And Then They Came for Transgender People

Links234

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brynn-tannehill/and-then-they-came-for-tr_b_9258678.html

This is a pretty horrible read. Far right religious conservative groups in the US have lost their fight against marriage equality, and they've been turning towards transgender people now, there's a number of bills being proposed by republicans in different states that are discriminatory against trans people, and they're even trying at stripping away existing legal protections. Some of the tactics being used are downright creepy and deplorable:

Conservative Trolls Have Been Suggesting Men Go into Women's Restrooms to Help Legislators Discriminate Against Trans People

This week, KING 5 posted a story about pool employees reporting a man in board shorts using the women's locker room and claiming he was protected by the state's anti-discrimination laws. (He was asked to leave and did.) The incident itself occurred two days before an important voteon the issue in the state legislature.

There has also been a rise in the number of murders of trans people in 2015.

Things seem to be getting worse for trans people it seems.

Ten of Swords

Very disturbing.

That Steensma Gender Dysphoria study has been criticized for drawing conclusions (gender dysphoria faded in 84% of cases) based on a very small sample size and some pertinent supporting data was not published. Sample size of 53 teenagers diagnosed with a gender identity disorder before age 12 (55% of these eventually applied for sex re-assignment and 45% did not). Of these only 25 were actually interviewed (14 who did apply for re-assignment - 7M and 7F, 11 who did not apply for re-assignment - 6M and 5F)

I know this study is not the purpose of your post Links234 but I just wanted to highlight that this is the science that is cited for these proposals, bills and possibly laws.

The Family Research Council have been referred to by some circles as a hate group, though some legal experts are uncomfortable with that definition. I have to say, from their 5 point plan in that article it is point 2 that I find most concerning, here is the actual text from their website about why anti-discrimination laws should not apply to transgender people,

2) Should the government force other, private entities to accept and recognize so-called "sex changes" through the use of non-discrimination laws that include "gender identity" as a protected category?

This question relates to the efforts to pass laws or ordinances at the local, state, and federal level which would outlaw "discrimination" on the basis of so-called "gender identity" in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, and business transactions.

Some of the bills or laws that seek to protect "gender identity" acknowledge the importance of appearance, dress and grooming standards in the workplace. However, most ordinary Americans would consider dressing in ways that are culturally appropriate for one's biological sex to be the most fundamental "appearance, grooming, and dress standard" that could be conceived of.

"Bathroom Bill s"

The most extreme application of the principle of "non-discrimination" based on "gender identity" would be to the use of gender-separated restrooms, locker rooms, and showers. Even former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), the homosexual Congressman who sponsored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), acknowledged that what transgender activists want "is for people with penises who identify as women to be able to shower with other women."

Here are some additional reasons to oppose laws purporting to outlaw "discrimination" based on "gender identity:"

Such laws increase government interference in the free market.
"Gender identity" is unlike other immutable characteristics protected in civil rights laws.
Such laws would lead to costly lawsuits against employers.
Such laws mandate the employment of "transgendered" individuals in inappropriate occupations, such as education.

http://www.frc.org/transgender

Annasopra

Links234 wrote: »

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brynn-tannehill/and-then-they-came-for-tr_b_9258678.html

This is a pretty horrible read. Far right religious conservative groups in the US have lost their fight against marriage equality, and they've been turning towards transgender people now, there's a number of bills being proposed by republicans in different states that are discriminatory against trans people, and they're even trying at stripping away existing legal protections. Some of the tactics being used are downright creepy and deplorable:

Conservative Trolls Have Been Suggesting Men Go into Women's Restrooms to Help Legislators Discriminate Against Trans People



There has also been a rise in the number of murders of trans people in 2015.

Things seem to be getting worse for trans people it seems.

Yeah I think the generally there is a somewhat rightwards shift in Europe and in America. Hard fought issues around women's right to choose are being pushed backwards as well as others. What Trump is saying would have been unacceptable 5/10 year's ago. I think we could be seeing fascists regrowth and heading for another holocaust type crisis with Muslims seeing the brunt of it and other minorities such as trans people caught up too. Right now we need solid and strong human rights infrastructure but of course human rights are being attacked left right and sunder.

mynameis905

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

Yeah I think the generally there is a somewhat rightwards shift in Europe and in America. Hard fought issues around women's right to choose are being pushed backwards as well as others. What Trump is saying would have been unacceptable 5/10 year's ago. I think we could be seeing fascists regrowth and heading for another holocaust type crisis with Muslims seeing the brunt of it and other minorities such as trans people caught up too. Right now we need solid and strong human rights infrastructure but of course human rights are being attacked left right and sunder.

Steady on with the sensationalism. You can't compare the admittedly bat-shít crazy actions of the Christian RW with the organised slaughter of six million Jews.

Annasopra

mynameis905 wrote: »

Steady on with the sensationalism. You can't compare the admittedly bat-shít crazy actions of the Christian RW with the organised slaughter of six million Jews.

I'm not comparing. I'm saying right now the potential is there for sonething similar to happen again with so much hatred in America and Europe against Muslims.

mynameis905

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

I'm not comparing. I'm saying right now the potential is there for sonething similar to happen again with so much hatred in America and Europe against Muslims.

No, there isn't the potential for anything like that to happen.

Are you seriously suggesting that Europe and America are going to start rounding up Muslims and gassing them to death en masse?

jobbridge4life

mynameis905 wrote: »

No, there isn't the potential for anything like that to happen.

Are you seriously suggesting that Europe and America are going to start rounding up Muslims and gassing them to death en masse?

Very clearly he is not. As I read it, Joey is saying that unchecked, the forces currently mobilizing to demonise and 'other' certain minority populations could lead to another crisis along the lines of the holocaust. I don't entirely agree with it but it is a far cry from the chicken licken hysteria you are accusing him of.

What is clear is that the germ of fascism is present and bolder than it has been in many a year. The likely nominee for the Republican Party in the upcoming US elections is one of the strongest examples. Among his litany of offences against the spirit of America is: the slurring of whole groups of peoples; pledges to prohibit entry to Muslim immigrants en masse; promises to stuff the Supreme Court with judges hand picked to ensure the abnegation of established rights and enforce his narrow political 'vision'; virulent misogyny as entertainment; and, racialist rhetoric entirely devoid of reason or facts. Take that together with his willingness to capriciously stoke up fears and the basest instinct of people the comparison with previous fascists is striking and chilling.

In Europe we have seen people cheer as refugee homes burn, endless tales portraying the whole body immigrant as rapists and sexual assailants, the closing of borders, and a collective 'meh' as people drown in the sea because they are brown. In Ireland we have openly racialist and virulently nationalist individuals holding marches and launching parties.

The fight is on.

Links234

2016 the most dangerous year for transgender Americans

In all, HRC counts 44 bills targeting transgender people are in the works in 16 states. That’s more than twice as many as were introduced in all of 2015, and nearly two dozen of the measures focus on trans students.

HRC called the anti-trans legislation “unprecedented,” “harmful” and “alarming.” According to a release accompanying the report, some bills seek to make it harder for trans people to access gender-affirming health care, others deny trans people access to bathrooms, locker rooms, and athletic teams that align with their gender identity.

This is all pretty god damn terrifying.

You can see some of the different bills that are being introduced here: http://www.transequality.org/action-center

Tennesse in particular is shocking:

House Bill 2600
What it does: Voids any vital record documents, like marriage licenses and birth certificates, if they have a gender marker that doesn’t match a person’s sex assigned at birth.
Status: Referred to Health Committee.

L.Jenkins

I'm going to speak from the heart here and not based on facts. I find that the current state of affairs, the World over, is diabolical. The treatment of People within the LGBT Community in the US for one, is an absolute disgrace. With tirades from the far right in Ireland during the SSM referendum, I was embarrassed for them, but legislating against minority Communities is something I would have expected from the Middle East or Russia, not the US. The US as a whole, should be ashamed of themselves.

This World cannot continue down this social path any more. It's lunacy of the highest order and somewhat angers me that People live in fear, because of nothing more than being true to themselves. The sad fact is, it's going to get much, much worse, before People, Communities and Countries decide to work together and end this insanity for the sake of peace. Our actions as a civilisation, I'm sorry to say, makes us worse than animals.

mynameis905

Itzy wrote: »

I'm going to speak from the heart here and not based on facts.

Rarely ends well. Without facts you can't judge the situation objectively and end up spouting utter nonsense.

Itzy wrote: »

I find that the current state of affairs, the World over, is diabolical.

The world, as it is in 2016 is far and away the best time in the history of mankind to be alive. Standards of living, womens rights, LGBT rights, healthcare, longevity are continually increasing year on year.

Itzy wrote: »

The treatment of People within the LGBT Community in the US for one, is an absolute disgrace.

The LGBT community has been completely and utterly fúcked over by larger society for millenia. I'd agree that it's still far from steller but in recent years Prop. 8 and the "Don't ask, don't tell" have been repealed, Obama is openly in favour of gay marriage and the US Supreme Court has judged the ban on SSM to be unconstitutional. Does it still suck to be a LGBT person? Yes of course it does, but a hell of a lot less than it used to. Progress is being made.

Itzy wrote: »

With tirades from the far right in Ireland during the SSM referendum, I was embarrassed for them

Agreed.

Itzy wrote: »

but legislating against minority Communities is something I would have expected from the Middle East or Russia, not the US. The US as a whole, should be ashamed of themselves.

Can you name specific legislation that has been enacted against minorities?

Itzy wrote: »

This World cannot continue down this social path any more. It's lunacy of the highest order and somewhat angers me that People live in fear, because of nothing more than being true to themselves. The sad fact is, it's going to get much, much worse, before People, Communities and Countries decide to work together and end this insanity for the sake of peace. Our actions as a civilisation, I'm sorry to say, makes us worse than animals.

Absolute nonsense and hysteria. See my first paragraph above.

In Ireland we've gone from homosexual acts being illegal prior 1993, legalised post '93, civil partnerships in 2010 and full SSM in 2015. And you want to 'end the lunacy and insanity' and think that our actions make us worse than animals?