9th July 2014, 12:18 PM
Ashley Chhibber
Jennifer Finney Boylan, co-chair of American LGBT media advocacy group GLAAD, has spoken about the importance of transgender rights as the heart of the civil rights movement.
She told CBS News this week: "There are few groups in America at greater risk than its transgender citizens."
She was speaking as part of CBS's "Voices of the Civil Rights Movement" project, which asks key figures in the arts, business and politics about recent past or present civil rights activism.
She continued: "Seventy-eight percent of us report harassment as students at primary or secondary schools; a fifth of us report harassment by the police; and 41 percent of us have attempted to take our own lives.
More: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/07/09/glaad-co-chair-few-groups-are-at-greater-risk-than-transgender-citizens/
You can't talk about how hard it is for transgender people without especially noting how difficult it can be for TWOC, let's be real here. We are all at risk, but the discrimination in the form of assault and murder is heavily slanted toward TWOC. As a white TW I expect some notable difficulty but I am not in fear for my life anymore than a non-trans white woman. That's just not the life a TWOC has.
With that distinction, I'm glad she's speaking out ...
If recent and horrifying events have shown us anything it's that you're right about this Ashley.
Do you think existing racial prejudice is exacerbating the situation? Could we make a point that these are twofold hate-crimes?
That would depend upon who commits these crimes and we don't have any suspects yet, no?