F*ck Yeah LGBT

“Proud to fly the #TransFlag over Boston City Hall for the 1st time in MA history. It is a sign that everyone is welcome. And we will keep flying this flag until everyone is equal in MA. #TransBillMA “

As seen on Boston Mayor Marty Walsh’s Facebook page

This photo of a young transgender girl is going viral in protest of anti-trans bathroom laws all over the country. But it’s actually a problematic message:

If we want to challenge the rigid way society views and classifies people by gender presentation, the thinking goes, we should seek to elevate trans people whose appearance reads neither as stereotypically male nor female. 

While the meme is well-intentioned, it subtly reinforces the same prejudice it seeks to challenge.

For one thing, gender nonconformity isn’t always as neatly presentable as Maison’s photo suggests. By making Maison a poster child for the gender bathroom issue, the photo implies that society should be uncomfortable with people in bathrooms who don’t read as men or women. But transgender individuals who don’t “pass” are just as deserving of protection and media attention.