Restroom Panic in Ottumwa, IA

The Ottumwa Courier reports that the city council of Ottumwa, IA has deleted gender identity protections from its sexual orientation ordinance intended to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual, and formerly trans people from discrimination in housing and employment.

What were the arguments presented against protections for transgender and transsexual people?

Citizens who spoke against it said the ordinance would enable a man to put on a dress, enter a women’s restroom and molest or kidnap a female youngster.

Because, of course, it’s totally not possible for a man these days to put on a dress, enter a women’s restroom, and molest or kidnap a female youngster. It’s completely impossible for a man these days to not even bother with the dress, enter a women’s restroom, and molest or kidnap a female youngster. That symbol on the door that shows a stick figure in a skirt? It’s a magic talisman that keeps men from entering women’s restrooms as long as there are no laws protecting people from discrimination on the basis of gender identity.

Okay, so back to the real world: Pedophiles will do pedophile things until they are caught. Civil rights for transgender and transsexual people will not liberate them from restrictions that do not currently exist. They are already molesting children, why would they care whether it’s legal or illegal for them to enter a restroom set aside for the opposite sex? And, I’ll be honest, they can and do kidnap or molest female and male youngsters in a variety of settings outside the restroom.

Blocking civil rights for people on the basis of gender identity will not make anyone more vulnerable to sexual predators. It will not encourage sexual predators to take advantage of those civil rights. This is fearmongering and nothing more, and the fact that the Ottumwa City Council allowed such blatant lies to sway their decision to deny human beings the same rights guaranteed to everyone else who lives in Ottumwa just shows either their gullibility or lack of a backbone.