People and organizations across
the country are participating in
transgender Awareness Week and it
was created to help address issues
that members of the community face.
And some of those alarming
challenges include anti trans hate,
violence, and discrimination.
At every turn, our lead race and
culture reporter Candace Redd is
sharing one sacramentans story.
Well, I came out in 2019. Lauren
Polito, who lives in Sacramento, says he
identifies as a transmasculine person.
After that, just tried to find
community as much as I could.
A transmasculine person typically refers to
someone who was assigned female at birth,
but identifies with masculinity.
In 2019, I got top surgery,
I started testosterone,
and my life changed.
I finally was able to look in
the mirror and identify who that.
US, and that's the biggest thing.
But as a transgender person,
Polito says he's experienced
discrimination at every turn,
especially while traveling and
going through TSA checkpoints.
TSA is a very interesting place,
especially as a trans person.
I always get checked.
Going through TSA,
I always have to get personally
scanned or personally felt up.
And it can be a very embarrassing
and also a very intimate process
that doesn't really need to happen.
The TSA announced new screening
standards back in March,
like enhancing technology and limiting Pat
Downs for transgender airline passengers.
The agency says the changes quote
advance civil rights and improve the
customer experience of travelers
who previously have been required
to undergo additional screenings
due to alarms and sensitive areas.
End Quote.
There have been multiple instances
where my safety has been an issue.
Polito says he's faced discrimination
at public restrooms, too. If people
are either clocking you as not
conforming to either of their
understandings of gender,
it's immediately a safety issue.
In California. Business establishments,
nonprofits, and government agencies
cannot discriminate based on someone's
gender identity or gender expression,
including. Using a public restroom
systematically, we're not
set up for success here,
the Center for American Progress
says more than three and five
transgender people in the US faced
some kind of discrimination in 2020.
New research by the National
LGBTQ task force shows black
transgender people experience the
highest levels of discrimination
compared to other trans groups.
That results in higher rates of unemployment,
homelessness and poverty
right now is a particularly difficult.
Time for the transgender community.
The nonprofit GLAD is encouraging people
to recognize transgender Awareness Week
in November to protect trans rights.
We're seeing hundreds of bills
introduced in legislatures across
the country attempting to ban life
saving healthcare from trans children,
excluding them from sports participation,
essentially trying to erase and
eradicate trans people from public life
transgender people. Have historically
been a marginalized group,
the LGBT Community Center says Trans
Awareness Week is also a time to remember
victims of anti trans hate and violence.
Every human being should have a chance to
thrive and like really have a great life.
And I think anything that we can do
to support those who are targeted for
victims of violence is a really powerful
act. My story is is personally
more of a success story.
Compared to a lot of the community that
I have worked so hard to fight for,
you rely on the hope that
eventually things will get better.
And as a country, we still don't have
enough data when it comes to understanding
the lives and experiences of transgender
people and the issues they face.
And right now, the US Transgender
survey is hoping to fill those gaps
with research to help leaders better
advocate for the transgender community.
So if you are a trans or
nonbinary person 16 or older,
you can take the survey
up until December 5th.
You can find it on abc10.com
slash to the point.