California Is Making Progress

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Governor Brown signed some important legislation into law today. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/12/california-transgen...

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Damn...

I'm certainly glad I'm not Jamaican!

I sure hope they can get their problems sorted out, and more quickly than seems to be happening at present. Russia's even worse.

Abigail Drew.

OK!

I am SO moving to California just as soon as I can! There's no way I'll slum it though, so I've got to figure out a way to support myself in the move first.

Abigail Drew.

I'm extremely libertarian

elrodw's picture

and believe in the governing philosophy of "leave us alone". That having been said, except in an anarchistic, narcissistic society, where does a person's individual desires end and the rights of another begin?

IMHO, every single bathroom everywhere should be unisex. That's the simple answer to ensure privacy such that everyone's rights are respected. Alas, that's not the case in many situations, like schools and stadiums with group facilities. So, I want a right to dress as a woman and use a woman's restroom? What about other women who want the right to privacy and feel their privacy is invaded by my use of a woman's restroom? Does my desire override the rights of others? Whose rights win? As is often said, the rights of one are supposed to end where those of another begin.

It's a very complicated situation, but I fear that society as a whole today is growing too selfish and too willing to see another's rights trampled underfoot, and often for reasons that boil down to "respect MY rights and desires, and to hell with everyone else!"

For the record, I'm not GLBT, but I am very sympathetic to those who are. I wish to see NO-ONE's rights interfered with. But that's the rub, isn't it?

I'm sure this will draw a lot of irate posts. I intend no insult; as I said, I respect everyone's individual rights. So flay away, because I won't interfere with your right to free speech.

Imagination is more important than knowledge
A. Einstein

Irate?

I imagine it might... But you're being sensible and recognizing that it's not so simple as just saying "no" to the transsexual.

The trouble is, where can a mtf transsexual go and not either violate the rights of SOME (very close-minded and stupid) women and also not have THEIR rights violated by the men in the men's room who will rape and/or beat them to death?

And actually, unless we can just blend right in and no one suspect our genetics might say anything different, we'll have our rights trampled on no matter where we are or what we do.

I somehow can't see ftm facing restroom problems very much. Most men don't seem to have any problem at all with genetic girls using their usually empty stalls because the women's has a line all the way outside the building and I doubt they'd have a problem with a butch girl being there either. And once the facial hair starts they blend right in very quickly.

So, when it comes to restroom rights, it's largely mtf who are impacted most, and it's basically a choice between being yelled and screamed at and called all kinds of nasty names or getting killed or at least nearly so.

Personally, I think my right to life has precedent over some closed-minded bigots right to a privacy that's not really even being infringed.

Especially since that same person doesn't seem to think I have ANY rights at all. And certainly not to privacy.

Abigail Drew.

You summarized the problem

elrodw's picture

which is that not everyone has the same respect for others' rights. That's something I lament. I was not trying to imply that someone's right to privacy trumps someone else's right to not suffer physical harm. Far from it.

It's not a simple problem with a simple solution. The usual reactionary one-size-fits-all solutions that politicians of all stripes generally trample on someone's rights. And that is too bad.

As I said, in this case, it's my opinion that there is an answer - if society is willing to pay the cost to truly solve the problem. I'd prefer that the problem be truly solved.

Imagination is more important than knowledge
A. Einstein