Obama's made progress on trans issues
Guest Opinion
Published 08/23/2012
by Justin Tanis
http://ebar.com/columns/column.php?sec=guest_op&article=388"They are supposed to represent us, too." A transgender woman spoke these words to me as we stood gazing at the federal buildings in Washington, D.C. during an advocacy event I helped organize when George W. Bush was president. That event was an epiphany for her because she realized that she, too, had every right to be included in a government "of the people, by the people, for the people," but that goal seemed so far away. What has happened since that day is truly remarkable – transgender people have gained so many new protections against discrimination during President Barack Obama's term in office and that is why I've joined with other trans people and our allies to support Trans United For Obama, a national volunteer effort to activate transgender people, their supporters, families, and friends to re-elect the president. These efforts include fundraising, voter registration, and other grassroots efforts aimed at getting the message out that Obama must be re-elected.
Over the past four years, the Obama administration has made tremendous strides in living up to the promise of the American system of government. We have seen solid progress in laws and policies which impact transgender people every day of our lives. Literally, the world has opened up more fully to us because we can now obtain passports and immigration documents without having to undergo surgeries that many of us cannot afford and some of us do not want.
In a world where transgender people continue to face rampant discrimination in all areas of life, we now see these much needed protections added by the Obama administration.
