They Gear Up for the Finish

You will find this interesting. The Citizens for a Responsible [Government] are trying to get petition signatures for a November referendum to overturn the recent bill banning discrimination on the basis of gender identity. They are trying to get signatures by telling people that this law will provide an excuse for men to lurk in the ladies rooms of our county -- all they have to do is claim to be transgender. Next thing you know, ladies rooms across the county will be crowded with men in dresses, leering at the ladies and girls.

On election day, as we reported here, there was an interesting encounter between a transgender woman and the president of this nutty group, Ruth Jacobs. The discussion started with harsh words and ended with a hug. This morning I received a copy of some correspondence that appears to be from that president to the other main member of the Citizens for a Responsible Whatever, Theresa Rickman. Of course I can't swear this is for real, but it's a pretty elaborate hoax if that's what it is. I'm assuming it's real -- you judge for yourself. Here you go.

From: Ruth Jacobs
To: Theresa Rickman
Subject: Would you send this as an e blast out now so we can schedule Thursday collections.
Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:13:01 PST

Wednesday 19th Deadline!- Please email availability ASAP Thurs/Friday Warmer

Hi Everyone,

Congratulations to all that worked yesterday. Thanks for working so hard in the cold rain and sleet. You are our heroes.

We’re still tallying from yesterday's effort at the polls. Some were very successful-- as high as 250--others less successful particularly down county. As soon as we know, we'll update you with the latest numbers. Seven days left to finalize all our efforts!

Suggestions for those collecting signatures: The best opener is “Would you sign a Petition to get a bad Law on the ballot in November so you can vote on it?.” When they question what the bill is about then say “We are concerned about privacy and safety for women” and explain the concerns about the bill from that stand point. Avoid labeling the bill as long as possible and then only refer to it as the “Gender Identity Non-Discrimination bill.” Please avoid for the most part referring to it as the Transgender bill.

This is fascinating, isn't it? Call it a "bad law," okay, I don't see any problem with that. So far they're honest.

The "privacy and safety for women" angle is their first choice for presenting this. The bill, people, is about discrimination against transgender citizens. It has nothing to do with the "privacy and safety for women." That is what we call a red herring, an argument that totally changes the subject.

Their advice: don't tell them what it's really about. Avoid referring to it as the Transgender bill. Even though, of course, that's what it is. If you referred to it accurately, nobody would sign the petitions. Therefore, avoid that.

Don't you love the obviousness of it all? They don't lie because they're ignorant, they lie because that's the only way they know how to get people to sign this petition. They do it on purpose.

The weather forecast tomorrow and Friday is going to be warmer and dryer. We need every signature and mild weather will help us!

Please e-mail volunteer@notmyshower.net. and help us with this last push

Can you volunteer to work a shift on Thursday, Friday or the weekend, even 1 or 2 hours? In Montgomery County we are allowed to collect signatures on public sidewalks as long as we don’t obstruct traffic. Suggestions have been Starbucks at the Kentlands, Rockville City Center, Borders Books in Bethesda. We need your suggestions as to the best and busiest Up-county sidewalks. Does anyone know a good place in Clarksburg?

If you wish to volunteer to staff a particular place that you think would be excellent, we will try to get a volunteer to go with you. We are suggesting taking a Xerox box and putting one of the petition poster signs on the outside. . Right now we are working just on trying to schedule the next 4 days!!!!

Assuming they met the mid-point quota, they still have to get 12,501 more signatures by February 19th for a total of 25,000. I don't expect them to be able to do that, but it could happen. They are out there lying to people about this law, and of course nobody wants to make it legal for perverted men to wave their festering penises around in ladies locker-rooms. So maybe they'll find twelve-thousand-something more suckers, I don't know.

I do know that they would never find twenty-five thousand residents of Montgomery County who would want a referendum to allow discrimination against transgender people -- they are smart not to mention that that's what the law's about.

Here's the rest of it:

Other Venues we are considering

1. Lancaster County Dutch Market GERMANTOWN The shoppers there have been VERY FRIENDLY to our petition drive! If we can get volunteers there on THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, that would be great! Please let us know if you can work it.

2. Metro stations

4/) Giants and Safeways. We have some scheduled for this weekend, and we need staffing for them.

4. Chinese School. George Zhang is arranging a drive at his Chinese school, which is held at Northwest High School in Germantown. It will start at 12:45 on Saturday We will need volunteers to help George. There are over 1,000 children who attend (with their parents, of course!).

Please e-mail volunteer@notmyshower.net. and help us with this last push

THANK YOU!!

Ruth M. Jacobs, M.D. [** phone number deleted**]
President Citizens for Responsible Government

While you weren't paying attention, these people were on the phone, on the Internet, in the churches and mosques, organizing to promote their bigotry, trying to smear our county with their ugliness. If you're out and you see them with their petitions, I suggest you stop and engage them in a discussion. I actually don't think that most of the people carrying the petitions know what it's about, you would do them a favor to explain it. Do you think the managers of Giants and Safeways want to be associated with this bigotry? I don't either. Go on in and complain. Starbucks and Borders, too, they don't want to be part of this embarrassing stuff. --And if those establishments do want to promote anti-transgender bigotry, I think the world would be very interested to read about that on this web site. Tell us your stories.

If you see people considering signing the petitions, go ahead and talk to them. It isn't about guys going into the ladies room -- these kinds of laws are very common around the country, and that has never been the result. It's not about that. This law says that you hire somebody based on their qualifications for the job, if you're a taxi driver and somebody flags you down you stop for them, if you have a restaurant and a person comes in to eat, you serve them.