Katie Couric Upsets ‘Trans Women’ by Asking Question About Genitalia

COURIC You were named ░░░░░░░░ of OUT Magazine s ░░░░░░░░ influential LGBT people in ░░░░░░░░ world which was great ░░░░░░░░ do you see yourself ░░░░░░░░ a role model Laverne ░░░░░░░░ I would never be ░░░░░░░░ arrogant to think that ░░░░░░░░ should model their lives ░░░░░░░░ me but the idea ░░░░░░░░ possibility the idea that ░░░░░░░░ could live my dreams ░░░░░░░░ in public hopefully will ░░░░░░░░ other folks that it ░░░░░░░░ possible and so I ░░░░░░░░ the term possibility model ░░░░░░░░ role model COURIC That ░░░░░░░░ nice I think that ░░░░░░░░ a good way of ░░░░░░░░ at it Now I ░░░░░░░░ curious because I think ░░░░░░░░ of us want to ░░░░░░░░ educated and Carmen was ░░░░░░░░ of recoiled a little ░░░░░░░░ about when I asked ░░░░░░░░ about her transition and ░░░░░░░░ said that people who ░░░░░░░░ not educated about this ░░░░░░░░ familiar with sort of ░░░░░░░░ they re preoccupied with ░░░░░░░░ genitalia question and I ░░░░░░░░ wondering if you think ░░░░░░░░ s true and if ░░░░░░░░ have the same feelings ░░░░░░░░ that that Carmen does ░░░░░░░░ I do and I ░░░░░░░░ really proud of you ░░░░░░░░ saying that I do ░░░░░░░░ like there s a ░░░░░░░░ with that I think ░░░░░░░░ the preoccupation with transition ░░░░░░░░ with surgery objectifies trans ░░░░░░░░ And then we don ░░░░░░░░ get to really deal ░░░░░░░░ the real lived experiences ░░░░░░░░ reality of trans people ░░░░░░░░ lives is that so ░░░░░░░░ we re targets of ░░░░░░░░ We experience discrimination disproportionately ░░░░░░░░ the rest of the ░░░░░░░░ Our unemployment rate is ░░░░░░░░ the national average if ░░░░░░░░ are a trans person ░░░░░░░░ color it s four ░░░░░░░░ the national average The ░░░░░░░░ rate in the LGBT ░░░░░░░░ is highest amongst trans ░░░░░░░░ If we focus on ░░░░░░░░ we don t actually ░░░░░░░░ to talk about those ░░░░░░░░ There s a young ░░░░░░░░ named Islan Nettles who ░░░░░░░░ August 17th was just ░░░░░░░░ down the street with ░░░░░░░░ friends you know minding ░░░░░░░░ own business and she ░░░░░░░░ catcalled by a couple ░░░░░░░░ guys and one of ░░░░░░░░ once they realized she ░░░░░░░░ trans she was beaten ░░░░░░░░ a coma and five ░░░░░░░░ later she died This ░░░░░░░░ the reality of so ░░░░░░░░ trans peoples lives in ░░░░░░░░ country trans women of ░░░░░░░░ who s lives are ░░░░░░░░ danger simply for being ░░░░░░░░ they are And we ░░░░░░░░ looking for justice for ░░░░░░░░ and looking for justice ░░░░░░░░ so many trans people ░░░░░░░░ this county and by ░░░░░░░░ on bodies we don ░░░░░░░░ focus on the lived ░░░░░░░░ of that oppression and ░░░░░░░░ discrimination COURIC You re ░░░░░░░░ well spoken That was ░░░░░░░░ well put.”