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Transgender Ad Goes Viral Ahead of Debut at Republican National Convention

Ad reaches 2 million views ahead of its run on Fox News during Republican Convention's biggest night

Washington, D.C., July 15, 2016 — An ad depicting the challenges faced by transgender people in accessing public restrooms has been viewed more than 2 million times online since it went live on Monday. The ad will make its television debut on FOX News Channel on the final day of the Republican National Convention next Thursday, July 21. It will also air nationwide again on MSNBC during the Democratic National Convention one week later.

Viewership on the ad has more than doubled in the past 24 hours across YouTube and other social media platforms. It can be seen here: www.FairnessUSA.org.

The ad features a transgender woman from North Carolina, where HB2 passed earlier this year. HB2 makes it illegal for transgender people to use restrooms in public buildings that match the gender they live every day, making them susceptible to even higher levels of harassment and violence.

The campaign comes as Republicans move toward adopting a national platform that includes archaic language and proposed planks that single out the transgender community for discrimination. Republicans are divided on the issue of LGBT rights. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, has offered varying opinions on the issue of transgender rights, but stated that HB2 has caused “a lot of problems” and that transgender people should “use the bathroom they feel is appropriate,” adding that this policy has worked well for years. Delegates will vote on the platform next week.

The ad was created by the Movement Advancement Project and funded by Fairness USA, a partnership led by Freedom for All Americans Education Fund, the Movement Advancement Project, the National Center for Transgender Equality, and the Equality Ohio Education Fund, with support from the Equality Federation Institute, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Thus far, leading voices in support of anti-transgender policies have stayed silent about the ad, which puts a human face on the devastating impact of these policies.

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Sexual Orientation Policy Tally

The term “sexual orientation” is loosely defined as a person’s pattern of romantic or sexual attraction to people of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or more than one sex or gender. Laws that explicitly mention sexual orientation primarily protect or harm lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. That said, transgender people who are lesbian, gay or bisexual can be affected by laws that explicitly mention sexual orientation.

Gender Identity Policy Tally

“Gender identity” is a person’s deeply-felt inner sense of being male, female, or something else or in-between. “Gender expression” refers to a person’s characteristics and behaviors such as appearance, dress, mannerisms and speech patterns that can be described as masculine, feminine, or something else. Gender identity and expression are independent of sexual orientation, and transgender people may identify as heterosexual, lesbian, gay or bisexual. Laws that explicitly mention “gender identity” or “gender identity and expression” primarily protect or harm transgender people. These laws also can apply to people who are not transgender, but whose sense of gender or manner of dress does not adhere to gender stereotypes.

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