Transgender Person Arrested Over Restroom

Check out the link here, http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/03/01/D8G2PLHO0.html

Recently I have had to think through many issues related to transgender folks. Both as a part of doing ministry in a general way in the Bay Area, but also specifically within the life of our church. And while I understand there are 'laws' or sometimes even rules that shape our public life that need to be upheld, can you imagine what it must be like to have to think through something as simple as where you are going to go to the bathroom in a day? And honestly while this is difficult this issue is one of the least harmful for those in the transgender community. All over the country and even here in the Bay Area transgender people are killed.

I know some will read this and think, well that's what you get when you 'choose' to live that way. For one lets pray about that, talk about that, and leave it to science and faith to wrestle through the legitimacy of choice in regard to sexual identity and gender. What I am emphasizing is dignity of life. It amazes me that some can so easily use that saying in regards to an unborn fetus and yet when it comes to an adult, who may be making things more difficult for themselves in your view, you throw out the fact that they should be treated with dignity. Wow, do churches need to be the first place where gender specific bathrooms are done away with? That may sound stupid or Alley McBealish, but just make them private rooms, rather than fecal troughs. (Really I just thought that was a fun image and fun way to describe most of our current bathrooms:)

What does it mean for us to empathize with those who are the most on the outskirts of our communities? For some reading this you may never meet a transgender person, and that is okay. Today I want you just to think about what it would be like for you if you had to think through where you were going to go to the bathroom today, and while in the bathroom what it would be like to fear that someone would shame, harm or even kill you just because you were there.