Originally published at: Kansas' trans "bathroom ban" immediately turned on cis woman and disabled son at Wichita Public Library's central branch | Boing Boing
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Let the first of many viable lawsuits begin.
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I’m not sure whether this woman was a member of the Kansas chapter of the Leopards Eating Faces Party, but it’s only a matter of time before one is shocked to discover a big cat gnawing on their nose.
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I think she can likely sue under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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I do not understand why there aren’t already 100 lawsuits over each of these laws (drag show bans, book bans, don’t say gay laws, bathroom bills, trans affirming healthcare bans) already. Maybe they’re afraid the current SCOTUS would uphold these laws and they’re waiting, I don’t know, but they’re clearly unconstitutionally discriminatory and they’re multiplying like rabbits.
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This law was written by the exact same sort of people who opposed the ADA when it was proposed.
Monsters.
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I read the news article to make sure I didn’t miss something, but there is no indication whatsoever of her political party affiliation. Let’s not jump to victim blaming, OK?
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The article also says the library has a gender-neutral restroom that this woman was unaware of…
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It wasn’t victim blaming - it was pointing out that any minute now some Leopard Lover is going to get caught up and undoubtedly have a meltdown.
To those of us under threat, that’s fucking delicious.
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Poorly written laws with limited or no exceptions will always have unintended results - but the lawmakers don’t and won’t care. Cast a wide enough net…
If Kansas has a gender-confirming clothing law this bathroom law will also ensnare mothers with baby boys and fathers with baby girls in need of a diaper change.
Wonderful, isn’t it?
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It sounds like the gender neutral bathroom needs better signage. Also sounds like the security person was a dick.
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With this part of the article below, I think we have a good idea where she stands on the subject. More power to her, especially in Wichita. I miss the old Central facility, though. It was a gorgeous piece of architecture.
There is no enforcement mechanism outlined in the bill, with top Republican proponents saying it would likely only be enforced if a person was harassing other individuals.
But Wild said she was fearful about the bill’s impacts for her family, something she didn’t anticipate. Her mother, she said, could hardly be expected to enter the men’s restroom with Dunville and her son’s caregiver during the workweek is her transgender niece.
“My niece identifies as a woman and then you’d have, in some people’s eyes, two men in the woman’s bathroom,” Wild said. “So I’m not entirely without motivation here, but I did not ever consider that it would be something that would affect me and Ellis when we were out.”
Ultimately, she said she had no plans to stop going to the public library, though she said she would begin using the gender neutral restroom there.
“But if there’s not a family bathroom, Ellis is going into the bathroom with me,” Wild said. “And short of a cop arresting me, that’s going to be what’s going to happen.”
One thing I think is so great about what’s going on these days is the existence of the TV show Somebody Somewhere, which promotes and celebrates the inevitable existence of LGBTQ+ folks in Kansas, despite being a fictional storyline.
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that’s how these things work. it empowers the worst people to be terrible, and constrains everybody else
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Gendered bathrooms should not exist. The fact that the place had a gender neutral bathroom to begin with instantly collapses the supposed threat the ban is in reaction to.
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There are. All over the place. And one of the first things done in states like this was to change state level judges to be elected officials. So those lawsuits are getting tossed out almost as fast as they’re filed… and appealed. Up to state appeals courts, where they’re getting tossed again. Then up to state supreme courts… where they’re likely to get tossed again. Then up into the federal system where they’ve got a better chance, but many of the appointees are republicans.
So it takes time, usually two or three years for a case to hit the supreme court and that’s if they want it to move fast.
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Maybe so? Would this change things?
Minutes later, a female library employee entered and said the library had policies related to the matter and asked if the family could make use of the building’s gender-neutral restroom, which Wild said she was unaware of.
If they involve US Constitutional questions like freedom of speech (book bans, don’t say gay laws), they will start in the federal courts, not the state courts. Trans affirming healthcare bans implicate an impermissible discrimination based on sex, and could also be filed in federal courts. Not everything has to start in a state court. Federal courts have original jurisdiction in cases where there is diversity of jurisdiction (not really applicable in most of these) or where there is a question of federal law, which includes the Constitution.
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Illinois is one the very short list of best states for trans people, but I’m glad to say our library has already said that we would not enforce such a law if it were to come here. If nothing else, I know about 80% of our staff wouldn’t put up with administration in the building that did …and we’re unionized.
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This is not the same thing but when I was out with our daughter at a store, a show, ball game, etc… I would always take her into the men’s room because I was not comfortable letting her use a big public bathroom on her own yet.
Thng is, we walked right in into the nearest stall, used the toilet, washed her hands and left.
Why are people now making bathrooms into something sexual?
Sheesh, mind your own business, do your business and then move on.
Maybe instead of passing these stupid laws they should pass laws requiring single person bathrooms that can be used by anyone.
Just make people bathrooms.
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Indeed, which is why I said:
I can highlight if you need further help parsing things.
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