Trade fear for truth on transgenders
The fact that Gov. Matt Bevin has chosen to join a lawsuit against the Obama administration about transgender bathroom guidelines is another embarrassment to our state. I’ve been very fortunate to have two dear friends who are male-to-female transgender women. They are the kindest women I know and way more feminine-looking than me.
Transitioning is never a casual decision. For some, it is a matter of deciding between suicide and claiming one’s true identity.
The process involves counseling, hormones and, frequently, surgeries. Many who go through this process lose friends, family members, homes, jobs and/or church communities. They are the most vulnerable people of all, often verbally and physically abused, even murdered.
Regarding the school bathroom issue: A boy cannot just show up one day and ask to start using the girls’ bathroom. There has to be a vetting process by the school administrators.
The administrators would want to talk with the child and parents and get records from therapists who are treating the child. The child cannot use the girls’ bathroom until it is determined that the child is actually transgender.
Please, everyone, make the transition from fearful to informed.
Pat Ritz
Lexington
This story was originally published June 21, 2016 at 7:48 PM with the headline "Trade fear for truth on transgenders."