HRC's Donna Rose urges trans community, allies to engage

When Donna Rose, a member of Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) board of directors, resigned last week over the organization's decision not to oppose split versions of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), it struck a further blow to the relationship between HRC and the transgender community. Rose told Bay Windows that since she made public her resignation she has received the support of both her friends and of people across the country.

"People were looking for someone to stand up and say, 'Our community and the self-worth of any individual part of our community is more important than the political practicality that goes into any legislation,'" said Rose.

But despite her decision to resign, Rose said she does not believe the transgender community and its allies should disengage from HRC. Rose herself will continue to be involved as a member of HRC's business council, which she has been involved with since 2003. She said given HRC's position as the largest LGBT rights organization, it is important for trans people and their allies to have a voice in setting the agenda.

"If we completely pull ourselves off you kind of cut your nose off to spite your face," Rose said.

Rose joined the board in 2005 in the aftermath of the board's decision to publicly commit to only supporting trans-inclusive ENDA legislation. Rose was one of the activists who met with the board in 2004 urging them to do so. In her time with the organization, both through the board and the business council, she said she has worked to expand HRC's work on trans rights issues, helping add questions on trans employment protections to HRC's Corporate Equality Index and developing other trans-focused educational materials. Ultimately she said she resigned from the board because she felt she could not support its decision not to oppose the split ENDA bills.

She said she remains on the business council because employment issues are her passion, and she believes that her work has helped HRC push companies to develop trans-inclusive policies.

"To me that's the most significant achievement that HRC has had in recent years given the political climate and the defensive posture we've been forced to take," said Rose. "On the business council we help guide the organization in terms of workplace policy, and to me we need trans voices there more than ever. ... It's a much different relationship with the organization than being on the board."