Promoting rights

Thank you for your timely, compassionate and informative article, “This Is The Time ...” expounding on the issues faced by transgender individuals. The pain, struggles, obstacles and disenfranchisement of these citizens are a shameful testament to the hypocrisy of our so-called “compassionate and enlightened” society.

Opponents of transgender rights, in my humble view, are moral weaklings, frequently cloaking their transphobia within a veneer of righteousness and/or societal “responsibility.” And, herein, lies a sickening irony — transgender people are among the most courageous I’ve ever met, while their opponents are among the most cowardly.

The article cites a statistic that, I hope, will shock and sicken anyone espousing the ethic of loving-kindness: “In fact, more than 50 percent of transgender adolescents in the United States who identify as male have attempted suicide, according to a 2018 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics.”

Aside from exercising basic human decency, the promotion of transgender rights also has tremendous practical and economic benefit for all of us. I am confident in saying that there are none among us who haven’t already had their life saved, defended or enriched by a transgender doctor, health care worker, therapist, firefighter, police officer or soldier — just to cite a few examples. Promoting transgender rights provides a pathway for our transgender citizens to realize their educational, vocational and professional goals, which benefits everyone!

So, the message of “This Is The Time” is this: “It’s Time To Wake Up!” Mark Kaplan Hamden