Who Is Using My Bathroom Now
Recently there has been alot of discussion about who should be using what bathroom. Normally, I would sit by and not say much about this but some of the comments have really bothered me.
Let me preface this by stating I do not have close friends that a Transgender, that I am aware of. I do have gay friends. I only clarify that because for some reason some people try to treat everyone like they are dealing with the same battle. The battle for equality is different for each population that strives for it.
So you may ask what prompted my comments here. It started with this Facebook post:
Then I scrolled a little further and came across this:
https://stream.org/open-letter-bruce-springsteen-band/
In a nutshell the link takes you to an open letter on stream.org to Bruce Springsteen about him canceling his concert in North Carolina due to the bathroom law. (I have not researched the ins and outs of the law, just heard the news clips...full disclosure)
I would be uncomfortable with a man such as the one described in this open letter strolling into the restroom with me. I also avoid public rest rooms like the plaque. However, why not have a unisex restroom available everywhere? Follow me here. This serves many purposes. It allows dignity to those who identify as a gender other than that of their birth, it provides a location for a mother with a male child who is perhaps too old to go in the ladies room or has special needs of his own. It provides a place for a single dad to safely take his daughter. It provides a location for those with parents or spouses needing assistance. It also provides a resource for those with real phobias of public places, beyond my yuck factor.
I am a Christian, but it is not my place to judge. Jesus said he among you without sin cast the first stone...well I ain't picking up any stones. I want people treated with kindness and dignity, no qualifiers.
I will end with this. I was a probation officer for several years. I had 1 young man who was Transgender that I supervised. He was 16 when we met. He was treated like a piriah in our Bible Belt community. He was beaten up in the high school and the administration punished him, not those who assaulted him in the incident. He was charged with inciting. Was he confused? Yeah, but show me a 16 year old who is not confused. I had to get passed my judgements fast in order to provide him with the best measure of help and support I was capable. We had many very honest conversations about his choices, decisions and if I'm honest my complete and utter confusion about any one being Transgender. I do not understand any better, but I am more compassionate, little less judgy.
This is just my two cents and it comes from my life experience. We need a unisex bathroom for the dignity and privacy of many people, not just one population. Let's use our common sense and compassion.
Let me preface this by stating I do not have close friends that a Transgender, that I am aware of. I do have gay friends. I only clarify that because for some reason some people try to treat everyone like they are dealing with the same battle. The battle for equality is different for each population that strives for it.
So you may ask what prompted my comments here. It started with this Facebook post:
Then I scrolled a little further and came across this:
https://stream.org/open-letter-bruce-springsteen-band/
In a nutshell the link takes you to an open letter on stream.org to Bruce Springsteen about him canceling his concert in North Carolina due to the bathroom law. (I have not researched the ins and outs of the law, just heard the news clips...full disclosure)
I would be uncomfortable with a man such as the one described in this open letter strolling into the restroom with me. I also avoid public rest rooms like the plaque. However, why not have a unisex restroom available everywhere? Follow me here. This serves many purposes. It allows dignity to those who identify as a gender other than that of their birth, it provides a location for a mother with a male child who is perhaps too old to go in the ladies room or has special needs of his own. It provides a place for a single dad to safely take his daughter. It provides a location for those with parents or spouses needing assistance. It also provides a resource for those with real phobias of public places, beyond my yuck factor.
I am a Christian, but it is not my place to judge. Jesus said he among you without sin cast the first stone...well I ain't picking up any stones. I want people treated with kindness and dignity, no qualifiers.
I will end with this. I was a probation officer for several years. I had 1 young man who was Transgender that I supervised. He was 16 when we met. He was treated like a piriah in our Bible Belt community. He was beaten up in the high school and the administration punished him, not those who assaulted him in the incident. He was charged with inciting. Was he confused? Yeah, but show me a 16 year old who is not confused. I had to get passed my judgements fast in order to provide him with the best measure of help and support I was capable. We had many very honest conversations about his choices, decisions and if I'm honest my complete and utter confusion about any one being Transgender. I do not understand any better, but I am more compassionate, little less judgy.
This is just my two cents and it comes from my life experience. We need a unisex bathroom for the dignity and privacy of many people, not just one population. Let's use our common sense and compassion.
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