Imagine losing your job or being denied basic medical care simply because you are a woman.  Or a man.  Or gay.  Or Asian, Australian, North American, South American, European, or African.  That’s discrimination, right?  Sexist, homophobic, and racist.  So, why is it then okay if you’re transgender?  Is the same faulty reasoning that is used to back up being homophobic or racist suddenly valid when used to justify transphobia?  Are they not labeled as people just because they identify as a different gender or sex as what they were born as.  Is that really as horrible as, say, being a murderer or a rapist?  Is it fair that convicted rapists are able to keep jobs or own a house when trans people routinely get evicted or lose their jobs based simply on bias and prejudice?  What ever happened to “all men are created equal”, or does that still only apply to white, Christian, land-owning men?

Being transgender means that how you feel inside and/or how you show that feeling differ from what your birth sex is. The term transgender includes all transsexuals, or those whose gender that they feel inside opposes their biological sex, drag kings and queens, who cross-dress for performance, intersex individuals, who were born with ambiguous or both sets of sexual anatomy, and crossdressers, who wear clothing that conflicts the societal standards set for their biological sex (Huegel 165).  Trans rights is an major issue today because transgender people don’t get the same amount of protection as cisgender citizens, or those whose gender identity agrees with their biological sex.  This violates the Fourteenth Amendment, which states that no person could be left without equivalent protection.  Only thirteen states, and the District of Columbia, have laws that prohibit discrimination based on gender identity (about.com).  However, there is an effort that tries to get the Civil Rights Act changed so that it includes sexual orientation and gender identity.  Transphobia is relevant because of gender roles being forced on kids beginning at such a young age, such as little girls having princess themes thrown at them, rather than sports or cars, two activities generally pushed towards little boys.  Transphobia can lead to discrimination.  What might start out as name-calling might escalate to plain out harassment or violent attacks.  Safety is a bigger concern for transgender people, teens especially, rather than other queer students because there is less acceptance of trans people and “very little is understood about what it means to be transgender”, even by medical professionals (Huegel 164).  This can give transgender people feelings of isolation or loneliness, which can even make some of them commit suicide.  But suicide isn’t the answer to the transphobia, acceptance and full rights are. 

Trans people are dealing with problems that society hasn’t even started to consider.  Other queer people don’t have to face the same problems that transgender people do.  Some of those are legal issues, like identity documents being false, sex-segregated bathrooms, dress codes, and the inability to access correct health care (ACLU).  Additionally, due to prejudice, trans people can face job loss, eviction, physical or sexual assault, loss of relationships, and incarceration.  Trans teens repeatedly report getting kicked out of the house by their parents or having to deal with bullying from their peers or even their teachers.  Sex-segregated public bathrooms are a huge problem for trans people.  Transgender people are unable to safely use public restrooms, as well as locker rooms and store changing rooms, due to fear of being physically abused or arrested. 

Transphobic people may say that trans people simply want to go into the bathroom to sexually assault the people that are using the restrooms, but “the obvious question that no one seems to be asking [is]: does anyone really think men looking to assault women in a bathroom don’t do so now because there is a ‘women-only’ sign on the door?  It’s not like the blue plastic sign serves as garlic to ward off sexual predators” (ATTN).  Many people against trans rights have transphobia simply for religious reasons, the thought that the ‘transgender status’ is illegitimate or that they’re looking for attention, or plain old bigotry.  Why does “love thy neighbor as thyself” not apply when your neighbor isn’t an exact copy of yourself?  Transgender people should have rights and be treated equally simply because they’re human.  There’s no reason that justifies the discrimination against trans people.     

   
Trans people have a hard life, there’s no doubt about it.  Aside from simply feeling that they were born wrong, they also have to deal with more discrimination and legal problems than other queer people.  Transgender people’s validity as a man, woman, or even human is constantly being questioned and is based on how much surgery they’ve had or how well they look their gender.  Being gawked at, stared at, and asked personal questions are also things that trans people normally have to deal with, along with others asking for their birth name, then assuming that they can call the person by that name.  Additionally, in the horrible instance that a crime is committed against a trans person, which happens often, the victim’s gender identity will habitually be used as legal justification for the criminal.  Commonly, transphobic people will think or even voice that trans people are “confused, misled, or hell-bound” (Its Pronounced Metrosexual).  Transgender people can have a difficult time entering gender-exclusive areas, getting a job, renting an apartment, or receiving any type of service, including medical help, only because their gender doesn’t match their sex.  When filling out many legal documents, transgender people have to deal with not having their correct gender as an option, which makes them feel like they don’t belong.  Before having surgery to get their sex changed, a trans person is forced to endure extensive psychological care because trans peoples’ genders are labeled as a mental disorder; gender dysphoria.  Trans people even get discrimination from other people who themselves are discriminated against; other queer people.  Transgender people are excluded from gay pride, queer, or the feminist movement, again, because of bias, ignorance, and prejudice.  Trans people should get rights because they are human and deserve to be treated equally.  It is unfair that they are judged by their gender identity rather than the content of their character.

Transgender people are constantly and continually being discriminated against, violating a constitutional amendment.  They should gain full human rights because they are simply human.  If you see something wrong with a trans person entering their preferred restroom or receiving proper medical care, you are the one with the problem, not the trans person.  If America really is the land of the free, then transgender people should be free to do simple activities without fear of being discriminated or harassed.  There doesn’t need to be a single person to spark a change by becoming the messiah for the transgender people; we need to work together to make change happen.  You are the spark.