Distinguished Service Award to Earline Budd

Presented by GLAA Vice President for Administration Kevin Davis

GLAA 31st Anniversary Reception
Hotel Washington
Thursday, April 18, 2002

Good evening, greetings and welcome to GLAA's 31st Anniversary Reception. I always love coming to this event, ever since I moved here five years ago. This is my second term as Administrative Vice President, coordinating this event and presenting GLAA's Distinguished Community Service Awards. I am privileged to present this award this year in particular. Congratulations to all awardees in advance.

Earline Budd is a native Washingtonian, and an advocate of Transgender equality. She strives to advocate for the rights of Transgender persons in the areas of housing, healthcare, employment, and correctional institutions in DC.

Earline currently serves as a member of the DC Community Planning Group, a body within the Centers for Disease Control. She also chairs the CDC Review Policy Committee, to which all CDC grantees must submit their Health Education/Prevention program summaries for review. Earline's service means that we now have transgender representation on this committee.

As an active participant in community service to DC's GLBT Community, Earline has served as an Executive Committee member for DC in coordinating Equality Begins At Home in 1999. This event was sponsored by NGLTF, where I first worked with Earline. In addition, Earline has taken leadership roles in Black Pride.

Earline became a member of TADD -- Transgenders Against Discrimination & Defamation -- in 1996. TADD was founded in 1994 by Jessica Xavier (a previous GLAA Distinguished Community Service Awardee), Dee Curry, and the late Jane Robinson Bay. TADD was founded following the death of Tyra Hunter to advocate for Transgender awareness and health issues. I don't need to go into great detail as many of you know the story. In August 1995, DC Paramedics arrived at an accident to provide care and discovered Tyra Hunter was other than whom they expected. She was a Transgender woman. She was denied proper medical care. Earline and Margie Hunter, Tyra's mother, contacted GLAA and then the DC Office of Human Rights, and sued DC for Tyra's due. The city finally did its due and paid Margie Hunter. Margie Hunter was also given a Distinguished Community Service Award in 1999.

The TADD organization became THE -- Transgender Health Empowerment -- in 1996 under the tutelage of Earline's leadership. THE became the first full-service agency to address Transgender advocacy, health, self-esteem needs, and support services. This agency is currently with US Helping US. Its current program participants range from ages 30 to 60-plus.

I asked Earline during our interview: "What is your most significant accomplishment to date?" Earline replied: "Gaining the trust and belief of my community. Transgender people respect me." In addition, Earline cited breaking the barrier of communication, seeing Transgender women coming in for services. Earline's long term goal is to broaden society's focus on Transgender persons, and one day to see Transgender persons access gainful employment, decent housing, and quality medical care.

In 1999, the DC Department of Corrections denied Earline access as a visitor. Earline contacted GLAA, who suggested Dana Priesing, a DC lawyer known for vigorous support of Transgender equity and representation. They contacted the DC Office of Human Rights and filed a formal complaint of discrimination based upon physical appearance against the DC Department of Corrections. After several meetings and much, much paper work, a resolution was reached. The Department of Corrections Paid a Fee, and removed its signs which read: "No One in Opposite Gender clothing will be admitted." This was explained as a misunderstanding in the Rules set forth by a previous administration. No apology was issued.

Prior to this, Earline was responsible for a historic and landmark case, that of the Kalorama Road Skating Rink in 1982, which was found by the Office of Human Rights to have discriminated against Earline as a Transgender individual. The Rink paid $400, the maximum compensation for that time. It eliminated its dress code and submitted a formal letter of apology.

Earline is truly without question an outstanding woman of grace, compassion, nd straightforward frankness who gets things done. Those who know Earline know that she can be a Washington policy wonk and tells it like it is. Congratulations to Earline Budd, GLAA Distinguished Community Service Awardee 2002.