There's a hateful new petition out there that is seeking to have the "T" dropped from LGBT — the moniker that has become synonymous with equal rights for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and recently, queer communities. Over 1,000 people have signed the campaign on Change.org, according to MTV News, and the movement seems to stem from a deep-rooted and totally misguided history of transphobia.
The petition begins, "We are a group of gay/bisexual men and women who have come to the conclusion that the transgender community needs to be disassociated from the larger LGB community." The unnamed group then goes on to specify that being gay, lesbian, or bisexual has to do with sexual orientation, and that being trans has to do with gender identity. They call on a number of LGBT media outlets and sites to drop the "T," including GLAAD, The Advocate, Out, Lambda Legal, Human Rights Campaign, and Huff Post Gay Voices, and say that the trans community not only has differently ideologies than the "LGB" one, "but is ultimately regressive and actually hostile to the goals of women and gay men."
Then, the group goes on to lay out a list of grievances that are based on false facts, misguided notions, and straight up bigotry. They say trans people are prone to harass gay, lesbian, and bisexual ones that do not agree with their ideologies, they bring up the bathroom argument, and perhaps most disturbingly, they say that parents and therapists should not encourage young people who exhibit gender dysphoria to be transgender, and they should instead allow children to "grow out of it" so they can "grow up to become well-adjusted gay men and women."
The petitions ends on, "Please note that we are not advocating intolerance or prejudice against the transgender community." Funny, 'cause that's exactly what it looks like they're doing. Look, we understand that not all groups might agree with every policy or ideology of other groups, even ones that seem similarly aligned, but to call out the trans community and ask that they be separated from a larger movement, especially at a time when both groups are finally gaining meaningful traction, mainstream acceptance, and long-awaited rights is just wrong. And now, conservative blogs and measures, like The Federalist and Houston's recent Equal Rights Ordinance, which was sadly struck down last week, have tagged onto to this petition as proof that they're right, and everyone does, or should, dislike and fear trans people.
Luckily, the news organizations that have been called on to "Drop the T" have rejected this notion altogether. ThinkProgress reports that the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) called the petition, "unequivocally wrong," and aptly pointed out that "the bullies at school aren’t just harassing the gay kids, they’re harassing the transgender kids." GLAAD said, “At a time when anti-LGBT activists continue to attack the basic rights and protections essential to all of our lives, we must stand together, rather than succumb to the ruin of divisiveness.” And Lambda Legal said, " We are fighting together for an end to discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation as well as gender identity...these are all forms of prejudice and abuses of power that are rooted in hatred, fear, and a lack of understanding of those who are perceived as not conforming to gender stereotypes."
It's basically like MLK said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." How about instead of dropping the "T," we just drop the hate and all work together for a better and more inclusive future. As proof that this is already happening, there's a "Keep the T (Reject "Drop the T") Change.org petition already up. Why don't you head over to the site and add your signature to that movement.
Related: Watch a Supportive Mom Surprise Her Transgender Teen with Hormone Therapy
Check out Teen Vogue’s November issue cover star, Emma Roberts.
