Transgender People Should Not Be Allowed In Bathrooms

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Every day, transgender people not only have to fight for equality, but they also have to fight for authenticity. Transgender is defined as relating to a person whose identity and gender do not correspond to their birth sex. In the past, being transgender has made people targets for harassment, verbal and physical assault, and prejudice. Fortunately, society has progressed a lot in the past few years, but one topic which is still highly debated is that of transgender bathroom rights. Due to the nature of what happens in the bathroom, people can resist change because they feel exposed or vulnerable (Steinmetz). However, the question remains: Should trans people be allowed to use the bathroom they are most comfortable with? A trans person’s identity …show more content…

“But a more common argument is that allowing transgender women to use the women’s room would open up the doors for sexual predators or peeping teenage boys to use those protections as a dangerous ruse to get into female spaces” (Steinmetz). This argument is used in nearly every debate involving trans bathroom rights, but it is extremely unheard of. In fact, when the 17 largest school districts with anti-discrimination policies were consulted, not a single one reported an incident of harassment or inappropriate behavior (Steinmetz). In reality, trans people face harassment and assault in bathrooms more often than cisgender people do. In one of the biggest surveys of transgender Americans, UCLA’s Williams Institute found that 70% of people reported being denied access and being verbally harassed, while 10% reported physical assault (Grinburg and Stewart). Everywhere, people are saying that allowing transgender people use the bathroom they identify with poses danger. Yet no matter what, statistics can not be found to back up that claim. This wild misconception about transgender people causes so much judgment and is a major damage to the transgender community’s goal of

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