Im surprised by two posters who havent posted in this thread yet.

Did anyone see the 60 minutes story this past week about the transgender man (formally a girl) who swam for Harvard. Apparently she was a top ranked swimmer coming into Harvard, had the sex change and now swims for the men.

 

My question is, what happens when the roles are reversed...A male has the operation, is much more physically developed and wants to compete vs the ladies? Looks like this could become an issue as well.

 

I found that whole segment really interesting.

 

I thought they said that it was allowed by NCAA rules, but I may have misunderstood.

Google Renee Richards

 

I had never seen/heard of that story...Interesting!

Im surprised by two posters who havent posted in this thread yet.

 

Patience...

Is there a law now that states if you are a man/woman, you have to use the assigned bathrooms? Or is it just common practice?

Is there a law now that states if you are a man/woman, you have to use the assigned bathrooms? Or is it just common practice?

 

I think it's just common practice. I've never heard of anyone being arrested for using the wrong bathroom. Quite honestly, while I understand the fears that people have, more than likely, lots of transgenders are already using the facilities they identify with, with no issues. And in reality, a stern sign on the door isn't going to prevent somebody from entering the "wrong" bathroom and committing a crime (kind of like "gun free zone" signs don't prevent people from carrying in guns).

 

I question how laws preventing transgenders from using the "wrong" restroom will be enforced and what the penalties will be. If I'm a store manager, what do I do if I suspect or someone complains a transgender women who should be using the men's room, actually uses the women's?? Do I have to detain the suspect and do an equipment check to confirm?? That's not a conversation I want to have.

 

I think having at least one unisex bathroom is a great, and underused idea. I remember dreading being out when my daughter was little and needed to use the bathroom...do I take her in the men's room, or let her go by herself in the ladies room, while I hovered outside the door.

Is there a law now that states if you are a man/woman, you have to use the assigned bathrooms? Or is it just common practice?

 

common sense.....oh wait.....

I think it's just common practice. I've never heard of anyone being arrested for using the wrong bathroom. Quite honestly, while I understand the fears that people have, more than likely, lots of transgenders are already using the facilities they identify with, with no issues. And in reality, a stern sign on the door isn't going to prevent somebody from entering the "wrong" bathroom and committing a crime (kind of like "gun free zone" signs don't prevent people from carrying in guns).

 

I question how laws preventing transgenders from using the "wrong" restroom will be enforced and what the penalties will be. If I'm a store manager, what do I do if I suspect or someone complains a transgender women who should be using the men's room, actually uses the women's?? Do I have to detain the suspect and do an equipment check to confirm?? That's not a conversation I want to have.

 

I think having at least one unisex bathroom is a great, and underused idea. I remember dreading being out when my daughter was little and needed to use the bathroom...do I take her in the men's room, or let her go by herself in the ladies room, while I hovered outside the door.

 

If it is suspected that a male is in the women's restroom I suppose the manager of the place could ask to see a source of identification. If a man is dressed as a woman and otherwise made up to appear to be a female, his identification will show that he is a male. Cashiers are sometimes put into a difficult circumstance... woman writes a check but the check has a male name. Now the person presenting the check doesn't appear to be the person who is signing the name on the check. What does the cashier do? Call the manager and let her deal with it is the correct answer.

 

It is just common sense and common courtesy for men to use the men's room and women to use the women's room. It is probably also the law. Why do we have men's rooms and women's rooms any way? There was a reason that this developed this way.

 

Of course, this also is relevant for locker rooms. Schools have had to deal with this issue already.

If it is suspected that a male is in the women's restroom I suppose the manager of the place could ask to see a source of identification. If a man is dressed as a woman and otherwise made up to appear to be a female, his identification will show that he is a male. Cashiers are sometimes put into a difficult circumstance... woman writes a check but the check has a male name. Now the person presenting the check doesn't appear to be the person who is signing the name on the check. What does the cashier do? Call the manager and let her deal with it is the correct answer.

 

It is just common sense and common courtesy for men to use the men's room and women to use the women's room. It is probably also the law. Why do we have men's rooms and women's rooms any way? There was a reason that this developed this way.

 

Of course, this also is relevant for locker rooms. Schools have had to deal with this issue already.

 

Ok. Cashier calls the manager, manager asks for ID. Then what?? if they did use the correct bathroom, you've got a huge customer service issue. And if they didn't use the correct bathroom, what is the next step?? Detain them and call the police? That won't exactly be easy..trust me. Denying a form of payment is a much easier situation to deal with. Depending on the general public to enforce this "bathroom law" is going to either lead to a bunch of really sticky situations, or many if not most choosing to ignore the enforcement. Drafting a law to address this issue in public restrooms is IMO, attempting to fix a problem that doesn't exist. Again, the very thing we are trying to prevent, is happening somewhere every day, with no issue. In public situations, this law would be almost unenforceable.

 

As far as schools and locker rooms, I don't have an answer, aside from the school providing a gender neutral space, which I'm sure in some cases, is easier said than done.

Edited April 14, 201610 yr by rjs4470

While it wouldn't bother me any to see someone of the opposite sex in the bathroom, I feel public restrooms should be males in one, females in another.

 

If you're a transgender, I feel you should use the one you were born as, until you've had any gender reassignment surgery. If you've had the surgery, then you use the one you identify with after the surgery.

 

I agree. Very common sense approach.

While in Europe was at a bar that had a uni-sex, multi-person facility. 'Stand-ups' where just inside the door and open as in a regular men's restroom. 'Sit-downs' were in the back with doors but you had to walk by the stand-ups to get to those. Just a normal thing there. But as noted above - the U.S. culture is different.

 

My young male co-worker did not realize the facility was uni-sex as a woman came out. She saw his surprise and realized he was American and had some fun with him pointing to him and her and pointing the two two symbols on the door pointing out it was for both and it was OK. It was funny.

I experienced this very same thing in a restroom in Paris over 40 years ago . It is not something new .

And I hope every politician has a kid in the bathroom that gets visited by some weirdo taking advantage of this and makes it a very unpleasant bathroom break. Maybe then they will understand.

Parents should go in with their kid if they afraid of this situation . It's just common sense .

Ok. Cashier calls the manager, manager asks for ID. Then what?? if they did use the correct bathroom, you've got a huge customer service issue. And if they didn't use the correct bathroom, what is the next step?? Detain them and call the police? That won't exactly be easy..trust me. Denying a form of payment is a much easier situation to deal with. Depending on the general public to enforce this "bathroom law" is going to either lead to a bunch of really sticky situations, or many if not most choosing to ignore the enforcement. Drafting a law to address this issue in public restrooms is IMO, attempting to fix a problem that doesn't exist. Again, the very thing we are trying to prevent, is happening somewhere every day, with no issue. In public situations, this law would be almost unenforceable.

 

As far as schools and locker rooms, I don't have an answer, aside from the school providing a gender neutral space, which I'm sure in some cases, is easier said than done.

 

The "problem that doesn't exist" is the pretended difficulty of what to do if a person tries to pass themselves off as a member of the opposite sex to enter that sex's bathroom. That is what we have currently since we now expect females to use the women's room and males to use the men's room. Enforcing "bathroom laws" are no different than what the current law stipulates. The proposed laws under discussion are just trying to maintain the status quo--men use the men's room and women use the women's room. Pretty hard to get confused over that. There is no discrimination involved in that approach. The confusion arises when the government tries to step in and engineer social reform. The law enacted by the few states under discussion is an attempt to cut off at the pass the problems that will ensue if the current government gets its way. Why is the dept of transportation involved in this decision--threatening to withhold funds from any state that enacts a law to maintain the status quo? The state dept has enlisted their help, according to the article linked in post 1. It just shows us why we need a change in the Whitehouse and the justice dept.

 

Parents should go in with their kid if they afraid of this situation . It's just common sense .

 

So if a child is 13 yrs old and of the opposite sex from the parent , do you go in the restroom appropriate to her sex or do you bring her in with you to the men's room? If a parent sees a guy dressed up like a woman going into a restroom that his 13 yr old daughter has already entered, we (because of a changed law and societal standard) have introduced a complication and a potentially problem. Pretty ridiculous to put a child or a parent in this predicament. A 13 yr old girl should not have to share a bathroom with a man. Keep men in the men's room and women in the women's room and you have the least problems possible. Change that and the embarrassing situations multiply and you also start to put kids in dangerous situations. Practically speaking, no one can be kept out of either restroom. Why create a circumstance that favors evil people who will exploit easy access to our children? Again, there is a reason why we currently have separate restrooms distinguished along the lines of sex. This is common sense.

The "problem that doesn't exist" is the pretended difficulty of what to do if a person tries to pass themselves off as a member of the opposite sex to enter that sex's bathroom. That is what we have currently since we now expect females to use the women's room and males to use the men's room. Enforcing "bathroom laws" are no different than what the current law stipulates. The proposed laws under discussion are just trying to maintain the status quo--men use the men's room and women use the women's room. Pretty hard to get confused over that. There is no discrimination involved in that approach. The confusion arises when the government tries to step in and engineer social reform. The law enacted by the few states under discussion is an attempt to cut off at the pass the problems that will ensue if the current government gets its way. Why is the dept of transportation involved in this decision--threatening to withhold funds from any state that enacts a law to maintain the status quo? The state dept has enlisted their help, according to the article linked in post 1. It just shows us why we need a change in the Whitehouse and the justice dept.

 

 

 

So if a child is 13 yrs old and of the opposite sex from the parent , do you go in the restroom appropriate to her sex or do you bring her in with you to the men's room? If a parent sees a guy dressed up like a woman going into a restroom that his 13 yr old daughter has already entered, we (because of a changed law and societal standard) have introduced a complication and a potentially problem. Pretty ridiculous to put a child or a parent in this predicament. A 13 yr old girl should not have to share a bathroom with a man. Keep men in the men's room and women in the women's room and you have the least problems possible. Change that and the embarrassing situations multiply and you also start to put kids in dangerous situations. Practically speaking, no one can be kept out of either restroom. Why create a circumstance that favors evil people who will exploit easy access to our children? Again, there is a reason why we currently have separate restrooms distinguished along the lines of sex. This is common sense.

 

Do you not think that people are not using the "wrong" restroom now?? Or that a sign or new law will prevent someone from sneaking into the wrong restroom to commit a crime?? Or are we under the assumption that all transgender folks have evil thoughts or intentions?? Whether a law is written to prevent or allow this, it isn't going to practically change anything. And any law like this is going to put the general public in the position of enforcing it.

Do you not think that people are not using the "wrong" restroom now?? Or that a sign or new law will prevent someone from sneaking into the wrong restroom to commit a crime?? Or are we under the assumption that all transgender folks have evil thoughts or intentions?? Whether a law is written to prevent or allow this, it isn't going to practically change anything. And any law like this is going to put the general public in the position of enforcing it.

 

Of course not all do or even most. But I don't think it should become common practice or promoted because we all know there are creeps who would take advantage.

 

I don't even see how what both myself and UKM said could be seen as discrimination but some will say it. Sometimes we have societal norms for a reason.