From Autumn Sandeen over at Pam's House Blend:
I've heard it from multiple sources this week that there is a scheduled meeting between leaders in transgender community and the Obama Administration. I've heard it from multiple sources this week that this scheduled meeting is scheduled to be a "listening" meeting (where the White House listens to a constituent group), and not designed as an "action" meeting.
That meeting is currently scheduled to occur a week from this Friday -- on April 29, 2011. It isn't just an inference to say that the White House wants this meeting to be to be secret and off the record -- there currently are no plans for a photo op or for reporting from the meeting.
Our whole philosophy is one of transparency.I believe it's often responsible behavior to meet behind closed doors to discuss issues with constituent groups. But that said, it isn't appropriate for the White House to keep the actual existence of a meeting with transgender leaders in non-profit organizations secret and completely off the record. And just as GetEQUAL highlighted by protest that the Common Purpose meetings are secret and behind closed doors, I'm highlighting in this blog post that a secret meeting is scheduled that the transgender subcommunity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community should care is going to take place.
~White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett
