Self-Identification, The New Reality?

Is this really a debate?  I mean, really?  How is this discussion of "transgender bathroom rights" even a thing?

If you don't care to read the article I linked to above (I don't blame you) here is a summary:  A girl named Gavin in Richmond, VA is suing the school board (represented by the ACLU, of course) for discrimination because the school board told her that she couldn't use the boys' bathroom.

To start, I am annoyed at the confusion of the gender pronouns in the article.  The article starts off with this paragraph:

A federal appeals court in Richmond has ruled that a transgender high school student who was born as a female can sue his school board on discrimination grounds because it banned him from the boys' bathroom.

The author uses 'his', 'him' and 'he' a combined total of 10 times in the article.  But, the author also states right out of the gate that Gavin was born a female and later in the article refers to Gavin being denied access to the boys' bathroom since it doesn't match Gavin's biological sex which admits that HER biological sex is and always was female.  Since when do our personal whims get to override biology?

Second, why is it that Gavin's self-identity is any more relevant that her classmate's identity of her?  Stated differently for clarity, Gavin self-identifies as a boy and likely has a classmate named Josh who is a boy, self-identifies as a boy, AND identifies Gavin as a girl.  So, concerning issues that affect them both, it is unfair to allow the identification of Gavin solely to rest on Gavin.  Shouldn't Josh have a say since he, too, is affected?  Now, the reality is that there are hundreds of students who use the boys' bathroom and likely all of them identify Gavin as a girl.  Why should Gavin's single identification get to override the hundreds of identification from others?  Why should they all be uncomfortable so that Gavin can be comfortable?

Third, if self-identification is now a thing and all people everywhere have to accept one's self-identification then where does it end?  Like Gavin ignores biology, can a 15-year-old ignore age and self-identify as a 21-year-old?  Must liquor stores then sell to him?  Can someone ignore profession?  Can a postal worker identify as a police officer and pull someone over and ticket them for a civil infraction?  Does the one receiving the ticket have to pay it?  Does the court system have to enforce it?  All because the postal worker's untrained and unauthorized self-identification?  Wouldn't that be impersonating an officer which is a crime?  If biology can be ignored, can physics?  Can a 300 lb man renew his driver's license and claim to be a trim 145?  Wouldn't law enforcement protest people misrepresenting themselves on their state identification cards?  How about those in prisons?  Many of them maintain their innocence.  If they self-identify as innocent, who are we to deny their freedom?

Fourth, it is a fact that people can have psychological issues.  We all know this.  So, if a girl thinks that she is a boy, the logical and reasonable response would be to believe that something is wrong with her psychologically.  Instead, misguided people would rather agree with her and believe that something is instead wrong with her body.  But, there is nothing wrong with Gavin's body.  She was beautifully created as a girl and should embrace it.  Unfortunately, she's grown up in a sick culture that would rather celebrate her "courage" to be something she isn't than encourage her to be a healthy version of herself.

Opponents to my position on the subject are moved to believe that there is a real and present discrimination here because she self-identifies as a boy, attempts to look like a boy, claims to be uncomfortable in using the girls' bathroom, and is being told she cannot use the boys' bathroom.  But, far fewer people would sympathize with Gavin (probably not the name she was given at birth, by the way) if her name were Gabriella and she looked like a girl.  If this Gabriella were to claim to self-identify as a boy and be making the same case that Gavin is now making, much less support would be present for Gabriella.  Why?  Because she looks like a girl.  But, what do looks have to do with it?  Hmm?  Now, I'm just stirring the pot.  See?  I don't like the idea of Gavin being alone in the bathroom with my teenage son.  It's inappropriate.  But, I'm strongly opposed to Gabriella being alone in the bathroom with my teenage son.  What's the difference?  You tell me.  The fact is that those who are claiming a discrimination to be present are unknowingly judging a book by its cover.  They support Gavin's quest (more likely the ACLU's quest using Gavin as a pawn) because of what she looks like, not necessarily because of what she truly believes about herself.  Because of her appearance, they don't question her intentions in trying to gain admittance to the boys' bathroom.  Gabriella, on the other hand, would likely be judged and labeled some sexually promiscuous name if she were attempting the same thing because her intentions would be automatically questioned.

The reason that these sorts of cases should be thrown out immediately is because of the simple reason that we don't get to decide as individuals what reality is and then force that reality on others.  There are things that are decided for you and you should accept and live with those things.  If you want to feel like a victim of your circumstances, you're welcome to do so.  But, you don't get to make victims of everyone else, because you'd rather accept a falsehood as your personal truth.

Perhaps, our attempt as a society to be civilized has created what some very confused people take to be a gray area when the rest of us just take its obviously intended meaning for granted.  But, a wise woman (my wife) suggested the most obvious fix to the issue:  Rather than have bathrooms labeled boys/girls, men/women, gentlemen/ladies, etc. perhaps we should just label them penises/vaginas.  That should clear up people's ridiculous confusion.

Posted in: controversy,debate