Earlier this week, ahead of Transgender Day of Visibility, I had the honor of hosting the ACLU of Indiana’s first online “Ask Me Anything” session with Lo Ray and Michelle Young, two transgender Hoosiers who exemplify what our Transgender Education and Advocacy Program (TEAP) is all about.

 

Michelle, a young trans activist and aspiring model, talked about her journey from knowing she was trans as a child to living her true “authentic self.” Her advice for cisgender Hoosiers: “Being trans is something that is in our souls. Accept people for who they are.” 

 

Lo, a non-binary transgender Social Work student and senior at IUPUI, shared their struggles of getting a health insurance company to approve their gender affirming surgery. “There are so many different ways to be trans and it’s beautiful,” Lo said. Finding an identity and a community “changed my life.” 

 

Asked what policies needed to be changed at the state level, both emphasized the need for Indiana to pass a nondiscrimination law that would prevent transgender Hoosiers from being denied housing, fired from their jobs, or refused service because of who they are. 

 

They answered questions about pronoun use, how to create supportive environments for trans students in school, and the need for police to receive more bias and sensitivity training. And they shared some of the organizations and resources available to transgender Hoosiers, their families, and allies like OutcareHealth, Indiana Youth Group, PFLAG, Gender Expansive Kids & Co, GenderNexus, and My Gender Workbook. 

 

This is exactly why we created TEAP. Indiana is home to approximately 27,600 transgender people, and currently no state law protects them from discrimination. By providing training and programs that educate the public about the lives of transgender Hoosiers – and lifting up the voices of trans Hoosiers themselves – TEAP aims to make Indiana a more welcoming state. 

 

The response has been overwhelming, in large part thanks to advocates like Lo and Michelle who have courageously shared their experiences and offered their wisdom and advice. 

 

More than 2,000 people tuned in to this week’s “Ask Me Anything,” and we received dozens of thoughtful questions and comments – many of which we weren’t able to get to during the broadcast. Even more inspiring were the messages of love and support from people across the state – cheering on our trans advocates and pledging their support to their important cause. 

 

At its core, the fight for transgender rights is simply about the right to be ourselves and live openly – free from discrimination.

 

Michelle said it best: “Being trans to me is really just following with what you feel in your heart, and knowing who you are. It’s something that you can’t change. It’s all about authenticity and being true to yourself.” 

 

Again and again, Indiana legislators put their own narrow agendas ahead of the basic rights and human dignity of everyday Hoosiers. Instead of working to expand voting rights, stop gerrymandering, or make college more accessible for immigrant youth, they veered off course –  passing more intrusive abortion restrictions and attempting to limit discussion of LGBTQ issues in schools. 

 

Here are five developments you may have missed – and five reasons to keep up the fight for justice and equality for all. 

 

Just a few years after the so-called Religious Freedom Restoration Act wreaked havoc on the economy, Indiana lawmakers were at it again – proposing legislation that would have targeted LGBTQ young people and prevented educators from creating safe and welcoming educational environments for all students. Together we fought back, and convinced the lawmakers to remove this discriminatory language from the bill.  

 

Even though legislators failed to pass comprehensive redistricting reforms to unrig our maps, more Hoosiers than ever took action and helped put this issue on the agenda. By attending rallies, speaking out at Third House meetings, making phone calls, and packing committee hearings, they proved that they are truly a force to be reckoned with. Now we need to keep up the fight to make sure voters can choose their elected representatives, not the other way around.

 

Lawmakers also failed to enact voter-friendly reforms that would have made it easier for eligible voters to participate in democracy. We’ll be working to make sure common sense measures like Election Day registration and no-fault absentee voting are at the top of the agenda next year. 

 

Indiana politicians remain determined to put their own political agendas ahead of women’s health. Under the false guise of patient safety, Indiana legislators passed more restrictions on abortion that interfere with a woman’s personal medical decisions. We’ll be keeping all options on the table – including lawsuits – to protect abortion access in the Hoosier State. 

 

While legislators did pass a measure aimed at helping DACA recipients obtain professional licenses, there is a lot more work to do when it comes to supporting immigrant youth.  The ACLU of Indiana and our supporters pushed hard for legislation that would have allowed immigrant students to receive in-state tuition at Indiana’s public colleges and universities, but those calls went unheard. In fact, legislation to make college more accessible for Indiana Dreamers didn’t even get a hearing. That’s unacceptable. We’ll be working to make sure lawmakers get the message that making Indiana Dreamers pay higher tuition rates is unfair.

 

Now that session is over, the fight for justice and equality moves from the Statehouse to communities across the state. Sign up for People Power, the ACLU’s platform for grassroots action, and make sure to follow the ACLU of Indiana on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest on the fight for liberty in the Hoosier State.