On Wednesday night, The Daily Show correspondent and previous BUST cover girl Jessica Williams addressed the transphobia that is sweeping the nation and infiltrating our legal systems, specifically within South Carolina’s bill prohibiting trans people from using public bathrooms that do not match their sex at birth.
She began by interviewing trans woman Meagan Taylor who, while checking into a The Drury Inn in Des Moines, Iowa, was reported to the police by the hotel receptionist, arrested and spent 8 days in jail because she wasn’t carrying her hormone prescription with her. As reported by Williams, an astonishing 47% of trans women have been incarcerated simply for being trans. That’s an enormous percentage.
Later, Williams interviewed “Elmur Fudd look-alike” Colorado rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt, a transphobic chaplain and lawmaker who believes that gay people and pedophiles are possessed by different demons, as reported by Gawker.
DIFFERENT. DEMONS.
According to Klingenshmitt,
“They [the transgender community] not only want to be confused with their own identity, they want the rest of us to be confused with them. Now they want the government to join them in that pretense. They’re making us into liars.”
His logic is insane, but the real gem in this interview is when Williams asked Klingenshmitt:
“Is it fair to say that because you’re a priest, you’re a pedophile?”
“Of course not,” replied Klingenschmitt.
“Why is it, ‘of course not’?” asked Williams?
Klingenschmitt replied, “Because some people are criminals and some people are not criminals.”
“Could you take that logic and apply it to the transgender community?” asked Williams.
“They’re apples and oranges,” replied Klingenschmitt.
“By apples and oranges do you mean apples and apples?” asked Williams.
Thank you, Jessica Williams, for putting this transphobic idiot in the hot seat.
Jessica also spoke to a small group from the transgender community and asked them to prompt her with questions they receive regularly. She was so overwhelmed by the waves of invasive and insulting inquiries that she slunk into her chair, defeated.
While this segment is hilarious, it highlights the transphobic sentiment in the U.S., and the injustices the transgender community face at the hands of lawmakers, like Gordon Klingenschmitt.
Images via cc.com
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