Transgender Options Limited?

Link to the article covered here: http://www.newschannel5.com/story/16511164/proposed-state-bathroom-bill-would-limit-transgender-options

Transgender definition: a person appearing or attempting to be a member of the opposite sex, as a transsexual or habitual cross-dresser.

I'm going to start this blog off with my opinion on Transgender people. I just so happen to have a very close friend who is Transgender, he understands the struggle that they have and knows all too well of the misguided and misunderstandings surrounding the term Transgender. Relationships can be very stressful and complicated as can finding a job and finding open-minded friends and family to come out to. Transgender is someone who's gender identity doesn't match with the physical gender. A male body might have a female mind and that person would feel trapped and hopeless in a body that is not their own. Same for a female body with a male mind. Some transgenders are also known as cross-dressers because they feel they are a female with a males body they may dress in female clothing to make themselves feel better, and females may do the same in male clothing. Although society seems to have accepted a female dressing as a male a Hell of a lot more then a male dressing as a female. The double standard of this is crazy and I for one do not believe it is right. Woman have the right to wear suits, ties, pants, boxers ect and people are fine with it yet if a man is seen wearing dresses, skirts, panties it's seen as weird and abnormal. Why? 

Now as for this new law that a Mr. Floyd is trying to pass I have a double sided opinion on this. As I pull some quotes from the article I will explain more. The MAIN idea of this new bill is "A bill that would limit who could enter public restrooms"  I can see why they would want to put this bill into action but at the same time I can't. I understand how it can be alarming to see a male in a females bathroom and for me, it would be alarming to see a female in a mens bathroom but seriously trying to pass a LAW for it? This article explains that the State Rep Richard Floyd is trying to make this law because he is against Transgenders going into the 'wrong' dressing rooms and bathrooms. He claims that he wanted to propose this law due to an employee in a Macy's store getting fired because she stopped a transgender teenager from using the 'wrong' dressing room. He didn't want an incident like this happening again and couldn't' understand why she got fired. I can see where this could get messy. We don't know the full extent of WHY this person got fired however, we don't know how they handled the situation, what the teen was wearing or trying on, how the teen reacted or anything about it. So I won't go into that.  

This is one quote I have a problem with though from Mr. Floyd:

"I don't care for what reason, how depraved their mind is, how perverted their mind is, or for what reason they think a man has a right to go into a women's bathroom, or dressing room to try on clothes,"  

This quote irks me for more then one reason. One, he is addressing the perverts of the male gender who go into bathrooms and womens dressing rooms for sick reasons... not Transgenders. Two, he thinks Transgenders have depraved minds and I personally don't think he sees them as Equals. Another quote from him was:

"I'm just sick and tired of society having to adjust to every little alternate life style, or little whim or someone who thinks they're different," said Floyd. 

 So you are complaining about how society has to change to adjust to every LITTLE life style? What are you doing then by making a law that says people have to have birth certificates to use a fucking public bathroom? Who are you to say this when you are making a huge change for the so called "Normal" lifestyle? Transgender is not a little alternate life style, many people suffer from this every day! Many people who haven't or don't want to come out to their friends and family are suffering in the wrong body because they are scared of the criticism and hate. I hate it when people assume that something is meaningless and insignificant just because not a lot of people open up and say they are apart of something.

My other side of this is that yes, I do see where he is coming from and I do slightly agree. I just don't agree with his attitude towards the matter. Dressing rooms, I don't see why it's an issue. Many dressing rooms are in the same area the only thing separating the 'sexes' is a fucking sign. Not every store even has a separate dressing room for males and females so again, I really don't see why this would be an issue. Public restrooms however I can see why people would be upset. Restrooms are where people do what they need to and sometimes need to change clothing such as undergarments and if a male walks into a female restroom I can see why people would get a bit suspicious. I don't even like seeing a woman walk into a male bathroom but it happens! But you gotta think of it this way also, how awkward would it be to see a man dressed in womens clothing and possibly a wig walking into a mens restroom? If they walked into a womens restroom nobody would probably notice. Restrooms are a bit of an issue as it is though because men and women seem to like to share restrooms anyway. My husband had to accompany me into a public restroom before after a long road-trip because my ponytail had become entangled and I needed help getting it out. Nobody seemed to notice though and nobody said anything. I believe we should probably have cameras OUTSIDE the bathroom doors so if anything does happen we can look and see if any suspicious looking people came and went from the bathrooms. 

All in all, I feel that this law that is attempting to pass is ridiculous and would have no other purpose then to harass Transgender people. After all, they are human to! They just feel like they are not in the right body. Dressing rooms should be universal if anything because they always have people monitoring those areas for shoplifters so if they see a man trying to sneak a peek at a woman or a woman trying to sneak a peek at a man they can stop it. Restrooms I feel are a bit more of an iffy subject. It does worry me a little when men go into female restrooms and when females go into male restrooms. I have seen a guy in drag in a womans restroom before, found it odd but not threatening in any way. He was quite polite actually.  *Yes it was in a Walmart bathroom* I have also gone into a male restroom before but that was only because the womens was out of order. Laws should not be passed to try to control situations like this, supervision in stores and other areas should be placed so situations don't happen. 

What are your thoughts on this matter? Feel free to comment, I will comment back!