Support from multiple sources

It's a good day when we transgender people can find support coming from one direction. But on some rare occasions, we get a treat.

The Bud Light Party's Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen lead us off today:

From the start of our campaign at the Super Bowl, The Bud Light Party has rallied around bringing people together. In our newest spot, Seth and Amy remind Americans that labels belong on beer, not people—a message Bud Light proudly supports.

--Alex Lambrecht, Bud Light

When a brand like Bud Light shows support for the transgender community, it makes a difference. Not only does it help bring more visibility to the trans community, it also inspires other companies to do more to show their support. This ad also includes out trans actor Ian Harvie, which puts a face on the trans community and gives a trans person the opportunity to appear in a high-profile spot like this one.

--Nick Adams, GLAAD

Next up, millennials:

A USA/Rock the Vote survey of people 18 to 35 finds that millennials believe, by a 62%-32% margin, that transgender people should use the restroom designated for the gender they identify with. 34% strongly agree with that principle, while only 17% strongly disagree.

We have bigger problems in life than focusing on somebody's gender. It is their life; they are not hurting anybody, and we should be focusing more on what is actually more important, like terrorism and drug trafficking.

--Gloria Garcia, nurse, Brownsville, TX

There are partisan differences on the issue. Supporters of Republican Donald Trump for president say by 55%-41% that transgenders should use the bathroom of the gender they were born. By a much wider margin, supporters of Democrat Hillary Clinton say they should use the bathroom of the gender they identify with, 76%-21%.

Meanwhile, younger Americans overwhelmingly agree that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a big problem in the United States. Just one in four say discrimination against the LGBTQ community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) isn't a big problem; more than seven in 10 say it is.

Clinton supporters by more than 5-1, 83%-16%, say discrimination is a big problem. A smaller majority of Trump supporters agree, 53%-45%.

There is a lot of hate on a day-to-day basis, people judging and making comments and remarks. While I think discrimination is fading, I still do see it as a problem, and I know people that have dealt with it firsthand.

--Andrew Piland, tech exec, San Diego, CA

Finally, the General Services Administration is expected to soon post an update to the Federal Register requiring all federally operated facilities to allow transgender people to use restrooms consistent with their gender identity.

The rule will apply to approximately 9200 properties operated by the GSA and an estimated 1 million civilians employed in those sites. The rule will also cover anyone visiting any of those facilities, which include courthouses and social security offices.

This includes all kinds of Americans. We wanted to make clear that a person can use facilities that match their gender identity, and we think that’s a good thing.

--Ashley Nash-Hahn, GSA spokesperson

The rule is as follows:

Federal agencies occupying space under the jurisdiction, custody, or control of GSA must allow individuals to use restroom facilities and related areas consistent with their gender identity.

This type of requirement can change the default for what life is like for those federal employees and people who enter federal buildings.

--Chai Feldbloom, EEOC

The regulation builds on and reinforces a growing body of interpretations by the Obama administration to protect transgender people under longstanding civil rights laws. Several agencies in recent years have found that bans on sex discrimination — under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 — ban transgender discrimination as a form of sex discrimination.

Not all federal properties are covered by the GSA’s upcoming regulation, Nash-Hahn said. The White House, Capitol building, and national parks are outside the agency’s jurisdiction, for example. However, the federal government has made clear that such rules already apply to federal workers and students as a general matter.

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enhydra lutris's picture

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Thanks!

One of these days perverts will quit getting excited over other people's sex lives/orientation - I hear they can get help for that.

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.