November 4, 2016

Dear Future President,
I believe that transgenders should have a separate bathroom from others for their own safety and the safety of others. According to the U.S Department of Justice, “Somewhere in America a woman is raped every two minutes”. “In 1995 alone, 354,670 women were the victims of rape of sexual assault”. These statistics could potentially go up if we allow transgender individuals use the bathroom of their choice. Most transgenders feel like they are being discriminated against because they feel like they are no different from other people, but yet they are the only ones having this bathroom issue. According to Prestigiacomo “If we let transgender individuals use the bathroom of their choice, some men will abuse the bathrooms and locker rooms that are open to identity rather than biology by falsely proclaiming womanhood in order to gain access to women and children for motives of malice” Imagine if someone pretends to be transgender and walks into the opposite bathroom just to look at or watch the opposite sex. This has already happened many times before. In Virginia a man was caught and arrested for peeping on and filming two women and a 5 year old child in a women's restroom after receiving entry by dressing like a woman.

But this is not just about the safety of non- transgender individuals. This is also about the safety of transgenders. In 2013 to 2015 fifty-three transgender individuals have been murdered(Stafford). Even though this seems like a small number, these numbers will quickly pile up. An average of 21 transgender homicides are reported annually. As you can see in 2015 there was almost double that amount. Many people are affected by this issue. “It speaks to all of us who have ever been made to feel inferior, like somehow we just don’t belong in our community, like somehow we just don’t fit in. Let me reassure every transgender individual right here in America, that you belong just as you are” (Gupta). “This is about the dignity and respect we accord our fellow citizens and laws that we as a people and as a country have to protect them (Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch).

One solution could be to have single-user restrooms. This way if you afraid of going to the bathroom with a transgender person you won’t have to worry about it. Another solution could be to make a transgender bathroom. When you make a transgender bathroom you will be running the risk of discrimination but it is better to be discriminated against than to be abused in the public bathroom. Dear next president, to resolve this issue I would like for you to explain to the transgender community that these solutions are about the safety of themselves and also those around them.

Sincerely,

Amiyah W.