If you live in the state of North Carolina or own a television with basic cable, I'm pretty confident that you've heard of the "Bathroom Bill" debacle. First, let me clarify by telling you that it's more than just the "Bathroom Bill." The bill is actually titled House Bill 2 (HB2) or the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act. Whichever title you prefer, the bill's pissing people off left and right.
I was raised in a family where I learned what things were normal or considered "right" in the eyes of society, but if I ever encountered something different I shouldn't make a huge deal out of it. Life wouldn't be normal if everything was black and white; there has to be some grey thrown in the mix. For example, my mama taught me that as a lady, I use the women's restroom when I'm at the mall or the local McDonalds and men used the men's restroom. My first concert she took me to was Bon Jovi in 2008. Thousands of people were in attendance and you know what? I probably went to the bathroom with a transgender person and didn't know it. Hell, I probably do it once a month every month.
The difference between using the bathroom with a transgender person in 2008, or three months ago for that matter, and in May 2016 is that the mayor of Charlotte, N.C., as well as numerous LGBTQ supporters, made a mountain out of a mole hill. As Americans, we strive to protect our freedoms and civil liberties. That's great; I mean, hey, it's our duty to do so. However, prior to this ordinance, no one really had a problem with transgenders using the same bathroom as them.
So why is everyone panicking? LGBTQ supporters are in shock that Governor Pat McCrory's decision to stand up for conservatives in the country as well as their safety. This leads to why so many conservatives are panicked. So many people are quick to judge and accuse us of supporting HB2 because we hate transgenders or that we're scared of them. Nope, we're not. At least I'm not. They don't have the plague, they're not going to bite us... It's not that we don't like the idea of transgenders using bathrooms with us; it's that we don't like the idea of abusers and sex offenders posing as transgenders and using the restroom with us. It seems like a cop out, but in all reality it's not.
So if you're reading this and you're a transgender, I don't write this to offend you whatsoever. I don't care if you do or don't use the same restroom as me. What I do ask is that you wash your hands after you leave, and if I hold the door for you walking out that you'll do the same. I don't care if you have a different genetic makeup than me and you identify as the opposite gender, because you're going to use whatever restroom you want. However, if you're trying to use this bathroom fiasco as a reason to sneak into a restroom to cause families problems or harass others, then, yes, we have a problem.
So that's my take on HB2 and why it doesn't matter if you're a proud democrat or a dedicated republican. We're not trying to make anyone feel unwelcome to pee where they want; we just want people to feel safe peeing where they want.
