Florida's Transgender Bathroom Rule Angers Conservatives

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A blond girl heads from a playground into a women's restroom. A scruffy man, lurking outside, darts in behind her. "Your City Commission Made This Legal," the words on the TV screen read.

The dark ad came from opponents of a gender identity provision added last year to the city's anti-discrimination ordinance, which now allows the city's roughly 100 transgender residents to use whichever restroom they're most comfortable using.

Foes want to repeal the new protection with a March 24 ballot measure that has divided Gainesville, a generally gay-friendly university city surrounded by staunchly conservative north Florida.

Those who support the transgender protections say their opponents are really unleashing a broader attack on the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender individuals in general.

The city commission approved the restroom provision by a 4-3 vote a year ago. Before the ink could dry, Bible-quoting opponents angrily began working for its repeal.

"You are trying to operate in a realm you do not have the authority to operate in," one pastor, George Brantley, told the commissioners.

The debate is expected to become noisier as the ballot nears with opponents resorting to more TV ads and campaigns pegged to such slogans as "Keep Men out of Women's Restrooms and vice versa."

Organizations defending transgender rights are mustering their own campaign.

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The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force notes 108 cities and counties nationwide have similar transgender protections. An attempt to repeal an ordinance in Montgomery County, Md., failed when a court ruled opponents did not collect enough signatures to place it on the ballot.

Citizens for Good Public Policy, the group behind the commercial that aired last summer in Gainesville, collected more than 6,000 signatures last summer to win a referendum. If approved, the repeal measure would also prevent the commission from adding protections beyond what the state requires: race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability and marital status.

Cain Davis, chairman of Citizens for Good Public Policy, said the issue is about regulating a "government gone wild" and ensuring public safety, charging that sexual predators could now simply enter a women's restroom claiming to be a transgender individual.

"We know when men go into women's restrooms, bad things can happen," Davis said.

City Commissioner Craig Lowe, leader of a group called Equality is Gainesville's Business, called the ads from Davis' group a grossly distorted attempt to whip up fears.

Lowe's group believes anti-discrimination protections for people who change their sexual orientation are good for business and foster diversity. He noted that 433 of the Fortune 500 companies have policies covering sexual orientation and 153 cover gender identity.

Since the ordinance took effect, police have reported no problems in public restrooms stemming from the law.

Retired postal worker Donna Lee, who became a female with surgery in 2001, moved to Gainesville from Ocala last March after hearing about the anti-discrimination ordinance. The 60-year-old is working to save the protections.

"We just want to live our lives with the basic civil rights that everyone else has," Lee said.

But some are taking no chances.

Computer programmer Clare Holman, who was born male but now lives as a female, said she simply stays away from public toilets.

"I don't want to run afoul of the law by using the wrong restroom," Holman said.

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On the Net:

Equality is Gainesville's Business: http://equalitygainesville.com

Citizens for Good Public Policy: http://citizensforgoodpublicpolicy.org

Comments

[LorettaSingbiel]

Cain Davis, chairman of Citizens for Good Public Policy, said the issue is about regulating a "government gone wild" and ensuring public safety, charging that sexual predators could now simply enter a women's restroom claiming to be a transgender individual. "We know when men go into women's restrooms, bad things can happen," Davis said.

It's STRAIGHT men who RAPE women!

So this is much ado about NOTHING ... other than the hateful homophobics' HYSTERIA!



Since the ordinance took effect, police have reported no problems in public restrooms stemming from the law.

[YellowDogInRedCounty]

While you and I are in agreement as to the overall stupidity of the proposed ruling, I have to say that transgenders are not necessarily gay or straight only. Some are gay but some are straight. And to label hatred of transgendered individuals as homophobia is incorrect as well.

[wolfgangmo]

So help me out here. What are the terms that you would use. A little education can go a long way. Share.

[DanielleinMA]

As far as ODAN who said
“Jim Crow for gays great idea. I'm sure it will go over with a thud. How about this, If you stand up to pee you use the guys washroom period. Gotta draw the line someplace folks.”
You have to live a year or preferably two in the other sex before surgery is performed by most competent surgeons. And I for one for close to a year now sit down for my business and I wipe as a lady does. No I don’t need to shake I wipe. What you can see with your eyes when naked is not what we are.
(Facetious response I am sure in the 1st sentence… think extreme hatred in bashing in those bathrooms as again “BOY’S DON’T CRY” – they actually die in some bashings.)

[DanielleinMA]

GET OVER IT…someone in female clothing sitting to do business, imagine the courage it takes to go out in public the 1st time. God sometimes I think it would be easier to be a woman in a burka so nobody could tell.

This whole issue is not a gay thing but on another rant so 2 women or 2 men want to get married SO WHAT? Who CARES? Who does it harm? Except in some cases just like in hetero marriages the only thing that happens over time in some cases someone you used to love now you don’t, or you do you just can’t live with them.

SORRY I RANT...these pots are out of order read in order of posting

[DanielleinMA]

As far as ODAN who said
“Jim Crow for gays great idea. I'm sure it will go over with a thud. How about this, If you stand up to pee you use the guys washroom period. Gotta draw the line someplace folks.”
You have to live a year or preferably two in the other sex before surgery is performed by most competent surgeons. And I for one for close to a year now sit down for my business and I wipe as a lady does. No I don’t need to shake I wipe. What you can see with your eyes when naked is not what we are.
(Facetious response I am sure in the 1st sentence… think extreme hatred in bashing in those bathrooms as again “BOY’S DON’T CRY” – they actually die in some bashings.)

I previously worked for Cox Communications and had a TG MTF there and she would be forced to walk to a 3rd building to unisex bathroom to do business and would then get chastised for taking too long. It was not her personal bathroom so if someone who worked closer to it was there she had to wait her turn, maybe several people, she walked pass several sets of bathrooms but wasn't allowed in either. She was known without question as her female name and persona but was not allowed in a lady’s room. WHAT? WHY? They finally terminated her (unfairly I might add as HIGHLY qualified) for too long breaks.

[DanielleinMA]

I agree with the poster if a rapist is going to follow in then he will follow in dressed as he normally would. I would think if that is on his mind he would have been casing the bathroom for his right victim with no-one around. Not dressed up in a dress (can you say ID’d QUICKLY?) and keep going in and out oops I followed her in but there are 3 people in here already, I’ll come back in five minutes. Again ID’d quickly because undoubtedly as soon as 1 person leaves she will tell someone I just saw an obvious TG person in there. And then when news reports announce the rape the women who saw the rapist and were not traumatized could ID the ****bag better.

[DanielleinMA]

When I go out dressed now I have to watch my intake because of the narrow mindedness of illogical thinking people who are trying to overchange this law. If I am dressed to the nines in an expensive or non-expensive outfit in heels and nylons, made up & wearing jewelry they think I should use the men’s room?!? Who would be abused there? And while dressed that way does anyone think it would be a tad difficult to do anything? EVER WATCH BOY’S DON’T CRY?? The police used to have a saying back when rape was usually always the women’s fault “It’s harder to run with pants down than the skirts up.”

As much as it may make some people aghast to see someone in a dress going in to do his business the way she would like to, do they really think the person is going through all that to “get a peek”.

[DanielleinMA]

I am transgender or believe I am. And I am currently in therapy to help my transition.
I am MTF but at work I cannot change right as of now, I guess I could but lack the courage to do it right now much as I would like to. I work for a state agency in the field.

I look and talk like a male and sound like one too and I have trouble passing totally as a female and am not yet on any hormones but looking forward to it. When I do go out dressed as a female my maleness still shines through. Most FTM’s do not grow up learning the skills at makeup application we would have liked to. And my beard still shows.

In my early 20’s while at the cinemas I would “sneak” in to the ladies room hoping not to get caught just so I could do my business where I felt I belonged. My hope was if caught or seen “I made a mistake, I am sorry” it never did happen. This was just before the huge multiplex cinemas caught on so no one ever saw me. – Maybe better if they did I could have transitioned earlier.

[SurrealPumpkin]

The FTM I know changed his job, name and address at the same time. In this economic climate that may be difficulty for you. Just remember, you are who you are, and treasure yourself.

[SurrealPumpkin]

On the family values side of the issue. If a little boy needs help in the bathroom his mother takes him into the women's room. What about a little girl that needs her daddy's help? Which room should they use?

[AmbivalentGuy]

As a father - I can tell you.
You take your daughter to the men's room.

Generally, to be polite, you go in first and say:
"hey guys, I gotta bring my little girl in,
let me know when you're Ok with that"

Usually not a problem - just a warning, a little time for
people to pack up, etc.

Very few men are jerks about this.

[SurrealPumpkin]

Thanks. Good luck :)

[herfgheist84]

hey bud, just curious, why would u need to let the other guys in the bathroom know. I dont know any guy who would get weirded out if a dad brought his little girl in. You say "very few men are jerks about this"-- have you had an experience where someone was a jerk? what would the reason be?

[NWBrunette]

I for one welcome transgender females in to the women's restroom. We all dress like women, act like women, wear make-up like women, do our business in private like women. Who cares if what you have between your legs might look different than mine (how will anyone know anyway)? As long as everyone behaves themselves and is respectful, clean and friendly there's no problem. If women are really worried about some "scruffy man" following them in to the restroom I think they have way bigger problems to worry about than transgender females.

[AmbivalentGuy]

What's the big deal?
I go to the doctor and they have unisex bathrooms.
Many handicapped restrooms are unisex in older
buildings.

Besides, if Diane Lane used the urinal next to me,
I might finally get over that crush that I've had for years.

[wolfgangmo]

If Diane lane used the urinal next to me, I definitely would not get over that crush I've had for years.

[arwing]

I find it far more likely that a transgender person would be victimised in a restroom that is gender-inapropriate for them than a heteronormative person would be victimised by someone who is in the gender-inappropriate restroom.

[ellim]

I think you're completely right. This law is about protecting folks who need a little extra protection under the law; it's not opening doors for criminals.

I really don't think a criminal who intends to attack a girl in the women's room is going to be dissuaded by virtue of it being a women's room, regardless of the law. If he's willing to commit rape, what are the chances he's worried about whether he's 'allowed' to go into that bathroom? The idea that letting trans folks use the bathroom they're most comfortable in gives license to criminals is absurd.

[mspink]

Europe has had Uni-Sex bathrooms for years. The world didn't end. Europeans are very matter of fact and very focused on doing their "business" and leaving. One of the hottest clubs in Philadelphia has a unisex bathroom and no one comes unglued.

[ricrico]

You're right, the woman in the men's room would be a different story. But I'll tell you what has pissed me off for YEARS (but then I'm gay, and I know whether or not clothes look good on me). It's this: women think they have all rights to walk into the men's dressing room at the department store (and nobody ever questions it) to tell their mindless husbands whether or not to buy this or that article of clothing. Not that I care whether a woman (eek) sees my (omigod) privates. Who cares? It's just that if the situation were reversed, the man would be arrested, probably with no questions asked.

[NWBrunette]

Well yes, women do have their hypocrisy.

[lauram]

SOME women have their hypocrisy. As do SOME men.

[mgloraine]

This is definitely the issue which Republicans and religious fanatics should focus all of their attention and resources on for the next eight years or so.

[jmpurser]

There "might" be 100 people in all of Gainseville Fla using the gender inappropriate bathroom and THIS is the civil issue of the day? What a veritable paradise this place must be! To have all other issues settled so they can focus on minutia! Well Done Gainseville! Please show the rest of us the way!