Oakland 'Jeopardy!' Champ Amy Schneider Visits White House On Trans Day Of Visibility

WASHINGTON (BCN) – Oakland's Amy Schneider, famous for her recent winning streak on the TV trivia game show "Jeopardy!," visited the White House Thursday on International Transgender Day of Visibility.

Schneider, who identifies as transgender, met with Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff and visited the Secretary of War room and the press Briefing Room at the White House where she spoke to reporters.

"I'm just really, really honored to be here and really grateful that this is being celebrated and the trans people are being celebrated in a place like this," she said in the Briefing Room.

A reporter asked her what she hopes to accomplish on her trip to the White House, and she said, "Just again being a trans person out there that isn't monstrous and isn't threatening and is just a normal person like we all are.

"So, the more that people like me can be seen the harder it is to sustain the myths that are, that are kind of driving a lot of this hate and fear," Schneider said.

Jeopardy champion Amy Schneider talks with reporters in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on March 31, 2022 in Washington, DC. In honor of International Transgender Day of Visibility, Schneider, the first openly transgender Jeopardy winner, visited the White House to meet with Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and discuss the advancement transgender rights. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

President Joe Biden's administration recognized Thursday as International Transgender Day of Visibility and issued a fact sheet to advance equality and visibility for transgender Americans.

White House officials said every citizen should be free to be themselves, yet many transgender Americans face discrimination, violence and barriers.

White House officials condemned anti-transgender legislation passed by some states. Biden has previously said the bills are government overreach.

Schneider said she thinks that the backlash against trans people in some U.S. states is temporary.

"I think that the country overall is on our side and getting more so every day and I think it's not going to be too long before these sorts of bills are seen as a thing of the past and no longer what we want to be as a country," Schneider said.

© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Bay City News Service. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.