Quote:
Originally Posted by Talyubittu
Yes I do agree. And I'm glad you brought it up. Most places of employment here recognize "Sexual Orientation" as something that can be discriminated against, and many of them follow through with sexual orientation descrimination. I'd rather these companies do it on their own LIKE these are, than doing it only because they're required to by law.
However, in order for a law to be passed, it needs a purpose. - Five transexuals in South Dakota who want a law passed, will never get one no matter how much they wish for it, because they don't represent the number of people needed to promose a said law. Not to mention, like I said, it's virtually non existant here. I highly, highly, highly, HIGHLY doubt that we have ANY transexuals in this state.
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Well, I don't have an awful lot of confidence in your assertion that you have no transsexuals in your state.
Gender Identity and Expression can take a LOT of different forms. Technically speaking, a boy who wears girls jeans (re: "emo boys") is cross-dressing, and that is transcending the gender barrier and being transgender, though not to the same degree as a transsexual.
Did a small bit of research and here are a few links to some Transgender support groups for transgender people:
http://www.tgcrossroads.org/resource...d=242&state=SD
http://www.tgcrossroads.org/resource...t=MTF&state=SD
I don't know, kind of make me wonder why there would be support groups for a population that doesn't exist, eh?
I would disagree with the law not having a purpose: A state can send a powerful message to it's citizens by standing up for an individual's right to lead a happy life without worrying about being fired from work, kicked out of a home, or blatantly attacked on the street by a group of punks screaming "tranny! you look like a girl! effing fa**ot!" with no chance of legal hate-crime recourse.
And well dude, I'm not transgender, but you better BELIEVE I care enough for people who are that I would lobby my state for protections for them. White men lobbied to give black folks the right to vote and ban racial discrimination, and men helped women get the right to vote.
I'm actually lobbying now for a bill at the RI General Assembly that would outlaw hate-crimes based on Gender Identity/Expression because I think it is wrong. It's the one thing RI law doesn't protect against, sadly. Lesbians that cut their hair short like a boy's are affected by Gender Identity legislation, just like boys that wear short-shorts are sometimes picked on for dressing like girls. I've heard some of the testimony... not all of it just impacts the transgender community.