Mar 19

Mar 19 VIDEO: Transgender activist from Rochester interviewed on MSNBC

(THE MED CITY BEAT) - A transgender man from Rochester, whose selfies taken in female bathrooms have drawn international attention, was interviewed on MSNBC's online show "Out There" on Wednesday.

Michael Hughes began posting pictures of himself in women's bathrooms on social media last week using the hashtags #wejustneedtopee and #occupotty. The posts have been shared thousands of times, getting the attention of several online media sources including BuzzFeed and BBC News.

#transawareness #occupotty #translivesmatter #wejustneedtopee pic.twitter.com/b0f1znAYRh
— Michael C. Hughes (@_michaelhughes1) March 11, 2015

"It's been exciting to watch build up, but at the same time it's been a bit overwhelming," Hughes told the Med City Beat." I tried at first to read every message and every post. I was literally tied to my phone and laptop for two days until I finally made myself start walking away from it for periods of time."

Hughes is protesting a bill recently proposed by Rep. Duane Quam (R-Byron), which would require public school students to use locker rooms according to their birth sex. A similar bill was defeated in the DFL-controlled Minnesota Senate on Thursday.

In December, the Minnesota State High School League voted in favor of a new policy that will allow transgender student-athletes to participate in girls' sports. The new rule is set to begin in the 2015-16 school year.

Click here to learn more about the controversial issue.

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