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Introduction to Issues Surrounding Gender Identity and Expression

Whether or not they identify as transgender, many gay, lesbian, bisexual and straight people transgress traditional gender roles. A straight female with short hair who is often called "sir" in public, a boyish-looking lesbian who is questioned in the women's bathroom, a gay teen-ager who is reprimanded for "not acting like a man" — all face bias based on preconceived notions of gender. The more people see how gender varies, the more people will embrace laws that treat people equally regardless of their gender exhibition.

Due to societal restraints, being out as transgender is not always easy, but it's also the only way to educate others about gender identity and expression. We know from stories that we hear that people who know someone who is transgender are far more likely to support equal rights for all people regardless of their gender identity. Major corporations, including American Airlines, Eastman Kodak and Nike, are realizing the importance of offering equal protections to their employees regardless of gender identity or expression. Legislators in cities and states across the country are starting to extend their non-discrimination laws to cover transgender people. And, facing possible rejection and even violence, transgender people continue to come out to friends, family, co-workers and community members, who, in turn, are increasingly accepting and loving them for who they are.

"We sometimes like to say that transgender people are just ordinary people," said Mara Keisling. "I think that misses the point. Unlike most people, we have had to evaluate who we are and who we need to be. We have faced our fears and risked just about everything. By coming out as transgender, we have engaged in a humbling act of courage that would frighten almost anyone. Transgender people are not simply ordinary; we are extraordinary."