I didn't want to weigh in on this topic because I feel very strongly about this and i did not want to offend anyone. However, with how offensive the other side is being, I guess it is only fair to mention my opinion on all of this.
As most of you know, I am a lesbian and I am in a serious monogamous relationship with a beautiful, yet butch, woman. We have been together for going on three years now and we have gone through a lot. One of those things being, fighting homophobic and degrading comments from the public. Especially when we try to use the restroom in places. For reference here is a picture of my girlfriend, Raina.
To me, she is a beautiful woman. Amazing, smart, thoughtful, funny! But when we go to use the bathroom in a public place, woman become really stupid. We hear screams of "OMG YOU ARE IN THE WRONG BATHROOM!" "ARE YOU A MAN IN THE WOMANS RESTROOM??" Most days we just ignore it and she goes into a stall to pee and I wait for her staring at the small minded individual. When I am having a bad day, I usually combat them with, "NO SHE HAS A PUSSY LIKE YOU AND NEEDS TO PEE!" OR "SHE IS A WOMAN WITH TITS YOU IDIOT!" Maybe I am a liberal hippie, but its a toilet and all anyone needs to do is pee. It frustrates me that in this day and age, I would have to fight for my girlfriend to use the bathroom. Since when do you need to bring your license and birth certificate to prove your genitals match that ridiculous sign on a door?
Someone shared a facebook post with me today, and it said "A Man in woman's clothes does not make him a woman. Men should not get to be in our bathrooms or lockers!" ( this is word for word what this post said, followed by pictures of a woman in various costumes asking if it made her a pirate or mexcian etc) All anyone wants to do in a bathroom is to pee. Being with my girlfriend, and previous girlfriends, I have seen so much hatred. It breaks my heart. Sometimes just to avoid hearing the screams and outcries, my girlfriend just goes into the mens restroom. Even in there she will get stares from men wondering why a woman is in their bathroom. She can never win. When there are no unisex bathrooms available, she has to decide who she wants to get stares and scream from. Frustrating isnt it?
Have you ever had to block a door so your loved one can avoid hatred and abuse for just trying to pee? Have you ever had to correct someones pronouns? If you havent, just imagine that your significant other has to use the bathroom. They come back and say that someone would not let them because he/she does not look the correct gender. Where do you fit in when you can't fit in anywhere?
Maybe i am hippie, maybe I am naive but i never understood how in the year 2016, there is still so much hatred. Hatred just because someone simply doesnt understand. Like i said, i dont like to get political or start any type of debate over it, but a little understanding and love goes a long way. All we (lgbt community) want is a place to just pee in peace.
