Tom Lantos
Thomas Peter Lantos (The native form of this personal name is Lantos Tamás Péter) was part of a resistance movement against the Nazis during the German occupation of Hungary. It was befitting of a man who survived the holocaust after losing his family, and emigrated to the United States from Hungary, virtually penniless.
He moved to the United States in 1947. He attended the University of Washington and the University of California, Berkeley, receiving his Ph.D in 1953. From 1950 to 1980, Lantos was a professor of economics, an international affairs analyst for public television, and a consultant to a number of businesses. He also served as a senior advisor to several U.S. Senators.
Particular to the transgender community, Rep. Lantos was the author and sponsor of the very first legislative language introduced into Congress that mentioned “gender identity.” After an initial entry into the congressional session in 1998, Rep. Lantos introduced HR 259, Hate Crimes Prevension, in early 2000.
The resolution condemned human rights abuses internationally “on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.” In the session prior to the legislation, Lantos was also the first to note the same issues with the same language – including gender identity – into the congressional record.
Though he’s not widely known for it, Rep. Lantos cemented a place in America’s transgender history for submitting that bill. It’s worth nothing that even though domestic legislation in Congress was being submitted without gender identity at that time, Lantos’ International LGBT Human Rights bill was intently inclusive.
Although contradictions in life, he respected sexual diversity, the environment, his fight for a better security system for all citizens and also a policy for weapon control. All this was put into question for being a strong supporter of the Iraq War from the start, without knowing that he will cause the same horror he has already suffer.
Lantos was 80, from complications due to esophageal cancer, he died on Monday 11th february. The longtime congressman from suburban San Francisco had recently announced he’d not seek re-election due to his illness.
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