This week, mainly on Thursday, we talked about gender as a concept as well as the role it plays in today's society. Jenifer McGuire, our guest lecturer, was able to really illustrate the large stigma that society still places on those who don't necessarily conform to the gender norms that are in place. Throughout her lecture she gave examples of trans individuals who came out to their family and were completely shut out or abandoned. As one could imagine, being treated like this by individuals has been linked to the rate of transgender suicide being among the highest of any other demographic. We have come a long way in the treatment of trans individuals but have a lot of progress to make. Just last week in North Carolina, their governor signed a bill that blocks transgender individuals use of the bathroom with the gender they identify with. This has caused a lot of outrage among people all over the country, showing that there are still many out there with criticisms. What do you think of this bill? Should bathrooms be mandated strictly by biological gender?
As we read about in the article 5 Basics of Parenting Adolescents, in order to influence healthy development, it is important to love and connect with your teen, as well as monitor, guide, model, and advocate for them. I think that this is especially important especially for transgender individuals. If their own family isn't there for support, as stated in lecture, it is likely that negative impacts will occur. Personally, I have a friend with a transgender sibling and his family has been very supportive. Because of this, whenever I go over there to hang out, everything is normal but she has talked about stories of people not being so accepting. If you know a transgender individual, how has the support of their family impacted their wellness? If you don't know any, how would you react if someone close to you came to you with the news that they were transgender?
Websites:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/23/politics/north-carolina-gender-bathrooms-bill/
http://hrweb.mit.edu/worklife/raising-teens/five-basics.html
For the first question, it is my personal opinion that the bathrooms that people choose to use should not even be such a huge topic of discussion within our government. Don't they have bigger things to worry about?! But since it is a topic, I think that trans individuals should be allow to use the bathroom in which they are most comfortable. I view this bill as discrimination, and think that it is horrible that it even exists. At the same time, I do see how allowing for trans individuals to use different bathrooms could cause problems as far as people pretending to be trans and sneaking into the opposite sex's bathrooms. So one idea that I propose is making a bill that requires all buildings to have a "family bathroom" or a "gender neutral" bathroom. This could be a win-win for everyone involved, even though still not ideal for the trans individuals as they may still feel discriminated against.
ReplyDeleteFor the second question,I do not know anyone personally that is trans. But my boyfriend's brother recently came out as gay. It was very interesting for me to watch the difference in his mother and father's reactions. His mother was very loving and supportive, while his father was not. My boyfriends brother went into a deep depression and had suicidal thoughts. Due to this, I think his family began to realize the utmost importance of their support and love. After about a year, his father started to come around to the idea, but their relationship is still not as strong as it used to be and I really don't think that it ever will be. Personally, I think that I would be very supportive if I had a child that was LGBT. I understand that everyone is different and unique and that there is nothing wrong with them. Everyone deserves to be loved and accepted by their own family.
For the first question I agree with Ashley on allowing trans people to use the bathroom they feel is the most comfortable for them. The bill is a very controversial one, but I can see where both sides are coming from. I think we need to move away from gender segregation and be more accommodating to trans people by creating unisex/all-gender/gender neutral bathrooms. Whatever label the government decides to put on a bathroom, it should be a gender inclusive one.
ReplyDeleteFor the second question, I do not know any trans people. Unless you count watching Caitlyn Jenners show, "I Am Cait." I do have a cousin that is gay. I don't exactly know the details of when or how she came out, but ever since I have known her she has been gay. I think our entire family has been very supportive and loving. Some of my family is very conservative and may not agree with certain things, but I think having someone who is gay has really opened their eyes and has changed a lot of their views on the LGBT community in a positive way.
In regards to the first question, I think of course bathroom usage shouldn't be limited to biological gender, but, as Ashley pointed out, a lot of problems may stem from the lack of conscientiousness of some people. Family/gender neutral bathroom solution sounds good, but then again not every building can afford to have 3 types of bathrooms both in terms of space and costs of maintenance, especially current buildings to which can add new bathroom space. I think fostering the transition of available bathrooms into gender-neutral should be somehow incorporated as a part of the solution. A very tricky issue to resolve.
ReplyDeleteAs to the second question, I am not acquainted with any transgender people but I would support my child or my friends if they were tome out as such. I think what really helps to increase acceptance of LGBT in our society is exposing children to the idea of gender spectrum, so that when they grow up, it would not be a novel or outrageous concept for them.
Unfortunately it is going to take a long time for there to be a universal agreeance upon this issue. There are still some extremely conservative people whom don't understand/want to take the time to understand that there is not a cookie cutter that creates man and woman. Education when it comes to LGBT community and differences is important for all ages. People won't be as scared of the unknown if they are exposed to it at a young age. I'm in the same boat as I think everyone is when it comes to transgender bathroom usage. Ideally, family or gender-neutral bathrooms should be available everywhere, unfortunately it is not realistic quite yet. It kills me to think that anyone would feel uncomfortable or unsure when it comes to using the bathroom, but right now, it is unfortunately a reality for those who are transgender. They should have equal rights, especially when it comes to something as small as bathroom use.
ReplyDeleteIn high school, I was in musicals with a girl who now identifies as a man. She went through a name change and several other permanent changes to become who she is today. I always did my best to support her because everyone has a right to be comfortable and happy. In unexpected news, I recently found out that a good friend I had lost touch with has recently come out as transgender. I never really knew that it was in his mindset. Of course I will support him/her in whatever way I can. Because even though I am unclear about many things when it comes to transgender, I am still supportive and not scared of what I do not know. I will take every chance to being informed.
Unfortunately it is going to take a long time for there to be a universal agreeance upon this issue. There are still some extremely conservative people whom don't understand/want to take the time to understand that there is not a cookie cutter that creates man and woman. Education when it comes to LGBT community and differences is important for all ages. People won't be as scared of the unknown if they are exposed to it at a young age. I'm in the same boat as I think everyone is when it comes to transgender bathroom usage. Ideally, family or gender-neutral bathrooms should be available everywhere, unfortunately it is not realistic quite yet. It kills me to think that anyone would feel uncomfortable or unsure when it comes to using the bathroom, but right now, it is unfortunately a reality for those who are transgender. They should have equal rights, especially when it comes to something as small as bathroom use.
ReplyDeleteIn high school, I was in musicals with a girl who now identifies as a man. She went through a name change and several other permanent changes to become who she is today. I always did my best to support her because everyone has a right to be comfortable and happy. In unexpected news, I recently found out that a good friend I had lost touch with has recently come out as transgender. I never really knew that it was in his mindset. Of course I will support him/her in whatever way I can. Because even though I am unclear about many things when it comes to transgender, I am still supportive and not scared of what I do not know. I will take every chance to being informed.
I definitely agree with Ashley that the government should be worrying about larger topics than which bathrooms people choose to use. It is definitely a form of discrimination, which scares me considering it's 2016 and we haven't gotten over transphobia. If we're working so hard to diminish racial tensions, why can't we do the same for the LGBT community? Going to the bathroom is a private affair and I can't imagine the struggle of not feeling welcomed in either restroom. You shouldn't need to hide who you are to do a basic human function. Again, agreeing with Ashley, I think it would be a progressive change for buildings to start adding gender-neutral restrooms. However in a perfect world, we wouldn't have to worry about others abusing these safe places. We are just not there yet.
ReplyDeleteThe University of Minnesota actually has a map right here for where you can find gender-neutral restrooms right on campus. This is a great step towards creating an equal community! https://diversity.umn.edu/glbta/restrooms
I have met a few trans* friends lately who have come out to me and I love that they feel comfortable with me to share their life. I'm not close enough with those that I have met to ask about how their family reacted, but my impressions are that they have a lot of support. I hope that if they felt comfortable enough to share it with someone they just met, that it shows they've had positive experiences in the past with sharing such personal information.
I feel like people should be allowed to use which ever bathroom that they would prefer to use. I bill like that is hard to enforce because their isn't going to be a person monitoring what may or may not be in your pants. If it is such a big issue places should have a unisex bathroom or a family bathroom for anyone to use to make them feel more comfortable.
ReplyDeleteI do not know anyone who is transgender but I would be supportive if anyone close to me came out as being transgender. As long as they are happy with who they are than I am happy for them. They deserve and have the right to be themselves 100% of the time.
I also don't think that bathrooms should be strictly mandated by biological gender, and agree with many of the other students who think that the government should have bigger issues to worry about. It is definitely an example of discrimination, and it is sad that this group is having to face this, especially by concrete laws being put in place by our policy makers. Since they are a smaller minority of people, it is likely to be harder for their voice to be heard. If the government is willing to call these people out for using different bathrooms, then they need to be able to offer other options, such as implementing unisex bathrooms or bathrooms for non gender conforming individuals.
ReplyDeleteI don't personally know anyone who has came out as transgender, but I would try to be as understanding and supportive as possible if a friend or family member came out. There is definitely a stigma around transgender people, and they get enough discrimination from society. A lot of this stems from ignorance and people not understanding what these people are going through. They need support from friends and family in order to be happy with who they are and feel free to be themselves.
I do not think bathrooms should be based on biological gender. I think people should go into bathrooms that they feel more comfortable in, and not be forced to go into a bathroom they wouldn't want too. There are a lot of other things that are bigger issues that the government should be worrying and focusing on. Society should have their say too. I think it us unfair to the transgender community for having to go through this as they are humans too. There should be more options for transgender people so they can be just as comfortable as they were before when using the bathroom.
ReplyDeleteI know someone who is transgender and he is such a great person! Some of his family was understanding, and there were some of his family members who were not accepting his choice. It is hard for him to have family members who he was once close to, barely talk to him anymore. He has gone through a lot and have been through a lot of obstacles but he never gave up because he was sick of not being happy in his own skin. He loves who he is now and does not regret anything, and still has a lot of friends who support him and love him for who he is.
To answer the first question, I think that people should be able to go into whatever bathroom they perceive themselves. I don't think businesses should have to incorporate a uni sex bathroom so people should be able to go in whatever bathroom they wish. If you think about it, if I'm a boy, dressed as a girl, I'm going to draw more attention going into the boys bathroom than I would if i could just be allowed to go in the girls.
ReplyDeleteFor the second question, I personally do not know anyone who has came out as transgender but if I did I would support them 100%, especially if that person was someone close to me, who I already have an established relationship with I would just assure them that nothing was going to change, everything was going to be fine and I would go through the whole process with them.