First openly transgender mayor

[MCstudent]

I don't know if anyone else saw this, but I thought it was awesome.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-transgender20-2008nov20,0,6169794.story

[Petrese]

Seems like a transition not complete. And the town could care less. That's all cool but does that effect me? Since the Mayer uses male pronouns for himself so will I. This is why I dislike the term 'transgender'. Because then people will equate him with me. I am a woman that's transsexual but a lot of people think the mayor and I have might have something in common. Does he believe he is a woman? Should he be seen as a she even if he doesn't see himself as a female and transition? As a woman should I have an issue sharing a bathroom with him? Should the transgender status he has be included with the same rights law that would cover transsexual status that people who transition to live as the gender they are have? What do you think? I know what I think and it might suprise you.

[tdogg]

My feelings are that a person should be seen and addressed as the gender they feel they are portraying. It gets complicated when one doesn't know the person, as in the case of this mayor. I think some lines are crossed, as the mayor obviously identifies as female to a certain extent, enough to be in partial physical transition. But for convenience sake, allows those who know her as mayor to continue to address her by "Stu".

I don't believe anyone should allow themselves to be forced into a box or onto a label. Stu/Carla doesn't while at the same time does accommodate the general public (and some lack of understanding or education). At the same time it appears people like/love her and respect her. That's a good thing.

As far as rights, if we had true equality all across the board, then it wouldn't matter who identifies as what, what other people think, or who marries who. Everyone would be entitled to the same rights, privileges and protections as the next person. Which I believe would be a beautiful thing. :love:

[Alecto]

All people deserve the same rights and respect, not just those who view gender the same way we do. There's many transgender people who identify more literally as trans - between - genders than the image we (rarely) get to see portrayed in the media.
Bathrooms: We (Americans) need to get over ourselves; I heard in some countries they all just use one giant room.
Zhe shouldn't be seen as a "she", zhe should be seen as however he wants to be seen as. That's kind of the whole point: we shouldn't always just assume "Oh, these parts = this pronoun".

[tdogg]

I'm in favor of unisex bathrooms. Especially since the women's are always full and I have to wait in line. :eek::D

[BruceChris]

The two bathrooms were the same size, and the women simply took over both. If I wanted to use it, I had to stand in line.

At the 2004 March on Washington for abortion rights, I was the only guy on the bus, and when we came to a rest stop, the straight women from the bus took over both bathrooms at the straight restaurants that we stopped at, and that was all there was to it.

Studies show that for the same sized groups of men and women, a women's room needs about two and one half times the space to handle the traffic.

Petrese: re the mayor, every M to F trans person that I have EVER met insists on being called she, and there are NO two ways about it. You are right, she has not transitioned the way that most trans persons have. . . Yet.
Bruce Chris

[Alecto]

I was actually legit pissed off when some women got upset at me for using the mirror in the womens room at a local gay club. Like, it's not even just a gay club, it's a DRAG club, with genderphucking left and right, and you're gonna flip out that I'm over at the sinks? I honestly thouht it was just an established part of gay bar culture that the bathrooms don't really have genders.
Bruce:
It's unclear to me from the article that the mayor is in fact MtF. Zhe's clearly Mtsomething, but that doesn't necessarily translate into simply crossing to the other side of a gender binary. Zhe may very well be most comfortable existing outside (or in between, if you will) that false dichotomy.

[tdogg]

At the local most famous gay bar here in Sac (where the folks are about equal gay/straight), there is a women's restroom (2 stalls and always a line), a men's restroom (have no idea, never a line though), and an open restroom (several stalls and no doors). I rarely use the women's, don't like standing in lines much. Usually opt for the unisex with no doors, bring a friend to shield the opening and it's not a problem.

But seriously, who cares who uses the bathroom anyway. If there are stalls, does it really matter. If there aren't, bring a friend to shield onlookers, thought I doubt anyone is interested in watching someone use the toilet. Wonder what her problem was???

[Petrese]

OK well I think it is time I went to Silverton to meet the Mayor. I will do that the weekend of the 6th and let you all know how she or he wishes to be addressed. Until then I will defer to the three news clips I have seen where the Mayor either said he didn't care or referred to himself as Stu and He.

Bruce, so glad that you are the expert on trans. Since I am trans and completely transitioned living a completely stealth life let me say from my perspective that if another tranny or person in the GLBT community called me a man, drag queen, transvestite or gay I could give a hoot! There, now you have your first exception to "every M to F trans person that I have EVER met insists on being called she, and there are NO two ways about it". LOL

I said that my opinions might surprise you all and here they are:

1. Since the mayor said she didn't care; being trans myself I choose to call the Mayor she.
2. Her transition is not complete and most never are, mine is a work in progress.
3. Even tho the town appears accepting I used to work there, they have their share of bigots, rednecks and homophobes.
4. It doesn't affect me how she lives her life because anyone who is biased is not going to be swayed anyway and it is an individual thing with who the biased person is in contact with at the time.
5. I absolutely hate the term transgender, it is a term derived by the medical community to lump everyone into a group, over treating some, under treating others but making money off of everyone. There is a 100 % difference in someone who is a cross dresser or the Mayor or myself. One is a man and enjoys being a man and the other is not and does not.
6. I am different from the mayor, and the mayor is different from Jessica from Minnetonka and Jess is different from everyone else. People are individuals.
7. Does the mayor believe he is a woman? Who Cares? So What?
8. She should be seen as she wants to be, as she sees herself, period.
9. As a woman I don't have an issue sharing a bathroom with her but I would a lot of other people, men and women included LOL, most are pigs regardless!
10. Should the same rights law apply to everyone? NO but everyone who is American should have the same rights in America.

Well that's what I think, it might surprise you, maybe not but either way I am going to meet the Mayor because anyone who puts themselves out there like she has deserves a Big Thank You! I've always said I plan to be the first transsexual governor of North Dakota, who knows? LOL

[BruceChris]

As I have experienced them.

i used to live in a co-op, in Madison Wisconsin, that was formerly a frat house, and had only one set of bathrooms. Well, every stall had a door, and the urinals were 'way down on the far end. So everyone who wanted one, had a door.

T: You might suggest to the owners of your bar, with an "open" bathroom, with NO doors? That they get some.

Peace and Love, Bruce Chris

[Petrese]

its all good, as you well know, tho, there are rarely any absolutes.

agreed, the bathroom stalls are better with doors, the Brass Rail used to not have on theirs, and a friend would have to be a door lol

[tdogg]

As I have experienced them.

i used to live in a co-op, in Madison Wisconsin, that was formerly a frat house, and had only one set of bathrooms. Well, every stall had a door, and the urinals were 'way down on the far end. So everyone who wanted one, had a door.

T: You might suggest to the owners of your bar, with an "open" bathroom, with NO doors? That they get some.

Peace and Love, Bruce Chris

Well, haven't been in there since the remodel. But never complained before, because they had other bathrooms with doors, it was my choice, and there was never any line. :D

Thanks for your post Petrese, I enjoyed your point of view.