I am confused. I have been hearing a lot about North Carolina’s controversial “bathroom law”. The HB2, known as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act which directs public schools, and government agencies that multiple-occupancy restrooms and changing facilities be designated for the sex into which individuals were born. I’m naïve I suppose, because I assumed that that was the case. But how is that enforced? Do I have to carry my birth certificate?
Another thing that HB2 addressed was the prohibition to cities from passing anti-discrimination ordinances protecting gay and transgender people. Apparently, the city of Charlotte passed an ordinance allowing transgender residents to use the restroom of the gender that they identify themselves with.
I personally don’t believe that I would be comfortable to have the formerly known as Bruce Jenner, now Caitlyn Jenner, enter the same bathroom facilities as me. Yes, we both have a right of access to a public restroom, but why wouldn’t a single designated restroom be an appropriate response? I would even be okay with single designated facilities for females and males as many small establishments do.
Years ago, when I worked for state government as an Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, I remember hearing about a case or two where state departments had to create a separate single bathroom designated for the transgender employee. To me, that made sense. To me, that was an appropriate response and at the time, to my knowledge it was not viewed as discriminatory.
I know that I am probably in the minority. Everyone wants to say “I’m Okay, You’re Okay”, but only if I agree with you. I’m sorry but my positions haven’t changed just because times have changed. My views are framed by the Bible, and although, it is a living Word, it does not change. What was sin thousand of years ago, is still sin.
Meanwhile, HB2 has resulted in Bruce Springsteen, among other celebrities cancelling their concerts in protest of the law. Is it discriminatory? CNN looks at both sides.
I want to know why are we here, and where will this take us? Like I stated in an earlier post: I Am Scared.
Musings and My Two Cents 
Good morning Barbara
Ok here I go!
I don’t care which bathroom anyone uses as long as they keep it clean. As a matter of fact I have used the men’s restroom on occasion when the female lines are too long. I’ve taken my son in the women’s restroom when he was a young child, I’ve gone in the men’s restroom and waited on him. So with that being said what does this have to do with God?
I’m in agreement with Invisible Mikey comments.
Question. ..would most of us even know the difference? I wouldn’t.
Once again I believe fear and ignorance is guiding this. Transgenders and gays are not pedophiles.
Forgive any typing or grammar errors.
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Thanks Denise! Please know that I am not in any way homophobic. Yes, I have known women to use a men’s restroom for the very reason you cited, but in those cases it was a single occupancy bathroom, no other men were in there at the same time. As to what it has to do with God, God created us male and female. He is the Creator, so I believe that for us to redesign our bodies to perform that which it was not meant to perform is a sin. (My opinion.) I also believe that our society is in a rapid decline; so much so, that what was once clear sin, is now absolutely not viewed as sin. I mean even having to have this raised as an issue is so bizarre! Imagine having to enact an ordinance requiring you to use the designated facility to of the sex to which you were born and identified on your birth certificate. You say, who would know? We may not always know, but my mere knowledge like a Bruce Jenner, redesigned Caitlyn, I just would feel uncomfortable entering the same restroom. And yes, the argument for some has been the opportunity for pedophiles, well, while a gay person may not be a pedophile, what would stop a pedophile from taking advantage of the opportunity? We are sinners! Anyway, thank you my sister, for chiming in.
By the way, I didn’t notice any typing or grammar errors, not that there is any grammar patrol on this site! :>)
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Ok so is the discussion about being Transgenders or gay or is the debate about restroom usage. Because the law is about restroom usage. BTW I’ve used the men’s restroom with them in it.
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Wow! Well, you’re always braver than me. It is about public restroom usage and which we should use. So, this is an agree to disagree for you and me, and yet we still love each other, right?
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I am in a quandary because I have a transgender son. I love him in spite of his choices. I think the bathroom for everyone would be just fine. Don’t wish to go through any additional dialogue at this point. But I do stay in prayer.
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I understand.
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I can tell from your posts that you are a thoughtful compassionate person, Barbara, so I genuinely hope it won’t distress you if I disagree.
I think this entire subject falls far outside what I would call Biblical provenance. Though I consider the Bible a uniquely useful record of the evolving relationship between God and humans, I don’t accept that it offers a specific opinion about everything including where people should go to relieve themselves. In Jesus’ own time on Earth, the Romans and the rich had a separate room used indiscriminately by all genders and ages as needed. The poor went outside. Our concepts about privacy are much more restrictive than those of the ancient world. What we are and aren’t comfortable with is pretty much whatever we were taught in our families, and America is a diverse place.
My biggest objection to these types of laws, not only in NC, but in Mississippi and Louisiana etc. is that they hide a dishonest agenda, exactly as Jim Crow laws used to. There are no transgender pedophiles lurking outside bathrooms waiting for opportunities to molest, so the law can’t be to protect citizens from this non-existent danger. All trans (and gays/lesbians) people want is to be normal, not special, and to fit in unnoticed. The point of the law is to suggest “this sin is worse than others, the sinner must be disallowed, their transgression made public and punished”. Is there now a hierarchy of sins, in violation of Jesus’ own views? To put it more comically, let he who is without sin lock the bathroom door first.
Because states have a wide leeway to be able to pass ignorant or deceptive law, sometimes it has to be addressed and fought through public and private protest. It’s not a coincidence that these laws have all originated in states with prior histories of racial discrimination. The fight to be able to overtly hold down persons of color through legal oppression has been losing. The political institutions in these states needed a new scapegoat for fundraising, and since the 1980s it’s often been the LGBT communities. The GOP (primarily) gins up the “ick factor” (which used to be about all non-whites), and raises money for candidates who understand that part of staying in power is to figure out ways to get “those people”, currently the gays, immigrants and Muslims. It’s such a strong directive that the two hispanic presidential candidates have had to walk back their prior support for immigration reform.
We are all sinners, and you can’t catch more of it by being near another one, or get any cleaner by putting other sinners farther away. It’s a built-in from birth, and following the necessary process of confession, repentance and absolution doesn’t prevent its recurrence. You have to wash, purify and sanitize over and over and over, for life.
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Thanks so much for reading my post, providing feedback and being respectful. The Bible says that God made us male and female. God is our Creator. He determined our sex even in our mother’s womb. Psalms 139. I don’t believe this equates to the Jim Crow laws, while I can understand why one would raise this, but the difference is I cannot change my skin color. So, this is more than likely an issue to which I must respectfully disagree with you on. While disagreeing, I am not ignoring that I know discrimination exists and I try to live recognizing that we are all created by God, and we are neighbors, to which Jesus commands we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.
So would a single bathroom be discriminatory? It wasn’t viewed as discriminatory back in the 90’s, and early 2000s. Thanks again!
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Personally I wouldn’t see a separate bathroom as discriminatory, more as an unnecessary expense, a distraction with which to divert voters from the larger failings of their government. Are there really no problems more pressing in these states? I’ve also done a fair amount of international travel. American Christians don’t know how real religious discrimination is practiced, what it’s like to be beaten, imprisoned and killed for beliefs. We have it so easy, and I think we ought to be more grateful for it.
Many live in homes and apartments with single-occupancy bathrooms, but I don’t know of anyone who has a sign specifying which genders should use them. We have a new puppy and he thinks because we use that room, he should be able to also. It’s like that children’s book “Everyone Poops”. It’s an access-to-services issue, not a gender (or even species) issue. Charlie (the dog) has to learn to go outside, unless he figures out how to work the toilet.
I enjoyed reading, and thanks for inviting me to contribute.
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Thank you. Yes, we have it easy in America, but I don’t believe it will always be. Christians will soon be persecuted here. We are on our way.
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I don’t quite get this issue either. How are they going to enforce it? Bruce Jenner, (sorry I REFUSE to call HIM Caitlyn) is a high profile transgender. More times then not, I am not even going to be aware I am in the same bathroom as a transgender person. This whole idea bothers me. It is once again, Us vs. Them. When did this become such a hot topic? What prompted this? Did I miss something? It also bothers me that celebrities like Springsteen use their status to make political statements. Remember when the Kentucky clerk would not issue same sex marriage licenses people where all, “Do your job Kim!” Well same thing, “Do your job Bruce!” Sorry for the long rant. I REALLY enjoyed this. I think you pose some interesting questions. I hope others comment and you get some feedback.
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Yes, that was another scary post Jess. Thanks too for the correct spelling on Caitlyn. No need to apologize here because I appreciate your rant, feedback. It makes me feel not so alone.
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You are not alone. 🙂 I don’t even know how you spelled Caitlyn. I have a friend by that name and that is the way she spells it. Not sure how Bruce spells it. 🙂
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Thanks. I Googled it, then updated. You were right.
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That’s a first! I am HORRIBLE speller. Spell check is my BFF!!!! I really enjoyed this post. I really do think you brought up some excellent points!
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Bless you, my friend!
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