This debate can never just go away, huh?
Texas tried to do the same horseshit same thing, with the Republican-controlled Senate passing it, with the strong support of Republican Lieutenant Governor (and Senate President) Dan G. Patrick. It failed to pass the Republican-controlled House of Represenatives, with then-Republican House Speaker Joseph R. Strauss III saying in opposition:
"I’m not a lawyer, but I am a Texan,' he said. 'I’m disgusted by all this. Tell the lieutenant governor I don’t want the suicide of a single Texan on my hands.'"
His opposition led to a right wing backlash, resulting in his retirement from the Speakership and from the full House in 2019. It seemed that the debate over the issue mostly died down, but OF COURSE, it just couldn't. Recently, some totally not bigoted people have been complaining about transgender people -specifically trans women- competing against cisgender women in sports. Now, if a sports team were to prohibit that, I would strongly disagree with it, but I would do no more than to boycott them, and call for people to join me. In the case of the government trying to ban trans people from competing against cis people in sports, I unequivocally oppose it, with every fiber of my being.
It is ridiculous that legislative terrorists legislators are going to use their powers to target the people they serve. People like to speak about how trans women (whom they call "biological males") have an unfair advantage over cis gender women. That's an excuse. Anecdote here, but during my tenure in K-12 education, I (a cisgender male) competed against cisgender girls in all types of sports (such as basketball, volleyball, dodgeball, etc.), and sometimes I won, sometimes I lost. These segregationist policies are "solving" a non-existent problem.
Republicans are simply trying to find another battle to fight in the fake culture wars to scare/hate up some votes. Don't fall for it. I call on those who oppose these segregationist policies to boycott sport teams who ban trans competitors, and to continue to do so until their opposition can't sustain the loss of revenue. Speaking of which:
In the State of North Carolina, after the Republican-controlled Legislature passed the bathroom bill and the Republican Governor, North Carolina lost more than 1,000 jobs and would stand to lose $3.76 billion over twelve years, due to boycotts, and other businesses reversing their decision to move to North Carolina. Boycotts work, and so is excercising your freedom of association (which the U.S Supreme Court implicitly ruled is a Constitutionally protected right in National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Alabama, 1958). Buisnesses have the right to refuse service, and can refuse to allow people to use the bathrooms (I personally dislike the idea of public bathrooms, because people never properly take care of it), and they do so at their own peril. State intervention is assuming that they can enforce their morals --or lack thereof-- on to the entirety of society, thinking they have solved a problem they have made up in their heads to appeal to the worst in society. A bathroom is meant for two things:
- Relieving yourself.
- Washing your hands.
"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." (Emphasis added).
They want legislation that would "protect" cis people from trans people, because discriminating against trans people will absolutely make cis people safer. *Strong eye roll*
They want to "pRoTeCt" cis people from the transphobic lie that trans people will invade bathrooms and commit crimes against women, and that these bathroom bills will guard against it, despite the fact that it's the other way around, trans people are being harrassed at a high rate, rather than being the ones committing the harassment. In fact, Republicans have been arrested for harassing trans people in bathrooms more often than trans people being arrested for such a thing. It's sad that this disinformation by Republican politicians and those who back them has seeped into state legislatures. There has been so evidence of a wave of crimes committed in bathrooms by trans people, regardless if municipalities allow them to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. The burden of proof falls upon those claiming that trans bathroom bills are somehow necessary.
In the end, do not compromise with the bathroom bill advocates. There is no room to compromise, and any compromise would be like compromising with a Klansman, all you're doing at that point is just capitulating to them. Do not obey trans bathroom bans, because unjust laws must not be followed. It might result in you getting into some trouble, but I promise you, it'll be what Democratic Georgia Representative John R. Lewis called "good trouble, necessary trouble." Ciao.
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Preceded by: "How My Views On The Gender Debate Have Evolved."
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