Recent conversation of FB - sorry, it's long
Person: Help me understand how a trans person is unsafe traveling to Florida
Me: To be honest, it's not just Florida. There is currently a culture in many parts of the country that are hostile to LGBTQ individuals and a lot of it is such that it doesn't hit the media. While I have not been a target of direct physical or verbal threats, I have been harassed and mocked by individuals. I know several people who have been targets of threats and violence, however.
I have a friend in Utah who is a physician has been threatened and harassed. She has had the police called on her for doing yard work in her yard. She now has to be careful about packages she receives. She has received several threatening letters and comments. She is moving from the state of UT as a consequence of the many anti-trans laws that affect her and her family.
Florida has many similar laws, most of them are targeting youth. Many families feel it is in their best interest to move to a different state then try to fight the laws and culture they are seeing.
37% of transgender youth have been physically threatened or harmed due to their gender identity based on a survey at the Treavor Project. The Human Rights Campaign has old data for adults dating to 2020 but we are 4x more likely to have violent crimes committed against us.
I personally have been called a devil, evil, a pedophile, stupid, slow and deluded. There are plenty of examples in media of high-profile individuals and social media channels calling for "eradication" and violence to LGBTQ individuals.
Michael Knowles - CPAC - urges eradication of transgenderism
Tucker Carlson - transgenderism is most dangerous movement in the US
Matt Walsh - LGBTQ individuals are groomers and pedophiles
Lots of stories and experiences:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1634793748260352000
https://twitter.com/i/status/1635126521924059137
https://www.huffpost.com/.../florida-moves-to-revoke...
https://www.msn.com/.../doctor-booted-from.../ar-AA18RyDJ...
https://www.msn.com/.../more-than-20.../ar-AA18WQGu...
https://www.sltrib.com/.../22/lisa-hansen-mental-health/...
https://www.yahoo.com/.../texas-lawmakers-turn-abortion...
https://www.forbes.com/.../375-transgender-people.../...
Person: You have not explained how this woman who does want to travel to Florida for business, would be unsafe there if she did travel for business.
If she is boycotting a particular state because of their policies on…. (Fill in the blank) then certainly voting with her dollars is her prerogative. However, disagreeing with policies in and of itself does not make a person “unsafe”, which is what she is claiming.
Me: Can I take a step back and approach the questions and statements you have presented. You're right, my response was vague. I want to understand your perspective better. Currently there are a lot of laws being presented in legislative bodies across the country that address LGBTQ individuals. There are 100s actually. How do you feel about these laws?
Do you have many opportunities to interact with LGBTQ individuals?
Help me understand your perspective too.
Person: Of the “100’s” of laws being enacted. I am aware of the following categories. Laws that:
1) That prevent parents from being disenfranchised from extremely important decisions their children are making.
2) Prevent children from being sexualized by exposing young children to gender and sex.
3) Prevent women’s sports from being over taken by contestants that are biologically physically superior to women. (Thus separate sports in the first place)
I support those types of laws.
Your friend’s post stated that as an adult trans woman she was not safe traveling to Florida.
That’s why I asked. I’m not aware of laws in Florida or any other state that would cause someone traveling there to be unsafe.
Me: There is a lot to discuss with these topics and different perspectives as well. You will find there are many similarities in our feelings, but differences as well. I, too, believe in maintaining the welfare and caring for children. While I believe this is an important topic to discuss, can we step back a little more.
First, and I realize this may be an interesting question as I am a transgender individual, how do you feel about transgender individuals and gender dysphoria? There is an extension to this by asking about intersex individuals as well. Please understand, I am trying to ask this question objectively. The reason for this question allows for taking the conversation to other topics.
You will find there is a lot I agree with sports. Personally, I feel there is maybe a little gray area that could be discussed, but I do not believe it should be a blanket statement that anyone be involved. There is a massive diversity of the human population where I can see some certain medical conditions leading to some exceptions, but there needs to be restrictions on who can participate in women's sports. No matter the rules, laws or policies on participation in women's sports, there will always be someone who is frustrated. As a consequence, I will favor and side with natal born women with minor exceptions (some intersex conditions) to be able to participate in women's sports.
Person: Gender is a broad topic with varied ramifications.
That’s why I asked a very specific, targeted question.
Why would an adult trans individual feel unsafe in a State with laws such as those I mentioned?
Or are there other laws I’m
Not aware of?
Me: Thank you for your answer. I appreciate the discussion.
OK, let me turn back to Florida and sadly I think you will find there are other parts of the country affected as well. There are indeed other laws being discussed and put forward. Let me take this from two scenarios: me as a visitor and me as a potential resident.
First as a visitor. Washingtonians, for me, have been amazing! I have a wonderful group of people I work with, my family is accepting and my church is doing a remarkable job. There are a lot of good people I am privileged to interact with. It's not perfect, mind. There are indeed real challenges however. I have been sexually harassed and verbally targeted by others. I have been called a freak and a devil. I have also been called a pedophile.
Florida is a cool state. There's amusement parks, beaches, the Everglades. I have attended conferences there in the past and, of course, Disney World. I have also been to SeaWorld.
The bill I am worried about is SB1674 - This bill is a bathroom bill essentially. It calls for designated men's/women's bathroom, but states:
(7) A person 18 years of age or older who willfully enters,
118 for a purpose other than those listed in subsection (6), a
119 restroom or changing facility designated for the opposite sex
120 and refuses to immediately depart when asked to do so by another
121 person present in the restroom or changing facility commits a
122 misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s.
123 775.082 or s. 775.083.
Sex is defined at birth and is included in the definitions of this bill.
For the vast majority of time, I am gendered as a woman. There are exceptions, but most people or strangers I encounter clearly gender me as a woman. How do I approach this situation? I can be potentially targeted by going into either bathroom and if I don't leave immediately, it's a misdemeanor. A lot of places don't have a unisex bathroom. This bill goes into effect July 1, 2023.
Second as a resident - SB952 - "reverse woke bill"
On the outside, this bill seems reasonable. It basically mandates if you provide insurance coverage for gender transition, you have to provide for it's reversal. The caveat comes in with the duration. The later reversal has to be provided even if the individual no longer works for that employer. This bill also goes into effect July 1, 2023. What this will likely do is cause employers to carve out coverage for adult transgender care to avoid the premiums and expense associated with essentially "lifelong" coverage for reversal.
SB1342 Provides for the death penalty for pedophiles under certain circumstances and only needs an 8/12 jury vs 12/12. This joins Alabama as the only other state to do this. While this hasn't passed yet, it has been passing through the legislator unanimously. What is interesting is this law will be up against a Supreme Court decision in Kennedy v Louisiana that prohibits child rapists from being sentenced the death penalty.
While this law does not target transgender individuals, a quick reading between the lines reveals the intent. Why would a state legislature go against a SC decision that has already been made? As someone who has been called a pedophile already and many national media and legislatures calling me demonic or dangerous what is the law really trying to do? Intimidation comes to mind. For example, if I go into a bathroom, get called out, maybe a child present it is not a far stretch for me to called a pedophile. Given it has already happened, it's not hard for it to happen again. It doesn't even have to be true, but can easily transition into courts. As someone who has been in the court system, it takes time and expense to defend myself even though I may be innocent.
There are currently at least 5 states with bathroom laws. Missouri just passed a bill making it very much harder for transgender adults to get their medications and treatments
But is isn't just laws. While I believe people are overall good, there is a culture if several states that is very anti-lgbtq. Ask any gay couple. Ask any transgender individual. We have been shunned by family and friends. We have been kicked out of churches. We face increased violence and harassment. It already happens. Dozens of transgender individuals are murdered every year. We are at 8+ already this year. 32 in 2022. 375 in 2021.