I have a question about the bathroom gender thingy. How is it proposed to enforce such

[underahedgerow]

(stupid) laws?

Will there be Potty Police doing genital verification?

"Asking for a friend."

[revbones]

1. Making light of it doesn't help.

We just had a friend that was warned to leave a gas station by a police officer because she used the wrong bathroom. It's an excuse for harassment, the same as AZ's "let me see your papers" law.

[Lurker Deluxe]

9. really?

Not sure how that could happen where I live, most gas stations bathrooms are locked and you have to ask for a key. And almost all of them are single occupancy so, again, not sure how that would happen.

Please elaborate.

[erpowers]

12. Depends On the Gas Station

I am not the person you replied to, or asked for a reply, but I would like to offer my response. In my area there are a number of gas stations that have restrooms on the inside. These restrooms are multi-occupancy restrooms.

[LynneSin]

13. And how did the police know the person was transgender?

It's not like they carry a big sign saying 'I'M Transgender'.

Does that mean because I'm 5'10" and big-boned that I could be harassed in North Carolina for using the women's room (which I was born that way).

This is all ridiculous.

But honestly, calling out the stupidity of the law about who is to judge who is the right sex to enter a bathroom, I believe, is a very valid question. GOP is suppose to be the party of 'Less Government' yet they want to check in my panties before I use the bathroom - I think that is total government overkill. The 'Joking' of the issue let's the world know that many of us see this as bullshit and are calling out on it.

[Kelvin Mace]

2. There is no enforcement mechanism in NC

and the police say they have better things to do.

So, I am sure some vigil...er I mean "concerned" citizens will step into the breach.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. The most likely scenario, I think, might be this:

A woman goes into a public bathroom at, say, a mall. She goes into a stall, does her business, washes her hands and maybe combs her hair or touches up her makeup, then starts to leave. But there's another woman in the bathroom, a bigoted busybody who decides the first woman is maybe too "masculine" and must therefore be either trans or a man come to spy on ladies going to the bathroom. She furtively calls mall security, and a mall cop quickly arrives and confronts the first woman as she leaves the rest room. But now what?

Does the mall cop demand to see her birth certificate? Do a pat-down? Make her drop her pants? I can see so much potential for lawsuits here. These laws are nasty, insane and unenforceable, and I hope the first person who is harassed for something like this sues the pants off whoever does it (pun intended).

[underpants]

5. I was going to say - a lot of uncomfortable awkward peering

[justiceischeap]

11. No, this is the more likely scenario

He walks into the bathroom and all the women freak out 'cause a guy is in the bathroom (even though said guy is transgender).



Then this guy has to explain that he's transgender and HAS to use the ladies room because of the law.

[LynneSin]

14. If 'he' was a transgender woman then 'he' would be referred to as a she

Just saying.

[whatthehey]

21. Surely not

A current trans man, correctly referred to as "he", would under this law have to use the womens' bathroom as he was originally born anatomically female, and certainly would cause the reaction described.

[LynneSin]

34. I might have misread it - I thought he was talking about a trans woman

my bad.

[justiceischeap]

25. He is transgender but under NC law

He would have to use the ladies room. I did not use any pronouns incorrectly in my post.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

32. no, he is a transman but per this law, has to use the ladies room

cos that's what it says on his birth cert.

[LynneSin]

35. I misread it

my bad

[erpowers]

16. Use the Men's Room

I guess most men would find it odd if he goes into a stall and sits down to pee, but other than that how would anyone know he was born a woman. I think the people pushing these laws do not understand transgender issues. For some reason they think someone looking like person in the picture will walk into a women's room hoping to see naked women, or hoping to do bad things. The problem is that these laws actually make it more likely that what they do not want to happen will happen. Even though it is likely that the person above would not be caught if they tried to use a men's room if he is to obey the law he should use the women's room. As a result, you have a person that looks like a man walking into a women's room because that person was born a woman.

Unless there is someone standing at the door doing a penis, or vagina check how could anyone know who is a man, or a woman? How many men would be willing to whip out their private parts to prove they are men? How many men would allow someone to check to see if their wife has proper woman equipment? How many women would want to drop their pants, or pull up their skirts/dresses in order to prove they were born a woman?

[XemaSab]

24. How many post-op transwomen would pass the "genitals" test?

If the surgeon did his job right, all of them.

[Jim Beard]

4. Everyone wear jeans and use the womens restroom

no one knows what goes on behind closed doors.

[davidn3600]

6. What happens if a masculine-looking woman goes into the women's room?

If a woman goes into the woman's room and has a short haircut and a male-style of clothing but is a female? Will she be harassed too? Will other people call the cops "just to be on the safe side?"

I understand the target of the law is M-to-F transexuals. That's who the religious conservatives really hate. But the ones who will be hurt the most by this law are biologically-born women who don't look "feminine enough." People will question her every time she goes into a public restroom.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. Somebody gets sued, is what happens.

http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detroit/woman-suing-fishbones-after-being-mistaken-for-a-man-and-kicked-out-of-the-womans-restroom

[ScreamingMeemie]

30. That is absolutely horrifying.

[Brother Buzz]

8. Appoint Larry 'Wide Stance' Craig, the Potty czar

[6000eliot]

10. It isn't about "enforcement."

It's about the reinforcement of hatred.

[LynneSin]

15. bingo!

[erpowers]

17. Same Question

A few days ago I started wondering how the law would be enforced. I just figured most people would continue to use the restroom that corresponds to their current gender.

[Orrex]

18. Obviously we must ban all clothes immediately

I'll be okay, but I feel bad for everyone else.

[Marrah_G]

19. Trans women DIE at a very high rate

Now they want to force them into bathrooms where they are likely to be assaulted because some man's penis feels threatened.

[Orrex]

20. Yes, it does rather seem like an effort to pin a target on trans people, doesn't it?

What a sick and deplorable mentality.

[Marrah_G]

22. Yes- it frightens me to the core

Religious zealotry has caused more bloodshed then anything else in the world and not once has it ever proved to be right.

It breeds ignorance, which breeds fear, which breeds hate.

[lagomorph777]

23. And what about Intersex people, who have no choice at all in the matter?

They're born with anatomy that's essentially impossible to assign to a gender. Then they are randomly assigned one anyway, which may or may not match their adult appearance or internal sense of gender identity. WTF are they supposed to do?

[4139]

26. TSA would love to do it!

[Jackie Wilson Said]

27. New jobs promised by the GOP: Bathroom sex checker ...

Duties include checking sexual organs and birth certificates.

Starts at $17 an hour with benefits.

[Lil Missy]

39. The GOP would make them work for tips. n/t

[LiberalArkie]

28. I would simply ask the person if they are a Republican politician and if yes

then deny access.

[ScreamingMeemie]

29. Peeper Checks!!!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

31. sometimes laws dont require enforcing, they are merely created to reinforce

existing social hierarchies.

The existence of these laws demonstrate the superiority of cis gender male and females over transpeople. That is the only reason for their existence.

[whistler162]

33. With the new handy dandy DNA scanners

just put a drop of your blood in the tester and 10 seconds later the door opens to either the Men's room or Woman's room.

[underahedgerow]

36. Well that's just archaic technology, isn't it? How about an RFID-type tag implant? Lots less

messy and usefull in many future applications as well. It could be used in banking, voting, heck, even for shopping. No bulky cards to carry, all your handy-dandy info on the back of your hand?

Useful too for the cops; they could scan your driving record, prison records, credit score.... see if you're suitable for air travel and public transport...

Arthur C. Clarke was quite the prognosticator. So was Arthur Conan Doyle..... just sayin'.

[Sam_Fields]

37. The same way all laws are enforced.

Someone needs to call the police to file a complaint and they investigate the alleged crime. Then the DA decides if they want to prosecute the accused person. That is how the criminal justice system works. I'm not saying it is right to do. I'm just explaining how it works.

[Lil Missy]

38. I wondered the same thing. Do the genitals have to be inspected upon entrance?