Three Cheers for Washington, D.C.!
By Erika Davidoff
We talk a lot about women's or men's portrayal in the media and roles in society. But what about people who don't fit neatly into either category?
Discrimination against transgender people is prevalent across the country. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, ninety-seven percent of transgender workers have experienced mistreatment, harassment, or discrimination on the job, including invasion of privacy, verbal abuse, and physical or sexual assault. Unfortunately, this injustice isn't something the media often likes to talk about.
Until recently.
In September, the District of Columbia launched the "first government-funded campaign focused exclusively on the betterment of transgender and gender non-conforming people," according to colorlines.com. The posters feature bright, full-color portraits of transgender DC citizens.
"I like staying in shape, listening to Adele, and shopping in Friendship Heights with my mom and sisters," reads one. They all end with the sentence, "I'm a transgender woman and I'm part of DC. Please treat me the way any woman would want to be treated: with courtesy and respect."
The ad series was created after a rise in the number of crimes against transgender victims, according to the DCist.
D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray supports (and partially funded) the ad campaign. "This landmark campaign from the Office of Human Rights is an important piece of a larger effort by my administration to ensure all residents have equal access to employment, housing and public services and accommodations regardless of gender identity or expression," he wrote in a statement.
The ads offer an incredibly powerful message -- transgender citizens are fundamentally just like everyone else. They're real people with positive lifestyles, and they don't deserve discrimination (which is illegal in D.C. anyway).
These ads give me hope. The campaign alone isn't going to stop discrimination. But it's wonderful that D.C. has brought the issue to public attention in an admirable, productive manner. Though no other cities have followed suit yet, I wouldn't be surprised if the campaign spreads across the country, given how much these ads have been shared across the Internet so far.
We criticize the media a lot, and rightfully so. But it's comforting to remember that advertisements and media portrayals can sell positive messages as well. We can use these tools to bring about an end to injustice. And D.C. has shown us how to begin.