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Political Revolution

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"Don't boo, vote" was a call-to-action by President Obama when he was on the campaign trail not so long ago. As the citizens of America inch closer to November 8, 2016 to vote in one of the most contentious elections in history, they realize that the steaks could not be higher. One specific issue that is near and dear to my heart, but affects our entire society, is the issue of human rights. All people have the right to be treated equally under the law in our country. Sounds like an easy concept to understand, especially since we were taught at a young age in civics class that our founding fathers of America stated, "All men are created equal" in the second paragraph of the United States Declaration of Independence. "All" is an inclusive word in the English language, but it is too often that the exclusive word "some" is applied when policies and laws are crafted. It is a fact that the United States of America has had historical problems (big problems) with discrimination. The majority of Americans can agree to that; however, still today American citizens continue to grapple with discrimination issues. LGBT rights, specifically, transgender rights, have moved from the margins of society and have landed front and center during this election cycle.

My article, "" published in The Experience addressed a major LGBT milestone in 2015. The fact that President Barack Obama included a marginalized minority group during his State of the Union speech was historical. We can never underestimate the power of visibility and inclusivity. When a minority group receives a welcomed assist from the most powerful leader of the free world, it is important to take a moment to recognize the progress he has made on human rights issues. Moreover, the Obama administration has made great strides on LGBT equality and equity in our country. The discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy" (allowed military personal to be fired based on sexual orientation) ended on September 20, 2011. This policy did not end without a fight in Congress. In fact, the 2016 Republican Vice Presidential nominee and current Governor of Indiana, Mike Pense, argued heavily against this human rights initiative. He stated that the repeal was "some liberal domestic social agenda." Furthermore, under the Obama administration in 2015, the discriminatory Defensive of Marriage Act was repealed, and the Pentagon announced in 2016 that they were lifting a long-time ban against transgender individuals serving openly in the military. This is one of the last discrimination barriers that have been torn down. The Obama administration has raised the bar on LGBT human rights in our country by treating them equal to race, religion and gender discrimination.  Now Transgender military service members can join and thrive openly in our military. Yet, this week, the 2016 Republican Presidential Nominee, Donald Trump, slammed the military for being "politically correct" to allow transgender individuals to serve openly in the military. Regardless of the Trump-Pense ticket's blatant assault on human rights , we must acknowledge that we, the people, have made great strides enacting human rights to the LGBT community over the past few years on both a macro-national level as well as on a micro-community level.  Let us not forget that the Los Medanos College community has been at the forefront of ensuring that human rights for transgender individuals are met. In 2014, student leaders collaborated with the college administration to create a more inclusive and equitable campus environment through the gender-neutral restroom initiative. The initiative was widely accepted and on par with the Obama Presidency's progressive human rights changes. Subsequently, the transgender community has found themselves with a bigger target on their backs from the opposition after President Obama's State of the Union Speech.

Los Medanos College's newspaper, The Advocate, calls attention to a specific discriminatory law that targets the transgender community subsequently after President Obama elevated the need for Tran's equality. The Advocate staff states, in the article "Bad Year for acceptance," that America has had a bad year when it comes to human rights progress. We have seen "craven attempts by several states to roll back" rights of minorities, the article reads. The writers points specifically to the "passing of a law in North Carolina restricting bathroom access to trans people." I could not agree more with the cultural assessment made by the staff at The Advocate. North Carolina's Republican Governor, Pat McCrory, signed House Bill 2, HB2, into law in a special session earlier this year. It is illegal for Transgender individuals who have not made gender changes medically or legally (gender markers on birth certificates) to utilize the bathroom that matches the gender that they identify with. This law is rooted in discrimination and violates transgender individual's human rights. There are many other states that are proposing similar discriminatory laws: Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginal. Regressive laws and policies deserve a huge "boo!" Moreover, America cannot afford a Trump-Pense Administration to reverse the aforementioned human rights progress pertaining to LGBT equality.   

It is imperative that our country continue to stay on the course of advancing human rights for the LGBT minority community, especially, the transgender community. Listening to President Obama's call-to-action to not "boo, but vote" is extremely imperative during this contentious election year. The Advocate hit the nail on the head when they state, "2016 is the most tolerant, inclusive year in the history of the United States." Voting for a Presidential ticket that will continue the human rights progress will ensure that America's future will be even more tolerant and inclusive. Just like the years we have seen under the leadership of President Obama sparked by simply giving voice to a marginalized community by using the word "transgender" in a speech on a National platform. There is hope that America can move the needle to uphold the American creed that "All humans are created equal." 

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