Quotes About Inclusion

Transgender women especially feel like we have to fit the binary system to a T in order to not be recognized as trans.

I am transgender. I knew that I was for as long as I can remember.

I consider myself a woman. I happen to fall into the transgender category, but I rather describe myself as a woman first.

This entire issue of transgender people posing a kind of threat to cisgender women in bathrooms is made up. We are just like everybody else - we go into the bathroom, we keep our heads down, we don't look at anybody.

Obviously the transgender movement has not progressed in the way that the gay and lesbian movement has. But I'm an activist - that's just the kind of person I am.

When I would walk down the runway back in the late 90s, I could feel the tension from others who knew I was transgender. I could see the joy on the faces of people from my community, elated to see someone represent them.

For transgender kids who are struggling, I want them to know they're not alone. They shouldn't be afraid to step out of their shadows.

The struggle isn't just about being straight or gay or transgender - it's a human struggle. That's always really been my kind of starting point: If you're out there and you're odd, come over to my house.

I think that's important - that transgender individuals are just like everyone else. We have our interests, our hobbies, our things we like to do. And people have to understand that.

As a transgender child, I was always looking around for someone like me, because I thought I was the only one. It's hard to feel like that. But having support from my family changed everything. They helped me love myself and embrace who I am.

Transgender people really are misunderstood.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teens are bullied and ostracized in epidemic proportions. It's disgusting, and it must change.

Because you never know when a transgender person is going to come into your life, you need to be prepared, and you need to be ready to help them.

Everyone has people in their lives that are gay, lesbian or transgender or bisexual. They may not want to admit it, but I guarantee they know somebody.

Every single lesbian and transgender woman is a woman.

Usually, when you are an ethnic person or a trans person, in your average, everyday, unsophisticated television show, you are there for that reason. And they clearly justify and overexplain why. You very rarely see a transgender actor playing the part of a grocery-store clerk without having to say, 'Oh, look at that trans person.'

'Clocked' means someone sees you for being transgender.

The first time I heard the word 'transgender' had been in a sitcom episode that mocked the potential for cisgender people to find people like me attractive. Every time someone expressed any interest in the gorgeous trans guest character - her identity still a secret to most of the main characters in the show - the laugh track would cue.

I kind of cheer the presence of any gay characters at all - I think the more we can saturate television with any gay character or lesbian character or transgender character, I think that's a really great thing. We're kind of getting past the fact that they're the punchline or that they're the novelty.

I am a transgender identified person.

With the removal of questions about gayness and transgender status in the Census, we really stand to lose a lot of the progress that has been made, and certainly not to make further progress. In order to have a fair system, you need a system you can measure.

I don't think we should be discriminating against anyone. Transgender people are people and deserve the best we can do for them.

I hope I can help convince people there that being transgender is not a big deal and that we are just average people trying to go to school, work, and live good lives.

To you people out there, you producers and you network owners and you agents and you creative sparks, please give transgender talent a chance. Give them auditions. Give them their story. Do that.