Loretta Lynch delivers powerful speech advocating for trans rights
Yesterday, we as a nation watched as Pat McCrory filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice. In turn, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against North Carolina for infringing on the federal civil rights of North Carolina's trans residents.
Loretta Lynch made the most remarkable speech as she announced the lawsuit NC faces.
"Gender identity is innate, and external efforts to change a person's gender can be harmful to a person's health and well-being. A transgender man's sex is male and a transgender woman's sex is female."
"This action is about a great deal more than just bathrooms. This is about the dignity and respect we accord our fellow citizens and the laws that we, as a people and as a country, have enacted to protect them-indeed, to protect us all. And it's about the founding ideals that led this country-haltingly and inexorably-in the direction of fairness, inclusion and equality for all Americans."
She then equated the LGBT discrimination with the dark history of segregation. Lynch discussed similarities between signs above bathrooms, water fountains, and on other public accommodations. She said the discrimination is similar to what is happening with trans discrimination in North Carolina.
Towards the end of the speech, she asked her fellow North Carolinians to learn from history and to not make the same mistakes twice.
Her speech culminated into this one point:
"No matter how isolated or scared you may feel today, the Department of Justice and the entire Obama administration wants you to know that we see you; we stand with you; and we will do everything we can to protect you going forward. Please know that history is on your side. This country was founded on a promise of equal rights for all, and we have always managed to move closer to that promise, little by little, one day at a time. It may not be easy—but we’ll get there together."
My Two Cents
Loretta Lynch stood passionately as she spoke to North Carolina and the nation about this important moment in our history. Her speech was one for the history books, as no other person in that kind of power has ever advocated so passionately for the trans community.
The Republicans in North Carolina will not get away with their transphobia. I'm glad that our Department of Justice is on right side.
Folks, sex and gender is a complex issue. How would the conservatives handle someone who was born intersex? There are many individuals out there who are intersex and may identify as one or both genders outwardly. It's the same kind of deal with transgender. Those who are transgender were born in the wrong physical gender. In the mind and spirit, they are the opposite gender. Some have the surgery to become the gender they are between the ears, some don't. It doesn't make them less of a person.
It is important for us to know how complex sex and gender are. It's important to open our minds and hearts to those whom are transgender. It's equally as important to know the proper pronouns as well.
The transgender community is very warm and welcoming. They want to help educate people about the history, and about what being transgender is all about. They aren't trying to "convert" you or demonize you or whatever. They just want to spread awareness.
I mean, it's not like they are enacting laws telling you where you can and cannot go to the bathroom. It's not like they are beating you up and calling you names. I mean, what kind of horrible people do that?
