It is heartening that 19 states and Washington, D.C. have laws on the books ensuring that transgender people have equal opportunities to learn, put a roof over their heads, and find work—but as a nation, we decided long ago that civil rights must not be left up to individual states. Everyone who lives in the United States deserves a fair chance to go to school, live in a stable home, and have a job.
Unfortunately, as things stand today, not all transgender people are given that fair chance. Some even live in states where their governments are putting more obstacles in their way by proposing “bathroom bans” that make it nearly impossible for them to participate in public life. The President and Congressional leaders do not appear to be interested in giving equal opportunities to transgender Americans either.
Now more than ever, transgender people must engage in a consistent, concerted, active effort to make sure that every member of our community is covered by anti-discrimination laws. Our 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey shows enormous disparities between transgender people and the general U.S. population. For example, three times as many transgender people are unemployed as people in the general population, and nearly a third of transgender people have been homeless. These outcomes only become worse when people face biases based on additional factors, such as being a person of color, disabled, or undocumented. But don’t just take it from us—we encourage members of Congress to meet with their transgender constituents and listen to their experiences.
For all of these reasons, we call on members of Congress to pass the Equality Act, and soon. The stakes are high for transgender people across the country.
—Mara Keisling, Executive Director, National Center for Transgender Equality
