How Gender Identity May Determine the Right to Vote in 2012
Brentin Mock on April 16, 2012 - 10:38 AM ET
http://www.thenation.com/blog/167402/how-gender-identity-may-determine-right-vote-2012 (http://www.thenation.com/blog/167402/how-gender-identity-may-determine-right-vote-2012)
American companies are born as private commercial entities, but thanks to the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, suddenly they can transition to human status for the purpose of influencing an election with millions of dollars. Meanwhile, thousands of actual human citizens, who've only transitioned gender identity, may have less influence over elections—or no influence at all—because they'll now face heavy burdens under strict photo voter ID laws. It's an obscene paradox.
Over 25,000 transgender American citizens may face stiff barriers to voting in the November 2012 election, according to the report "The Potential Impact of Voter Identification Laws on Transgender Voters," released last week by the Williams Institute at UCLA's law school. This is, by any measure, the portion of the electorate that is among the most marginalized and stigmatized, and hence probably most in need of the right to have a say in who governs their lives. But discussions on both sides of voter ID laws tend to leave out transgender citizens in discussions about who would be most adversely impacted.
I'm including myself in that critique.