Transgender Individuals Deserve Rights
Imagine someone could not use the bathroom for being who they are. “Anti- discrimination protects covering gender identity have been around for years, and there is no evidence they lead to attack in the public facilities”(Grinberg and Stewart). Transgender individuals have been denied the right to use the bathroom of their choice. Some people may not want transgendered people to use the of the gender those individuals were not born as. People in the LGBT community have been fighting for the right to use the bathroom of their choice. “We must be sensitive to the dignity, privacy, and safety concerns of everyone else” (“Undoing Obama’s Transgender Bathroom Policy Protest Women And Girls”). The rights of transgender individuals have come into question: transgender people are not hurting people, the individuals have been going to court to get rights, and it is their right to use the bathroom of their choice.
Transgender people are not harming anybody in the public bathrooms. Several people have been worrying about getting attacked by people pretending to be transgender, and that causes them to fear all transgender people. There is nothing to be afraid of, attacks in the bathroom have not gone up in the states that allow transgender individuals to use the bathroom of their choice. “Anti-discrimination protection covering gender identity have been around for years, and there is no evidence they lead to attacks in the public facilities” (Grinberg ann Stewart). In other words there is no evidence that allowing transgender individuals to use the bathroom of their choice leads to attacks. It also proves that transgenered people are not dangerous.
The point that transgender identity protection laws have caused no harm are further seen in many states. “In Maine which has had gender identity protections in its state civil rights law for more than 11 years, the state civil rights commission was unaware of a single incident” (Grinberg and Stewart). Therefore, there is no proof that when transgender people use the bathroom of their choice there are more bathroom attacks. If Maine could go eleven years with no reported attacks, this proves that these fears are groundless. Since a state has gone over a decade without a reported incident, other states could follow Maine’s example. They could create laws that support transgendered peoples rights.
Furthering the point of supporting transgender bathroom policies and that these policies do not lead to attacks.“CNN reached out to 20 law enforcement agencies in states with anti-discrimination policies covering gender identity. None who answered reported any bathroom assaults after policies took effect” (Grinberg and Stewart). Based on this information government’s policies in support of the transgender community there has not been an increase of attacks in public restrooms. In this this instance the law enforcement agencies have not seen anything that would incriminate these individuals. In other words law enforcement officers have not found anything to link assaulted in bathroom to the transgender community. These examples show that allowing transgender individuals to use the bathroom of their choice is not harming anyone.
Transgender individuals have been relying on the justice system for years to get policies passed that will give them the ability to use the restroom of their choice. Transgender teens and adults have been fighting to get these policies passed. People are finding that the bathroom policy issues do not just affect adults, they also have an affect on students. Who are struggling to deal with their gender identity. Students have been trying to appeal these bathroom policies, but they have been unsuccessful. Their next step was to sue the school in hope of getting these policies changed. “Lawyers argue that the policy, which requires students to use bathrooms aligned with their biological sex, violates a federal law against sex discrimination in public schools” (Balingit). Even with students going to court to get these policies changed, it is taking a large amount of time. While these students are still not allowed to use the bathroom of their choice.
Some of the court cases have been going on for years. They have been moving up through the court system.“The supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on March 28 in the case of a transgender teenager from Virginia who sued his school board for the right to use the boys bathroom” (Balingit). This case has been going on for years. This student may not even be affected by the outcome, but it will affect transgender students in the future. This case if won could positively affect transgender students throughout the state of Virginia.
Although the case in Vigina has not been decided, many school systems are trying to figure out how to accommodate transgender students.“As the transgender movement has become more visible, controversies have roiled school systems and offices over privacy and the appropriate way to handle restroom preferences for those who are shifting genders” (Rein). In new construction of schools and office buildings they can make accommodations by adding unisex bathroom where the other bathrooms are located. Older schools and office buildings are finding it difficult to make room for unisex facilities. Transgender students have been trying to change their schools by filing lawsuits. Many schools and businesses are trying to accommodate the transgender community.
Transgender people have the right to use the bathroom of their choice. In North Carolina transgendered individuals were promised by lawmakers the right to use the bathroom of their choice. After the law passed there was controversy so the lawmakers repealed the law.
“ Some lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists called the package ‘shameful’ because laws left transgender people confused about which public bathrooms to use” (“Deal on Bathroom Law Would Expand Transgender Protections”). Many of these individuals are confused because they were told that this law would allow them to choose which bathroom they wanted use. Then not long after it was passed the law makers repealed it. That caused confusion in the community.
Transgender individuals are confused about which bathroom they could use and they were worried that if they went in to the “wrong” bathroom that something would happen to them. “Restroom access for transgender workers is a civil rights issue as well as a health and safety one” (Rein). It is discrimination by not providing a safe place for these individuals to go to the restroom. Companies need to make new policies to make the transgender workers feel more comfortable and safer in the workplace. Transgender people are left in limbo because lawmakers can not make up their mind.
Many people are worried about getting attacked by transgendered people in the bathroom. One major fear that many people have is that sexual predators will pretend to be transgender and attack them in the bathroom. Also, that transgendered people are going into the bathroom to prey on small children.“We must be sensitive to the dignity, privacy, and safety concerns of everyone else” (“Undoing Obama’s Transgender Bathroom Policy Protects Women And Girls”). Many people think that transgender people want to harm them in a place where they should feel safe. By letting transgender people use the bathroom of their choice it is invading their privacy.
Several women have come forward saying that by allowing transgender individuals to use the women’s bathroom they are opening a dangerous door.“Allowing a man to have unlimited access to women’s restrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms. Will make it easier for the type of sex offense” (“Undoing Obama’s Transgender Bathroom Policy Protects Women And Girls”). Their fear is that strange men with come in to a women’s bathroom and assault them. That the attacks would keep happening, because people that were not born female can use the women’s bathroom. Their fears are reasonable, but there is not evidence to support them. Attacks in the bathroom have not gone up in areas that allow transgender individuals to use the restroom of their choice.
Transgender individuals right have been questioned over the years, but transgender individuals are not harming anyone in anyway, they have been relying on the courts to get these rights, and they have the right to use the bathroom of their choice. This battle has been going on for years. Transgendered people are confused about which bathroom they are allowed to use. Their right are being violated, there are court cases that have been going on for years and they still have not been settled. What group’s civil right will be violated next? Transgendered people need public support now.
Works Cited
Balingit, Moriah. "Supreme Court scheduled to hear transgender bathroom case in March." Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2017. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A480315555/OVIC?u=pl2634&xid=3dfde954. Accessed 17 Jan. 2018.
Fausset, Richard. "Deal on Bathroom Law Would Expand Transgender Protections." New York Times, 19 Oct. 2017, p. A15(L). Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A510266456/OVIC?u=pl2634&xid=8555c4aa. Accessed 17 Jan. 2018.
"3 myths that inform the transgender bathroom debate." CNN Wire, 8 Mar. 2017. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A484411647/OVIC?u=pl2634&xid=06015cdc. Accessed 17 Jan. 2018.
Rein, Lisa. "OSHA urges transgender bathroom access." Washington Post, 10 June 2015. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A417430524/OVIC?u=pl2634&xid=ee41127c. Accessed 17 Jan. 2018.
Anderson, Ryan T. "Undoing Obama’s Transgender Bathroom Policy Protects Women and Girls." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2017. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/RHPMNE245222857/OVIC?u=pl2634&xid=6e15f9b5. Accessed 17 Jan. 2018. Originally published as "Trump Right to Fix Obama’s Unlawful Transgender School Policy," The Daily Signal, 22 Feb. 2017.