NATIONAL STORY them see that the LGBTQIA+ [people] in their workplace have been treated unfairly,” this is not the most likely outcome. “Often, when rights or protections are provided to marginalized groups, we do see backlash or failure to uphold the law,” Cruz-Teixeria said. It’s this kind of backlash that concerns Darin Stewart of DGMC. With more people coming out of the closet, more people also are becoming isolated by those they once thought were their friends; HR departments should consider this as they update their policies. Also, with a greater number of people coming out of the closet, comes a higher number of harassment cases; HR departments should be preparing for these, as well. Worst, with more people coming out of the closet, comes a greater risk of being murdered. It is not hyperbole to say that as visibility increases, so does the body count. “Transgender activists have spoken and written about the correlation between greater trans visibility and violence against trans women, particularly Black trans women and other trans women of color,” Stewart said. It is called a culture war for a reason. Anytime your identity is the focus of a culture war, it is more prone to being collateral. “Rights might bring inclusion but they don’t bring liberation,” said Stewart. Instead, Kuebler lamented, they “give a false sense of comfort in our country to those who aren’t marginalized.” The reason for this, Steward noted, is explained by trans LGBTQ ACTIVISTS AND SUPPORTERS HOLD A RALLY OUTSIDE THE U.S. SUPREME COURT AS IT HEARS ARGUMENTS IN A MAJOR LGBT RIGHTS CASE ON WHETHER A FEDERAL ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAW THAT PROHIBITS WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF SEX COVERS GAY AND TRANSGENDER EMPLOYEES IN WASHINGTON. CREDIT: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST mitigation, and discrimination whistle-blower protocols to ensure they comply with the June 15 ruling. They also should consider developing seminars to help their staff understand what anti-LGBTQIA+ discrimination looks and sounds like so employees can rest assured they don’t inadvertently commit a reprimandable offense. Beyond this, establishing LGBTQIA+ affinity groups and revisiting healthcare options are also likely to be on the agenda of many HR departments in light of this ruling. Finally, some companies, like the one Denver Women’s Chorus member Natalya Cruz-Teixeira works for, are hiring diversity and inclusion officers to help navigate these potentially explosive situations. Regardless of the steps individual companies take, the Black Lives Matter protests highlight that the struggle for “equality” is not over based on a single law or court ruling. “Black lives have had full rights in this country for several decades, and yet, in practice, we see voting rights taken away, bias in the workplace, housing discrimination, [and] the simple right to live [violated],” Cruz-Teixeira said. LGBTQIA+ history reveals the same sad truth. “Unfortunately, we’ve seen circumventive behavior before from those who do not wish to see LGBT+ equality, á la Kim Davis of Kentucky, who blatantly defied her legal responsibilities of issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. So, while an employer may not explicitly fire someone for their affinity, they may invent creative ways to terminate employment,” Bradford said. Terwanda McMoore, a member of the DWC, can attest to this very thing happening. Although she did not lose her employment because of her sexual orientation, McMoore has been TERWANDA MCMOORE. PHOTO CREDIT: MIKE PAPROSKI “discriminated [against] in the past for being gay and butch.” This is despite Senate Bill 25, which was passed in 2007 and is supposed to protect her right to work. So, even though one can hope, like Kuebler, that this June 15 ruling will “put things into perspective for people and let scholar Dean Spade, who says the way we focus on “rights” prevents us from focusing on structures, and it is these structures that isolate and divide us. It’s the structures that need to be addressed to bring about full inclusion based on understanding and acceptance. But addressing structures is something that the June Supreme Court ruling fails to do. In fact, as Bradford pointed out, “While it’s a ruling in our [LGBTQIA+ person’s] favor, to be sure, it was because Title VII of the Civil Rights Act technically says ‘sex,’ not because such discrimination against humans with different affinities is wrong.” And that’s the crux of this ruling…it doesn’t advance the values that all are equal, that all deserve justice or even that employment is an essential aspect of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and thus needs to be open to everyone. No, this decision was made on the interpretation of a single word, not the bedrock of American values. Perhaps this is ultimately the reason why the ruling was so jarring and “surreal” — it pointed out the fragility of the “progress” that the LGBTQIA+ population has made, and which some, like Kizuka, “took for granted.” This time, in this particular case, a Trump-appointed judge was convinced that a single word protected the rights of millions of people. Next time there might not be such a word. It is for this reason, as Bradford observed, “We cannot become complacent. Our fight is not over until we can all enjoy the benefits and privileges of equality.” The Denver Gay Men’s Chorus and the Denver Women’s Chorus, which have entertained audiences for 38 years, not only engage with educational programming, participate in community outreach events, and partner with advocacy groups, they also build community to continuously fan the through music flames of justice. By singing inspiring anthems that represent diverse and marginalized populations, chorus members remind themselves, each other, and the greater Denver community of the American values, and lives, at stake in the current culture war. To learn more, hear them sing, and get updates on upcoming events, visit denverchoruses.org. Sarah Gumina, with the Denver Women’s Chorus, contributed to this story. ■ August 2020 DENVER VOICE 7
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