Shameful. Political pandering. Heartless. Cowardly. A terrible message to send to some of our most vulnerable youth.

All of these are appropriate responses to the Trump Administration’s recent decision to rescind guidance to public schools regarding the fair and equal treatment of transgender students. 

The number of Americans who say they know a transgender person is on the rise but, “knowing” a transgender person and being familiar with their lives and the challenges transgender people face every day are two vastly different things. To make that difference tangible to non-transgender people and especially to those who make policy and report about us in the news, transgender people must effectively engage with lawmakers, the media and the public around them.

Statement from Amy Hunter, ACLU of Michigan Transgender Advocacy Project Coordinator, on Anti-Transgender Legislation Introduced by State Rep. Jim Runestad:

Statement from Amy Hunter, Transgender Advocacy Coordinator, ACLU of Michigan, on Senator Tom Casperson’s Anti-Transgender Legislation

For decades transgender people have been fired or turned away from jobs just because of who they are. Courts and federal agencies are finally starting to recognize this for what it is — illegal sex discrimination — and they’re holding employers accountable.

Near the end of March, legislators and the governor of North Carolina jammed through the now infamous HB2 “bathroom bill” mandating that transgender people use only those restrooms that match their assigned sex at birth.  Immediately, there was uproar from business, LGBTQ advocates, constitutional law scholars and everyday ordinary people, who saw through the ridiculous idea that transgender people are somehow dangerous and need to be swept into segregated sp

When I began writing a series of stories chronicling the lives of transgender people, my goal was to help educate the public. Yet I’m learning just as much in the process.

It’s humbling how willing these people have been to share their deeply personal stories, but not necessarily surprising. After all, coming out as transgender — which means living as your authentic self, regardless of the gender you’re assigned at birth — requires an enormous amount of honesty and courage.

It’s no secret that transgender people are becoming more visible on a national stage. There’s actress Laverne Cox, reality star Caitlyn Jenner, and even shows like "Transparent" that try with honest intentions to shine some much-needed light on the issues that affect the trans community the most. These are all good things, of course. 

ACLU at the Michigan Capitol – April 7, 2016

With the state legislature on a two-week spring break, it’s an opportune time to talk about other avenues of lobbying around which the ACLU of Michigan organizes our policy efforts. Having support from elected House and Senate members is crucial to passing legislation that furthers our policy goals, and gaining that support often looks much more like a road map than simply checking off a list of supportive legislators.