Cleveland Spits On Republican Bigotry by Changing Transgender Bathroom Law

Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 07:11 pm

The City of Cleveland isn’t going to cater to bigots and just to be sure, they changed an existing city law that let businesses decide the bathroom rules. Businesses used to be able to discriminate by to disallowing trans people to use a bathroom aligning with their gender identity, but no more.

Jennifer Bendry reported in Huffington Post, “Cleveland city officials unanimously passed legislation Wednesday to ensure that transgender people can use public bathrooms that match their gender identity ― a poke in the eye to GOP officials, including Donald Trump, who oppose such efforts and will be in the city next week for the Republican National Convention.”

This bathroom hysteria is based on nothing, as usual when Republicans are actually willing to address a “problem”. Vox reported:

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Moreover, there’s no evidence that nondiscrimination laws — and other policies that also let trans people use the bathroom for their gender identity — lead to sexual assault in bathrooms and locker rooms. In two investigations, Media Matters confirmed with experts and officials in 12 states and 17 school districts with protections for trans people that they had no increases in sex crimes after they enacted their policies.

The Cleveland Police already expressed a concern that they aren’t equipped to handle the inevitable violence that follows presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Stephen Loomis, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association told CNN, “We still don’t have the personal safety gear that we need — elbow pads, knee pads, chest protectors, we don’t have helmets, we don’t have gas masks, for the rank and file folks that are going to down there. And when we do get it — we’re 50 days out — I’m concerned that we’re not going to have enough time to adequately train with the equipment, if it does get here in time.”

And today the Wall Street Journal reported “Cleveland officials say RNC protesters may carry guns, but toy guns, knives, aerosol cans & tennis balls are banned.”

In other words, Republicans have bigger problems to fret over than bathrooms, but they are leaving D.C. for a summer break without even addressing the bare minimum on our outrageously lax gun laws.

Republicans are obsessed with who is using bathrooms while they deny sexual assaults that take place in homes, work, school, sports teams, church and with family.

Transgender people using bathrooms is not a problem. Republicans made it into a problem in order to try to manufacture yet another faux social issue since they were losing ground on the gay marriage issue. But it’s kind of tough to act like you’re so concerned with women and girls when you are even holding emergency Zika funding hostage in order to force a boycott on funding for birth control from Planned Parenthood.

Cleveland is already bracing for the onslaught but they are putting their foots down on bigotry.

Welcome to Cleveland, Republicans. Try to behave.

Sarah Jones

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