Activists try to calm fears over transgender bathroom access

Stung by setbacks related to their access to public restrooms, transgender Americans are taking steps to play a more prominent and vocal role in a nationwide campaign to curtail discrimination against them.

Two such initiatives are being launched this week – evidence of how transgender rights has supplanted same-sex marriage as the most volatile, high-profile issue for the broader movement of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists.

One initiative is a public education campaign called the Transgender Freedom Project that will share the personal stories of transgender people in a bid to build support for nondiscrimination protections. The other, the Trans United Fund, is a transgender-led political advocacy group that will engage in election campaigns at the federal and state level, pressing candidates to take stands on transgender rights.

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