WATCH: Pat Robertson Likens Transgender People to Geldings

[Gadgett]

Why is it that people are so pissed bout some being treated as a damn human being? Just because these "norma" people would love to use that law to fulfill their own pervese desires. The rest of us just want to pee. They talk about how unfair it is to the others but have you had to go a full day without being able to go.to.the bathroom? Thats crewl and inhuman.

And ive heard some say, well you can still use the other bathroom. Do they really not grasp the concept on how judge we would be and dangerous? They wont stop till we bury who.we are and wont accept anything less. Because "god didnt make mstakes. "

[Jamie D]

I'm sorry but I don't see this as reasonable at all.  Let's say a pre-op women that completely passes and lives full time needs to use the bathroom.  Why should she use the men's room?  Isn't that putting her at risk in some way?  Does he even care about the safety of others or is it all about his arbitrary definition on what makes one an official man or woman?  Besides, he can't take back the fact that he concurred with "Dr" Falwell's  assessment that the lgbt community helped bring about 9/11.  He is not reasonable in any degree.  Moral majority 

Pat Robertson, on his website, distanced himself from the comments that he had agreed with at the time they were made.  He said that during the interview, Falwell suddenly made a "...political statement of blame directed at certain segments of the population that was severe and harsh in tone, and, frankly, not fully understood by the three hosts of The 700 Club who were watching Rev. Falwell on a monitor."  Robertson said he considered the comments "totally inappropriate" and that critics had taken the words out of context. - TruthOrFiction.com

[dalebert]

Even spaces with nudity shouldn't be segregated. If we didn't teach people segregation was a good thing from an early age, kids would grow up learning about respect for other people's space bubbles regardless of what they're wearing. What's the justification? Gay people realized this was a society-fabricated problem long ago. We've had to learn how to be in the same spaces with people we're attracted to while respecting space bubbles, not staring or doing things that would make others uncomfortable and so forth. Perhaps have a few extra private spaces available for anyone who's feeling more modest than most. That's fine. But it shouldn't be gender-based, sexual orientation-based, race-based, whatever-based.

[Jamie D]

SNIP

And ive heard some say, well you can still use the other bathroom. Do they really not grasp the concept on how judge we would be and dangerous? They wont stop till we bury who.we are and wont accept anything less. Because "god didnt make mstakes. "

I agree that the hackneyed "God doesn't make mistakes" line is hateful, and lacks both compassion and understanding.

But I don't hear that from Robertson in these video clips.

I see this situation and look at it as an opportunity to educate.  Clearly, neither Robertson nor the female host had any idea what transgender meant.

[Ltl89]

Pat Robertson, on his website, distanced himself from the comments that he had agreed with at the time they were made.  He said that during the interview, Falwell suddenly made a "...political statement of blame directed at certain segments of the population that was severe and harsh in tone, and, frankly, not fully understood by the three hosts of The 700 Club who were watching Rev. Falwell on a monitor."  Robertson said he considered the comments "totally inappropriate" and that critics had taken the words out of context. - TruthOrFiction.com

Yes, he agreed with it at the time.  That's my point.  I don't care if he distanced himself later on.  His views were clear and he didn't misunderstand.  He simply backpeddled.  Robertson has a track record of constantly doing these things.  If it were a one time fluke, I would let it go, but he has proven his true colors time and time again.   There is no protecting him.

[Jamie D]

Yes, he agreed with it at the time.  That's my point.  I don't care if he distanced himself later on.  His views were clear and he didn't misunderstand.  He simply backpeddled.  Robertson has a track record of constantly doing these things.  If it were a one time fluke, I would let it go, but he has proven his true colors time and time again.   There is no protecting him.

With age sometimes comes greater understanding.  I see Robertson as someone who has developed a better understanding.  I certainly don't think he is the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to  transgender issues.  What I do see in him is the evolution of his ideas.  He is a traditionalist, evangelical Christian preacher ... who now accepts that transsexuals are not some abomination.  I call that progress.

[Amy The Bookworm]

I call that progress.

Yeah, I have to agree with you. Sometimes people, even cruel people, can change. Weather his reason for doing so is because it's becoming less and less acceptable for people to degrade other humans and he's trying to avoid backlash in the future that he knows is coming, or he's simply changed his mind due to age and possibly a little education or thought, it's still a change in tone. At the end of the day, that's not a bad thing. I don't claim to agree with most of what Pat Robertson says, but if he can change his opinion to take a more accepting view, that's some serious progress and it's something I applaud him for, especially if he stays with this view.

Is it back peddling? Maybe. But ... is that necessarily a bad thing? He's changed his views and may be trying to save face. My thought on him possibly trying to play down past comments is, let him do so. It takes a good person to know when they've messed up, even if they don't admit that publicly. I don't care about blame, and I don't hold grudges. Every mind that accept us as human beings that didn't yesterday is good for our nations future as a whole. It really does give me some hope for the future.

On top of that, Pat Robertson is, like him or not, also in a unique position to talk to a group of people who would be afraid to be within 20 feet of trans people. Those people may never trust a word we say. But if he says we're human, and not something that should be hated to those people we can't reach, maybe they'll listen to him.

This could give us common ground to begin building bridges to the most conservative elements of our nation and possibly a way to start building a dialog with them that doesn't revolve around total fear and misunderstanding.

Am I being optimistic? You bet, but change has to start somewhere.

I'm willing to forgive and forget, especially for that.