man pretends to be transgender in women's change room

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http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/02/17/tra...

Weeeeeeeeeeeell shit. We all knew someone was going to try it sooner or later. I'm going to be watching the fallout from this fairly closely.

Comments

Activist from the other side

erin's picture

This appears to be someone opposed to TG rights making his point that the law will allow him to do this. Though the article seems to get the wrong end of it.

Hugs,
Erin

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

Sadly the ONLY reason the law

Sadly the ONLY reason the law is flawed is because of humans. It is nearly impossible to write a law that someone somewhere won't try to abuse. As for this case. I wouldn't be surprised if he was part of the anti-trans agenda to stir up trouble. Though I'm sorry. I'm trans myself and I would never go to a public pool in guys board shorts and a shirt. I believe I have enough image issues passing without obviously dressing male like he did.

"We wouldn't need laws

"We wouldn't need laws against murder, if people wouldn't kill others."

If people were reasonable, that law would be unnecessary, too.

I really don't understand

Angharad's picture

why a twit like that had to make such a protest. He's either an opponent of the law or he's some sort of pervert and should have been charged with two counts of indecent exposure and one of being a total arsehole.

Angharad

Unfortunately ...

... being a total arsehole isn't against the law. At least not here and probably not over there either.

At our local indoor swimming pool there is only one changing room for both males and females. They shower wearing their swim suits, use a communal locker area then actually change in individual cubicles. So the problem wouldn't arise here.

Robi

i think he was an anti trans law activist

Teresa L.'s picture

a lot of these laws are flawed. i would hope that people could follow the spirit, but too many people have not real spirit so dont see the need to, they use the letter of the law to twist it to their end.

i know it would make it harder for some, or even a lot of us, but putting in (especially for school kids) that they must be diagnosed and in treatment by at least a therapist would stop the main reason for complaint, what makes a person "legally" trans? again, i wish it could be just someone saying "Hi, i am trans and am going to be presenting as male/female from now on". the only real issue with this would be gender fluid kids, who go back and forth. but again if they are on file as in treatment, and diagnosed, then the school and tell parents to go back in their caves. also presenting as they gender they claim (i am from an older generation, sorry, a beard on a woman is NOT presenting as a female, gender stereotype i know, but we need to take baby steps in order to make good progress, not big leaps that wind up putting us further behind where we were, in my opinion at least) should be stressed, as constant and PERSISTENT is one of the criteria for diagnosed, someone who is NOT gender fluid showing up some days one way, somedays the other will be harder to pinpoint as a legitimate trans person for laymen.

as i said, i am from an older generation, and having grown up for 43 years repressing my trans nature, i have a different viewpoint maybe than the average trans person?

Teresa L.

I would love to make a sugestion to all the idiots,

Hypatia Littlewings's picture

that are suggesting men dress up as women and go use the lady's room.
And that is:
"Dress up as a woman, do a good job of it (get help if you need), then go use the men's room somewhere. See how well that goes!"

>i< ..::

When I'm out and about

Patricia Marie Allen's picture

When I let my femme side have full reign in what I wear out and about, should I need the restroom I try to find a unisex, or as they are sometimes called, family restroom. Should that fail, I'm certainly not going to the men's room. I tried that once and even though I went in the handicap stall and sat down, I was very nervous to the point of having trouble releasing it. When I was trough, just before I exited the stall, a man came in and went to the urinal. I nearly ran for the door behind him. I really didn't want to come into contact with him face to face.

Another time, I was desperate and chanced the women's room. There was a line for stalls. After only a moments hesitation, I joined the line and waited my turn. The woman in front of me had her two daughter with her, I'm thinking 10 and 12-year-olds. She had them go first and when the next stall opened up, she turned to me and said, "You can go now, I'm just waiting for my daughters." I thanked her and took the open stall. When I came out they were gone. At no time was I nervous nor felt out of place. That's kind of funny, because even when dressed in a guy disguise, I feel a bit out of place in the men's room.

Hugs
Patricia

Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt

I expected something similar

I expected something similar to this. The next step will probably a man in drag doing the same to push the new law.
A shame, isn't it ?

Karen

Like you said, someone would want to try this sooner or later

On the other hand, do you think a law would stop somebody from pretending they are police officers or navy SEALs or a Medal of Honor award winner?

If you want a law that will lead to what just happen, those genetic sex laws will lead to these bald and bearded transmen being required to use the ladies room. Wait until that happens.

Not illegal to lie about military service in the USA

Unfortunately, in my opinion, the US Supreme Court, in United States v. Alvarez (2012), ruled that making false statements about having received a military decoration (or even having served at all) is protected by the First Amendment freedom of speech provision. The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 attempts to narrow the impact of this decision by criminalizing falsely claiming to have received any of a series of military decorations with the intention of obtaining money, property, or other tangible benefit. This has not yet been tested, in so far as I know, in court.

Well, maybe I should have

Well, maybe I should have said overhere. Presenting oneself as an official (cop, soldier, civil servant) can land you in jail. Not that it's a high priority but the law is still there.

It is decorations and medals

It is decorations and medals in question as to the Court ruling(s).
NO military outlets, like a military surplus store should ever be allowed to sell ANY military ribbons, awards or decorations, or UNIFORM items; nor should they be allowed to be sold on line EVER.
Nor should they EVER be allowed to purchase such items from a military member or ANY other person who is trying to sell them those items. Any other surplus military items are okay. As you can tell, it gets me rather hot under the collar.
The ONLY ways to be able to get these items is a) AWARDED to the person or to his/her surviving family member(s) AT an Award Ceremony;
or by the member themselves requesting a replacement BRINGING IN the DD-Form 214 or AWARD CITATION in person to a Military Recruiting Office and that Office making arrangements for the member to receive the replacement item via the Department of Defense.

In regards to passing your self off as a Police Officer or a Firefighter or a Military member in uniform; you CAN get arrested and prosecuted for impersonation of a Police Officer, a Fire fighter and a Military member. You are violating State Statutes for the Police and Firefighter; and Federal ones for the Military member. This all hinges on the respective prosecutor(s) doing their job and employing the said LAWs to prosecute.
In the instance of the Military member, you can also be charged with impersonating a Federal Employee.
Saw it done on a couple of different occasions. AND in USP McNeil Island back in the 1970's we had a man who was sentenced and doing 10 years for this very charge. He got 10 years because he had been caught doing it TWICE.
The first time he only got probation; which apparently did not sink into his one single brain cell the first time.

Solutions

The problem is that the laws are being put into place without the appropriate support networks and options to back them up. Transgender should have mental and medical care available to us. It shouldn't be a ridiculous life long process of discovering, saving, struggling, and being judged for trying to align our bodies with who we really are. When such things ARE available, fewer of us will have awkward transitions where we struggle with long establish male physiology that makes it difficult to pass even at the worst times. And when such things happen simply and without any great notice or fuss... people who try such things as claiming to be transgender while 'not' making any effort to pursue care will clearly be lying and appropriate punishment can be applied. Like say, giving them what they ask for. Wasn't TG when 'he' claimed it but is now... no one in that womens' locker room will be threatened by her again... and she'll have a far better understanding of what it really means to be trapped in the wrong body.

What's it with all the

What's it with all the clothing comments??? Heck I know a lot of GG girls that where boy shorts and tshirts in the summer (including the sandals). I like some more feminine clothes and getting dressed up as mutch as the next girl but I usually where cargopants, polos and boots for school 'cause it's easy. And then I'm forgetting the fact the my mid season coat is one issued to military units over the entire world including the SAS. Being transsexual doesn't mean that genderexpression has to be as feminine possible. Just as GG can be butch so can a transsexual although it doesn't make passing easier.

Lynne
one of the flannel, cargo's and goat wool socks crowd most of the time

i'm kind of with you here. I

licorice's picture

i'm kind of with you here. I dress in pants and t-shirts most of the time. I'm pretty much a transsexual tomboy. I do love dressing girly and feminine but you just can't do that most of the time in canada. It's COLD!