By: Lily Ha, Contributing Writer
Edited by: Fauzia Haque, Editor; Eve Nevelos, Editor in Chief
The fight for transgender people’s rights has grown stronger, especially in recent years, yet transphobia and discrimination are shown to the transgender community, as well as the rest of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Aromantic, and more (LGBTQIAA+) community still stands.
Transgender people face many conflicts, which shows that the many bills and initiatives taken by the government do not protect them from discrimination and transphobia. Although there are actions to prevent this, including a recent United States Supreme Court bill that shows that transgender people are not shown unequal discrimination, there is currently no federal non-discrimination law that specifically includes gender identity. This is a glimpse of the hardships transgender people still face. There is a high prevalence of discrimination in their everyday lives, such as when they look for a house or eat at a restaurant. In addition, some state legislatures across the country are even attempting to pass bills created to prohibit transgender people from accessing public bathrooms that correspond with their specific gender identity or creating exemptions allows for discrimination against the LGBTQIAA+ community.
The Transgender Persons Protection of Rights Act, which was passed in 2019, protects transgender people against discrimination in education, employment, and healthcare. It recognizes the gender of a person and helps them with any difficulties in forms or licenses. Congress is now also working to pass a bill for more initiatives for transgender discrimination and equality for transgender people. The Equality Act would prohibit discrimination based on an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity in regards to employment, housing, credit, education, jury service, federally funded programs, and public spaces. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, “It also prohibits discrimination against women and girls in public accommodations for the first time in federal law.” The bill expands the list of public spaces to include stores, service providers, and various transportation services such as taxis for all groups covered.
The transgender community, alongside officials and the remainder of the LGBTQIAA+, are still battling segregation in business, lodging, and public spots, including bathrooms. They are consistently attempting to ensure that transgender individuals get the medical services they need. The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) mentions that they, along with others, are also battling to secure the rights and wellbeing of transgender individuals in prison and detainment offices as the right of transgender and helping nonconforming students are needed to be treated fairly at schools. Around ten years prior, just 25 percent of individuals in the US upheld trans rights and backing expanded to 62 percent continuously until 2019.
Regardless of this advancement, the trans community is experiencing hurtful and heart-wrenching shame. They have since been labeled as mentally ill for over a hundred years. Officials view and influence hostility to trans people, having enactments to view political focuses on being transgender. This incorporates disgraceful discrimination that keeps them from getting to administrations for their endurance and prosperity. More than 225 locales, including the District of Columbia, as of 2016 and 22 states, as of 2018, highlight enactments that deny separation according to sexual orientation concerning work, housing, and public facilities.
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Thank you for addressing this important topic!
it's really sad to read about the horrible experiences trans people go through but thanks for sharing!
super informative.
Such an informative article; thanks!
the writer knows their stuff!