Op-Ed-- United States Bathroom Wars: The Nonexistent Predator

Source

For as long as anyone can remember, gender roles have always been a part of everyday society. No matter where you go, no matter what you do, you are always exposed to and influenced by gender roles. From something as little as children's toys, to as big as occupations-- but lately the United States has been bickering about something even more irrelevant than pink for girls and blue for boys. Which bathroom should one use? As you walk to the restroom, there are somewhat clear signs for the identifying gender facilities: the women's is identified by a triangular dress and the men's is identified by a pair of pants. The transgender community has spoken out about the discrimination that has arisen with this bathroom situation. North Carolina and Mississippi, among other states, are banning transgenders from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity. Many people have spoken out about this issue, and it has swept the country, affecting the presidential campaigns as well. Many concerns have arisen with the anti-trans community, including "fake transgender people," who pose as a transgender woman and come into women's bathrooms to assault the daughters and wives using the facility. I personally think this is yet another excuse to make a group of people singled out because they are different. We have done this for so many past generations, and have promised to never do it again- but here we are, going back on our words, and making a group of people feel abnormal after finally being able to feel comfortable in their own skin. These absurd laws should be dropped and we should worry about something a bit more important than which bathroom someone is allowed to use. Stopping the hundreds of thousands of people trying to kill off the United States should be recognized as a little more relevant. 

~Kara Wingo