In the News
Recently an African American lesbian (let’s call her Jane,) decided to sue a restaurant. Jane has chosen what she describes as an "alternative expression of sexuality," which means that she dresses like a man, has her hair cut like a man, has deepened her voice to sound like a man, and has acquired the mannerisms of a man.
The problem is not that she has made those decisions, or that she was denied access to the restaurant because of those decisions. Rather, the problem is that when she was patronizing this restaurant, she also decided to use the ladies rest room, too. So…the manager saw her go into the ladies rest room, followed her in and banged on her stall, telling her to get out. She tried to explain that she was a woman and entitled to use the restroom. All the while she is trying to explain this, she is talking in her deep masculine sounding voice, with her masculine pattern haircut and clothes, and her masculine mannerisms. She even offered to show the manager her driver’s license.
Now, do you really think it is odd that the manager didn’t believe her, and that he asked her and her guests to leave the premises at once? The ACLU jumped on this dispute and now she is suing for, hang on, $20,000,000!
I have four daughters. If I saw what looked like, talked like, acted like, and dressed like a man walk into the public bathroom after one of my daughters or my wife walked in to it, I would fly out of my seat while dialing 911 and see to their safety.
I don’t think the issue is: does she deserve to use a public restroom or not? Rather, I believe the issue is better expressed as her rights end where other rights are infringed upon, namely the right to security and peace of mind.
Jane acknowledges that she has an "alternative" expression, alternative to the main stream of expression that most of society uses. That is why it is called "alternative." Simply showing an ID to someone is no guarantee that it is not a doctored ID. If she wants to use an "alternative" expression of her sexuality what is to stop her from using an "alternative" expression of her identification, i.e. a changed one?
How many women would be comfortable with someone in the public restroom with them who chose an "alternative" expression of their sexuality and all the while explaining in a deep masculine voice that she is really a female while every other piece of evidence screams otherwise?
