A Day for Fools
On February 22, 2016, the Charlotte City Council by majority vote instituted an open bathroom policy. Since the creation of the public multi-holed restroom those with morals in our society have designated the space for either male or female. This designated has carried a sense of protection for those who desire privacy of body parts and a sense of protection from sexual assault.
But the age of privacy will come to an end on April Fools day 2016. After that date every restroom in Charlotte, NC, whether at a government facility or in a private business, whether at a hospital or night-club, if it is in a large business or small business, each and every bathroom is open to all regardless of a person’s physical sexual anatomy.
The Charlotte City Council (CCC) amended their existing non-discriminatory policy with inclusion of ordinance WAC 162-32-060 which reads, “All covered entities shall allow individuals the use of all gender segregated facilities such as restrooms, locker rooms, dressing rooms, and homeless or emergency shelters, that are consistent with that individual’s gender expression or gender identity.”
Franklin Graham and other ministers have called this ordinance “ludicrous,” “wicked,” and “filthy.” The ordinance gives individuals the right to enter the restroom of personal preference. The intention is to provide non-discrimination for people who feel mentally, socially, spiritually that they are something other than what their anatomy evidences. The fear is that predators driven by delusional mental, social or spiritual issues will take advantage of the ordinance to invade privacy, personal space, or body rights of others.
Many Christians believe a high level of privacy is proper. Verses such as Genesis 9:23 and Leviticus 18:6-16 speak of the invasion of privacy being wrong. Others would quote Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” And the majority of the Judeo-Christian faith respond with Isaiah 64:6. Romans 13:1-7 says when the vote is taken we have no choice but to go with the law of the land.
The constitutional anti-discrimination doctrine calls each of us to accept each living soul as a person of worth, not holding against them the things they can not change. For example, a person born as a female can never (except for surgery) change their physical status. A person can not change their race. And it should be said in a political year, we can not help where we were born. These aspects of life were imputed when we were born.
Genetically we can not change eye color, hair color, or color of our skin. Bipolar disorder and Alcoholism have both been linked to genetics. Many believe sexual orientation whether homosexual, heterosexual, transexual, pedophilic or ephebophilic is genetic and can not be changed.
Some counter that individuals with a damaged sense of self-identity attempt to become something they are not. They say environmental, social or family abuses early in life which create psychological changes which can not be reversed. Although no genetic link has been uncovered, several research studies suggest at least one form of sexual orientation is so imprinted in the psyche of practitioners it is unchangeable.
Whether open bathroom policy WAC 162-32-060 which is currently spreading across the United States and which created controversy as it was adopted in Charlotte last night finds a strong foothold or becomes a bad idea is up to the people. The mayor of Charlotte has acknowledge that in at least this instance the law will probably be overturned by the state.
Until that time we will find the majority of parents protecting their children from things which they do not want them to hear or see. We will hear people of faith whether Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist or another belief speaking out against an ordinance which violates their sense of morality and dignity. We will see people who can wait boycotting public restrooms for fear of who they will find inside. And those who clean restrooms will find the task a bit easier.
