Number 68

Restrooms Revisited

Today I give you seven points and two addendum to consider regarding the rights of transgender people to use the restroom that feels most appropriate to them.

1. Did you ever notice that in the debate over which restroom or locker room a trans person should use, transgender men are never discussed. Curious. A person might be inclined to assume from this that the entire movement to keep trans women out of the bathroom that fits their gender identity is just patriarchal bullshit designed to perpetuate the myth that women can't take care of themselves, and need men to look after them.

2. Many times the person arguing against trans women using the restroom will conclude with a parting shot along the lines of: "If you had a daughter, you'd feel differently!" As it turns out, I have two daughters. They are both well past the age where they need a parent (or other trusted adult) to accompany them to the bathroom. However, when they were that young, their mother and I always made sure they were looked after. I would assume that a parent who expresses the above stated opinion is also a parent that ensures that their young child is similarly supervised. In fact, don't all responsible parents do this as a matter of course? To the people doing this to make your point, I say the following: "Quit it!" It's logically inconsistent to assume that young children are using public restrooms on their own under any circumstances.

3. "Aha!" They say to me, "The fact that you ensured that your daughters were being supervised when using public restrooms proves our point!" No, not really. I will agree with them that there are people out there that have an evil intent aimed at young children, and that it's every parent's job to ensure their child's safety. I'm pretty sure those people are not trans women, though. An opinion that's backed up with both statistics and anecdotal evidence. By the way, just for the record, I think pedophilia is an utterly reprehensible crime.

4. Did you know that it's already illegal in all 50 states to attack or otherwise sexually assault another person? Shocking, I know. In other words, it doesn't matter where an attack takes place, it's already illegal. There is no reason for new laws to make it 'extra' illegal because it happens in a women's bathroom or locker room.

5. I call this next point the "Linebacker in a Dress Bait and Switch." This is a favored tactic of opponents of trans woman using the women's room. It goes kinda like this: If we allow trans women ("men" is the word they would use there), to use the women's room; then any man can throw on a dress and stroll right into any bathroom or locker room designated for women. This, of course, would provide these men with a 'target rich' environment to pursue their nefarious deeds. The image that always accompanies this argument is a huge muscled dude with a buzz hair cut and leering grin wearing an ill-fitting dress. Take it from me: there is not one trans woman alive for whom this is a preferred fashion statement. Also, let me drop this little "truth" bomb on you: Most authentic trans women want to get in and out of the bathroom with as little fuss as possible. The last thing we want is a lot of attention. But that doesn't stop opponents from claiming that this "linebacker" image represents a typical trans woman.

5A. By the way, for any of you cis-male opportunists out there, you can't just say "I'm transgender!" and have everything magically change. Most trans folks have gone through an extensive series of steps: legally, mentally, and psychologically during the transition process. So, by the time a trans person has gotten to the point of using a 'different' bathroom a lot of hard work has already been done by a variety of people.

5B. In another interesting aside, I've heard a few male opponents of trans bathroom use say something along the line of: "I sure wish I'd known I could have done this back when I was in school. I would've just told my coach I was a female and then I could have showered with the girls!" (ha-ha-ha) In particular, I've heard this from Mike Huckabee - a conservative opportunist who would lose a battle of wits with a box of hammers. Umm, Mike... I think this comment says a lot more about you, as opposed to being  a cogent point for opponents of transgender bathroom rights.

6. Did you ever notice that in all the debates, no one ever mentions homosexuality. What I mean is this. Opponents often use the scare tactic of declaring that if trans women use women's facilities, (again, they would use the word "men" here), then every other woman will feel as if they are being "ogled"; and that they are potentially fueling the sexual fantasies of trans women. I can't deny that this might happen, for the simple reason that some trans woman are sexually attracted to other woman. (And others are attracted to men, and some are attracted to both, etc., etc. You know, kinda like what happens in every other group of people the world over.) But haven't people who are sexually attracted to members of their own sex already been using the same restrooms and locker rooms as the objects of their affection since, I don't know, the beginning of time? In all the "sturm und drang" regarding homosexuality over the years, I've never heard an argument that gay and lesbian folks should be kicked out of their respective public bathrooms and/or locker rooms. Just sayin'...

7. Okay. For the sake of argument. Let's assume that every argument that the opponents of transgender bathroom access promote are correct. Basically that trans women are total horn dogs looking to rape and pillage their way through every women's room in America. In making this assumption, I'm only referring to authentic trans women, and not men who take on this identity in order to pursue their heinous goals. (I've already discussed those "cis" men in items 4, 5, 5A & especially 5B.) One problem, though. Most trans women are on some form of hormone replacement therapy. This process is specifically designed to suppress the production of testosterone, and, at the same time increase the amount of estrogen in their bodies to levels that are similar to an average "cis" woman. Let me put this in more blunt terms: If I tried to fuck anything right now using my archaic genitalia, it would work about as well as trying to shove a piece of cooked spaghetti through a pin hole. (And once again, assuming that such an assault did take place, it's already illegal.)

 Other than that, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Until next time.