LGBT Discrimination Enacted in Law

L.Jenkins

Just browsing the interwebz and it doesn't suprise me that such a backward state, Tennessee, has enacted a new bill to make it a crime for a self identified trans-female to use a female restroom and visa-versa. Do these people have nothing better to be doing with their lives, than to be legalising discriminatory laws.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scottie-thomaston/odious-new-antitransgende_b_1201889.html?ref=gay-voices

A new anti-transgender "bathroom bill" was filed in Tennessee's General Assembly today by a Republican state Senator. The bill "restricts access to public restrooms and public dressing rooms designated by sex to members of that particular sex." There is a monetary fine for people who violate the law. And since in Tennessee it's legally impossible to get your sex changed on your birth certificate (and only a little less impossible to get it changed on your drivers' license), this affects all transgender and gender non-conforming people.

Tennessee has been proposing and passing some of the most homophobic and transphobic bills in the country -- it is, after all, the state that passed HB600 stripping local jurisdictions of LGBT antidiscrimination provisions. There are ongoing court challenges to that law I'll be discussing soon. There's also the "license to bully" bill. And the "Don't Say Gay" bill was introduced there as well.

There are a few other links to discriminatory bills within the above quote. For example, bullying is legal as long as no injury is caused and no property is damaged. I honestly feel that in the last year, things are taking a turn for the worst in some places and it inspires me none to see these things happen without someone of reason stepping in to ask a few questions

Nyan Cat

That's terrible. I don't see how they can enforce this. Make women- trans and cis - carry their birth Certs in case they need to use the loo? It's a silly law. Probably designed to 'put peole in their place' - but then, it's America. You can be sued for all sorts so silly laws tie in with that crazy judicial system

Killer Pigeon

"As introduced, restricts access to public restrooms and public dressing rooms designated by sex to members of that particular sex"

Isn't that the law in most countries already?

Annasopra

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

"As introduced, restricts access to public restrooms and public dressing rooms designated by sex to members of that particular sex"

Isn't that the law in most countries already?

no I don't think most countries have laws at all in this area

L.Jenkins

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

Isn't that the law in most countries already?

It's more of a social norm! In Tennesse it's not possible to change ones birthcert, so as a female identified person, if I were to enter a changing area or toilet and my id checked upon exiting, I could be fined.

That doesn't happen anywhere else.

floggg

I'd like to think that this is the last desperate throws of an establishment who knows the tide is turning against them.

In twenty years time I think attitudes will have changed radically throughout much of the west as younger generations grow up. The intolerant bigots will become increasingly isolated. If you look at Ireland, most of my generation is now relatively accepting of LGBT, and the generation that follows will be even more so.

easychair

floggg wrote: »

I'd like to think that this is the last desperate throws of an establishment who knows the tide is turning against them.

In twenty years time I think attitudes will have changed radically throughout much of the west as younger generations grow up. The intolerant bigots will become increasingly isolated. If you look at Ireland, most of my generation is now relatively accepting of LGBT, and the generation that follows will be even more so.

No one knows which way the tide will turn, and no one knows where the topic will be in 20 years time.

Intolerant bigots are not just members of the str8 community, and I have come across quite a few intolerant bigots in the gay community also. Intolerant bigotry is not just the preserve of some str8 people.

To me, religion is mainly responsible for much of the intolerance shown to towards gay people, and with the growth of Islam ( which in some forms is very intolerant to gay people and to all women), who knows where we be in 20 years.

We have to be vigilant and not to be afraid to speak out against intolerance, which includes incredible cruelty and intolerance by some Muslim countries.

spurious

You don't need to go abroad to find discrimination.
Section 37 of the laughable equality legislation here makes it alright for religious owned (and yes, that's almost all) schools and hospitals to discriminate against the gayers, if to do so would help maintain their ethos.

easychair

spurious wrote: »

You don't need to go abroad to find discrimination.
Section 37 of the laughable equality legislation here makes it alright for religious owned (and yes, that's almost all) schools and hospitals to discriminate against the gayers, if to do so would help maintain their ethos.

Of course that legislation can't be seen in isolation, and anyone who was discrminated against, if that discrimination was upheld by the Irish courts, it would then be up to the individual to appeal the decision of the Irish Courts to the European Court of Human Rights.

it is often said that religious conviction makes ordinary people do disgusting things they would never otherwise do. And here we see it yet again, enshrined in legislation on the Irish statute book.

Annasopra

spurious wrote: »

You don't need to go abroad to find discrimination.
Section 37 of the laughable equality legislation here makes it alright for religious owned (and yes, that's almost all) schools and hospitals to discriminate against the gayers, if to do so would help maintain their ethos.

While section 37 of the employment equality act is certainly a big problem I strongly disagree with calling the equality legislation in Ireland laughable. It has provided vital protections to LGBT people, travellers, families, men, women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities. In the area of gay/trans rights the equality authority pushed for partnership rights and trans rights long before any other organisation including the main LGBT organisations. The legislation has been groundbreaking in protecting people from discrimination and changing attitudes amongst employers and service providers.