Transgender people are visible like never before

There's waves of anti-trans legislation that will harm trans youth. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Today's Opinions   Thursday, March 31 Transgender kids deserve the same safety and freedom we want for all There's waves of anti-trans legislation that will harm trans youth. Today is Transgender Day of Visibility. We have several columns about LGBTQ+ issues and we hope you enjoy reading them. Transgender kids deserve the same safety and freedom we want for all By Vivian Topping and Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen When we were growing up in the 1990s, the mere existence of transgender kids was an unthinkable reality. The only depictions of transgender people, if there were any, made us out to be a joke, an oddity, disgusting, or all three. It was far more common for transgender people to be fired from jobs, denied housing or face violence just by walking down the street. We still face that now, but after all these years, things are getting better.  We know the vast majority of people in our country support transgender people, and that support is increasing. Generation Z accepts transgender people at a higher rate and identifies as transgender more than any other generation. We've made incredible progress in building a shared understanding of who transgender people are – our lives, our dreams, our stories. Transgender Awareness Week stares down challenges of bathroom bills and hate crimes GETTY Could two GOP vetoes of anti-transgender bills be a reason for hope? By Rex Huppke Transgender Americans are being buffeted by waves of cruelty. Laws being proposed or passed in states across the country are attempting to restrict access to gender-affirming care, access to high school sports and even access to books that address transgender issues. Behind all these laws is the message that transgender people, adults or children, are not equals. That they are somehow an aberration, a subject to be avoided or stashed away in a box in a dark backroom corner of a library. That is as cruel as it is baseless. And these laws are as damaging as they are opportunistic. Adm. Rachel Levine's message of courage: 'Be true to yourself' By Suzette Hackney In any administration, the public health of Americans is a priority – a tenet that signifies prosperity and perseverance among us. But during a global pandemic, when relative calm turns to crisis seemingly overnight, community well-being instantly becomes a matter of life or death for millions of Americans. Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, this fact continues to keep Adm. Rachel Levine up at night. Levine is the U.S. assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the head of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, where she leads a group of 6,000 uniformed public health officers. In normal times, her job is important. During a pandemic, it's crucial. Other recent columns on LGBTQ+ issues • 'Don't Say Gay' bill going to Gov. DeSantis. Let's 'Don't say Florida' • Bills like 'Don't Say Gay' hurt LGBTQ youth • Who are you calling unnatural? Even if Florida teachers don't say gay, science sure does • Republicans can't erase diversity, but they're sure trying hard This newsletter was compiled by Jaden Amos. Discover more with our newsletters: Get the latest headlines, things to do and more in your inbox. Sign up here.   FOLLOW US Problem viewing email? View in browser Unsubscribe • Manage Newsletters • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights • Privacy Notice • Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy • Feedback © 2022 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. 7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA 22102

'The freedom to be'

It's Transgender Day of Visibility. A wildfire rages in Tennessee. McDonald's Szechuan sauce is back. It's Thursday's news. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

The Short List   Thursday, March 31 'The freedom to be' It's Transgender Day of Visibility. A wildfire rages in Tennessee. McDonald's Szechuan sauce is back. It's Thursday's news. What the White House is doing about gas prices, a debate about the war on drugs and the pandemic's impact on teen mental health. 👋 It's Nicole, bringing you all the news you need to know Thursday. But first, let me get you a tissue. 🤧 Allergy season is here, and the severity of your sniffles may have to do with where you live. The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here or text messages here. 'X' gender marker for passports U.S. citizens will be able to select "X" as the gender marker on their passport application beginning April 11, The White House and State Department said Thursday.  "Every American deserves the freedom to be themselves," the White House said in its announcement on Transgender Day of Visibility. The marker means that travelers will no longer have to provide medical certification if their gender identity does not align with the marker on their birth certificate or other documents.  • Gender-neutral screening will be implemented by the TSA. • Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' law is at the center of a new lawsuit. • Banned from competition, a transgender cyclist shares her story. • Opinion: Why more GOP lawmakers need to stand up to anti-trans legislation. • Gallery: 9 famous transgender rights activists and allies 180 million barrels of oil In an effort to drive down gas prices, President Joe Biden announced Thursday he will release 1 million barrels of oil per day for the next six months from the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The move is the largest release in the reserve's nearly 50-year history and is a direct response to skyrocketing gas prices triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The reserve is a stockpile of about 605 million barrels of petroleum designed to preserve oil access in the case of an emergency and is maintained by the Energy Department. • Expect 'even more suffering': NATO secretary General's words of warning. • Australia receives call to increase sanctions against Russia. 👉More news: Thursday's latest updates. President Joe Biden is trying to keep gas prices under control. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images What everyone's talking about • 'Dehaired possum' washed ashore: An Australian man's 'alien' discovery. • Your toilet could be partially to blame for a new threat to U.S. waterways. • Are TikTok 'tics' a thing? • Hello, Mickey Mouse: Disney guests can meet characters up close in April. • After 72 years, 1950 U.S. census data will be released to the public. The Short List is free, but several stories we link to are subscriber-only. Consider supporting our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today. Wildfire sparks evacuations Firefighters battled to contain a wildfire Thursday near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. Officials hoped overnight rainfall would abate the blaze, but gusty winds sustained the fire, which spread to nearly 4,000 acres by Thursday morning. Only 5% of the fire was contained by Thursday, officials said, as hundreds of people and 70 agencies worked to break down the wildfire. Throughout the day, 11,000 homes were evacuated. One resident described watching the "surreal" scene: "That's coming from where I live." • At least two people died in Florida early Thursday as severe storms tore across several states. People watch as structures burn from a wildfire Wednesday, March 30, 2022, in Sevierville, Tennessee. Caitie McMekin, AP 'A cry for help' More than a third of high school students reported in 2021 their mental health suffered during the pandemic,  according to a study published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Using data from the health agency's first national survey of public and private high school students, the CDC found more than half of students reported experiencing emotional abuse at home, and nearly 30% reported a parent or another adult in their home lost a job. Poor mental health, emotional abuse and attempted suicide was reported among LGBTQ youth more than other groups. The study found some solutions, concluding that students who felt connected to adults and peers at school were far less likely to report feelings of sadness or hopelessness. • Air quality in schools is a big issue more than ever. Students say they feel the pressures of the pandemic. Getty Images Real quick • If you got the J&J vaccine, maybe you should consider a second COVID-19 booster. • A corpse kept in a kitchen for nearly four years. • Sleep on the floors: GM takes extreme measures to keep production going. • The body of a missing teen kidnapped from a Walmart parking lot was found. A new debate over war on drugs A soaring number of deaths related to illicit fentanyl use have stirred a debate about the future of the war on drugs.  Some argue the priority should be focusing on criminal activity while others want more harm-reduction programs that emphasize clean needles and education to users. After 2021 marked the most overdose deaths recorded in the USA – 100,000 – the search for an answer is increasingly urgent. Critics of enforcement tactics say this approach punishes people with substance use disorders and does not make them quit. Opponents say government dollars shouldn't be spent on allowing people to use drugs. • Opioid seekers were allegedly courted by a Tennessee pharmacy. "Fentanyl is making its way everywhere and into everything," said Nick Stavros, CEO of Community Medical Services. Today, the state of Arizona averages 4.5 drug overdoses a day, which is one of the highest overdose rates in the United States. "It is becoming a huge problem in the state of Arizona," said Stavros. Harrison Hill A break from the news • 🎤 Another awards show already? The Grammys are this weekend. • 😂 Gotcha! The history of April Fools Day. • 🍟 'Rick and Morty' fans: McDonald's Szechuan sauce is back for a limited time. • 💄 NuFace, Frownies and face tape: Our obsession with at home Botox. • 📚 Here are the books making waves this week. This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here. MORE ARTICLES Transgender youth seek equal safety and freedom Farms, lawns and wastewater posing threat to health of US waterways Puzzle solutions for Thursday, March 31 In Arizona, fentanyl causing spike in overdoses   FOLLOW US Problem viewing email? 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