North Carolina Becomes Unsafe For LGBT Community | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

North Carolina Becomes Unsafe For LGBT Community

What the passing of the House Bill 2 means to the LGBT community

14
North Carolina Becomes Unsafe For LGBT Community
Katie Benfield

On Wednesday, March 23, the state of North Carolina passed House Bill 2, the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, which bans transgender people from using the public bathroom that matches their gender identity. However, what a lot of people don’t understand, or are failing to recognize to the extent that they should, is that the HB 2 has a lot more adverse effects than what it originally seems.

The HB 2 is portrayed in the media as being put in place to protect innocent people from experiencing “perversion of the transgenders.” The state of NC is still under the impression that transgender people are perverts, rapists, and child-molesters, and by banning their ability to use the bathroom that correlates with their gender identity, they believe they will further protect these citizens from experiencing any kind of perversion. In all reality, however, transgender people are just trying to use the bathroom, and they should, by no means, be seen and stereotyped in such a way that couldn’t be more inaccurate.

Even my grandmother, a woman of 78 years who is a Southern homophobe born and raised, brought the HB 2 to my attention on my last visit home to my small hometown in North Carolina. She looked me in the eyes and she said, “Honey, I just don’t understand this bill. These poor people just want to go where they feel they belong.” She did admit that she feared a man using the bathroom in the same facility as her, even if he did identify as a female, but she offered the solution that transgender people should just have separate single stall bathrooms. “That way, they’ll feel safe and protected, and so will everyone else,” my grandma said. Even though this does exclude transgender people from the general population, my grandma said it in a way that was absolutely free of hatred or discrimination—something that a homophobic Southern Baptist Christian (who believes that all LGBT people will end up in hell—don’t worry, I’m working on changing her mind!) can accomplish. Yet an entire state, which is built on a constitution of freedom and equality, cannot.

Although I go to school in NC, the campus I’m involved in is fairly liberal. It has a strong LGBT community, as well as a women’s center and constant activism to confront issues involving racism, sexism, and homophobia. It’s interesting to note that there are single stall bathrooms in the student union on my campus—if you ask the management of the school, they will tell you they were placed there for transgender and gender queer usage. However, nowhere in or around these bathrooms, or anywhere on campus for that matter, does it tell the population that these are for transgender individuals. A sign above the private bathroom says: "This bathroom is for use by everyone regardless of gender or gender expression". The campus itself has not confronted the issue of transphobia; in fact, they have avoided talking about it almost completely.

Just adding a single-stall bathroom isn’t enough. If you’re going to have a single-stall bathroom for transgender and gender queer folk, make sure it is known to them that these bathrooms are for them specifically, for their comfort and acceptance. If you were to ask the general campus population if they know that there are single-stall bathrooms, and if they are aware, if they know what they are for, almost all of them would say no to the former, and even more would say no to the latter. The campus is not creating a safe and welcoming environment for its transgender and gender queer students—it’s simply providing them with the tools to build their own.

It’s nice to know, however, that HB 2 is raising resentment, even in the hearts of my friends and family who don’t necessarily approve of transgender people. Just the other day I was speaking with my sister, who has become more accepting of LGBT people since I came out to her last July, and she told me that she was very upset about the bill because “it was stopping people who already have enough discrimination and bullying from doing something that every person should have the right to do" - meaning going to the bathroom in the facility where they feel most comfortable, the one that matches their gender identity.

This bill was passed in order to ensure the safety of cisgender men and women all over the state, but what about the safety of the transgender men and women? By making it illegal for transmen and transwomen to go into a bathroom that matches their gender identity, it raises the likelihood of hate crimes, especially for biological males who identify as female. Men, historically, have been more transphobic than women, especially towards men who identify as women. By forcing transwomen who haven’t had sex reassignment surgery to enter into a male bathroom, the state has single-handedly upped the chances of death, harassment, and other violence towards these trans-people. I can practically see the headlines now: TRANSGENDER FOUND BEATEN TO DEATH IN PUBLIC BATHROOM BY THREE MEN.

There should never be a bill passed that endangers the lives, minds, and bodies the way that this bill does, regardless of what gender identity someone has. Not only does this bill reinforce the general idea that transgender people are “perverted rapists and child-molesters,” but it also negatively affects every person who identifies as a gender opposite of the sex they were assigned at birth. So, really, who is this bill helping?

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

842
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

15819
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

3265
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments