Here's the Heathen Hellscape America Became After These 7 Places Welcomed Trans People
The Obama administration is expected to take a powerful, unprecedented stand on Friday for young trans people in the United States — and God-fearing conservatives immediately cried "heathen."
In a historic edict, the administration will make the passionate case for schools across the nation to allow transgender students to use the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity.
If schools don't comply, the administration warns they face losing federal funding, or dealing with a lawsuit from the Justice Department.
Conservative opponents of the administration's declaration for the rights of trans youth wasted no time pointing out what happens when, in their eyes, a politician plays God:
Targeting children. Godless. God-Baal. These are the warnings of a political party urging us to remember that keeping trans youth from killing themselves is tantamount to our nation moving away from God's grace and towards, well, hell.
In the interest of trying to see where they're coming from, we looked at seven places in the United States that have already made steps toward passing policies that prove that trans lives matter to see what we could glean about our godless, trans-friendly future.
This is a look at the hellscape conservatives are so afraid of:
Massachusetts
According to GLAD, in 2011, Massachusetts a passed a trans-inclusive anti-discrimination law that defines gender identity as "a person's gender-related identity, appearance or behavior, whether or not that gender-related identity, appearance or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with the person's physiology or assigned sex at birth."
In May, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh raised the transgender equality flag over City Hall. According to the Transgender Law Center, there are 230,768 LGBT people in Massachusetts. There have been zero reported instances of a trans person attacking someone in a bathroom.
New York City's public schools
In 2014, New York City public schools, the largest school district in the country, started doing pretty much exactly what President Barack Obama just asked school districts across the country to do: It passed guidelines designed to help keep transgender students safe.
The policy suggested schools use the name and pronouns that students identify with, and advised schools "to avoid requiring students to use locker rooms, restrooms, and other accommodations that conflict with their gender identity and expression," reported the Advocate at the time.
In 2015, "95% of parents report satisfaction with their child's education," according to the New York City Department of Education. There have been zero reported instances of a trans person attacking someone in a bathroom.
Maine
The Maine Human Rights Act, upheld in a 2005 election, protects transgender people in Maine from discrimination, according to EqualityMaine. In 2013, the Maine Supreme Court ruled that it was unlawful to force Nicole Maines, a trans student, to use a bathroom different from the one that matched her gender identity, reported the Bangor Daily News.
In 2015, Maine was ranked the second safest state in the country, according to 24/7 Wall St. There have been zero reported instances of a trans person attacking someone in a bathroom.
The Ivy League
All eight schools in the prestigious Ivy League, Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Cornell, Princeton, Columbia, Brown and the University of Pennsylvania, have taken measures to protect and welcome trans students.
Two Ivy League schools, Penn and Princeton, make the Advocate's first-ever list of the top 10 most trans-friendly colleges and universities. There have still been zero reported instances of a trans person attacking someone in a bathroom.
Trump Tower
In April, the Republican Party's presumptive nominee, Donald Trump, announced he believed trans people should use whatever bathroom they feel comfortable in, confirming that, if Caitlyn Jenner were to visit Trump Tower, he would want her to use whatever bathroom she wanted. Later that month, Jenner took him up on that and visited Trump Tower, where she "took a pee" in the women's restroom.
FYI, there have been zero reported instances of a trans person attacking someone in a bathroom.
Washington, D.C.
Our nation's capital also has protections in place for transgender people. According to the D.C. Trans Coalition, trans rights in the city include using "the bathroom you want to use" and being called by the correct name and pronouns.
Do we even have to say it again? There have been zero reported instances of a trans person attacking someone in a bathroom.
Delta Tau Delta (and a bunch of other fraternities and sororities)
The umbrella organization of Delta Tau Delta recently amended their membership policy to say "Delta Tau Delta is open to all men of superior character including transgender males," Think Progress reported in February, and they're not the only fraternity or sorority now welcoming trans students. Chapters of Delta Lambda Phi, Zeta Chi, Xi Omicron Iota and the national organization of Sigma Phi Epsilon are all among those that have allowed trans members.
And still, there have been zero reported instances of a trans person attacking someone in a bathroom.
