Sen. Cilley's Remarks on HB 415

by: Ray Buckley

Wed Apr 29, 2009 at 12:41:55 PM EDT

Madam President and my colleagues,
I stand to speak to this bill with a picture of two young boys in my mind.  These two children were not renowned musicians, not well-known athletes, not great writers, not Nobel Peace Prize winners - not many of the things that they might have grown to be.  And, the dreams that their mothers and fathers may have cherished for their sons, just ordinary boys, will now never be.

No, young Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover and Jaheem Hareira will never fulfill their parents' dreams because they were driven to a terminal desperate act by a society that accepts and perpetuates the marginalization and ostracizing of anyone who can be labeled an "other," anyone who may not appear to be some perceived stereotypical image of the "accepted" group.

Although these boys lived miles apart from one another, one in Massachusetts and one in Georgia, what they shared was daily anti-gay taunts, just one of the many forms of gender-based discrimination.

These children were made to feel so utterly devoid of value, so worthless that to simply stop the pain they took their own lives.  And, they are among the five children just since February of this year who have done the same thing for the same reason.

And there are countless examples of transgendered teens who have been murdered for just being who they are.

Every member of our society should hang his or her head in shame that we should, by our actions or our inactions, foster a system that would drive our children to such an unspeakable alternative.

The bill before us seeks to prevent a similar form of discrimination to a small, but vulnerable group of our citizens.  Please let me repeat this overshadowed fact - this legislation addresses discrimination.  

Yet, there are those for whom political posturing and partisan gamesmanship have so polluted the intent of this bill that almost overnight it became dubbed "the bathroom bill."  To those who instigated or perpetuated this pitiful myth I say to you that you, too, should hang your head in shame.  Through your words and actions you have yet further marginalized and ostracized those citizens who testified, often tearfully and always valiantly, to the abuse and degradation they have suffered for years.  For the benefit of doubt I will choose to believe that there are some among you who "know not what they do."

But, there is one group who knows full well what they have done and that is the media.  The media with a tradition grounded in such fine journalism of that of Edward Murrow, Helen Hunt Jackson, Harry Ashmore and Ralph McGill - journalists who risked life and limb and their reputations to expose the whole ugly truth of discrimination.

To those among you who repeatedly used the label  "the bathroom bill," who incorporated this into every headline and story lead, and who failed to tell the whole and complete story of this legislation I say to you, you are not journalists.  You have served merely as stenographers to ignorance, hatred and discrimination. You should hang your head in shame for your utter failure to uphold the finest standards of your profession.

And, I want to make something perfectly clear.
To those in our state who participated in that disgraceful effort, you should find no comfort with today's vote.

Your hateful and despicable behavior did not win out.

New Hampshire is a compassionate state that supports our most vulnerable citizens.

New Hampshire believes in equality for all its citizens to have a job and a home.

That is the New Hampshire tradition, that is the New Hampshire I was born in, that is the New Hampshire that I love.

So to those who mislabeled this bill and maligned its intent, I say to you: Shame on you. Shame on you for your willingness, your eagerness, to attack these citizens who simply want to live their lives. Because of your efforts  you lost. You lost because your efforts to malign these citizens brought increased attention  to this very real problem and many of us were unaware of the very real day to day challenges of a segment of New Hampshire's population.  

I am determined to ensure their rights as a citizen, to live their lives, protect their jobs and keep their homes will succeed. And I know I am not alone. Thousands and thousands of Granite Staters have been awoken by your attacks and they are disgusted just as much as I am.

So, although this bill may not become law today, NH's transgendered community has still won because citizens across this state are now willing and eager to support them in their efforts to live their lives as full and equal citizens.

Thank you Madam President.

Here are the remarks by Senator Lasky as she brought out the bill from committee.

Thank you Madam President.  I move HB 415 "Inexpedient to Legislate".  HB 415 was introduced as a means of including transgender individuals in the anti-discrimination statute and ensuring that this group of citizens are protected against hate crimes.

From the time that this bill was introduced in the House until today, the simple anti-discrimination bill has been outrageously mischaracterized  and worse yet been ridiculed.

The Judiciary committee heard compelling and very personal testimony from transgender individuals about the discrimination they daily.  

The entire committee was genuinely sympathetic, however, this legislation , as drafted, has flaws and at this time the Judiciary committee finds that it should be found Inexpedient to Legislate.

Thank you, Madam President.

Senator Lasky then spoke:

Madame President.  While I, too, voted to find HB 415 Inexpedient to Legislate, I would like to say on a personal level, each and everyone of NH's citizens deserve to be protected from discrimination and certainly deserve to feel they can go about their daily lives without fear or retribution.

The people of our great state have a history of independence, tolerance and respect for all human beings.  It was incredibly sad to me to see, what I know is a small group of individuals, vilifying the transgender community and creating fear and mistrust among those who simply are not acquainted with this segment of our population.  

While, this bill at this time may not have been the vehicle to give them the protection they deserve, we, as good and decent people cannot stop until all of our citizens truly have the freedoms upon which this country is founded.