Transgender Activists Join GLAAD for National Voter Registration Day

As we enter the home stretch for the 2018 midterm election, GLAAD is rallying transgender Americans to register to vote and speak up for their rights at the polls.

The LGBTQ media advocacy organization has released a new video for National Voter Registration Day, observed today, September 25, to raise awareness of how important the midterm election is for trans people and their allies.

"In so many areas of life, trans people face barriers when attempting to make our voices heard," says Sense8 star Jamie Clayton. "With trans equality and our very lives at stake, who we elect now matters more than ever."

The video also features reality TV star and youth advocate Jazz Jennings, Shameless star Elliot Fletcher, Against Me! singer Laura Jane Grace, writer-speaker Tiq Milan, and journalist Meredith Talusan.

Transgender rights have become a political flashpoint nationwide with President Trump's attempts to ban transgender people from the military and state-level debates over public bathrooms, among other issues.

GLAAD points out that as many as 78,000 transgender Americans could have difficulty due to the strict identification requirements at the polls, according to a new study by the Williams Institute. This is further complicated by more than two-thirds of trans people reporting that none of their identification reflects the name and gender they prefer, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality.

"Despite barriers, it is still extremely important that trans people and their allies make their voices heard on Election Day," says GLAAD campaign strategist Shane Henise. "Given the lack of federal protections, decisions around protections based on gender identity happen at the local and state level. Trans people need to ensure their elected officials will stand up for their rights."

You can show your support for the trans community and join GLAAD's #AmpYourVoice pledge at GLAAD.org/ampyourvoice.