What does it mean to be transgender?

The dictionary definition of transgender is: “denoting or relating to a person whose self-identity does not conform unambiguously to conventional notions of male or female gender.” To expand on this, we think (LWGMS class of 2016) that being transgender means that gender identity is a personal and emotional sense of being a man, a woman, or identifying otherwise. For transgender people, the sex they were born with and their internal gender identity do not match up.

 

What kind of abuse have transgender people received?

In Seattle, a very liberal city, trans people have been abused. Take Tea Lopez, a woman who was walking to a bus stop on Capitol Hill in April when she reported being maced by a man shouting transphobic slurs. Lopez reported the crime, but many victims don't. 34% of transgender people are subjected to verbal threats or harassment. 20% are physically or sexually abused due to their gender identity/expression. 73% have been a target of mockery.

 

Why should Seattle care about transgender bathroom use?

Seattle has the third highest percentage of transgender people in the country. However, trans people still aren’t completely safe in public bathrooms. In Seattle, if creating safe restrooms to go pee, we would be ensuring that 173,000 people could feel safe when using the bathroom.

 

Why is LWGMS tackling this issue?

At Lake Washington Girls Middle School, the 8th graders are a part of a social justice program called Walls to Bridges. In this program, we tackle issues of injustice, such as, LGBTQ+ rights. On a Walls to Bridges retreat, we began to come up with an idea for a direct action campaign. As a group of 34 8th graders, we all agreed that transgender public bathroom rights is very important topic. The recent North Carolina law stated that trans people had to use the bathroom that matched their sex at birth. In our grade, we feel that this law is unjust. This inspired our class to take action against transphobia.

 

Aren’t transgender people molesters and perverts?

No. First of all, only 0.3% of Americans are transgender. The chance that you’ll run into them in a bathroom is almost 0. Further, if you feel as if laws will protect you from molesters, you’re wrong. Perverts aren’t waiting around for laws to change. By ensuring protection of transgender people, that isn’t putting you in any more danger than you already are. In conclusion, creating safer laws won’t put you at any more risk, but it will ensure that others are more safe.