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Friday’s historic Supreme Court ruling invalidating gay marriage bans across the country was a major step for equal rights in America. But when it comes to equal rights and protection for the transgender community, the country still has a long way to go.
“For all the strides transgender people have made lately, let’s not get too complacent about how far we’ve come because they still face a host of obstacles,” John Oliver reminded on Sunday’s Last Week Tonight. “Even when the news media are trying to be supportive they can make dumb mistakes.
It’s true—just listen to how the media discusses the “wrong genitalia” and continues to ask invasive questions about a trans person’s body.
“It is no more okay to ask transgender people about their sex organs than it would be to ask Jimmy Carter whether or not he’s circumcised,” Oliver said. “Which by the way he is—smooth like a boiled carrot.”
Of course, the challenges facing the transgender community go much farther than how issues are discussed. As Oliver noted on Sunday, it’s the practical, everyday changes such as simply allowing transgender people to use the bathroom of their choice, many parts of the country are still fighting against.
“This is a civil rights issue. If you’re not willing to support transgender people for their sake, at least do it for your own. Because we’ve been through this before; we know how this thing ends. If you take the anti-civil rights side and deny people something they’re entitled to, history is not going to be kind to you.”
Watch below:
