I was recently told that I’m disgusting. I’ve also been called a bigot, because the new definition of bigot apparently includes people who don’t want their daughters being forced to share their locker room showers with men.
You know what I find disgusting? The fact that a woman I know encountered a naked man showering at the gym with the curtain pulled wide open as he stood facing outward, flashing every woman and child who walked in. She complained at the desk and was told he had the right to be there. And under current Washington state law, he does.
How is it we’ve gone so far afield that we require women and children to tolerate this scenario? Why do the supposed needs of .6 percent of the population negate the rights to privacy and safety formerly held by half the population?
Five unelected officials at the WA Human Rights Commission circumvented the legislative process and imposed a statewide rule requiring every business and place of public accommodation to grant access to intimate facilities on the basis of gender identity, a subjective concept with zero enforceable criteria. Any male can enter any female space and declare his right to be there — even if he has a beard and male parts. If he says he is a woman, how will anyone prove him wrong?
Though trans activists aggressively position their cause as the newest frontier of civil rights, it’s an intellectually dishonest assertion with incredibly uncivil implications: It is not a civil right for males to shower next to females at the Y; it is a civil right for females to object. And object we must.
We used to tell girls to trust their instincts and watch for red flags. We told them they had the right to set boundaries and that their “no” meant “no.” What am I supposed to tell my daughter now? What are you going to tell yours?
I-1552 would reverse this ridiculous new rule and restore safety, privacy, and common sense in Washington, but we need your help. We need 330,000 signatures to get it on the November ballot and the July 7 deadline is nearly here.
Our efforts are unprecedented in the sense that, unlike 99 percent of the initiatives you see on a ballot, we are not heavily funded by special interest groups who spend millions to pay signature gatherers to get the job done. We are a grassroots effort in every sense of the word.
Our country’s citizens have a history of bold actions. It’s that spirit depicted in the movie “The Patriot” when Mel Gibson’s character stands in the midst of battle, outmanned, outgunned, and with no reasonable expectation of victory against the British. As the ragtag American soldiers begin to flee, Mel picks up the flag and charges forward, “No retreat! Hold the line!”
And they did. So can we, but we need your help.
We will be collecting signatures through July 4. Look for us at Walmarts and the many Independence Day parades. You can also contact justwantprivacy.org and request to have a petition mailed to you. Please make the effort to not only sign but to make sure everyone you know has the opportunity to sign as well.
Join me in supporting I-1552 while there’s still time. Restore privacy and common sense public policy in Washington. We need to hold this line.
Julia Dawn Seaver
Vancouver
