Transgender Rights

By Isabel Laracuente, Eliana DeLeon, and Katherine Godinez

Peace for all,
Peace for all,
Peace for all,
Says a majority of the population.
But can we really achieve peace
People are struggling for?

People protest for transgender, 
People protest against,
What biased minds fill the population?
Some people just don’t care.
Shouldn’t we find a compromise?
Or should we keep fighting for one side?

People may be at war
With gender,
Why are we creating
Wars against each other
When we should be
Helping one another?

People who desire to change genders
Hind behind a mask because
Today’s society doesn’t accept everyone.
Too many judge others.
The sad fact is some people
Can’t even be themselves.

People try to fight it.
They really really do.
But no one will listen to what
They are all struggling through.
Those transgenders you speak of
Are still human, just like me and you.

They need our help to feel real.
They need our help to feel strong.
We all need each other to know who we are.
All this hatred is the world’s disease
Not gender identities.
We are all equal, enough is enough. 

By Suyhalia Karim, Anthony Grice, Orlande Mensah

Letter to the President Essay

The topic of transgendered people and their rights is a popular topic in the 2016 presidential election. When it comes to the lifestyle choices and rights available there are mixed emotions, either you only go by the gender on your birth certificate or go by their chosen gender once they are fully transitioned. Transgenders should be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice once they are fully transitioned because it is better for our country to evolve without conflict and is better for the younger generation to be open and honest about their gender identity.

“What is gender and what is it’s purpose?” is a question that pops up when talking about this issue. According to the way most parents raise their children there are only two genders, male and female, and there is no in between gender. However there are about 63 identified genders according to quora.com. (Quora1) When asked about the purpose of gender, Jeevan Jacob John a student at Georgia Institute of Technology, said “All I see is a way for us is just another way to categorize human beings.” (John1) This means gender serves no purpose other than the segregation of people therefore people who are struggling with their gender identity are not only fighting for a male or female title in society but to be at peace with their bodies and themselves. For people who are struggling to transition or find their gender identity, the society we live in is oppressive and discourages the pursuit of happiness every American has been granted by the Constitution. When it comes to the lifestyle transgenders live after coming to an “agreement” about their gender there are limited lifestyle choices if they are not fully transitioned.

One of these lifestyle choices is what school uniform the child would wear with parent consent, the uniform assigned to their gender on their birth certificate or their gender once they have transitioned. “Transgender students must be allowed to have the gender that they identify with recorded in school records.” (Youth Law 25). This allows transgender students to be able to wear whatever clothes and/or uniform they will feel more comfortable in. In the Irish Times article, “No skirting the school uniform debate”, by Peter McGuire, has stated, “However, students who are transgender should be allowed to wear a uniform that is consistent with their gender identity, and that, at a minimum, a gender-neutral option should be offered.” (McGuire, 27) This is explaining that transgender students should have options on what to wear that accommodate for their gender identity. However, some people don’t agree with this idea on how transgender students should dress. In the article, “Transgender Students” on beyourself.aclu-il.org, a transgender student named Ryan wasn’t allowed to wear her favorite sweatshirt because it was “too feminine.” ( Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, 1) Not letting transgender students wear clothes that go with their gender is unfair to them and could cause things like depression and suicidal thoughts. They should be treated like any other student and get the same rights. Transgender students should be able to be themselves in the safe environment schools are supposed to be.

Then once in the working world public bathrooms are something that affects everyone, not just the transgender community, therefore as a community laws or rules need to be set to prevent conflict. When someone transitions, they often experience discrimination. According to a New York Times article,”in a study from UCLA’s Williams Institute, nearly 70% of transgender people said they had experienced verbal harassment in a situation involving gender-segregated bathrooms, while nearly 10% reported physical assault. ” Some people hate them, and others are outright disgusted by transgenders. The biggest force against the LGBT movement is the Catholic Church. They claim that people in the LGBT community are unholy and hated by God. Some people have tried to unite the LGBT movement and the Catholic Church. There are not a lot of these people and they do not usually impact the community in a major way.

What is the purpose of gender? It guides our society and the lifestyles of the people who live in them. As a society and as human beings we do not have the right to oppress a group of people because they want to live a lifestyle most are not used to. Transgenders should be able to live the lifestyle of the gender of their choice once they are fully transition because it will be easier on the people who do not belong to the transgender community and it will lead to more peaceful negotiations with other laws that are gender based.

Work Cited

John, Jeevan Jaccob. "Has the Purpose of Gender Changed? - Quora." Has the Purpose of

Gender Changed? Quora, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2016.

McGuire, Peter. "No Skirting the School Uniform Debate - The Irish Times." No Skirting the

School Uniform Debate. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.

Shadwick, Lana. "Texas Mom: Transgender Bathroom Rights for Her 4-Year-Old ..." Texas

Mom: Transgender Bathroom Rights for Her 4-Year-Old Is a Life or Death Fight. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.

Neuropsychiatry, Department Of. "[The History of the Concept of Gender Identity Disorder]."

National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d.

Web. 27 Sept. 2016.

Bednar, David A. "Gender Is an Essential Characteristic of Eternal Identity and Purpose - Ensign

Oct. 2008 - Ensign." Gender Is an Essential Characteristic of Eternal Identity and

Purpose - Ensign Oct. 2008 - Ensign. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.