Jim Crow laws are state and local laws in the United States currently being enacted. They mandat de jure transgender segregation in all public facilities with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for Transgender Americans.
The omission of Public accommodations effectively codifies transgender people as second class citizens and potential sexual predators unworthy of occupying rest rooms with cisgender woman and children.
Click for the PDF of the bill as originally submitted by Tom Quirk.
Click for the PDF of Bill No. 3-12 as adopted by the Baltimore council.
Clearly there was never any intention of extending meaningful rights to transgender people.
The reality is this bill is meant to discriminate against transgender people and in the truest sense, a Jim Crow law.
Least we forget! Maryland has a long and storied history of legislating and up holding judicially Jim Crow Laws!
Tim Walstrum is absolutely correct when he posted that this law was nothing more that a out for politicians. I will argue they did this with full knowledge history will repeat itself in court as transgender people become even more marginalised!
For the sake of passing this bill transgender people can be denied to use facilities that are distinctly private or personal. This will give anyone the option to deny transgender people access to what ever facilities they designate as personal or private. Like bathrooms for Christ sake!
But to smarmy democrats its a 'victory'. Passing this Jim Crow law is immensely easier than enacting real human rights laws, and doing so is usually not a career ender.
To the gay community, this is also a 'victory' the passage being repeatedly heralded as a victory. The real victory for gay people is they finally throw the transgender monkey off there backs.
To the transgender victims of Baltimore county this is a day that will go down in infamy, unless we are joined by gay people who would demand "gay toilets" in protest.
Transgender people may now feel unfettered to work in Baltimore county unless the bathroom issue stops them from securing employment.
God. THAT IS THE ISSUE!!!!! Unbelievable, anything to get rid of us, right gays?
More at Townson Patch
4 comments:
Hi Kelli,
This might help put things in perspective. Toilets are a human rights issue.
http://uncommon-scents.blogspot.com/2010/08/toilet-debate-historical-deconstruction.html
Natacha
Yea, it would seen we should push for a firm definition on what is meant by "distinctly private or personal"...
I wrote about the passage of the law on my blog:
http://transwomantimes.blogspot.com/2012/02/pyrrhic-victory-in-baltimore.html
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