“My biggest issue is why so many (transgender people) are behind bars in the first place,” Ryan said, pointing out that transgender individuals report much higher rates of arrest and incarceration in Hawaii than the general population. “So the whole issue needs to be re-examined holistically.”

I can at least answer Tracy Ryan's question about why so many transgender people are incarcerated. As someone who has spent allot of time working in the Chinatown area, transgender folks are all over the streets there, mostly at night, but also during the day. Much higher profile in Chinatown than any other area you may visit. The majority you see on those streets are prostitutes and of course, drugs are part of that. I also noticed while working in the area of Pacific Marina Inn on Waiwai Loop, that you see the same Chinatown transgender faces hanging out there. There are plenty of law abiding transgender folks here. I have no dog in this fight and am only describing what I have witnessed.