'Ten years ago no major corporation, no member of Congress, or jurisdiction had laws banning gender identity expression discrimination,' said GenderPAC executive director Riki Wilchins at the group's annual conference. 'Now almost a third of Congress, 60-plus major corporations, 70 local jurisdictions, and 23 states have said that is illegal.
'That's phenomenal progress. In general the whole discourse on gender rights has become much more mainstream and broader than we could have ever anticipated.
'We're growing geometrically. We have a gender youth network and are collaborating with 300-400 kids in 37 chapters in 25 states. The parenting network is about to launch, bringing gay and straight parent together.
'A lot of this has to do with the social rights and privileges that we grant one another; the right to be yourself; the right to have your kids be able to pursue all their interests, skills, and talents—whether those were once through strictly for boys or strictly for girls. You can't legislate that kind of thing, you have to change hearts and minds, and that is what GenderPAC is all about; changing hearts and minds and creating new opportunities that didn't exist before.'