FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Amanda Watson
619/220-8178
AmandaWatson@msn.com

San Diego City Council Gives Final Approval for Transgender Protection

(July 28, 2003) -- Today in a historic vote, the San Diego City
Council unanimously voted to amend the city's Human Dignity Ordinance
(HDO) to protect the civil rights of transgender people.

"We as a community have worked hard to achieve this goal," said
Amanda Watson, co-chair of the HDO Amendment Coalition, which formed
early this year to press for passage of the measure. "It has been an
honor working with such a diverse group. I am proud to be a part of
this and to live in a city where I know I have rights too."

The amendment adds "gender identity" to the current language (which
protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation). Gender
identity is defined as "having or being perceived as having a
gender-related identity or expression whether or not stereotypically
associated with a person's actual or perceived sex."

San Diego is the first city to use the word "stereotypically" in its
language instead of the word "traditionally." San Diego now joins 3
states, 9 counties and 49 other cities in specifically protecting
transgender people. San Diego's current HDO, passed in 1990, covers
employment, housing, city services, business establishments and
educational institutions.

"Many people assume that laws protecting gays and lesbians also
protect transgender individuals, but that's not the case," said Jess
Durfee, also co-chair of the HDO Amendment Coalition. "There is no
direct relationship between one's gender identity or expression and
one's sexual orientation. We needed language specifically protecting
the civil rights of transgender people."

The HDO Amendment Coalition worked with Lisa Mottet, a legislative
lawyer for the Transgender Civil Rights project at the National Gay
and Lesbian Task Force. They asked Mayor Dick Murphy, through the
LGBT Advisory Board, to amend the HDO, and Councilmember Toni Atkins
submitted the recommendations to the City Attorney.

Members of the HDO Amendment Coalition include: the American Civil
Liberties Union, Balboa Park for All, BiForum, BiPol, Bienestar-San
Diego, Dawn Media, Imperial Court de San Diego, Inc., LGBT Center of
San Diego, LGBT+SQ Communities E-Mail List, National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force, Pride At Work, San Diego Democratic Club, San Diego State
University LGBT Student Union, San Diego TransFamily, Inc., The
Butterfly Group, Transgender People of San Diego, Inc., and Transpire.

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