From the Feminist Movement to the Civil Rights Movement, marginalized groups have always been forced to fight for legal protection. Currently, this ongoing battle for equal rights has been taken up by the transgender population and has received national attention. According to Oxford Dictionary, the term transgender means “Of, relating to, or designating a person whose identity does not conform unambiguously to conventional notions of male or female gender, but combines or moves between these.” (Oxford Dictionary, 2016) The transgender community is relatively small, only accounting for 0.6% of the American population. Although, this population is relatively tiny like most minorities, they expect discrimination. Even with the progressiveness
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Transgender individuals have experienced discrimination within the legal, education, and health systems as well as in employment, housing, and public areas. Among the disparities that the transgender population faces: one-fifth of the transgender population has experienced homelessness because they were transgender, they have a K-12 harassment rate of 78 percent, and they are four times as likely to live in poverty when compared to the general population work (Grant, Mottet and Tanis 3,4). In a study by the National Center for Transgender Equality, it was found that 90 percent of transgender individuals have experienced some form of discrimination at work (Grant, Mottet and Tanis 3). Currently, Title VII in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, and sex within education system, voting, workplace, and public accommodations like restaurants, etc. In hopes to remedy the transgender employment discrimination, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a federal agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination, passed a statement that clarifies that the “sex” portion of the law includes transgender individuals. Unfortunately, the statement by the EEOC has no federal power, and many court cases have knowingly overturned this statement in cases concerning transgender individuals because it doesn’t specify within the text that sex discrimination includes transgender individuals. With courts having the ability to ignore the EEOC’s statement, many transgender people lack absolute protection or any compensation in the face of
Transgender individuals have experienced discrimination within the legal, education, and health systems as well as in employment, housing, and public areas. Among the disparities that the transgender population faces: one-fifth of the transgender population has experienced homelessness because they were transgender, they have a K-12 harassment rate of 78 percent, and they are four times as likely to live in poverty when compared to the general population work (Grant, Mottet and Tanis 3,4). In a study by the National Center for Transgender Equality, it was found that 90 percent of transgender individuals have experienced some form of discrimination at work (Grant, Mottet and Tanis 3). Currently, Title VII in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, and sex within education system, voting, workplace, and public accommodations like restaurants, etc. In hopes to remedy the transgender employment discrimination, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a federal agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination, passed a statement that clarifies that the “sex” portion of the law includes transgender individuals. Unfortunately, the statement by the EEOC has no federal power, and many court cases have knowingly overturned this statement in cases concerning transgender individuals because it doesn’t specify within the text that sex discrimination includes transgender individuals. With courts having the ability to ignore the EEOC’s statement, many transgender people lack absolute protection or any compensation in the face of