There are no reports of this actually happening. There has never been a case of someone abusing the any anti-discrimination laws to abuse or harass anyone in the bathrooms. No stories of boys pretending to be girls to get a peak. This is a strange sick Huckabee fantasy. And we need to make policy on what is really happening, not fantasy.
In reality people, real people, really are being discriminated against because they are transsexual. It really is not that complicated.
Just being in the same room with a transsexual person is not a violation of your rights.
I am sorry to tell you this. But this issue is only going to go one way. Transgender people are going to be allowed to use the bathrooms of their choice in public. That is what is going to happen.
I still see this as a tricky issue. I believe I support transgender rights, but find it challenging, if not troubling, to support it in a mainstream, blind reasoning type of way.
I quoted this post of all others in the thread because of the statement this is only going to go one way. I tend to agree with that, but the path to getting there is going to be extremely bumpy. That one way is going to make transgender discrimination of the past look like those people (in the past) had it made, took the easy road. It's not like if transgender people didn't exist, there would be no discrimination on the planet. And that kids can get away with cruel discrimination a lot of the time, means it stands getting a lot worse before it gets better.
Post #26 says (transgender identification) has nothing to do with genitalia but instead the gender they identify with. So, in a very real way, that's always been the case. Don't even need the concept of transgender to be fully known to realize that element of human identification has always been around. Transgender issues just make it more definitive in point of discussion. While this current political push is forcing certain points, or attitudes to be confronted. It is inviting people to go with whatever they identify with today. And that it could change tomorrow. The reason we don't have a lot of that historically is because the invitation hasn't been as well known/hyped up as it is being now.
So, if a person doesn't need ID, nor showing of genitals to establish anything for anyone else, then what is literally to stop any person (of any age) from using whatever private (gender based) facilities that they want to today? And if they do this in say an abusive way, let's say over course of 2 week period they go between two different options every other day, then who is going to support them in that path? Given the way the policy is being suggested, it would seem hard to see how one side would not at least attempt to fully support that, even while it would be likely recognized as a worst case scenario. But are we saying we'll just cross this bridge if it ever comes up and pretend nothing remotely close to it could ever come up.
There were certainly periods in my life (many decades ago) when if all it took to get me into the opposite gender's locker room was claim I self identify with that gender, I would've done it. Say you dislike this, and then you are being discriminatory, no? Saying you are okay with this, and could support it to some degree, and the invitation is then wide open.
I constantly see a disconnect occurring in this ongoing debate. What OP of this thread is bringing up isn't, for me, hateful discrimination nor wrong minded. It is the traditional view, and it is well ingrained. But it is being positioned right about as hateful discrimination and wrong minded and all counter points filtered through that, thus the disconnect.
IMO, during the transitional period that is visibly occurring right now, something that establishes it, and hopefully has at least one adult supporting to their best of their ability the child walking the path, would be best. Establishes it by ID would be most simple, and I don't think it entirely off base to show genitalia in a private, caring way to help proceed along the path as if there is desire to establish it going forward.
I honestly today see myself as both male and female and know which one, for societal purposes, I identify with, but ultimately see as rather meaningless. I'm thinking many people (likely overwhelming majority) don't care to self identify as both male and female and rather we all go with binary identifications and never flip flop or keep that to a bare minimum. But if the invitation were wide open among adults to identify however you choose today, I'd not be shy about the idea of me being both female and male, as I would see society being far less rigid than I could ever recall it being, at least through May 13th, of 2016.
That's going to take a massive revamp nationwide.
