When Intersex People are Collateral Damage in Transphobic Battles

[suzifrommd]

When Intersex People are Collateral Damage in Transphobic Battles

http://intersexroadshow.blogspot.com/2015/02/when-intersex-people-are-collateral.html

Dr. Cary Gabriel Costello
Wednesday, February 25, 2015

the drafters of transphobic bathroom laws run into a problem. People police binary sex/gender norms all the time, but they do so informally. The drafters have to come up with objective language to put into their proposed legislation.  Early efforts banning people from using bathrooms tended to require a person challenged upon entering a gendered bathroom to show ID with that gender listed on it. Of course, as part of the process of gender transition, large numbers of trans people have the gender listed on their driver's license or other ID changed. So the transphobic activists proposing these laws switched to using language of "birth certificate sex." But in some states, people who medically gender transition are able to change the sex listed on their birth certificate.

And that's why recent proposed bathroom-exclusionary language has moved to requiring people who use gendered facilities to have a matching "biological sex at birth" or even matching binary genotype of XX or XY.

Now, all forms of sex-policing bathroom bills, while aimed at trans people, are bad for at least some intersex people who are ipso gender (that is, who identify with the binary sex they were assigned at birth).

[ImagineKate]

That's extremely crazy. What are they going to do, take a DNA sample before you're allowed in?

[Allison Wunderland]

OK -- "mahu" here . . . convenient term for someone "in the middle" from Hawaiian culture.

Men's restrooms freak me out. I feel perceptible threat in the men's room. The urinal wall is particularly problematic. Not comfortable fixing my hair, adjusting earrings . . . etc.

Women's restrooms make me uncomfortable, make cis-women  uncomfortable.

Colleague who is an architect informs me that bathroom access/design is NOT an issue on the agenda for designers.

ADA requires "Disabled Accessible" -- & so I look for the "family" restroom, access with a lock on the door and intended for mix of genders from one family. I'm a disabled veteran and so access is not an issue, but moreover, ADA says that "If you think need to have access, you're entitled to access."

The "solution" to this issue is to set architectural standard, building codes such that there is provided a private access restroom facilities which is PRIVATE, PERSONAL, AND HAS A LOCK ON THE DOOR.

Some don't care about all this and can use public facilities w/o privacy. Those of use who need privacy are "reasonably accommodated" by the Americans w/ Disabilities Act (ADA) -- which protects gender ID. 

[Northern Jane]

That's extremely crazy. What are they going to do, take a DNA sample before you're allowed in?

I'll give them a DNA sample! 200 cc of urine!

[HoneyStrums]

Hmm, how would they acmadate androgen insensituvity?
exspecialy "CAIS"

This is where A woman born woman, with F on birth certificate at birth, lived as woman her entire life would be denien access to her BIRTH RIGHT on ac->-bleeped-<- of having XY chromasomes?

Are these people awear of the exsistance of Androgen insensitivity?

[Northern Jane]

Are these people awear of the exsistance of Androgen insensitivity?

Most people aren't aware of SFA! Even 90% of doctors don't know squat. A woman with AIS would be prohibited from using a women's restroom.

[Amy1988]

When Intersex People are Collateral Damage in Transphobic Battles

http://intersexroadshow.blogspot.com/2015/02/when-intersex-people-are-collateral.html

Dr. Cary Gabriel Costello
Wednesday, February 25, 2015

the drafters of transphobic bathroom laws run into a problem. People police binary sex/gender norms all the time, but they do so informally. The drafters have to come up with objective language to put into their proposed legislation.  Early efforts banning people from using bathrooms tended to require a person challenged upon entering a gendered bathroom to show ID with that gender listed on it. Of course, as part of the process of gender transition, large numbers of trans people have the gender listed on their driver's license or other ID changed. So the transphobic activists proposing these laws switched to using language of "birth certificate sex." But in some states, people who medically gender transition are able to change the sex listed on their birth certificate.

And that's why recent proposed bathroom-exclusionary language has moved to requiring people who use gendered facilities to have a matching "biological sex at birth" or even matching binary genotype of XX or XY.

Now, all forms of sex-policing bathroom bills, while aimed at trans people, are bad for at least some intersex people who are ipso gender (that is, who identify with the binary sex they were assigned at birth).

Shows how far this bigoted nation will take things.  Just like all the absurd laws passed before the civil rights act.  America is still a nation of bigots only now it's focused against transgender people the ultimate target.