He couldn’t be more on point!
John Oliver delivered one of the best breakdowns about transgender discrimination we’ve heard!
In the 16 minute segment, Oliver starts off pointing out the insensitive nature in which people — from Larry King to Barbara Walters — have interviewed transgender people.
[ Related: Caitlyn Jenner Celebrates New York City Pride In All White! ]
He then makes sure to very clearly define “transgender” while giving his input on the media’s curiosity by saying:
Transgender people have a gender identity that differs from the one they were assigned at birth, and that gender identity is not the same as sexual orientation. Gender identity is who you are, sexual orientation is who you love. Some transgender people do undergo hormone therapy or sexual reassignment surgery as part of their transition; some do not. And interestingly, their decision on this matter is, medically speaking, none of your fucking business.
From here, the late night host points to specific stories where transgendered people have been shamed in one way or another. He covers various stories and how they relate to shaming in politics such as Mike Huckabee disgusting misunderstanding of what it means to be transgender — in military service such as the case of an Iraqi soldier who feels more at home and “on vacation” because they essentially not held to the same social norms as they are back home — and even at the DMV where a some transgender people were asked to remove makeup and wigs.
Make sure you ch-ch-check out the whole segment (below) as it’s not only HIGH-larious for the light that John brings to it, but is EXTREMELY informative and drives home the point that “transgenders still face a host of obstacles” and we need to continually strive for equality!
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