Transexuals

[I_am_not_mafia]

I'm a Transgender Man in North Carolina. Here's What the Bathroom Law Means for Me.

The first time I went back into a women's bathroom, I was so nervous. I'm still nervous. I've created these cards—I keep them in my wallet. One time I was in a bathroom at a government center in Charlotte, and a woman asked what I was doing there. I tried handing her the card but she didn't want to take it, she walked away. I saw her later in the hallway, and I said, "I didn't mean to startle you." She looked at me and said, "I hope I never make that mistake again." I have no idea what she meant—I don't think she knew what it meant to be a transgender man. And then the other day someone gave me a hug after I gave her my card. I don't know if she recognized it because it's been viral.

But here's what I'm most afraid of: When they don't say anything and just ignore me and leave, I'm afraid to leave the bathroom and to be met by that woman's boyfriend or husband or an authority figure. Because I could easily be socked.

Also note the link at the bottom:

HB2 isn't just about bathrooms. It's stripping away all city ordinances that are in place to protect marginalized folks. Women, including those who aren't transgender, are starting to realize this affects them, too. It puts all of us at risk unless you're a white man. And who wrote the bill? White men. Isn't that interesting?  

North Carolina’s LGBT law may have impact on women, minorities

One black lawmaker said he didn’t know about HB2’s broader implications beyond bathrooms until after the vote. Two other representatives who voted for the bill – one white, one black – now say they wish minimum wage and workplace discrimination issues had not been added to the bathroom debate.

HB2 limits the rights of North Carolinians to file workplace discrimination complaints under state law. For the past 30 years, a North Carolina law has allowed workers to sue their employers over “wrongful discharge in violation of public policy.” It appears HB2 eliminates that.

Slow handclap on that one.  It reminds me of this poem:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.