Thread by @DarrigoMelanie

🏳️‍⚧️Trans Rights are Human Rights.🏳️‍⚧️

We must pass federal legislation to ensure those words have meaning. 🧵⬇️

Trans communities, especially trans youth, are under attack by Republicans seeking to strip them of their rights, identities and the essential services and protections that keep them safe.

We must respond forcefully and with solutions that ensure their equality and protection.⬇️

Federal laws supersede state laws, which means Congress can directly undo the damage being done by homophobic and transphobic Republican state legislatures.

In response to these increasing attacks, I'm proud to release my Transgender Rights Agenda ⬇️
darrigo2022.com/transrights

Right now, transgender people are disproportionately impacted by violence, poverty and discriminated against in healthcare, housing, education and government services.

The rates at which they are affected increase for Black and Brown trans individuals.⬇️

From bigoted sports bans to legislation preventing queer history from being taught in schools, conservatives are hell-bent on erasing the existence of LGBTQ+ identities.

We have a moral obligation to protect them — our friends, family and community members.⬇️

As a co-founder of an LGBTQ+ non-profit, I take protecting trans lives seriously. In Congress, I will work to whip votes and ensure that the Equality Act finally passes.⬇️

The Equality Act amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender, gender identity and sexual orientation in employment, housing, education, public accommodations, federally funded programs, credit and jury duty.⬇️

29% of trans Americans have been refused medical care by a doctor or provider due to their gender identity.

This harm, based in bigotry, is abhorrent — but we can do something about it. ⬇️

The Equality Act, paired with #MedicareForAll, would ensure that no one is denied the medical care they need because of discrimination, coverage or cost, including the gender affirming care needed to allow everyone to identify exactly how they choose. ⬇️

1 in 5 trans Americans have experienced homelessness. Because of factors including family rejection, discrimination and violence, transgender and other LGBQ-identified youth make up an estimated 20 - 40% of the more than 1.6 million homeless youth. ⬇️

We must fully fund programs that support LGBTQ+ youth and keep them safe and housed as well as ensuring policies surrounding home care, foster care and adoption are inclusive and non-discriminatory.

We must also end the barbaric practice of conversion therapy.⬇️

For federal funds to be properly allocated for resources for LGBTQ+ communities, we must ensure that they are properly represented in government data. LGBTQ+ identities must be included in the U.S. Census to avoid undercounts that result in underfunding vital LGBTQ+ programs.⬇️

To combat the hate crimes and discrimination at the local level, we must promote understanding, empathy and equality towards our LGBTQ+ communities by increasing exposure through education of their history and diversity of our families.⬇️

Almost 2 million Americans identify as transgender and are in desperate need of codified federal protections to guarantee their equality, safety and protection not just as Americans, but as people.

When I say, “Trans Rights are Human Rights” I will always back it up with action.