dwelling units under the Nevada Fair Housing Law.

Under the employment law, companies cannot discriminate based on one's "gender expression or identity" but still can require a suitable dress standard.

During hearings, some legislators contended giving legal protection for transgender people would result in men going into women's restrooms, or vice versa.

But during legislative hearings this year, activists such as Lauren Scott of Reno said that there no longer should be reason for critics to complain about what restrooms the transgenders use. A regulation approved last year by the state Department of Motor Vehicles allows transgender people with written authorization from doctors to change the gender mark on their drivers' licenses. So if a security guard questions someone's right to be in a particular restroom, the person needs only show his or her driver's license.

A little-known section in the new public accommodations law also prohibits discrimination based on one's gender but allows bars and other businesses to continue to offer ladies nights or discount pricing based on one's gender.

The resort industry agreed this legislative session to back a prohibition against discrimination based on gender discrimination if an exemption was carved for special pricing promotions.

Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.

Trending topics:

• Carson City
• discrimination
• Jane Heenan
• transgender

Comments

Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.

1. Nachodaddy Oct. 3, 2011 | 4:21 p.m. Report Abuse

   One more thing, you people are condesending because we just don't buy into your wacky ideas. You try to shame us but if we do something you don't agree with like vore Tea Party you shout people down, protest and do everything you can do shame our beliefs. Is that not hypocritical. Do you as a person make up the universe. Did liberal teachers tell you that in school? Some of these transgengers want to Federal government to pay for these expensive procedures. Is it reall that you are that special with your little sex organs that funding would be taken away from children who have cancer or heart problems just so you can live your little self absorbed lives. ARE YOU REALLY THAT SPECIAL?

2. Nachodaddy Oct. 3, 2011 | 4:13 p.m. Report Abuse

   At what point in your life did you realize the most important thing in the universe was your penis or vagina. And why do think you should tell everyone about them. If you believe that strongly you should go to a mall or a busy corner on the strip and just whip your stuff out and show all the people and children how important it is we need to know about your sex organs. How come you all don't do that. Enlighten us normal people. It takes us awhile to embrace perversion.

3. Nachodaddy Oct. 3, 2011 | 3:13 p.m. Report Abuse

   Christina.Clowns Yes no personal sexual mutilation or warped narcissism in my cave. All it is with you flacky liberals is do whatever you can to feel good. Thats all life is to you people nothing else matters. Just feel good and everyone should let me do whatever I want because I'm special and enlighted. I voted for Obama and that means I'm somebody. blah blah blah, you people should crawl back in the septic tank from which you can.

4. Christina.Clowes Oct. 3, 2011 | 2:57 p.m. Report Abuse

   Excellent job Nevada! Well done!
   I see the usual ill educated, ignoramus types, have crawled out of their caves again. It's so clever to be disrespectful and mocking when choosing to remain ignorant. If only they knew, they would feel so stupid for their comments.
   I agree with gbororats though: Transgender prevalence is typically reported as being much lower than that. Somewhere between 1:250 and 1:2500 in most recent studies. With one in 500-1000 being a commonly reported value all around the globe.
   (Source: http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TS/TSprevalence.html)
   Love to all, even the dimly glowing spirits among us...there's time for you yet :)

5. gbororats Oct. 3, 2011 | 12:48 p.m. Report Abuse

   2.7 million people, at the high end 50k transgendered people... that means 1 out of every 54 or so people is not who they appear to be? really 1 out of 54 people?

6. gbigs Oct. 1, 2011 | 10:08 p.m. Report Abuse

   012 WILL BE THE END OF THE DEMS AS A NATIONAL PARTY. ONCE OBAMA IS FIRED, THE GOP WILL CUT CORP TAXES, AND JOBS WILL POUR IN...JACK.WEBB WILL BE LIVID.

7. Nachodaddy Oct. 1, 2011 | 9:38 p.m. Report Abuse

   A REPUBLICAN ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT: Hi boys and girls you all did such a great job on your costumes and your bags looks full you all must have done a lot of walking. Here Kids Here's a bunch of candy for you. Good Job!!!
   A LIBERAL ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT:Hi Boys and Girls Wow look at your bags you must have worked very hard for that. I am going to take half of your candy and give it to the kids that didn't want to walk or make a costume for their candy. Liberals please leave your porch lights off! I would imagine most have to anyway from a probation court order.

8. Nachodaddy Oct. 1, 2011 | 9:21 p.m. Report Abuse

   HATER LIES, Change you can believe in(Reality: Oh Yea I believe it everytime I look at my 401K, everytime I buy gas and groceries) YES WE CAN (then why haven't you?) SHOVEL READY(yea shoveling billions to your bundlers) and now after this miscarriage of management Darth Obama calls us soft. In 2012 We are going throw the Hater Party out.

9. Nachodaddy Oct. 1, 2011 | 9:04 p.m. Report Abuse

   After 8 years of libs lyin and hating I started doubting Bush a little myself. All of the media blasted him except AM RADIO & FOX NEWS is nothing more than the souless propaganda for the liberal party more for money than ideology. MSNBC< CNN< CNBC< CBS< are to Obama what Joseph Goebbels was to Hitler. After this shovel ready community organizer President Bush Looks like The Father Of America. A Great True Statesman. Today Ladies and Gentlemen the Liberal party will be known as simply THE HATERS. Hate & Crazy isn't liberal in the strict sense of the word. Funny their warped tactic is to call anybody not a HATER a racist, Wow with Herman Cain they sure got egg on their nasty little faces. They just can't come up with a lie anymore! It's driving the HATERS nutty. Not that that is hard to do. Remember Bush, Cheap Gas, Cheap Groceries, Being told the Truth. Vote for Hero's not Haters. 2012 we are going to Drain the Socialist Swamp and throw out The Cauldron of Corruption the haters have been cooking up. BOO HATERS

10. Jack.Webb Oct. 1, 2011 | 8:05 p.m. Report Abuse

    Why is Oscar.Jones so miserable?

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