Let’s be blunt. Bathroom bills have nothing to do with protecting people and everything to do with hate and ignorance and using the law to bully a select group of people. This is no different than the laws against blacks back in the 50’s and 60’s. The dangers to your loved ones is a complete fabrication by those who wish to impose hate and ignorance on everyone.

Police Departments Across the Country Agree: There’s been no increase in public safety incidents in cities and states with nondiscrimination laws

You can read the full text here, http://www.transequality.org/police-departments but as the The Cambridge (Massachusetts) Police Superintendent said “there have been no incidents of men dressing up as women to commit crimes in female bathrooms and using the city ordinance as a defense.”

There is just no evidence to support the claims by Republicans wishing to impose their will on the populace. It is simple fear-mongering. This is a common tactic. Make up some wild scenario and get everyone worked up so that you can impose your version of the world on others. Democrats are just as guilty on this, though, Dems have usually come around and actually put forth legislation to protect LGBT people from ignorance, hate, and intolerance. Most of these so-called bathroom bills have been put forth by Republicans. Though there are some Republicans who see these for what they are like Texas House Speaker, Joe Straus.

“I oppose it … I’d never even heard about [this issue] until a year or two ago … Count me as a no,” Straus said during a sit-down at the University of Texas at Austin with Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at UT.

I was talking with some friends on this and how it affects our community. As one put it, we are pretty lucky to be living in Massachusetts and not places like North Carolina or Texas. Massachusetts did pass a law to protect transgender rights and allow transgender people to use the bathroom they prefer. Stay tuned, as the legions of hate managed to get enough signatures to get it put on the ballot in 2018 to repeal those protections. One has to hope that, just like with gay marriage, we will see that all the hate talk never came to fruition so people will just vote to shut down the initiative. We can’t rely on that happening, so we have to make sure to turn out en force to make sure the measure never passes.

Another point was brought up that I found quite interesting. If they are so concerned about your loved ones not getting attacked in public bathrooms, why has not one of them put forth a bill to make it illegal for sex offenders to use public bathrooms. Sex offenders have actually committed crimes. Transgender people just want to go to the bathroom and get the heck out. Yet, there seems to be an odd lack of concern with a sex offender sharing the bathroom with your loved one. Think about that next time you hear one of these people going on about how transgender people are out to get you!

I am going to let you in on a little secret. Transgender people just want to get in, do their business and get out, without attracting any attention to themselves. A transwoman does not want to have to share a bathroom with a man. Despite what ignorant people push out, transwomen are women!! We think just like any other woman. Of course, the focus is always on transwomen. Little is said of transmen. Yet, these laws affect them also. Most state that you can only use the bathroom that matches your sex on your birth certificate. So basically a transman, legally has to use the women’s bathroom. Have you seen some of these transmen? How the hell can these laws be enforced without having genitalia inspection to go into the bathroom? Even then, there are those that have had surgery, yet their birth certificate may not be updated, either due to the person not getting it updated, or as in some states, laws stating you cannot change it. So basically, a transman has to use the woman’s room in those state that impose these stupid laws.

So that brings up another thing to ponder on all of this. I know a lot of transgender people. There are many of my transwomen friends who are drop dead gorgeous. Ladies, do you really want her to have to go in the bathroom with your significant other? Conversely, guys, there are a lot of transmen who could be models, do you want your significant other in the bathroom with them? Of course, who is the gate keeper in all of this? One again, does it come down to genital inspection? What of intersexed people. These are people who are born with the genitalia of both sexes? Often times, the doctor, with or without the parent’s knowledge, would choose the sex of an intersexed person. The old belief was that nurture not nature decided who you were. That belief has been found wrong as there have been cases where the person was assigned sex at birth by the doctor, but later transitioned to the sex they should have been. In one case, the person wanted to kill the doctor that had done this to them.

Of course, all of this hate is based in twisted version of religion. Jesus gave but one commandment, Love. Not love if, not love but, just love. Yet, those who propose to condemn those in the LGBT community dig back deep in the Bible, not to the teachings of Jesus, but to ancient Hebrew text in Deuteronomy, Kings and Leviticus. Jesus walked with all who would come unto him, sinners and saints. He love all, yet these supposed Christians dig back into the Bible and use it as a weapon of hate. These are not Christians. They do not follow the teachings of Christ. Rather they choose ancient texts that even Jesus said were irrelevant. Of course, as they choose passages like, Leviticus 20:13: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” Of course, they say this passage no longer is in effect because it affects them, “⁹ “You may eat everything that lives in the sea or in a river that has fins and scales. ^10-11 But you must not eat anything that lives in the sea or in a river and does not have fins and scales. Just the thought of eating such a creature should make you sick. This will never change. So don’t ever eat meat from anything like that. Don’t even touch its dead body!” So that Shrimp Scampi you ate, you are an abomination!!! We won’t even get into that pork chop or that bacon you had with breakfast!

The point is that even on religious grounds, these bathroom bills have nothing to do with protecting people. The evidence just isn’t there to show that a transgender person has ever attacked someone in a bathroom. If anything, quite the opposite is true. There is nothing in the Bible to condemn a transgender person, though many of the passages used against gays have been used against transgender also. Problem is, that gender is not sexuality. The T in LGBT is there to be inclusive and to work towards ending discrimination against all people.

Those who support and promote these bathroom bills are bullies, plain and simple. They don’t like anyone who doesn’t conform to their standards, so they attack them. Since many are lawmakers, they are in a place of power. Until true Christians take a stand and call these people out for the hate mongers and bullies they truly are, we will never see a change. It takes courage to stand up to bullies. That is why I have put myself out here on the front. I am a transwoman. I am strong and proud.

My heart to your heart, one heart, one spirit.
Emma