Transgender Issues Finally Gain Recognition On Capitol Hill

Transgender Issues Finally Gain Recognition On Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON -- House lawmakers launched a task force Tuesday dedicated to issues of transgender equality, accompanied by Congress' first-ever forum on violence against transgender people.

"We all celebrate the great strides we've made in recent years in the LGBT rights movement. But too many times, the 'T' in LGBT has been an afterthought," LGBT Equality Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) said at a press conference at the Capitol Tuesday morning.

Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) will chair the new task force, the first launched by the LGBT Equality Caucus. It will be composed of seven Democratic members and one Republican -- Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), whose son is transgender.

So Congress is setting up a new caucus to address transgender violence in the country. I'm really not sure what this caucus will accomplish, but at least it is a step in the right direction for our incompetent lawmakers.

This year's killings of at least 21 transgender people -- primarily women of color -- were a focus of the press conference Tuesday. Legislators pointed to these deaths as examples of the urgent need for more awareness and measures that will advance equality. The number is the highest since advocates began tracking reported U.S. homicides of transgender individuals in 2006, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

The task force's launch comes just weeks after a blow to the LGBT rights movement. Earlier this month, Houston voters overwhelmingly rejected a comprehensive nondiscrimination measure. Conservative opponents focused the fight on the protections for sexual orientation and gender identity, adopting the slogan "No men in women's bathrooms" and playing up fears that passage could lead to male sexual predators dressing up as women and entering women's restrooms. (Like Monarez said, transgender individuals are far more likely to face harassment in restrooms.)

Keep in mind though that Dallas responded to Houston's ignorance the right way.
Dallas City Council unanimously OK’s adding transgender protections to anti-bias ordinance

So things ARE improving for these people, but more and more needs to be done.

In July, a group of lawmakers introduced the Equality Act, which would update federal law to provide nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people. The White House recently endorsed it, but it hasn't moved anywhere in Congress.

HRC and the Trans People of Color Coalition recently released a report shedding light on victims' stories and highlighting data on and solutions to the issue of violence against the transgender community.

Why am I not surprised it hasn't gone anywhere in Congress?

a reply to: Krazysh0t

I am all for ending hate against people base on preferences, but is some issues that I can not take in, like the restroom and lockers rights.

I can not picture a person going through his transition of gender been allowed to be in the same restrooms of the at the moment opposing sex.

I have to sympathize with parents that will be concerned about their own small children getting into public restrooms that are shared with people that are still in their transition stage.

I feel and this is just an opinion base on rights for all, that transgender people should have their own privacy respected when it comes to restrooms, locker rooms and showers, to make sure that they do not become target of hate by those that do not understand their choices.

a reply to: marg6043

Why is going to the bathroom with a transgender person disconcerting for you? Do the bathrooms you enter not have stalls to give you privacy or something?

What about, as the article mentions, the fact that transgender people are largely unsafe in these bathrooms?

originally posted by: marg6043
a reply to: Krazysh0t

I am all for ending hate against people base on preferences, but is some issues that I can not take in, like the restroom and lockers rights.

I can not picture a person going through his transition of gender been allowed to be in the same restrooms of the at the moment opposing sex.

I have to sympathize with parents that will be concerned about their own small children getting into public restrooms that are shared with people that are still in their transition stage.

I feel and this is just an opinion base on rights for all, that transgender people should have their own privacy respected when it comes to restrooms, locker rooms and showers, to make sure that they do not become target of hate by those that do not understand their choices.

Perhaps restrooms in public places could be better designed to ensure individual privacy, then you would not require a duplication of facilities at all.

You'd save money and provide better services, too.

Sexual apartheid is equally as foolish as racial apartheid.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: marg6043

Why is going to the bathroom with a transgender person disconcerting for you? Do the bathrooms you enter not have stalls to give you privacy or something?

What about, as the article mentions, the fact that transgender people are largely unsafe in these bathrooms?

i think it's a joke

1.if a man can pass as a lady then why even announce that you are a man using a lady's restroom. Noone will know. There are only stalls and everyone pees sitting down.
2. If you are a lady dressing as a man you will use the lady's room because you will have to sit to pee and noone wants to do this in a man's restroom

So really it's a non issues except for those that want to announce their gender then go into the opposing genders restroom and how exactly is a bathroom not safe for someone?

a reply to: marg6043

I am 55 years old and I have been to many, many public restrooms in my life. I have NEVER seen anyone's private parts in a public restroom. What makes you think that any transgender person in transition is just going to parade around without their underwear in the restroom so little children can see their private parts?

a reply to: Krazysh0t

It doesn't bother me at all, as an adult, but as a mother it does, when it comes to what I will want my child to be exposed too.

That is the complains that I been hearing the most when it comes to transgender issues.

We have a home depot, one of the workers is transgender, the person is still a male with his male parts, is already complains by costumers about the use of the women restroom when is children involved.

You know very well that this issues will come out and they have to be dealt with, we want it or no, to me in order to be fair to all and to ensure the privacy of all and the safety of all and the concern of those involved we should be respectful of every body choices.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

So Congress is setting up a new caucus to address transgender violence in the country. I'm really not sure what this caucus will accomplish, but at least it is a step in the right direction for our incompetent lawmakers.

The way politics usually works.

But, at least we know Equal Rights for Everyone continues to go in the right direction.

I'm glad Gender-Identity is getting talked about more, in this case Trans Issues. Trans people have been around for years and years it's not a new "PC Phenomenon" and they need protections, as well as all GLBTQ+ people.

i hope we take even more steps forward with conversations and recognition of other Gender-Identity Issues, such as Gender-Fluid and Non Binary people

originally posted by: Another_Nut

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: marg6043

Why is going to the bathroom with a transgender person disconcerting for you? Do the bathrooms you enter not have stalls to give you privacy or something?

What about, as the article mentions, the fact that transgender people are largely unsafe in these bathrooms?

i think it's a joke

1.if a man can pass as a lady then why even announce that you are a man using a lady's restroom. Noone will know. There are only stalls and everyone pees sitting down.

Come on. Let's be real here, unless the person has completely finished transitioning, you can totally tell the gender they used to be. Heck even for people who have finished transitioning, you can still tell if you know what to look for. No one needs to announce it to make it known to everyone.

2. If you are a lady dressing as a man you will use the lady's room because you will have to sit to pee and noone wants to do this in a man's restroom

You do know that they have attachment devices that allow women to pee standing up right?

So really it's a non issues except for those that want to announce their gender then go into the opposing genders restroom and how exactly is a bathroom not safe for someone?

Except no, it is a very REAL issue.

a reply to: marg6043

Do you guys still have public "facilities"? Wow, I would not use any facility where I did not have privacy from my own as well as the other gender. Even in schools one should be allowed privacy to bathe and change.

What a tangled web we weave. Will be interesting the way that law goes to make room for transgender identity. I'm sure they will end up with kid glove treatment.

I do whole heartedly support any kind of legislation that protects anyone against bullying generally. It is hideous. I have known some gay people who are bullies, too. Being gay does not make one immune to developing an intolerant, bigoted and bullying persona.

originally posted by: marg6043
a reply to: Krazysh0t

It doesn't bother me at all, as an adult, but as a mother it does, when it comes to what I will want my child to be exposed too.

Do your children go to restrooms without stalls then?

That is the complains that I been hearing the most when it comes to transgender issues.

We have a home depot, one of the workers is transgender, the person is still a male with his male parts, is already complains by costumers about the use of the women restroom when is children involved.

You know very well that this issues will come out and they have to be dealt with, we want it or no, to me in order to be fair to all and to ensure the privacy of all and the safety of all and the concern of those involved we should be respectful of every body choices.

This issue is already out... It's literally the rhetoric that was used to get the people of Houston to vote down that bill a few weeks ago.

originally posted by: marg6043
a reply to: Krazysh0t

. . . It doesn't bother me at all, as an adult, but as a mother it does, when it comes to what I will want my child to be exposed too.

Ugh! I get so sick of ". . . its because of the children".

The children don't care, YOU DO!

If a child questions something, you give them the simplest answer for their age. Usually, they just say, "OK".

We had a gay man living with us. My (then) 9 year old granddaughter says, "Is he gay?", we say, "Yes". she says, "Does that mean he likes boys instead of girls", we say, "Yes", at which point she said, "OK" - - - and ran outside to play.

Stop saying its about the children. Its not. Its about YOU.

a reply to: kaylaluv

You've apparently never been in a men's locker room. The old guys are a little too comfortable being naked.



I'm on the fence about this whole thing. I really think if we just had reasonable doors for stalls there wouldn't be much of an issue. Still, if I was a parent I wouldn't want to worry that my daughter was going to see some "woman" walking around with her penis out.

I'm aware that we Americans tend to be a little ridiculous about the human body, but it's going to take some time to lighten up.

There's also the question about women feeling safe in a locker room. Having a pre-op walking around naked could be very disconcerting to women that have been raped.

I want transgender people to be safe, but I don't think the answer is shut up and accept it or you're a bigot. It's more complicated than that.

originally posted by: marg6043
a reply to: Krazysh0t

I am all for ending hate against people base on preferences, but is some issues that I can not take in, like the restroom and lockers rights.

I can not picture a person going through his transition of gender been allowed to be in the same restrooms of the at the moment opposing sex.

I have to sympathize with parents that will be concerned about their own small children getting into public restrooms that are shared with people that are still in their transition stage.

I feel and this is just an opinion base on rights for all, that transgender people should have their own privacy respected when it comes to restrooms, locker rooms and showers, to make sure that they do not become target of hate by those that do not understand their choices.

I thin k the restrooms issue is a distraction in minutae. Where are these 'restroom rights' printed? The only thing I saw about locker rooms was about a high school student who's only choice was to use a unisex staff bathroom w/ showers that adult men also used.

Are there not unisex bathrooms in Europe in some regions?

originally posted by: Another_Nut

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: marg6043

Why is going to the bathroom with a transgender person disconcerting for you? Do the bathrooms you enter not have stalls to give you privacy or something?

What about, as the article mentions, the fact that transgender people are largely unsafe in these bathrooms?

i think it's a joke

1.if a man can pass as a lady then why even announce that you are a man using a lady's restroom. Noone will know. There are only stalls and everyone pees sitting down.
2. If you are a lady dressing as a man you will use the lady's room because you will have to sit to pee and noone wants to do this in a man's restroom

So really it's a non issues except for those that want to announce their gender then go into the opposing genders restroom and how exactly is a bathroom not safe for someone?

Umm, use a seat cover (or cover the seat with TP)? Not all men's bathrooms are just urinals. Men need stalls as well, for obvious reasons. They must sit sometimes, too.

a reply to: Annee

Exactly. Intolerance is learned. It isn't inherited. Adults who make it seem like conversations like that are difficult with their children are being tormented by their own personal biases. Biases which their children don't have yet. Children are ALWAYS able to accept new thinking easier, because that is how they are. Youth allows for teaching of new ideas because there isn't years of other crap clogging up their head getting in the way of them accepting it as reality.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

I see the whole issue as one of human rights, under human rights, transgender will have their rights upheld regarding what those rights are, now is for the states to make sure to accommodate for their personal and private choices.

When it comes to hate, well we already have anti hate laws, we as a country come a long way but finally we are getting somewhere when it comes to us as not divided by gender, race, religion and such but to see each other for what we are, humans.

originally posted by: Domo1
a reply to: kaylaluv

You've apparently never been in a men's locker room. The old guys are a little too comfortable being naked.

There's also the question about women feeling safe in a locker room. Having a pre-op walking around naked could be very disconcerting to women that have been raped.

First, does a pre-op m to f really have it on their mind to rape women? Second, where are these rape vicims who are afraid of pre-op male to female transexuals? Have they spoken on this and where?

BTW, funny pic. You are correct. The older men may start using curtained stalls, that are in many private gyms if the room is made unisex.
I would think they had a sense of decorum if that was the room they had to use.

a reply to: marg6043

Though lgbtq don't have anti-hate protections yet. That's why I mentioned this in the OP:

In July, a group of lawmakers introduced the Equality Act, which would update federal law to provide nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people. The White House recently endorsed it, but it hasn't moved anywhere in Congress.