Trans Rights

In this year’s political arena the candidates are speaking out on trans rights and some of their positions are head scratchers.

Bernie’s position according to Buzzfeed,

Bernie Sanders declared he was an ally to the transgender community and he vowed to expand transgender protections under existing federal civil rights laws if he’s elected — according to his answers to a presidential questionnaire sent in April by a transgender-rights advocacy group.

Hilary’s position according to her statement,

In her statement, Clinton pledged to fight for full federal equality for LGBT Americans. She advised she will work with congress to pass the Equality Act, an amendment to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Act would provide LGBT individuals explicit and comprehensive protection from discrimination in all facets of American life—employment, housing, schools, access to credit, public education, jury service, and public accommodations.

Now Trump’s position is hard to pin down because it is flapping all over the place. The latest that I could find was,

Last month, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump broke with his party’s orthodoxy and came out against a North Carolina law that bans schools and public buildings from accommodating transgender individuals’ bathroom use.

“North Carolina did something that was very strong,” Trump told Today, “and they’re paying a big price. There’s a lot of problems.”

But Trump has steadily walked those comments back during the handful of weeks since. In fact, Trump’s recent comments suggest he doesn’t actually object to anti-trans state laws like North Carolina’s aforementioned HB2 after all.

Earlier this month, Trump said that while he thinks "transgender people should be protected under the law," the bathroom issue is one that should be left to the individual states to sort out. The problem with that position, however, is that states like North Carolina are passing laws that do the very opposite of protect trans people.

Then, during an appearance on The O'Reilly Factor this Monday, Trump rolled out another rationale for why states shouldn't be required to accommodate trans people -- it's allegedly too expensive.

"Frankly, it would be unbelievably expensive nationwide," Trump said, referring to gender neutral bathrooms. "It would be hundreds of billions of dollars."

So take your pick on whether he is for trans rights or against them, it seems to depend upon his mood and audience.

Personally  I feel that human rights, not just trans rights but women’s right to determine their own reproductive health, integration, and freedom from religious persecution are the important issues for me this election cycle.

I believe that the Republicans cry is to get government off our back overlook the fact that they want to put government into our doctor’s office and tell us what we can do with our bodies. What could be more invasive that what Republican legislators have proposed… vaginal ultrasounds before a woman can get an abortion?

They have passed legislation that gives special rights to people to disregard laws and discriminate against people that they don’t agree just by saying it is against their religion.

In parts of the south segregation is alive and growing.

They are disenfranchising hundreds of thousands of voters in states and claim it is to stop voter fraud which they have admitted in court doesn’t exisit.

I cannot in good conscious vote Republican , a party that as part of their party platform criminalizes me.