Where’s the Bathroom?

In my opinion, the opposition to H1728 is nothing more than a particularly distasteful red herring as proven in opponents calling it the “Bathroom Bill”. I say it is a red herring because it leads people away from the original issues of Transgender rights without ever addressing those concerns; they seem dismissed as unimportant. I believe it is extremely distasteful to compare the equality of our citizens to fears that are both trivial and unproven. In fact, I believe the insult is obvious and intentional.

I am at a loss to understand how this bill opens an opportunity for criminals that was not previously there, nor do I see how denying Transgender rights affords society a magic lock on public bathrooms that keeps villains out. The juxtaposition of crime with Transgender rights seems meant to remind us of a time when homosexual activity was illegal; a time that many of the opponents of this bill think longingly of.

There are hate groups out there still churning up imaginary issues for us to buy into and using our fears against us. Women’s suffrage and the Civil Rights Movement have taught us that hate will never fade completely away; it is an unpleasant reality of social dynamics we must learn to live with. We have a responsibility to be good neighbors to one another and to examine the facts carefully when we are asked to give our opinions or pass judgment. We should be as careful and fair with other people’s issues as we would have them be with ours.

What concerns me the most about what I see happening in reference to H1728 is how good people will listen to hate mongers and follow them so readily, accepting their unfounded untruths as fact. We need to be ever vigilant not to shirk our responsibility as Americans to defend the liberty others died to give us, or we dishonor that sacrifice. In saying that H1728 will open the bathroom door to predators of women and children the opponents of Transgender rights are attempting to play the moderate middle for fools, hoping that people won’t care enough to examine the facts for themselves, since they’ve seen this method work so well in the recent past with other issues.

I pray that we will learn from our mistakes and in the future have the courage to look where we should and remember our duty to one another as a unified people. I hold hope that this future will come soon.

“Some people ask why, I ask why not?” ~Robert Kennedy