Wednesday afternoon, I drove back to Atlanta. While driving thru Daniel Boone National Forest, I needed to stop and buy gas.
So I ended up stopping at this small gas station. I was a little nervous because of past history but I needed the gas.
I had to go inside to pay first and notice a few other African American truckers, so I felt better. Of course the vast major were friendly and cool. But you do not know who is not and might say something so try to embarrass me in front of their friends. Its just something you keep in the back of your head due to past experience.
Well I had to go to the bathroom and saw two bathrooms. Both were gender neutral bathrooms.Wow, gender neutral bathrooms in the heart of Trump country. This gas station is located in Laurel County Kentucky. Look at the 2016 Presidential results in the county.
Trump won that county by almost 70 percentage points. Yet they switched the male/female bathrooms to gender neutral bathrooms.
There was a small slot machine room next to the bathrooms and both male and female patrons were in that room playing.
I liked the fact that I just had to choose either bathroom. If I were presenting as Susan, I would have no bathroom issue.
I am going to add that site to the refruge bathroom web site.
Never give up hope.
Perhaps you should consider checking your preconceived notions at the door. There seems to be a lot of hatred against Trump and the Republicans that is stirred up by the Democrats.
ReplyDeleteIn Kentucky a Democrat legislator just tried to introduce a 'bathroom bill' but it will get no where due to the rock ribbed, right wing Republican Governor Matt Bevin who was asked about the bathroom bill the Democrat was pushing last month and he responded in typical conservative/libertarian fashion, scoffing at the idea as follows: "Why would we? Why would anybody need it? Is it an issue? Is there anyone you know in Kentucky who has trouble going to the bathroom? Seriously, Have you heard of one person in Kentucky having trouble taking care of business in Kentucky?" Bevin then added "...the last thing we need is more government rules."
If you ask yourself why folks would support people like Bevin and Trump it is this attitude of freedom, fairness and doing the right thing.
Pax
Pat
Really good point. That is why I posted this. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. As I told my brother-in-law, I think we will come to a compromise that is good for all. Like this gender neutral bathroom. As it relates to preconceived notions. It's like when we first start going out dressed. I remember being scared of all this stuff that might happen but nothing negative happened. Or if it did, it was one person out of hundreds I intereacted with that day. By learning this, it has helped me overcome my going to a gas station like that. In the past, I let a few jerks color my opinion of a whole group. So I was able to take what I learned from being transgender to help he understand and deal with very old issues created in the 1960's and 1970's. If funny how negative things can stay with you longer than positive things. Getting called out once in public as a guy in a dress should not have more impact that the various people that same day that complimented me on my outfit or makeup.
DeletePart of what Susan wrote about I can't comment on. Having hidden being transgender most of my life, I grew up and have lived with white male privilege. However, in regard to the Democratic legislator who filed the bathroom bill, according to my trans activist friends in KY, he is a DINO. Democrat in name only or basically a Republican in sheeps clothing trying to hide in plain sight.
ReplyDelete