I N G BA C K
(NKfftes Person of the Yean Angola BrightfeaUiar
F
■ rom her humble home in North Carolina
I to the doorsteps of national organiations
and the halls of Congress, there’s no doubt
that Angela Brightfeather has done her part
this year.
jf there were issues to be discussed, if the
transgender community needed an advocate
or if the transgender community was being
ignored, Brightfeather stepped up.
The 63-year-
old transgender
leader and activist
is a legend — she’s
, been involved in
advocacy work
since she was in
her 20s; and she’s
certainly not
afraid of ruffling
feathers.
“Anybody who
challenges the
establishment is
going against the
flow,” she told Q-
Notes. “When you do that, you become the
ultimate activist. You become the one that
pushes too hard, that wants everybody to
take a lead, the one who wants to really
change things.”
Shaking up the establishment seems to
have come easy to her. Since the most recent
controversy over transgender inclusion in the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)
in late 2007, Brightfeather has taken on high-
profile leadership among her transgender
brothers and sisters. In February 2008, she
helped to organize a friendly protest — char
acterized as an “outreach” — to dinner guests
at the Human Rights Campaign Carolinas
Gala in Charlotte.
But her work isn’t just local. As vice presi
dent of the Transgender American Veterans
Association (TAVA),
Brightfeather has worked dili
gently to see the needs of trans
gender servicemembers met
with dignity and equality.
TAVAs biggest battle has
been securing equal and fair
healthcare treatment for trans-
gender, former servicemembers
at government-run VA hospitals.
“We’ve just been able to
establish a connection at the VA
that might allow us to meet with
Gen. Shinseki,” Brightfeather
said, referring to Obama’s new
pick for VA secretary. “It’s a
dream come true to think of sitting down with
the director of the VA to tell him' our needs and
where we are being discriminated against.”
Among the group’s accomplishments this
year are a highly succesful survey of transgen
der servicemembers and veterans and joint
work with the Servicemembers Legal Defense
Network on the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.
“We’d also like to be able to work on being
able to march in the veteran’s parade in
Washington, D.C. next year,” Brightfeather
said. “We’d be the first transgender group to
march in that parade.”
Brightfeather was born in London to bi-
nationd parents and was declared a U.S. citi
zen soon after birth. Just months afterward,
her famOy moved to New York state. Her intro
duction to Southern living came only a few
short years ago, when she moved to North
Carolina. But in the time she’s been here,
Brightfeather has managed to make a differ
ence both locally and nationally, becoming a
fundamental part of Carolina transgender
MIMi
organizing and a vital
leader and activist in the greater LGBT com
munity.
With her leadershipcomes a sense of
urgency and toughness. Unafraid to say it just
like she feels it, Brightfeather’s learned to lead
and speak from the heart and from the pas
sion that’s kept her involved for decades.
It is with great pride that the staff of Q-
Notes names Angela Brightfeather our 2008
Person of the Year. ►
— compiled by Q-Notes stajf
online extra: Read more about Person of the Year
Angda Brightfeather at q-notes.com.
2008 - a tough year
from page 11
The HIV-positive DJ files
“Raleigh man pleads guilty to HIV health
law violation"
Sept. 6
“House arrest for gay BJ’s second
HIV violation"
Nov. 1
Q-Notes took the most flack this year for
deciding to run with the story of Joshua
Waldon Weaver, a 23-year-old DJ in gay clubs
in Raleigh and Wilmington.
In September, Weaver pleaded guilty to
violating state health regulations on com
municable diseases. His infractions were
failing to use a condom during intercourse
and failing to inform his partners of his
HIV-positive status.
Evidently, failing to learn his lesson the
first time. Weaver was arrested and charged
yet again with a second set of HIV health reg
ulation violations in November. This time, a
court put him on three months house arrest.
Community members decried our decision
to publish the story and his photo. We felt it
was in the best interest of the community and
of reporting the news accurately and fairly.
Since then, Weaver’s stayed out of the lime
light as far as we know. I
YOUR S,
vj BE A WORK OF
A.-
L
; :
J
DECEMBER 27.2008 • QNotes