Gender Fluidity & Public Restrooms (pun intended)

[dalthauser]

In spite of the fact that I've been about as ignorant as most regarding what it means to be transgender, I've never had a negative image of those who identify with a gender they are not born with.

Lately their challenges have come into the news enough for me to take notice.  I've been learning a lot, and I will be posting a journal entry soon on what I've discovered.  Right now though - I wanted to write about this bathroom issue.

When North Carolina's bathroom bill first came into the news I honestly had never given the issue of which bathroom a transgendered person should use much thought.  I was puzzled by the level of alarm some folks showed.  When I read the opinions of these people they mostly seemed to be concerned about their child being molested in some way.  Now with our own state of Texas legislature’s SB6 bill – it’s become something I think about regularly.

My opinion is that people who have a problem with transgender people using the restroom of the gender they identify with is based on distrust/fear of the transgendered population or a simple religious objection. I can think of no other reasons. 

The issue, in my mind, isn’t really with the trans person (they don’t have a choice in their gender identity) but with the person doing the judging (they do have a choice).

So what we have is one population of people judging the other based on their fears or religious bias. If only one of them can prevail, who should it be?

Obviously, when it comes to legislation - religious bias is out (but wait - - Senator Eddie Lucio invokes his Catholic beliefs as his reason to be the only Democrat to support the bill)

It might be easy to say the transgendered person should prevail, but what about the concerns of the other person?  Shouldn’t we take their feelings into consideration even if we don’t share them?

Are there other examples in real life (past/present) that can make this clearer to me?
Segregated drinking fountains/bathrooms for Blacks and Whites (Whites considered Blacks “dirty” and it was believed they might get a disease if facilities were shared)
Discrimination against gay teachers due to fears the teachers would teach the kids to be gay, molest the kids, and/or make being gay “normal” (imagine that…)

I initially thought the answer would be to have unisex bathrooms as the norms.  In high volume places you can have completely enclosed stalls where people could do their business, zip up, and come out – fully clothed – to a common area where one could wash hands and finish tidying up.  Then I thought – NO! – that would be making excuses for ignorance and intolerance.

The transgender community and their allies need to stand up and speak out loudly, clearly, and often.  Not just when legislation is being considered either.  The issue should be addressed every day and at every opportunity.  Looking back in history it seems like this is how ignorance is overcome.

Comments

[kabuldur.livejournal.com]

I would agree with you that the transgendered people must be being judged. I think the only danger would come from people pretending to be transgender to molest other bathroom users. I guess this world will never be 100% safe. It's becoming less so. In the past (when at an environment day) a lot of women, including me, used the 'mens'. This was because there was a long queue at the 'women's' but no men at the 'men's'. made sense, didn't it? I have occasionally used the 'men's a few times before and since. But this is a safer country, I guess.

I also agree with you that ignorance rules the day right now and education is the key.

[eats-veggies.livejournal.com]

I've used the men's room in a pinch many times. I always announce myself "female visitor on deck!" (any military veteran understands that one) I always get amused head-shaking from the men.

I thought about the possible issue with pretenders. My thought is that could happen whether or not there is a law. I mean, right now if a pretend female person used the ladies bathroom and harassed in some way others in the room they would be prosecuted. If there is a law saying no trans people in the bathroom, there are still going to be pretenders going in to do whatever mischief they intend. I don't see the difference. Is this worth denying someone's rights over.....

All this makes it sound like there is a problem with guys in drag molesting women in the bathroom. There isn't. :-/

[kabuldur.livejournal.com]

Ah, ha! A fellow 'mens' user at a pinch :)

Yes, I've never heard of a man in drag molesting women, so I guess it's part of the general mistrust.

[mybeautifulwars]

I'm in NC and this ridiculousness has plagued our state for a long time. It's embarrassing.

There are no records of any child being molested in a bathroom by a transgendered person.

There are many many many MANY records showing transgendered people getting assaulted, hurt, even killed when forced to use the bathroom of their birth gender.

In essence, the only people being "protected" with this is the ignorant who either can't or refuse to wrap their brains around the reality of the situation.

This whole ordeal makes me angry.

[eats-veggies.livejournal.com]

I am committing myself to being an advocate for this community. I remember the gay population's struggles and how they fought for respect. We all will need to stand with them and "Get 'er done" :-)

[texasts.livejournal.com]

I had an interesting trans experience not too long ago... Last year.

http://texasts.livejournal.com/951015.html