Dear President,

I am aware that the transgender community has become a very controversial topic since the ‘bathroom bill’ that was introduced back in March in the state of North Carolina. The bathroom bill’s purpose is for people to use the bathroom of the gender they were assigned at birth, even if that gender is not the gender they assign themselves as. According to KATV, transgender people say: “It’s frightening and hurtful that so many people seem to want to prevent me from being who I am when it doesn’t impact their life at all.” This can become a serious problem if not stopped. I have a friend, who I will not name for their convenience, who has come to me seeking help about this specific topic because they are transgender and they’re being discriminated against for being themself. They have been discriminated against and even assaulted and they want their suffering to stop. It’s your job to help these people struggling with finding their true selves end the discrimination they face.

Transgender people are mistreated and discriminated against daily and the addition of the bathroom bill is not helping them any. If anything the bathroom bill has put a target on their backs. Let me put it this way, Visually says that three out of four transgender students experience discrimination at school and 97 percent of transgender people have been discriminated against in their work area. Those numbers are huge and it doesn’t help that only thirteen of the states in America, and the District of Columbia, protect transgender people against discrimination (which is 26 percent of America that protects transgender people against discrimination).

Americans these days are so close-minded and it’s quite difficult to change their minds when they are set on something; trying to change the minds of transphobic people is nearly impossible because they’re always “openly hostile to the idea”. Let’s not forget to mention the people who seem to have no conscience and harrass, or even go as far as sexually assaulting, someone just because they are a transgender person. This discrimination is leading transgender people to think they’re worthless and even try to end their lives: Marieclaire says that forty one percent of transgender people attempt to commit suicide. This is really becoming a problem and how can you, as the president of the United States of America, preach about following the constitution when you ignore the fact that not everybody is treated equal? In order for you to look me in the eyes and say you follow the constitution you’d have to tell me every person is created equal when you know the amount of discrimination that goes on in our country. In order for you to do that you’ll actually have to stop discrimination. In order to stop discrimination, you’ll have to actively fight against the predators and help these people suffering. You’ll have to ensure their safety just as much as you ensure the safety of the lives of American citizens. You, as the next president, need to get over your ideas and views on the transgender community and ensure that they would have the same type of protection you would give to any other citizen. You need to make sure that these people aren’t treated differently because they’re trying to be themselves.

Are you sure you’re ready for a commitment this big? Being the president of the United States is not something to take lightly and we don’t want someone unfit to fill the spot of our nation’s leader. So tell me President, are you up for helping transgender people find the peace they so desperately search for day in and day out? They’re looking for someone to help them end the seemingly infinite discrimination they face. Are you going to sit and watch them suffer in silence or are you going to be that someone? The choice is yours, so make the right one.

Sincerely,

Jasmyn M.

Websites

“As Transgender Teens Struggle, Here’s How One Kentucky School Leads the Way”. Pbs NewsHour. PBS NewsHour, June 7, 2016. Web. October 16, 2016.

Tchida, Stephen. “Effects of the North Carolina Bathroom Bill.” Katv. Katv, May 12, 2016. Web. October 23, 2016.

Thapoung, Kenny. “The Transgender Community by Numbers.” Marieclaire. Marie Claire, July 28, 2015. Web. October 23, 2016.

“Transgender.” Visually. Visually, November 27, 2011. Web. October 16, 2016.

“Trump is Right on Transgender Bathroom Laws.” Cnn. Cnn, April 25, 2016. Web. October 23, 2016