Tennessee- Proposed State Bathroom Bill Would Limit Transgender Options

[SandraJane]

NewsChannel5.com


Proposed State Bathroom Bill Would Limit Transgender Options

by Chris Cannon | Posted: Jan 12, 2012 9:26 PM CST , Updated: Jan 12, 2012 10:26 PM CST

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/16511164/proposed-state-bathroom-bill-would-limit-transgender-options


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A bill that would limit who could enter public restrooms has been filed in the Tennessee General Assembly. The proposed legislation would restrict access to public restrooms and public dressing rooms designated by sex, to members of that particular sex.

State Representative Richard Floyd drafted the legislation after an employee at a Texas Macy's store was fired in December for stopping a transgender teenager from trying on clothing in a women's dressing room.

"I cannot imagine firing anybody for something like that. I just cannot, I cannot grasp that, I can't get my mind around it," Representative Floyd explained.

[SandraJane]

TN Lawmaker Files Bill to Prevented 'Perverted' Trans People from Attacking His Wife in Dressing Rooms: VIDEO

01/13/2012

http://www.towleroad.com/2012/01/floyd.html#ixzz1jQuTV2Tz



Tennessee State Representative Richard Floyd has filed a bill restricting transgender access to bathrooms and store dressing rooms citing the danger to his wife, children, and grandchildren, NewsChannel5 reports:

The proposed legislation would restrict access to public restrooms and public dressing rooms designated by sex, to members of that particular sex.

Says Floyd in an eight-minute transphobic and homophobic rant:

"I don't care for what reason, how depraved their mind is, how perverted their mind is, or for what reason they think a man has a right to go into a women's bathroom, or dressing room to try on clothes...I'm just sick and tired of society having to adjust to every little alternate life style, or little whim or someone who thinks they're different...If things go in the future like Washington wants them to go, people will be marrying their dogs, their cats, and their horses. We can't continue to let society go down a slippery slope of depravity and survive as a society."

[Jeneva]

The one bright spot here is that the state senator he got to sponsor the state senate version backed off after some INTENSE feedback.  So it doesn't let have a state senate version and until it does it CANNOT become law.

Unfortunately the Rep is not willing to back down.  Everyone should go watch his video on this, it is just crazy.  The state Representative actually says that if someone accuses someone of something the defendant is responsible for proving they are innocent.  It was just crazy ranting basically.

The ugly thing about it is that it depends on birth certifications when TN will NEVER change by LAW.  This is actually fairly scary to even consider what will happen if it passes.  I just finished FFS and a BA.  I'm sure it would be "so safe" for me to use the men's room.  And if I did get attacked the police and/or judges around here would likely say I was asking for it even though I'm a lesbian and happily married.

[michelle]

In the bathroom we transgender women want to do what every woman wants to do that is take care of our personal hygiene as privately as possible and check our makeup.    If their are private stalls privacy should never be a problem.    And all of us, men and women, can be subjected to unwanted sexual attention and violence in whatever bathroom we use.   Us transgender women create problems in men's bathrooms.     When I have used a men's room and a male entered many times he stepped back and checked to see if he was in the right bathroom.   

Sexual predators can be anywhere and threaten any one.   All of us women and girls including transgender women should use the same rest rooms.   Those people who are male by gender and dress however should also use the men's restroom.

Transgender women are just like every other women when it comes to the restroom.   We want to take care of our personal hygiene as privately as possible and powder our noses.

[ToriJo]

I just read the bill.

Essentially it would define sex (for this purpose) as the designation on the individual's birth certificate.  Which demonstrates the stupidity of this legislator, as, ignoring the bigotry, that has several problems:

• Ignores intersexed people
• He specifically allows for  § 68-15-303 to still apply.  So a trans person could use a restroom if they have an "Eligable medical condition.  I would think "person who cannot indefinitely hold their urine" would be a valid medical reason if you could get a doctor to sign a note.  It's defined in 68-15-303: "Eligible medical condition" means Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, any other inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or any other medical condition that requires immediate access to a toilet facility.
• His proposed law only applies to "public" buildings which essentially means government buildings
• It would apply to mommy taking baby boy into the women's room, opposite sex spouses and/or personal assistants helping disabled people (even in single-stall bathrooms if they are gender segregated), etc.
• Not everyone has a birth certificate
• How the heck would you enforce this?  Birth certificates can't be checked by cops electronically (nor does a cop know how to check a birth certificate)!  People don't generally carry them.
• It didn't specify the issuing authority of the birth certificate required.
• It wouldn't apply to the situation he complained about: someone he doesn't approve of using a store's dressing room, as the store isn't a public building! He can't even do the wrong thing right.
• Would "Women" and "Men" signs on doors designate sex?  Particularly since the proposed law uses "male" and "female" as the designations.  If the bathroom isn't designated as for one sex, this bill wouldn't apply.  The bill doesn't specify how this should be designated, either.
• It could apply to a construction crew or custodian or other person who entered an empty restroom for maintenance purposes (one government building I worked in only allowed access to a mechanical space by walking through a door only accessible from the men's room). It could also apply to EMS, police, etc. I guess it depends on what "use this room" means (if it means using it as a bathroom, then it probably wouldn't apply to a guy who dressed as a woman to rape a girl, since he probably isn't urinating or dedicating)!

It's just plain bad law (as are a lot of bills - legislators aren't very good at writing law).  From my reading of it, he's just plain incompetent at his job (writing new law and analyzing the effects of law), in addition to being a bigot.  Fortunately he hasn't found his second sponsor yet.

[titsup]

I just read the bill.

Essentially it would define sex (for this purpose) as the designation on the individual's birth certificate.  Which demonstrates the stupidity of this legislator, as, ignoring the bigotry, that has several problems:

• Ignores intersexed people
• He specifically allows for  § 68-15-303 to still apply.  So a trans person could use a restroom if they have an "Eligable medical condition.  I would think "person who cannot indefinitely hold their urine" would be a valid medical reason if you could get a doctor to sign a note.  It's defined in 68-15-303: "Eligible medical condition" means Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, any other inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or any other medical condition that requires immediate access to a toilet facility.
• His proposed law only applies to "public" buildings which essentially means government buildings
• It would apply to mommy taking baby boy into the women's room, opposite sex spouses and/or personal assistants helping disabled people (even in single-stall bathrooms if they are gender segregated), etc.
• Not everyone has a birth certificate
• How the heck would you enforce this?  Birth certificates can't be checked by cops electronically (nor does a cop know how to check a birth certificate)!  People don't generally carry them.
• It didn't specify the issuing authority of the birth certificate required.
• It wouldn't apply to the situation he complained about: someone he doesn't approve of using a store's dressing room, as the store isn't a public building! He can't even do the wrong thing right.
• Would "Women" and "Men" signs on doors designate sex?  Particularly since the proposed law uses "male" and "female" as the designations.  If the bathroom isn't designated as for one sex, this bill wouldn't apply.  The bill doesn't specify how this should be designated, either.
• It could apply to a construction crew or custodian or other person who entered an empty restroom for maintenance purposes (one government building I worked in only allowed access to a mechanical space by walking through a door only accessible from the men's room). It could also apply to EMS, police, etc. I guess it depends on what "use this room" means (if it means using it as a bathroom, then it probably wouldn't apply to a guy who dressed as a woman to rape a girl, since he probably isn't urinating or dedicating)!

It's just plain bad law (as are a lot of bills - legislators aren't very good at writing law).  From my reading of it, he's just plain incompetent at his job (writing new law and analyzing the effects of law), in addition to being a bigot.  Fortunately he hasn't found his second sponsor yet.

Why did a law have to be sought in the first place your id designates your gender in the real world, just use the restroom your ID allows you to use.

[Tammy Hope]

it failed for want of a senate sponsor. it's dead for this session. But the morons are running with the "don't say gay" bill again this year so i'm sure it will come back up next year.

[Jeneva]

Why did a law have to be sought in the first place your id designates your gender in the real world, just use the restroom your ID allows you to use.

Even that is bad for a state with regressive laws like TN.  Which ID? 

Birth Certificate?  I was born in TN and under current law will not be able to change it EVER.  Even my name change is just a strike-out of my old name with the new one on the form too.

Drivers License?  Ok, yes I can change the name on it based on my current legal name, but I cannot change the gender marker until after FULL SRS/GCS/GRS surgery.  While I am in my RLE am I to use the men's room then?  What about now that i have had FFS and a BA?  Do you really think it is safe for me to use a men's room with obvious breasts?  I'd look like I was trolling for sex and if something happened to me that would be what the police and judge said too.  It'd be my fault.

[Jeneva]

it failed for want of a senate sponsor. it's dead for this session. But the morons are running with the "don't say gay" bill again this year so i'm sure it will come back up next year.

It had a senator, but we made him back down.  Basically he was smart enough to look at the public feedback and get out of that "mud hole" quickly.  Unfortunately the state house rep is exceptionally transphobic.  I still think he should be censured for threatening serious physical harm to other human beings, but.......

[Jeneva]

Make sure you use the same restroom as him at the same time - in your nicest dress and heels.

Beverley

Well.... since it is more than a 5 hour drive to Nashville for me (TN is really long), I'll pass.  But that would be fun.  And of course I'd have to dress nicely if I were going to visit the state House.  Especially since I'm 5'11" and with heels I'm sure I'd tower over him. 

Actually him trying to beat a mud hole in me might hurt less than the rest of the week.  This is the week of pain for me.  I did facial hair/eyebrows/hands with laser on Tuesday.  And then I had a 3 hour session on my leg sleeve tattoo yesterday (with tons of shading and going back over the same area is even more fun).  And today I'm going to get my lower arms and chest lasered.