Over the past few weeks, there has been a dominating news story circling about: should transgender people be allowed to use the public restroom based on the gender they identify with, or should they have to use the bathroom based on the gender they were born with? I mainly watch the "Daily Show" and "Nightly Show" make fun of the whole thing, but the issue really isn't all that funny—actually, it's kind of ridiculous. Here's why.

We live in an era of growing equality. We are far from perfect at it—just take a look at the gap between the poor and rich in America—but we're making a lot of great strides. In fact, one of the most exciting pieces of social change that has happened in our lifetime is marriage equality; in all 50 states, gay marriage is now permitted, and that is a huge step for the LGBTQ community.

Unfortunately, while homosexuality has become more accepted (not universally accepted, but coming closer every day), transgender people still terrify our nation. Think of how long it took Americans to be like "well, I guess it's okay if two men get married...I suppose." Transgender individuals face a whole new fight, asking others to accept that they were born one gender, but identify with a different one. Honestly, I think our problem is that we just don't understand it. You were born a female, but you think you're male? Or vice versa. It blows our minds. We're just jumping on the bandwagon of men loving men or women loving women; it's like transgender individuals are too much for us to accept.

But now that marriage equality has happened, and homosexuality in general has begun to make enormous strides, of course it's time the issue of transgender folks moves into the limelight. And how do we do it in America? By talking about public restrooms (because we couldn't find something else more trivial to argue a huge social issue around).

Do you know what really gets me? After all our steps in the right direction, after all our forward movement toward equality and fairness, we have gotten stuck over bathrooms. Seriously? This is the issue we want to fight about? Does anyone remember this time?

I know this fight is different from that one but...is it really? It was a time of deep inequality. And it's not like we're asking transgender people to go into the worst bathrooms, but we are asking that they go in the one that would make us most comfortable. Which, if you're wondering, is the same mindset that was around during segregation.

For just one second—one small second—I want you to step into the mind of a transgender person. You were born male, but you identify as a female. So for all intents and purposes, you are a female. So you're at the mall, and you really have to go to the bathroom, and you have two choices: male or female. You know what society is screaming at you, what society has been screaming at you your whole life - you have a penis, so you have to go in the men's room. But you aren't a man! Could you imagine if you had to go into the bathroom of the opposite sex because it made other people uncomfortable? No one stopped to ask you about your comfort level, did they. Because no one is asking what's best for the minority; they're only focusing on what's more comfortable for themselves.

I just don't get why this is even up for discussion. Why do we have to keep fighting the same fights, over and over again? Why don't we learn from our past mistakes, our past judgments?

You know what, if I'm being totally honest, I don't think I would be too comfortable if a woman walked into the women's room and was clearly transgender. But my comfort level shouldn't matter. It's a public restroom. You go there because you have to! You walk in, you pee, you wash your hands, and you leave. You don't have deep life conversations. In fact, you avoid eye contact! It's not a place to make friends or conversation or do literally anything except empty your bladder and get the hell out.

Public restrooms are a necessity for everyone, and so I don't see why it's such a big deal for transgender people to just use the restroom they're more comfortable in. Maybe we shouldn't even have male/female bathrooms anymore. Get rid of urinals (which are weird anyway, let's be honest), and really, who cares who's behind the stall door?

So let's fall on the right side of history, just once. Please. Let transgender people use the bathroom they feel more comfortable in. And if you use the public restroom correctly, you won't even notice, because you'll be in and out in about three minutes or less.

P.S. As a side note, all the talk about women feeling unsafe in the bathroom, or children being exposed to penises (because that happens, right...stall doors? Those exist?) is really just talk. If a pedophile or rapist wants to assault someone, they will; it's really irrelevant what the law says. Assuming a transgender person is a criminal from the beginning is incredibly bigoted and ignorant, and that shouldn't even enter this conversation at all. Just had to tack that on there.