Enforcement

[Launa]

Launa, anything "can" happen. I could get shot at the grocery store. There was a shooting just down my street a few weeks ago. I could get run over when I cross the street. Someone might break into my house. A drunk driver might plough into my car on the freeway. My plane could crash.

Do most people have these things happen? No. It's unfortunate when they do happen, in fact it's tragic in the event of severe injury or death, but we have Court systems for redress. So the likelihood of TGs getting arrested when they use the bathroom of choice is very small. Think of it. You go pee, you wash your hands, and you're gone long before any police officer can get there.

The person in the article above - is she the only person of questionable gender (to onlookers) in the country to have used a bathroom that people didn't think she should use? No. There likely have been tens of thousands. But how many instances have there been like hers. Twenty five? Fifty? In a country of 7 billion people.

What I find intriguing is the level of panic that some people are spreading, as if these headlines describe the situation and the fate of all TGs all the time, even in the states that are passing these bills (which, BTW, will be proven unconstitutional eventually). The reality is that tens of thousands of TGs do go out without issues even in those states. Do some TGs get killed in obscure motel rooms? Yup. Do other people get killed in obscure motel rooms? Yup, that happens too.

So sure, it's not perfect and the TG bill situation is especially dysfunctional right now (as long as we have political groups funding these wedge issues for the purpose of diverting votes during this election process), but then the situation as a whole is immensely better than it was 30 or 40 years ago when the cross-gender expression was considered a mental illness. And didn't people get arrested for indecency for dressing in public?

So where is everyone's perspective! :p

Yes this is true anything can happen. Years ago I had my house broken into while I slept and a few things were stolen. Will it happen again? Maybe but not likely cause I keep everything lock up pretty tight. A few years back my friends wife was killed by a drunk driver. Back in 1984 my friend that still performs at drag shows was shot at in a parking lot because she was a queen. The same year she performed at the only gay bar and one weekend a large crowd gathered outside the club demanding that the owners had to turn over the Queens to the crowd. The doors to the club were quickly locked and riot police were called in to disperse the mob. 2 weeks later it happened all over again. I can hear everybody say good heavens that was the mid 80's.LOL Will anything like this happen to me this weekend or tomorrow? Probably not.
The difference is all these things can happen, not very likely and only a portion of it is within our control. The washroom law is a problem for some of us but not all and it is within our control. Myself I don't pass at all so its a problem using the womens other girls that can pass easier is not as big of a problem for them. The other problem for me is I want to always stay on the RIGHT side of the law when I'm out. Now if I were in the womens and someone made a scene would I stick around waiting for the cops to show up ? Heck no I wouldn't stay there but thats assuming I was at a gas station, 7-11 or coffee shop etc. If I was at a pub, restaurant bar and it happens I would probably stick around because I'm not necessarily going to pay the tab and run out the door. Regardless even if I left the establishment it would be easy to give a description of me to the cops and I hang around the local drag scene to a certain degree so I could be fairly easily found.
But I probably shouldn't worry too much anyway because I usually use the mens washroom. Last Pride Parade in Edmonton I had a GG follow me into the mens room at a big pub thinking I was going into the womens. She was shocked and I said well now you know what it looks like. I said yeah I use the mens when I can and she said I appreciate that.
Last Christmas I was at a charity event at a large restaurant and I was in the mens room in a stall and this voice said to me from the other side I think your in the wrong washroom. I came out of the stall as fast as I could, looked him in the eye and said well if you think I can perfectly pass as a woman then I will to go use the womens facilities. He could see I was pissed off and immediately left then his friend said hey man your cool and gave me a high fist. Now because there is no law in place some folks will accuse me of starting trouble and maybe there is some law I could get charged with if the cops thought I was playing silly bugger. You just can't win LOL