Maine Bathroom Bill II

(Maine Bathroom Bill I is here.)

Maine public radio published a nice article on the transgender middle schooler N, who, with her twin brother J, and the rest of their family, have been lobbying against Maine's "bathroom bill", which would allow businesses to restrict bathroom use to patrons' birth sex.  There is also an audio clip of the article.  

N and J are working on behalf of N, but they're also working on behalf of the rest of us.  The sponsor of the bill has met N, and apparently is now willing to limit the bill to "locker rooms" and "showers".  That's progress.  Good work, guys!  I'm really grateful, and I'm proud of you.  We owe you one.  

Aside from the bill itself, the article is another suggestion of the difference in the responses early and late transitioners draw from people.  The earliest transitioners--those who are lucky enough to start estrogen treatment at the time they otherwise would have begun male puberty--often seem to induce in other people an involuntary (and correct) conviction in the transitioner's femininity.  

Treating transgender kids early means the difference between a whole life of being almost an ordinary member of the sex with which you identify--an ordinary daily experience outside of the home, an ordinary dating life and marriage--or being a person for whom virtually every interaction with other human beings is marred by the other person's discomfort, disgust, prejudice or potential for violence. 

The article is here.

(I modified this post on June 9, 2011 after worrying that some of the content in the original version could be used irresponsibly.)