THE FIGHT SOCAL"S LGBT MONTHLY MAGAZINE APRIL 2016

THEROSTOWREPORT
“RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM” BILLS
Since last we spoke, a
“religious freedom” bill
has reached the Georgia
governor’s desk, and the
North Carolina legislature has
passed a law that both bans
transgender men and women
from their normal bathrooms
and prevents local entities and
universities from protecting
GLBT citizens (and others)
against bias.
Georgia Governor Nathan
Deal bravely vetoed his
state’s bill. But North Carolina
Governor Pat McCrory (who
unlike Deal is running for
reelection) signed the Tobacco
State measure into law, triggering
a national backlash that
we hope and pray gains steam
over coming weeks.
The North Carolina bill was
introduced and passed in a
matter of hours during a special
session of the legislature while
McCrory waited in his office,
pen in hand. Lawmakers
explained that without the
measure, a local ordinance set
to take effect in Charlotte would
have allowed predatory men to
use the ladies room at will, jeopardizing
the safety of women
and girls. The new law solves
this dire threat by clarifying that
use of public facilities should
be based on an individual’s
birth certificate gender. For the
record, it’s not easy to change
your birth certificate in North
Carolina and you need to have
surgery to do so.
Corporations and sports
institutions like the NCAA, the
NBA and the NFL, have come
out in opposition to this law, and
several cities and at least three
states have banned official
travel to North Carolina. Lambda
and the American Civil Liberties
Union have filed a federal suit
against the state, and North
Carolina Attorney General Roy
Cooper, who is running against
McCrory this year, opposes
the new statute and refuses to
defend it in court.
TRANS-MAN-
SPLAINING
Several macho-looking
transmen have posted
selfies, asking North
Carolina politicians and citizens
if they really want to force
transmen like themselves to
join the ladies in the toilettes.
I’ve always thought this was
the best way to fight these
bathroom laws. You don’t
want men in the little girls’
room? Well, just look at these
guys! What are you thinking?
However, the trans community
itself is split on the
tactic, pointing out that the
strategy undermines those in
the transgendered community
>> BY ANN ROSTOW