Monday, October 5, 2009
Arguments Against ENDA: The Bathroom (Part IV)
Dr. Jillian T. Weiss
http://transworkplace.blogspot.com/2009/10/arguments-against-enda-bathroom-part-iv.html (http://transworkplace.blogspot.com/2009/10/arguments-against-enda-bathroom-part-iv.html)
A major objection to gender identity protections in ENDA is that it will cover transgender people, and where will they go to the bathroom?
As odd as it might seem to argue that an entire class of people should go jobless because we can't figure out where they will go to the bathroom, the power of the objection should not be underestimated.
Its power is not so much based on the actual practicalities of figuring out "which bathroom?" -- which is a fairly simple problem with a fairly simple solution. It more directed to concerns rooted in the perpetuation of gender segregation and transphobia. Should these concerns dictate that transgender people cannot be employed? Clearly, the answer is no.