Jason Harrill

Brooke Champagne
EN 101-910
August 1, 2016
Bathroom Crisis: Gender Identity New Norm or Insane Reform
From a young age all children are submerged in the waters of indoctrination where they
are drowned in social conditioning and finally emerge born again as citizens of society, baptized
in culture. Gender Identity has taken center stage as a cultural plight in a recent political debate
that is taking this country by storm. Gender identity is a term that is largely misunderstood and
has yet to be accurately described to the uniformed confused masses. Confusion remains abetted
by the silence of politicians and the mass media coverage. The purpose of this writing is to argue
for the logical choice of action which needs to be taken regarding the recent uproar concerning
transgender public restroom accommodations. That is, transgender people should be allowed to
use the public restrooms of their gender identity and their rights should be legally enforced if
infringed upon. The recent media buzz covering transgender bathroom accommodations is a
choice we should all have a hand in whether we perceive this issue as directly affecting us or not,
because it will affect us all. We the people need to ensure that we educate ourselves as no one
else will. We need to ensure that it is freedom which reins rather than misguided prejudice. We
need ensure that transgender people have the bathroom accommodations to which they are
entitled.
In order to understand the issue of transgender public accommodations the confusion
enveloping the issue must be alleviated. Thus, the meaning of transgender and significance of the
term gender identity are of foremost importance. New terms artfully crafted as a means to

educate and alleviate confusion have all but failed; gender fluidity, transsexual, heteronormative,
and heteropatriarchal, all terms that have not only failed to inform the confused masses but have
also been perceived as off-putting thus inadvertently creating even more confusion. To alleviate
this confusion, the term gender must be understood.
Gender and sex are two similar but distinctly different concepts which are frequently used
incorrectly, so it is important to establish some consistency within the existential chaos between
gender and sex. Sex is determined by biological anatomy. Gender applies specifically to
masculine or feminine characteristics that a person exhibits. In summation, gender refers to
characteristics portrayed by an individual and gender is determined as either male or female
based on how those characteristics align with either male or female traits. Now, those traits are
defined by a societys pre-established concept for masculine and feminine behavior. For
example, trucks and guns are typically synonymous with toys for boys while jewelry and tutus
are synonymous with toys for girls. This is understood as normal because of our social
conditioning for what is masculine (trucks and guns) and feminine (ballerinas and jewelry).
However, in another country the culture could be such that it is masculine to wear jewelry and
tutus while it is feminine to play with guns and trucks. Essentially gender is an expression of
characteristics that are viewed by others as male or female. Thus, sex is constant and never
changes while gender is subject to change depending upon what culture has delineated as
masculine or feminine.
Gender Identity is a whole new concept for many because gender identity is to gender
much like gender is to sex. They are two similar but distinctly different concepts. Gender is
established as male or female based on how others perceive your gender expression. Gender
Identity is established as male or female based on a self-perceived alignment for traditional male

or female characteristics. This can be deceiving because while a person may dress, speak, act,
and function as a male (or female) from the perspective of others, the person may internally
perceive himself (or herself) differently. An example of this would be a man whom is an
exemplar manly man that feels he is actually a woman on the inside despite his outward
expression as the man of all men. Perhaps famous activist, writer, and feminist Betty Friedan was
onto something when she said Men weren't really the enemy -- they were fellow victims
suffering from an outmoded masculine mystique that made them feel unnecessarily inadequate
when there were no bears to kill (Betty). Nonetheless it is not ours to question, but to
understand that it is so. Gender identity is a concept that is self-determined and impossible to
judge from an outside perspective.
How does this relate to transgender people and transgender bathroom use? A Transgender
person is someone whom has a gender expression or gender identity that does not align with their
sex. So, while a person may appear to be male or female, they may not actually be that gender
internally or may not even be that sex literally. Since gender identity is intrinsically determined
there is no way to test for its validity. Also, gender Identity is subject to change. Here lies the
foundation for the national debate.
What are the arguments of opponents against transgender bathroom rights? Opponents
state that these accommodations will provide easily accessible hunting grounds for sexual
predators. Their most effective argument is that they believe allowing grown men to use female
restrooms in the presence of little girls is the same as willingly allowing our daughters to be at
greater risk for sexual abuse. These brilliantly composed arguments of emotional manipulation
are as moronic as they are convincing. Here are the facts. The Department of Justice is an
unbiased government agency whose employees are there to record events and derive statistical

evidence for use by justice officials so that crime can be deterred. On the matter of sexual
assaults, they state in 8 out of 10 cases the victim already knows the person who sexually
assaulted them (Borello). That means that the majority of times someone is sexually assaulted,
it is not a stranger who commits the act. Transgender people also have no correlation what-soever as being more or less inclined to perpetrate acts of sexual violence (Sexual Assault
Statistics). The truth is that Transsexuals are not any more likely to be sexual predators than any
other stranger and they are also 400% less likely to sexually assault children than one of your
common acquaintances.
The aforementioned confusion once again rears its head here as the real issue is danced
and dodged around in the media. Sexual predators are not the issue. Transgender rights are the
issue. These arguments against Transgender rights are simply irrational attempts to justify an
injustice via means of emotional manipulation based on fear and misinformation. Sexual
predators are criminals no matter what their gender identity is. While sexual predators are a
serious issue, they are irrelevant when considering the originally addressed issue of transgender
bathroom accommodations. Therefore the question to ask in this debate is, do you really care
which restroom others use?
Opponents of transgender accommodations will essentially say that they cant imagine
transgender people as a reality in todays culture but this isnt true. They can imagine transgender
people, they just dont want to. There are three words that should be said to these people;
Declaration of Independence. On that great piece of paper which gave us freedom from tyranny
it is stated that every man woman and child is given immutable rights at birth, the foremost being
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Transgender people should be entitled to the same

protections that all citizens are guaranteed and thus should be allowed to use the restroom that
aligns with their gender identity if that makes them happy without afflicting others.
To impede any fellow citizens pursuit of happiness is not only morally objectionable, it is
treasonous blasphemy against our ancestors that laid down their lives so that we may live ours.
When a citizen chooses to infringe upon another citizens rights in the name of enforcing their
own rights, this is typically considered a crime. In the case of transgender people bathroom
accommodations, there is no crime being committed other than the infringement of peoples
pursuit of happiness via using the restroom which they believe they should be using.
Despite great changes to culture in the US over the past few decades, Transgender people
are not a new aspect of our reality. One point in case is David Reimer. Reimer is more than a
name, his life tells a story relaying the importance of gender identity and the pursuit of
happiness. Identical twin brothers, Bruce and Brian, were born in August of 1965. During routine
circumcision Bruces penis was obliterated and his parents soon devised a plan to secure a sense
of happiness for their child with the help of a prominent psychologist from Johns Hopkins
Hospital. The doctor believed that gender, like behavior, was socially learned and could be
altered using behavioral therapy. Under the guidance of the doctor, Bruces parents agreed to
give their infant son a sex change operation. Bruce Reimer thenceforth became Brenda Reimer.
Brenda was subjected to frequent counseling, therapy, and estrogen regimens until she was 14,
during which time she had lived a life of confusion and frustration; not only did Brenda not
identify as a girl, she was bullied, ostracized, and began experiencing suicidal depression.
Eventually Brenda rebelled against her parents and which point her father broke down exposing
the ugly truth of his sons past. Once Brenda heard the truth of his past, Brenda immediately
began transitioning into a male identity and henceforth assumed the name David Reimer. Life

did not get much easier for David as he battled manic depression, financial instability, and
sexually frustrated relationships for years. May 4th of 2004, David Reimer took his life. Thanks
to David Reiner, no child shall ever again face sex change surgery under a false pretense for
possible happiness. His story proved gender is inherent in the mind, and this abruptly ending
debate for whether biological nature overrides socially conditioned gender roles. The
environment has changed as it always has and always will, and Transgender people are quickly
growing reality of our current environment that we must address.
Transgender people should be allowed to use the public restrooms of their gender identity
and their rights should be legally enforced if imposed upon. The recent media buzz covering
transgender bathroom accommodations is a choice we should all have a hand in whether we
perceive this issue as directly affecting us or not, because it will affect us all. We need to educate
ourselves as no one else will. We need to ensure that it is freedom which reins rather than
misguided prejudice. We need to ensure that transgender people have the bathroom
accommodations they deserve. Gender and sex typically align. Typically, but not always.
Transgender people do exist. Their struggle is real. Their pain is real. Their environment is set.
The least we can do is let them go in peace.

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Konnikova, Maria. "Why We Need Answers." The New Yorker. N.p., 30 Apr. 2013. Web.
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Kurtzleben, Danielle. "Survey: LGBT Adults See Acceptance But Also Discrimination."
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