The Washington Times shills for the FRC again

[Shana A]

Tuesday, 11 May 2010
The Washington Times shills for the FRC again
Zoe Brain

http://aebrain.blogspot.com/2010/05/washington-times-shills-for-frc-again.html

SPRIGG: ENDA sanity? Law would require deference to the transgendered
Well yes, ENDA is eminently sane. And yes, it would require the same deference to the Transgendered as to Jews, Catholics, Blacks, Women.... which the Washington Times finds unacceptable. These people should know their place, after all.

The piece is written by Peter Sprigg... a senior fellow for policy studies at the Family Research Council. You know the FRC. Co-founded by one Dr George Alan Rekers, the notorious hirer of rentboys to "lift his luggage".

    In addition, there are many jobs for which personal appearance is a legitimate and relevant characteristic. Yet even Anne Lawrence, a male-to-female transgender who has written several academic papers on the issue, has admitted that many transgendered people do not make a convincing appearance in their chosen gender identity. It is simply inevitable that when they see a brawny 6' 2" man with broad shoulders, large hands, large feet, a protruding Adam's apple, facial stubble, and a deep voice wearing high heels, pantyhose and a skirt, many customers or clients may be put off. An employer should not be forced to ignore this risk.

[Julie Marie]

It is simply inevitable that when they see a brawny 6' 2" man with broad shoulders, large hands, large feet, a protruding Adam's apple, facial stubble, and a deep voice wearing high heels, pantyhose and a skirt, many customers or clients may be put off. An employer should not be forced to ignore this risk.

If we were to use extremism as a barometer in every situation we'd never allow anything.  The person describe above seems more like someone involved in a prank than a TG trying to pass.  FTMs who are serious about passing don't go around with a five o'clock shadow.  But you gotta love the adjectives "brawny", "large", "protruding", "deep".  I'm sure no one has ever met a cisgendered woman to whom those adjectives can be applied!

But there's another element that is usually ignored in arguments of this type, how does one's attire affect their performance at work?  (I realize there are dress codes and my question assumes the employee is following company dress codes for their identified gender.)  Many studies that have been done show TGs who are allowed to be themselves perform above average at work.  So this is really a matter of social taboos more than anything else.

Guess there's still a lot of work to be done.