Dealing With Bathroom Bills
By Bob Small
Let us start by agreeing that transexuals, whether female-to-male or male-to-female, remain human beings and should retain the rights of all human beings. Not a radical concept, one would think.
However, all human beings, as children say many times “need to go bathroom”. Here is where the controversy begins, both here and internationally. The British and other controversies be covered later.
According to 34 Pa Code section 41.21: “The entrances of all retiring rooms for women shall be clearly marked. Men are not permitted to use or frequent a retiring room assigned to women …
This seems fairly clear-cut, except for this question: where does a male-to-female transexual fit in, especially one who is pre-op?
Well, we now have PA Senate Bill 613 and PA House Bill 613, which, it is to be hoped, will clear this up. While they don’t specifically use the term “bathroom”, both of these bills discuss “facilities” and “privilege”. The term “facilities” has been interpreted elsewhere to include restrooms; indeed, what else would it mean?
This information comes from PAfamily.org, which opposes men at any stage of transition entering women’s’ rest rooms.
It has occurred to me that I might be standing next to a female-to-male in the next stall, but I wouldn’t expect any problem, nor would I even know.
At any rate, this situation never seems to be addressed, probably because there’s not a power imbalance between men and other men.
Another observer to whom I was referred said, “The point is, these men were able to gain access to these spaces because of the idea that a man becomes a woman the instant he says, “I’m a woman”.
Regarding male-to-female transexuals, another viewpoint states that “We want the exact same thing that most of the other women want”. I urge you to read this article.
The following quotes are from people whom I know well, who want to remain anonymous, so fiery is the topic:
From a Springfield conservative on HB 300:
“Its proponents want to assign protections enjoyed by people with immutable characteristics (such as race, color, sex, national origin, handicap, or disability) to people with changeable behaviors and mental states”.
This seemed to be the best summation I ever heard of the conservative view.
A transexual friend now living in Vermont merely asks me to imagine having to avoid using bathrooms in public, due to fear of choosing the “wrong” one.
I just have to find one marked “men”. My life is simple by comparison.