The matter is, admittedly, a sensitive one. But city of Vancouver officials should be lauded for trying their best to accommodate transgender people in city-owned facilities while being aware of concerns from others.
The bottom line is that state law prohibits public agencies from discriminating against people who identify with a gender different from the one they were born with. This issue came to the forefront when a constituent contacted state Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, complaining that a man who identifies as a woman is allowed to use the women’s locker room at Marshall Community Center. Pike replied that she was “outraged” and forwarded the e-mail to Vancouver City Councilor Alishia Topper to “find out what can be done about this.”
As an aside, there seems to be no limit to Pike’s capacity for “outrage.” We would expect a state representative to be better versed in state law and to help constituents understand the situation, even if she disagrees with those legal protections.
Anyway, back to the issue and to the difficulty involved. City Manager Eric Holmes explained to The Columbian that many older facilities do not have family changing rooms that allow somebody to shower and change in private. “So we have attempted to manage with what we do have,” he said. City staff have been trained on the law, and if a situation arises: “They have been instructed to politely approach the person to inquire about their situation. If the person is identifying with the gender appropriate to that locker room or bathroom and not engaged in any other behavior that is inappropriate, we will support their use of the facilities.”
That, again, is in keeping with state law. But it is an issue that is cropping up throughout the country, as many states have passed similar non-discrimination laws involving the use of public facilities. Earlier this year, in response to a Title IX complaint from a student at a suburban Chicago high school, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights determined that a boy who identifies as a girl could use the girls locker room. The decision garnered national attention and much outrage from parents, with the result being that the student may change in a curtained area for privacy.
This week, The Washington Post reported on a survey regarding public opinion on transgender people using public facilities: “The survey tells us that while Americans are becoming aware of celebrity transgender individuals like Laverne Cox and Caitlyn Jenner, they have not yet become comfortable with the idea of transgender bodies in places that have been segregated based on sex assigned at birth, like locker rooms and bathrooms.”
That is predictable and understandable; changes in societal attitudes can be difficult. And while the concerns of those who are uncomfortable sharing a locker room with a transgender individual must be considered, it is important to keep the discussion focused upon reason and fairness. Earlier this year, Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee sophomorically “joked” that in high school, “I’m pretty sure that I would have found my feminine side and said, ‘Coach, I think I’d rather shower with the girls today.’ ” That attitude derides what can be a serious issue for those struggling with gender identity.
Which means that Holmes’ explanation about people using a locker room as long as they are “not engaged in any other behavior that is inappropriate” is a reasonable standard. If transgender people and other locker room users act with modesty and appropriateness, we all should be able to coexist.
