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21 powerful photos from protests following Trump's anti-trans order.

Trans students' rights are at risk, but they aren't alone.

On Feb. 22, the Trump administration formally rescinded Obama-era guidelines protecting transgender students from discrimination — but hope for trans students remains.

The Obama administration's now-rescinded letter was merely guidance to school districts as to whether existing law provides anti-discrimination protection on the basis of students' gender identity, something that's likely to be determined this year when the Supreme Court hears 17-year-old transgender student Gavin Grimm's case.

What makes the Trump administration's action harmful is not a matter of whether this changes the rights of trans students (it doesn't or, at least, it shouldn't). It's harmful because it signals to those who want to deny those rights that the administration won't intervene on behalf of trans students.


Gavin Grimm protests outside White House in support of trans students. Photo by Oliver Contreras/Sipa USA via AP.

In response, protests popped up in New York, Washington, and San Francisco to show support for trans students.

Grimm addressed the crowd at a demonstration near the White House, while others made their voices heard outside New York's LGBT landmark Stonewall Inn and San Francisco City Hall. Trans youth, trans adults, and their allies set out with a simple message: Trans rights are human rights.

8-year-old trans child Tal Moskowitz held a sign at the New York rally. AP Photo/Kathy Willens.

Sara Kaplan (L) and her 9-year-old transgender son James attend the San Francisco protest. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu.

New York. Photo by Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images.

New York. Photo by Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images.

A recent estimate from UCLA's Williams Institute shows that around 150,000 youth between the ages of 13 and 17 identify as transgender — roughly 0.7% of the population.

What the Obama White House tried to do with its guidance letter is urge states and school districts to ensure that none of those 150,000 teens face discrimination for no reason other than who they are. Instead of having to deal with this on a case-by-case basis for every school district — which, as Grimm's upcoming Supreme Court case demonstrates, leads to confusion and lawsuits — the federal government tried to clarify that. Trump's move makes those waters as murky as they were before, if not more so.

Photo by Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images.

Photo by Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images.

Photo by Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

Some have argued that allowing trans students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity will put other students at risk. This has been thoroughly debunked.

A common refrain from those who oppose trans rights is a fear that cisgender (non-trans) boys will simply "pretend" to be trans in order to infiltrate girls' locker rooms or to dominate girls' sports.

"I wish that somebody would have told me in high school that I could have felt like a woman when it came time to take showers in P.E.," former presidential candidate and opponent of transgender rights Mike Huckabee said in a 2015 speech at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention. "I’m pretty sure I would have found my feminine side, and said, 'Coach, I think I’d rather shower with the girls today.'"

This simply does not happen.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

Photo by Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images.

In 2015, Media Matters spoke with officials in 17 school districts with transgender protections, representing more than 600,000 schools. The total number of problems? Zero.

15 states and the District of Columbia have clear gender identity and sexual orientation protections that apply to schools. The number of times people have pretended to be trans so they can recreate the plot of Porky's and Ladybugs? Zero.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

Photo by Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images.

Trans kids just want to exist in a world free from bullying, free from discrimination. That's all.

If there's one thing to take away from the protests that followed Trump's action, it's this: Trans students are loved and they aren't alone in this world.

Want to help out? Here's a helpful list of things you can do.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

True

Making new friends as an adult is challenging. While people crave meaningful IRL connections, it can be hard to know where to find them. But thanks to one Facebook Group, meeting your new best friends is easier than ever.

Founded in 2018, NYC Brunch Squad brings together hundreds of people who come as strangers and leave as friends through its in-person events.

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Despite its name, the group doesn’t just do brunch. They also have book clubs, seasonal parties, and picnics, among other activities.

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Members also bond over their passion for giving back to their community. The group has hosted many impact-driven events, including a “Picnic with Purpose” to create self-care packages for homeless shelters and recently participated in the #SquadSpreadsJoy challenge. Each day, the 100 members participating receive random acts of kindness to complete. They can also share their stories on the group page to earn extra points. The member with the most points at the end wins a free seat at the group's Friendsgiving event.

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via UNSW

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Volunteers are essential to animal shelters running effectively to fill in the gaps employees may not have time for. Rocky Kanaka has been volunteering to sit with dogs to provide comfort. Recently he uploaded a video of an extremely emaciated Vizsla mix that was doing his best to make himself as small as possible in the corner of the kennel.

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Image by Tax Foundation.

Map represents the value of 100 dollars.

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The Tax Foundation addressed many of these shortcomings using the most recent (2015) Bureau of Economic Analysis data to provide a familiar map of the United States overlaid with the relative value of what $100 is "worth" in each state. Granted, going state-by-state still introduces a fair amount of "smoothing" into the process — $100 will go farther in Los Angeles than in Fresno, for instance — but it does provide insight into where the value lies.

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