It’s the Bathroom Rooms Again

This time I like what Pride at Work said in their press release,

No One Should Face Criminal Charges for Using the Bathroom

WASHINGTON, DC - In several states around the country, including Florida, Texas, Kentucky, and Missouri, legislation has been introduced to restrict bathroom usage by transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.  In light of these bills, Pride at Work Executive Director, Jerame Davis, issued the following statement:


"These attempts to ban transgender and gender non-conforming individuals from using the restroom that best matches their gender identity are appalling on every level. Bills like these are nothing more than an attempt to implement a solution for which there is no problem. Grown adults, and even most children, have no problem deciding which bathroom they should use and laws that restrict those choices are misguided, mean-spirited, and demeaning.

"Access to a sanitary restroom is a health and safety concern both in public and in the workplace. Federal regulations require that all workers are given prompt access to such facilities at their work sites and many jurisdictions are passing laws that require all publicly accessible single-stall restrooms to be gender neutral. States that pass laws to the contrary are moving in the wrong direction and stand to create a situation where workers and the general public could be confused or intimidated about which facility they should use.

"Creating a false sense of fear of transgender individuals - which seems to be the core purpose of these bills - compounds the daily struggle many transgender and gender non-conforming people encounter every day. Facing criminal charges for using the bathroom is an insult to the values of freedom and equality most Americans hold dear. These bills must not be allowed to become law and, working with our partners in organized labor and on the ground, we will do everything we can to stop them."

I especially like the part  "Creating a false sense of fear of transgender individuals - which seems to be the core purpose of these bills - compounds the daily struggle many transgender and gender non-conforming people encounter every day" because it does seems like the only purpose of these bills are to drum up fear against for Republican votes on election day. So what if we get trampled and demonized as long as they can energize their base.

According to their website,

Pride At Work is the official constituency group of LGBT union members and allies fighting for workplace equality for LGBT workers.

When we were working to pass the non-discrimination law here in Connecticut, one of our strongest coalition members was the union. The co-president of Pride at Work is from Connecticut and was one of its members that lobbied for us.