A wide array of discriminatory law has been proposed by GOP officials recently. Currently the most hot topic is focused in North Carolina, where an overnight passing of a bill led to complications in how trans people will be able to use public restrooms. The argument lies within the belief a sex crime will be committed. The statistics tell a different story…
Despite what these misguided politicians would have you believe, the amount of trans people who have reportedly committed a sex crime in public bathrooms is precisely zero. Not one. DeadState has provided an article in which three conservative politicians (just off the top of their heads!) were convicted of such acts.
1. Jon Hinson
Hinson was arrested for oral sex in a government bathroom in 1981.
2. Larry Craig
In 2007, Craig tried to initiate sex in an airport bathroom with an undercover cop. The same year, Bob Allen was arrested for offering twenty dollars to complete an undercover cop in a public bathroom for a sex act.
3. Bob Allen
The Allen case is an interesting one, as his excuse for entering the bathroom was to escape all of the frightening African-Americans in the area. The clear ethos of Republican politics; it is better to be considered racist than a homosexual.
Watch:
In fact, a 35-year international history of non-discrimination law has experienced only one case of sexual assault. Furthermore, there is absolutely no link between non-discrimination laws and incidents of sexual abuse. These are trumped-up nonsensical pieces of policy whose transparency doesn’t seem to stop them from being introduced.
A tweet from trans man James P. Sheffield:
@PatMcCroryNC It's now the law for me to share a restroom with your wife. #HB2 #trans #NorthCarolina #shameonNC pic.twitter.com/4b4OdmfmeN
— James Parker Sheffield (@JayShef) March 24, 2016
There are residual issues that become problematic in society as well. We create the idea it is OK to self police our restrooms as some sort of strange neighborhood watch. This can be particularly harmful to individuals who are not transgender but don’t fully follow societal norms in terms of appearance. There is even a case in Detroit where a woman was physically thrown out of a restaurant for entering the correct facility.
It also ingrains the thought of transgender people as second class citizens and suspicious beings that live among us. Instilling violence and hate into the followers of your party is a regretful practice. Maybe GOP politicians should be banned from the restrooms…I’m starting to feel unsafe around old men in suits.
Featured image via screengrab
