This has been fucking bothering me lately.

The legislative movements in America in the recent months have me truly disturbed.

It's not a total left/right issue, but Republican controlled legislatures have recently been pushing through laws that are at most charitably described as discriminatory and at least charitably described as government sanctioned h4te against transgendered citizens.

On the surface, these laws are presented as protecting the majority from a threat of predatory sexual harassment or assault from a minority group of citizens. This, I feel, is a legitimate concern and not to be dismissed, out of hand.

And yet, below the surface, the ugliness (I feel) of these laws is apparent for all to see: the minorities are being treated *literally* no differently than blacks and, before them, women were treated before their civil rights were recognized before the mid-to-late 60's. You can literally replace the word "transgender" with "black" and I would guarantee the argument was made 50 years ago, and would seem just as illegitimate today.

The further implication is that transgender status is not legally recognized by the government as 'legitimate,' which would further cement the anti-trans worldview and lead to increasing discrimination against a minority of the population.

This country was set up to protect the disenfranchised; to protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority; and to protect the rights of the individual to freedom, justice and the pursuit of happiness.

For those of you who see this as an injustice and an abridgement of the rights of the minority, I ask you: what have you done, as a citizen of this country, to address this affront?

And for those of you who see the minorities infringing on the rights of the majority, I ask you: how do you justify your position? Can you propose an inclusive solution?

For the rest of the world: how do you see this issue?

I await your thoughtful response.

Thank you.