“Let us Write a Different Story this Time”

Sometimes there are moments that give me hope about our country. One of them was yesterday, when Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced a federal civil rights lawsuit against North Carolina’s HB 2 “bathroom bill.”

Lynch gives the clearest and strongest statement I’ve ever heard by the federal government in support of transgender equality, tying the transgender struggle for civil rights directly to other civil rights movements and to the founding principles of our nation.

She recognizes the root of discrimination, in fear (my bold):

In the wake of that historic triumph [of marriage equality], we have seen bill after bill in state after state taking aim at the LGBT community. Some of these responses reflect a recognizably human fear of the unknown, and a discomfort with the uncertainty of change. But this is not a time to act out of fear. This is a time to summon our national virtues of inclusivity, diversity, compassion and open-mindedness. What we must not do – what we must never do – is turn on our neighbors, our family members, our fellow Americans, for something they cannot control, and deny what makes them human.

She notes that the lawsuit addresses fundamental tenets of our nation:

This action is about a great deal more than just bathrooms. This is about the dignity and respect we accord our fellow citizens and the laws that we, as a people and as a country, have enacted to protect them – indeed, to protect all of us. And it’s about the founding ideals that have led this country – haltingly but inexorably – in the direction of fairness, inclusion and equality for all Americans.

and recalls:

It was not so very long ago that states, including North Carolina, had signs above restrooms, water fountains and on public accommodations keeping people out based upon a distinction without a difference. We have moved beyond those dark days, but not without pain and suffering and an ongoing fight to keep moving forward. Let us write a different story this time. Let us not act out of fear and misunderstanding, but out of the values of inclusion, diversity and regard for all that make our country great.

To her great credit, too, she addresses those most impacted by the bill:

Let me also speak directly to the transgender community itself. Some of you have lived freely for decades. Others of you are still wondering how you can possibly live the lives you were born to lead. But no matter how isolated or scared you may feel today, the Department of Justice and the entire Obama Administration wants you to know that we see you; we stand with you; and we will do everything we can to protect you going forward. Please know that history is on your side. This country was founded on a promise of equal rights for all, and we have always managed to move closer to that promise, little by little, one day at a time. It may not be easy – but we’ll get there together.

One further comment: Much as Lynch’s words are gratifying and necessary, we must not position her as the “savior” of the transgender community. We must give credit to the many transgender people who have been fighting for years for their own equality. Lynch is an ally, and allies are vital, but she is not doing this singlehandedly, much less without the hard work of those within the transgender community.

I urge you to watch the seven-minute video below in its entirety and take her words to heart. Note that the Department of Justice has not yet edited this video; there is a blank room until Lynch starts her remarks at 36:18—so you’ll want to click ahead to start at that point.