>> Laura: STAY WITH ME.
THE BOARD OF REPRESENTATIVES IN
THE CITY OF STAMFORD CONNECTICUT
HAS VOTED TO BAN THE USE OF
GENDER PRONOUNS FROM ITS
GOVERNING RULEBOOK.
THAT MEANS PEOPLE CAN'T BE
REFERRED TO AS "HE" AND "SHE,"
CHANGE IS MY GUEST THE STATE'S
FIRST OPENLY TRANSGENDER
TRANSGENDER OFFICIAL.
GET ME UP TO SPEED ON THE
PRONOUNS BECAUSE IN NEW YORK YOU
HAVE TO USE -- YOU CAN'T USE HE
OR HER OR SHE OR HIM AT ALL, I
GUESS YOU HAVE TO USE ZE OR HIR,
YOU CAN BE FINED.
YOU'RE NOT QUITE THERE.
>> I'M NOT TOO UP-TO-DATE ON
NEW YORK STATES LAWS BECAUSE MY
STUFF HAPPENS IN CONNECTICUT.
LOOKING TO BAN TERMINOLOGY.
QUITE THE OPPOSITE I LEAD THE
CHARGE IN PEOPLE WANTED TO USE
THEIR PRONOUNS.
I DON'T WANT TO TELL PEOPLE YOU
CAN'T BE A HE OR SHE, USE WHAT
MAKES YOU HAPPY AND WHAT MAKES
YOU FEEL RIGHT.
>> Laura: YOU REQUIRE PEOPLE
REFER TO YOU AS -- WHEN DO DD
TRANSITION?
>> I DON'T LIKE TO USE THE WORD
GENDERED NOUNS FOR ME THAT I
DON'T LIKE I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE
OFFENSE TO IT.
THERE ARE BIGGER ISSUES AT HAND
THAN THIS.
WHEN I WAS ELECTED THE FIRST
ISSUES I WANTED TO TACKLE WERE
AND WE ARE TACKLING OUR ISSUES
OF DEVELOPMENT, NOT BEING
HANDLED RESPONSIBLY IN OUR CITY.
THESE ARE WHAT ARE ACTUALLY
IMPORTANT.
>> Laura: YOU KNOW WHAT I WAS
THINKING I GREW UP IN
CONNECTICUT AND GLASTONBURY,
CONNECTICUT HAS SO MANY PROBLEMS
CONNECTICUT HAS SO MANY PROBLEM
PROBLEMS.
LOSING JOBS.
LOSING BUSINESSES.
TAXES.
WHATEVER YOU ARE -- BUT IF YOU
BECAUSE CONNECTICUT IS GOING
DOWN THE TUBES.
WHEN I READ ARTICLES ABOUT
PRONOUNS, CHANGES FOR THE
RULEBOOK, I'M LIKE MY GOD.
>> I KEEP SEEING MY FACE IN THE
NEWSPAPER AND LAUGHING I THINK
IT'S A LITTLE RIDICULOUS TO BE
QUITE HONEST.
WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF REVIEWING
ALL OF OUR RULES.
THERE WAS 30 RULE CHANGES, I
THIS WAS ONE PROPOSED BY A
COUPLE OTHER PEOPLE DEMOCRATS
AND REPUBLICANS THAT WERE
LOOKING AT AND SAYING THIS
DOESN'T REALLY FIT CONSIDERING
APPROPRIATE?
>> YOU WANT THE DRIVING FORCE
BEHIND THIS.
THERE WERE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE
BOARD, THAT'S WILD.
GIVEN ALL THE THINGS THAT
STANFORD AND OTHER TOWNS AND
CITIES IN CONNECTICUT FACE,
THAT'S INCREDIBLE.
YOU COULD BE SOMEONE WHO JUST
TRIES TO WORK TO FIX STANFORD
INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON PRONOUNS
WHICH IT SEEMS TO BE THAT YOU
DON'T EVEN WORKED UP ABOUT.
>> WHAT I THINK IT'S FUNNY IS
THAT IT KEEPS BEING SAID WE ARE
FOCUSING ON IT.
WHEN WE WERE AT THE JANUARY 2ND
MEETING, THE MEETING LASTED
MAYBE AN HOUR 45, THERE WERE A
LOT OF HEATED DISCUSSIONS, A LOT
THIS WAS AN ASTERISK NEXT TO IT.
WE GOT A TRANSGENDER ELECTED