TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022 - DISCRIMINATION CONTINUED

 TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022 - DISCRIMINATION CONTINUED

Over the years it has been easy to discriminate on external appearance.  Blacks were easy to discriminate against by the color and tone of their skin.  Asians also have unique external visible features.  Likewise, it was easy to discriminate against women by visual acuity.

In their recent state caucus, one of the two major political parties in Texas adopted the following: 

“Homosexuality: Homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle choice. We believe there should be no granting of special legal entitlements or creation of special status for homosexual behavior, regardless of state of origin, and we oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional values. No one should be granted special legal status based on 804 their LGBTQ+ identification.

“Gender Identity: We oppose all efforts to validate transgender identity. For the purpose of attempting to affirm a person's age or under if their perception is inconsistent with their biological sex, no medical practitioner or provider may engage in the following practices:
a. Intervene in any way to prevent the natural progression of puberty.
b. Administer or provide opposite sex hormones.
c. Perform any surgery on the healthy body parts of the underage person. 

“No Taxpayer Funding for Sex Change: We oppose the use of taxpayer funds for any type of medical gender dysphoria treatments or sex change operations and/or treatments. This includes but is not limited to military personnel as well as inmates in federal, state, or local prisons or jails. Inmates must be housed according to their biological sex. No Federal, state, insurance, or probate monies may be allocated for the use of such treatment.

“Counseling Methods: Therapists, psychologists, and counselors licensed with the State of Texas shall not be forbidden or penalized by any licensing board for practicing Reintegrative Therapy or other counseling methods when counseling clients of any age with gender dysphoria or unwanted same-sex attraction.

“The platform also calls for Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, to be overturned.

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This same major political party officially rejected the results of the 2020 presidential election over the weekend, passing a resolution in its platform that blames election fraud in five battleground states for President Joe Biden's victory over former President Donald Trump. The resolution refers to Mr. Biden as "acting" president.

"We reject the certified results of the 2020 Presidential election, and we hold that acting President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was not legitimately elected by the people of the United States," the resolution reads. It claims that the elections in five states violated Articles 1 and 2 of the Constitution because "various secretaries of state illegally circumvented their state legislatures in conducting their elections in multiple ways, including by allowing ballots to be received after November 3, 2020."

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Karen comments.  It can be hard to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.  Generally, a straight man looks like a homosexual man, and a straight woman looks like a homosexual woman.

TRANSGENDER ISSUES:

For transgender people, simple visual observation may not quite cover it.  A six-foot, two-inch female is fairly rare.  A person with a five o’clock shadow is probably a male - but may be a female.  A person with hairy legs might be a male.

Gender identification has two factors.  If at least two doctors and at least one board-certified counselor say after a rigorous analysis that a person is male or female, they can get a gender and name change through the legal system.  (My legal change was in February 2020 - just before COVID hit)

The second factor is the genitals of the individuals.  To some this is the “biological sex”, but (at least to my knowledge), the surgical effects of what is known as “Gender Reconstruction Surgery” (GRS) are essentially the same as a person born with that sexual organ.  (My Gender Reconstruction Surgery was in May 2021)

“Why Transgender People Experience More Mental Health Issues - It has nearly everything to do with the way they are treated.” (psychology.today.com)

First - some data:

“Individuals who identify as transgender tend to experience higher rates of mental health issues than the general population. While approximately 6.7 percent of the general U.S. population suffers from depression and 18 percent grapple with some iteration of an anxiety disorder, nearly half of all individuals who identify as transgender experience these issues. What's more, over 41 percent of trans men and women are estimated to have attempted suicide — a rate that's nearly nine times as high as the rate of cisgender Americans.”

I considered suicide and experienced gender dysphoria.  I remember going shopping with my wife at a clothing store, and I wanted so much to look at women’s clothes. Walking out of the store, I broke down and sobbed for several minutes.  I really wanted to look, I really wanted to buy something for me to wear out of the women’s section!!!

I had been wearing colorful women’s underwear and my wife bought me some colorful men’s underwear, I again cried.  I didn’t want “that” underwear.  I wanted to be a woman.  

I was at a soccer game and I looked down at my legs - and they needed shaving.  I was upset with myself for not shaving my legs, for not taking care of myself, and for sitting with two soccer moms who had to notice that my legs needed shaving.  It hurt.

It got to the point of becoming a woman - or dying.  From my reading, I sense that that is common for transgender women.  I spent four days in a mental hospital for my gender dysphoria and suicide considerations.  I spent four months in a conservative Christian group “confessing” my mistake that I “thought” I was a woman.  

When the aforementioned major political party said “Gender Identity: We oppose all efforts to validate transgender identity”, I took that as an indirect attack on me.  

I have been discriminated against.  It does remind me a little of the Good Samaritan story - some people will cross the street - or go down a different aisle in the grocery store rather than come face-to-face with me.  I dropped out of a Bible Study group when the leader insisted that I confess my sin (I guess being transgender is a sin) if I wanted to continue with the group.  (Where does the motto of “LOVE WINS” come into our Christianity / religion?)

There is anger in the LGBTQ+ community.  Many lesbian women feel the abortion topic is really a white male political group telling women they MUST follow the statutes - and women are saying “Hands off my body”.  When some Supreme Court Judges and state politicians say they want “the 2015 Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, to be overturned.” 

Let’s hope (and pray) that we can love and learn to walk in each other’s shoes!!

LOVE WINS!!

Karen White
August 2, 2022