Anyone who thinks Connecticut is a liberal hotbed hasn’t tried bringing up the issue of civil rights lately.
The Courant describes it as Transgender Rights Bill Loses Momentum, but it seems more like people with no imagination putting on the brakes.
“Our classrooms have to provide the best educational opportunity for our students,” said Republican Rep. Kevin Witkos, a police sergeant from Canton. “Do you honestly think young people will be able to concentrate in the classroom if their teacher is dressed in clothing of their opposite sex? I think not.”
Do you honestly think young people concentrate on anything in schools these days?
But seriously, when those of us who can be role models start behaving as such, schoolchildren will not feel inspired to act like assholes toward transgender teachers. That idea can be applied to other cases too. Parents can start teaching their children to accept and respect others who might be gay or female (and when I stop hearing “pussy” used as a slur, I’ll believe we’ve reached that point). I don’t believe that Brown vs. Board of Education made people automatically accepting of integration, but the law and society had to work together. When the people with the power to change laws are too cowardly to do so, I must question the part of the anthem that says, “home of the brave.”
But wait, there’s more:
State Rep. Arthur J. O’Neill, R-Southbury, questioned how the provision might be applied in cases where students come to school dressed in clothing of the opposite sex and in cases where a boy might want to play on the school’s girls’ basketball team.
“Would the school district be obligated to let the student go to school dressed in that way?” O’Neill asked. “Where would the boy shower?”
Didn’t Title IX clear all of that up?
That “boy” would shower where every teenager or child who was feeling awkward about his/her body anyway would shower– in the empty stall way before or after everyone else. I’m really thinking back to junior high and high school on this one, but I personally never shared a shower or changed directly in front of anyone else. I know a lot of others would change in bathroom stalls to avoid being seen. Maybe the guy’s locker room is a different place, but I’m guessing that a male-to-female transperson might not be totally identifying with machismo culture to begin with here–just a guess.
Sounds like some people need to get educated.