Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the transgender ‘bathroom buddy’

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Comments

Couldn't help but laugh

But then if this stupid crap about bathrooms wasn't so serious the whole thing would be a joke.

Having lived in Japan for a few years and gotten used to their public restrooms, (there was no male and female only one restroom everyone uses). I can't understand what the big problem is, you go in to rid your body of waste. It's something everyone does regardless of gender, or gender identification.

There are doors on the stalls for Christ's sake.

And as far as forcing gender to use one, what would that do to the parent that takes the gender opposite child to the restroom at some big event? I know I was always the one to take my daughters into the restroom at the hockey games when they were small as the stalls in the men's room were almost never occupied so I could get them in and out quicker than their mother could and thus keep the child from having an accident because she couldn't hold it through some long line queued up in the women's restroom.

We the willing, led by the unsure. Have been doing so much with so little for so long,
We are now qualified to do anything with nothing.

The problem is History

and what seems to be a very Puritanical view of the sexes.

Being serious for a moment what is the point of going to all that expense of passing a law when enforcing it is going to be next to impossible?
IT seems to be more like 'Hang the expense. We have to do something to protect the children'. This despite there being how many incidents of a Trans person doing something nasty to a child in a toilet?

It looks like I will have to add Texas to my list of US States to avoid in future.
Samantha

‘What would that do...”

What would that do to the parent that takes the gender opposite child to the restroom?

As a result of this bull (I meant to type “bill” but I like that typo), some number of parents will probably send their child unaccompanied into a restroom, where they will encounter a predator.

But safety of our children, is beside the point of such hateful lawmaking.

Kids Under Seven...

...taken into an opposite-sex restroom by a parent are legal, at least in North Carolina:

"...
d) Exceptions. – This section does not apply to persons entering a multiple occupancy bathroom or changing facility designated for use by the opposite sex:
(1) For custodial purposes.
(2) For maintenance or inspection purposes.
(3) To render medical assistance.
(4) To accompany a person needing assistance.
(4a) For a minor under the age of seven who accompanies a person caring for that minor.

(5) That has been temporarily designated for use by that person's biological sex."

The rule may be bigoted and/or idiotic, but give the folks who wrote it credit for some intelligence. They wouldn't want it taken to court because of somebody having to change a diaper.

Eric

The problem with the protect the children issue is

Frank's picture

It doesn't protect little boys from molesters. Aside from that when they talk about protecting women/girls it is always talked about as MEN preying on LITTLE GIRLS...its BS imagery to scare people. No concern for little BOYS. Not to mention do any men fear Transmen?

*SIGH*

Hugs

Frank

the protection line is total BS, A smoke screen.

MadTech01's picture

There are male and female child molesters, Just because the law says they can not go into a certain restroom of the opposite sex does not mean it will stop them, they are already breaking the law with a serious felony, what does a little misdemeanor really mean too them? Not a single thing, heck not even an after thought. So the argument is invalid, besides I have never heard of a transgender molester or rapist, usually they are the victim not the predator.

"Cortana is watching you!"

I live in Texas

I moved here aftercollege looking for work.

Lately I have been think how nice it would be to live in a more tolerant society. Weird part is Ialread do. Dallas as a community is very tolerant. The legislature is talking about reversing laws Dallas has to make it like the rest of Texas. So I will stay and not go stealth except when it might but me in danger. The current in houe joke is when omeone nneds to us the bathroon is,"Time to look for som Republicans. I believe in the long run these actions will hurt them . I already refer to the Republican party as the party of hate, Not a mem they would like to spread.

The cities in Texas have

The cities in Texas have always tended to be open and tolerant to a level that sickens many in the suburbs and more outlying rural areas. I grew up in Flower Mound (where one of the legislators pushing this is from) outside of Dallas and it is amazing how hateful and intolerant people from suburbs are on this...it's the war against the "inner city" corrupting them. Likewise in Houston (where I lived in Katy which has fought Houston annexing them for over 30 years now).

The cities have some of the nicest people and places and are truly multicultural. The suburbs, in my experience, want only white "Christian" people living there. That has been affirmed as well by several friends still down there.

And the governor is eager to claim martyr status if the bill gets passed because many companies and sports organizations have said they will make North Carolina look tame. It's one of the few times I have ever agreed with Jerry Jones (I am not a Cowboys fan)...

Samirah M. Johnstone

I am so darn glad...

That I live in Canada, we don't have idiotic laws like this being thrown at us, at least not to my knowledge.

Some M - F trans folks here may end up having problems at times when someone decides to be a prude, but even though I'm not what is considered able to pass easily, I've rarely ever had anything happen when using a female washroom.

On a few occasions, very few actually, I've had women give me a hard time, but then I'll turn to them and I ask them, "Let's see, I'm dressed as a girl, wearing make-up, carrying a purse, just what do you think would happen if I walked into a male washroom?" and they shut up.

Forcing an M - F trans person to use a male washroom is all too likely to result in the transwoman being assaulted or even raped.

Yet states like North Carolina and Texas want to shove laws like this down people's throats? It makes me want to throw up. *shudders*

I am a Texan

sugar_britches63's picture

I am a born and bred Texan and proud to be one, I also admit that I am not proud of the stance my state is taking about bathrooms. I can say that while it was possible I got my BC changed to reflect female so as I have done the snip and tuck and have a BC that says female they better not challenge me on this issue or I may have to use my CHL and make a few of them female as well.

Charolotte

opinor ergo sum

Charlotte Van Goethem

I like the premise of her question.

MadTech01's picture

what are they going to do have a DNA testing machine at the door of every bathroom to open the correct door for if you come up XY or XX?
But wait what about the people who are genetic anomalies the ones with XO, XXY, XYY etc... they exist we are not as binary as the non-scientifically educated would want you to think. You would be waiting for days since tests like that take a lot of time and are not instant.

--------------Could be Controversial to Some, Not meant to start a fight!-------------
I am sorry but the Earth is Billions of years Old not thousands. Oh wait who came up with the Big-Bang Theory? It was A Catholic Priest, who had a Phd is Astro-physics as well as Theologian studies. I remember growing up science was not ignored, heck my preacher at a Babtist Church said in his opinion Science was not saying god des not exist, it was filling in the gaps and explaining the how not the why. And when people would say the Bibles says god created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th, He would ask a little Relativity question, "What is 6 Days to God?" and then he would point out the age of the bible and ask how would you explain the complex methods that created the Universe to a Simple Peasant who most likely had no formal education, and who's head would probably pop if you tried to explain things like the atom, and Sub-Atomic Theories too?" You would not be able to, you would have to use simple words and simple concepts just to try and explain the vastness that you know today, you would have a hard time with someone just 200 years ago let alone over 2,000 years ago.

He used to love showing theoretical debate tapes to us in Sunday school about how a well educated christian could use what science is learning every day to explain what the bible says without having to concede that the bible was completely wrong.

What happened to Religious leaders like that have they become an endangered species compared to hard-liners?

"Cortana is watching you!"

Just as bad

The only way you can use science to support the bible is if you ignore 90% of the science and warp whats left to make it fit. And I give a sad laugh about his explaining things to ignorant people. The Baptists say they believe a literal interpretation of the bible. That's what they use to justify their hatred for people such as the LGBTQI+, other races, etc. "Those people are going against God's Will, the Bible is God's words, they are nothing but perveted sinners. They must be taught the error of their ways. Even if we have to kill them to save them, we are doing God's Will."

Yeah, I've been through that circus several times.


"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin

he was different I will admit.

MadTech01's picture

He did not like spewing hate, but then again when he retired it was one of those strict people who replaced him, I quit going to church.

Maybe that preacher was an exception, but you sure could find more people like him back then, but that was also over 20 years ago.
You would think things would have gotten better but they feel like they have gotten worse.

"Cortana is watching you!"

This ludicrous situation...

At my age, I won't live to see it, but I am hoping that this whole Transgender thing, especially the surgical intervention, is a developmental place along the path for humans to actually become "Human". This mantra that "God created us male and female" has become ridiculous in light of known science. I see it as logical squabbling between the Scientific and Religious communities, so perhaps in a decade or two the knowledge of the science community will "trickle down" onto the pulpit? As angry as I get with the present day religionuts, I think they provide a "yin/yang" place for Homo Sapiens to battle out the true path.

For me there is no doubt that an organized intelligence started all this, but it has perhaps lost interest, or is waiting for us to destroy ourselves, or perhaps what we are experiencing is simply a normal part of our development?

I know of at least one culture in existence today where children decide for themselves whether they will live as males or females despite their anatomy. I think that is as it should be, and had that occurred with me I think I would be content. It is my sincere hope that the bathroom nuts will eventually move on to issues that matter.