Letter writer: Listen to people facing discrimination

I am a genderqueer eighth-grade student, and I am writing this to address the HB2 bill that was recently passed in North Carolina. First off, I am white, I attend a largely liberal private school, and I live in Asheville. I feel safe despite this bill being in action.

However, I feel it is important to do what I can to protect my fellow trans people in the more conservative parts of North Carolina. There are so many people, not only transgender but of many other minorities, who may be fired from their jobs, kicked out of their houses, and otherwise discriminated against just because of who they are. There are already so many homeless LGBT+ people in North Carolina, and denying them jobs and other opportunities to make their life better will only make the problem worse.

I feel it is important for people who have been discriminated against to speak for themselves. I feel it is better to hear about these issues from someone who has been directly affected by them. So what I ask is that you listen to these people, for it is impossible to be heard if no one is listening.

There is no reason why I should try to say how this bill has affected me when there are many whom this bill has hurt, and they are not silent. They are powerful and courageous and loud, and I am just asking that they be heard.

— Anonymous
Asheville

Editor’s note: Xpress typically does not publish unsigned letters to the editor. However, we decided to make an exception in this case because of the writer’s age and in the interest of fostering the community discussion around the topic.