Transgender Debate Continues

Oklahoma lawmakers have introduced a bill that would allow students to request on religious grounds that their public schools provide a bathroom or other facility that bars transgender people.

The bill appears to be one of the first state-level legislative actions to challenge the Obama administration’s directives, issued last week, that said students must be allowed to use the facilities that match the gender they identify as, even if that is different from their anatomical sex.

The Senate bill introduced on Thursday in Oklahoma defined “sex” as the “physical condition of being male or female, as identified at birth” by an individual’s anatomy.

It says any student can request a “religious accommodation” from a school for restrooms, athletic changing facilities or showers that are exclusively used by people with the anatomical sex at birth that is similar to their own.

This means that a male student could request that the school provide facilities only for use by other students who were male when they were born.

It said a student can do so based on “sincerely held religious beliefs.”

The proposed legislation says single-occupancy facilities would not be considered an allowable accommodation.

The bill was authored by Senator Brian Bingman and Speaker Jeffrey Hickman, both Republicans, in response to what it described as an “emergency” and a need to preserve “public peace, health and safety.” It did not mention the Obama administration’s directive specifically.

The guidance letter published last Friday by the Department of Justice and the Department of Education said students must be allowed to use the facilities that match the gender they identify as, even if that is different from with their anatomical sex. 

For districts that refuse to comply, the directive carries the potential threat of legal action or of the withholding of federal funds.

Cathryn Oakley, a senior legislative counsel with the Human Rights Campaign, noted that the administration’s guidance letter reiterated a position that it had held and enforced in scattered cases around the country that involved state challenges.

When the Fighting is Over...

A former member of SEAL Team Six has become the poster girl for a Pentagon effort to include transgenders — people who have undergone sex-change operations — in the ranks.

Kristin Beck (above), formerly Senior Chief Petty Officer Christopher Beck, spoke recently at several high-profile events at intelligence agencies and the Pentagon to promote the integration of transgenders.

"Transgender service in the armed forces, yes it will happen soon," she said on Twitter.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, among the most politically correct Pentagon chiefs of the past several decades, fueled the effort within the Pentagon to integrate transgenders in May when he said the policy of banning transgenders should be reviewed continually. 

The transgender drive is the latest element of the Obama administration's social engineering within the U.S. military.

The Pentagon currently defines transgenders as sexual deviants.

Among Ms. Beck's recent appearances were speeches at the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office and at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, according to the DIA and her Twitter feed.

She also was scheduled to speak to the Multicultural Heritage Committee at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, although one defense official said it is not clear how transgenderism fits within the multicultural spectrum.

Ms. Beck, author of "Warrior Princess," spoke to the DIA on June 18 as part of the intelligence agency's annual "Pride Month" — formerly "Gay Pride Month" but now expanded to include a host of sexually related terms, including transgenders. 

She received an award from DIA Director Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn at the event.

According to DIA's newsletter, Ms. Beck, in her remarks, pushed for allowing transgenders in uniform. She said the Pentagon should stop defining people by external appearances and accept what they say they are on the inside.

"We are all, all of us, created equal, and we all deserve equal justice," she said, explaining how she hid her true sexual identity during her military career.

As a man, Ms. Beck was part of SEAL Teams One, Five and Six and was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.

Since sex reassignment last year, Ms. Beck has sought to promote gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender acceptance in the military.

Gender Challenges for Schools

Before there was the "boys" bathroom and the "girls" bathroom but now many schools are finding to be able to accommodate an increase of transgender or gender variant students, the gender-neutral bathroom has in some schools become a new addition.  A small percentage of children are going public at younger ages that they are indeed transgender or want to live as the opposite sex or that they are neither boy or girl. 

Last year, the American Psychiatric Association removed "gender identity disorder" from the mental disorders list.  In other words, people are starting to realize this is not a condition that can be "cured" or fixed.  Quite simply it is who the person is such as is the case of sexual orientation.  Almost forty years ago, the APA removed "homosexuality" as a disorder as well.  In addition to transgender, there is gender variant or gender nonconforming who's gender is considered fluid, part "boy" and part "girl". 

The center at Lurie has opened to meet parental demands for guidance for children who are questioning their gender identity and provide support for older children that can face a higher suicide risk.  The 2010 National Transgender Discrimination Survey showed that 41% of transgender people claimed they attempted suicide and if they had been bullied or harassed the number rose to 51%.  

Out of our fifty states, only sixteen states and D.C. have transgender rights laws to protect these children as well as adults.  Some parents have chosen what they call the "stealth" method of having their child change genders by moving to a new school district and starting over.  Though surgery is seldom an option in childhood or adolescence, these children dress and act their preferred gender.  By changing schools, they can start as a "girl" or a "boy" and lessen the chances for bullying and harassment.

Some questions came to my mind.  In today's society we are much more tolerant (though still a long way to go) and people are more likely to be open about things such as being transgender.  Fifty years ago, would the percentage of people who are transgender be similar to today?  Was it just something you hid in shame or kept behind closed doors?  I suppose we will never know.  Regardless, I believe the accepting people for who they are can sometimes be a difficult task but considering the suicide attempt percentages, wouldn't it just be better to live and let live at times?