The Same Ol’ Story… Peeing In Peace

Massachusetts is trying to pass a public accommodation law for trans people and is running into the same opposition from the “family values” coalition.

Transgender Rights and Public Bathrooms
Huffington Post Politics
By Paul Heroux State Representative, Massachusetts
Posted: 10/12/201

Fear is often used to push public policy. Sometimes it is warranted, sometimes it is not. In the case of a transgender person's access to public bathrooms, I do not think there is reason for alarm.

In the Declaration of Independence states: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Accordingly, the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution has an "Equal Protection Clause" to it.
[…]
One of the reasons that we progress as a society towards a more perfect union where all the men and women are treated equally is that we come to understand more about who we are. Researchers examine controversial topics to find out what fact is and what fiction is. Politicians then often use these milestones in research to better inform our understanding in order to advance social policy and improve civil rights. One such example is with transgender persons.

He then goes on to rebut the arguments that are used against us. One topic he lists is about piracy in the bathrooms and locker rooms and then he rebuts…

Non-Transgender Persons' Comfort -- Under the transgender public accommodations laws, there is also the argument that a non-transgender person feels uncomfortable with a transgender person using the same bathroom. This is the same argument that was once made of people of color using public bathrooms, seating on public transportation, public drinking fountains and more. It is a lack of understanding at best, and hateful at worst.

There are a number of cases where people have sued companies that do not discriminate against trans people saying that they are made uneasy with trans people in the locker rooms and he talks about the law suits.

Discrimination Lawsuits -- There is the argument that the transgender public accommodation law would "allow for cross-gender bathroom usage and expensive 'discrimination' claims." That is if someone violates the law. Again, we should not deny one group of people rights because others may abuse the law. We don't do it with guns, welfare, voting, or any other area of public policy. We prosecute people who abuse the law. We don't deny someone civil rights because someone else may abuse the law.

As he has stated feeling uncomfortable is not a reason to discriminate. Would it be all right to deny a Muslim service in a store because they make other people uneasy? Then why would it be all right to deny trans people service?