Mara Keisling, the executive director
of the National Center for Transgender Equality, has described 2011
as a game-changer for transgender rights.
In an op-ed published Wednesday at gay
glossy The
Advocate's website, Keisling wrote that 2011 brought real
change to the lives of transgender people in the United States.
“Most Americans now know a little bit
more about the struggle trans people face,” Keisling wrote. “Every
day people are becoming stronger trans allies. From the trans actors
we are finally seeing on movie and television screens, to local
nondiscrimination laws, and to the global call for LGBT rights, there
is real change in nearly every facet of our lives.”
Keisling goes on to highlight the
victories of the past year, which include Chaz Bono's appearance on
Dancing with the Stars, the United States' backing of a
resolution that calls on nations to stop discriminating against gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, improving health policies
for transgender people, and an increasing number of states and
localities adopting transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination laws.