A friend of mine that works at the FDA got this email at work re: access to bathrooms by Transgender

[ehrnst]

"The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), released a fact sheet yesterday addressing the rights of transgender employee. In a nut shell: Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, federal employees must be permitted to use restrooms that align with their gender identity.

"The question that sometimes arises in cases regarding bathroom access is how to respond to other employees who may feel uncomfortable sharing a common restroom facility with a transgender or gender non-conforming colleague.

"These questions, at first blush, may seem legitimate and thorny but after consideration it’s revealed that there’s not much meat there: throughout our history the relative comfort of one group has been argued as a justification for disparate treatment of another and those arguments consistently fail because we do not condition one employee’s right to a workplace free of discrimination on whether a colleague is made uncomfortable.

"Transgender federal employees, no matter where their office is located, are entitled to use bathrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms, etc. that are consistent with their identity – just like their cisgender colleagues.

"Contrary state laws do not at all impact that basic commitment to equality and federal agencies will investigate all allegations of harassment and discrimination."


https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/fs-bathroom-access-transgender.cfm

[ehrnst]

1. I cannot imagine this email being permitted under a GOP White House.

I continually marvel at people who say that there is no 'real difference' between the two parties.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Obama Opens First Gender Neutral Bathrooms at White House

Obama Opens First Gender Neutral Bathrooms at White House

http://www.charismanews.com/us/49144-obama-opens-first-gender-neutral-bathrooms-at-white-house

"The White House allows staff and guests to use restrooms consistent with their gender identity, which is in keeping with the Administration's existing legal guidance on this issue," Tiller said in a statement.

Obama has taken a firm stand over the past year or so on gay and also transgender rights, an area of debate that is becoming hotly contested.

Last year, in a presidential first, Obama used the word "transgender" in the annual State of the Union address and he has also endorsed same-sex marriage, marking what may be one of the most significant advances of his presidency.

Also on Wednesday, he called for an end to psychiatric therapies that seek to change the sexual orientation of gay, lesbian and transgender youth, also known as conversion therapy.

[Silver_Witch]

8. I voted for President Obama..

And I believe he will go in the history books as a good and solid President. True he did not get the war thing figured out, hopefully the next President will! He sure did kick some ass though with no help from those cats on capital hill!

[CurtEastPoint]

2. ? "...there’s not much meat there..." ?

Seriously?

[secondwind]

3. That stood out for me as well!

[CurtEastPoint]

5. " ..stood out?" LOL! Sorry, I couldn't resist!

[groundloop]

6. How many transgender people are in the US anyway?

I'm feeling like all the backlash against transgender citizens is much ado about nothing. I've never read statistics as far as how many transgender people we have, but I'd think the number is very small.

[ehrnst]

7. But even the idea of one is enough to cause derangement in the evangelicals

And what better way to make the GOP look reasonable but to make the Transgender "threat" seem to be as great a threat as ISIS?

[noamnety]

9. Close to a million people in the US.

I teach at a high school of a little under 400 people. We probably have 10-20 students that are openly transgender.

In a less open community, and in earlier times, I suspect many people who would be transgender either aren't able to be who they really are or are secretive about it. (Or they drop out of public school and are home schooled to avoid bullying).

A quick search online found this: According to 2011 findings from the Williams Institute, the transgender population represents about 0.3% of American adults.

Looking at it another way, in a school of a thousand people, odds are that 3 students are transgendered. And if it's a 6-8 hour school day, they will need to use a bathroom daily or they will deliberately dehydrate themselves to avoid having to go if they feel unwelcome using any of the restrooms.

[ehrnst]

10. Not to mention the suicide rate is high among young people who are LGBTQ.(nt)

[Initech]

11. It's a boogeyman for the GOP to use in the general election.

That's all it is, and it will backfire on them. Just remember that W ran on a fear mongering smear campaign against the LGBT community and was able to win key swing states. They're trying to do that again with this trans bathroom issue but unlike 2000, this wont work this time around.

[Skittles]

12. WTF

who cares how small a group they are? What matters is that they are treated like HUMAN BEINGS.