Simply Appalling

[kiwi_kero]

Students on the Mizzou campus have been working very diligently to get gender identity and expression added to MU's discrimination policy. The chancellor has even expressed support,  and it will be listed on the upcoming MSA ballot.

However, there was an article in today's Maneater (the MU paper) that completely undermines all the hard work that has

Comments

[reeology]

Here's what I ended up sending:

"Dear Mr. Bowen,

I just read your article in The Maneater and I'm not even sure where to begin.

You are missing the big point. This isn't about bathrooms. It's about equality.

For some reason, you have managed to warp a very real need for equality into some bogus immaturity stunt -- spoken like a true white man who is very, very unaware of other people's needs. Maybe if you were gay or black or even female, then you would understand the power of discrimination and that there is a reason why people need gender identity included in the non-discrimination policy. It's dangerous. If a transgender individual reveals their identity and they lose their on-campus job, then they aren't protected. Any University personnel could basically screw them over and if the transgender person said it was because of their identity, then nobody would be able to do a damn thing; whereas if they claimed race or a similar minority card, it would be a completely different story. Do you not see how that is unfair?

THAT is why they are fighting for this. Yes, bathrooms are a part of this, but every movement needs a solid base on which to build their arguments. People probably would have brushed them aside if the transgender community had simply said, "Hey, we're being discriminated against, here," without any evidence. The bathrooms are evidence of that. There's plenty of other evidence supporting it, such as harrassment, but that's not really something the community can realistically ask the University to change. Bathrooms are.

I doubt they would really mind not getting bathrooms if they get "gender identity and expression" added to the non-discrimination policy. It's an important step for society at large -- a sign that times are changing and that our tolerance and acceptance is evolving (or needs to evolve) along with it. It's necessary unless we want the MU population to be stuck back with the mentality of, oh, say, 60's racism.

You must have a very twisted perspective of the world if you think college is SOLELY about learning how to make money and hold down a job. If college wasn't supposed to change or mature you at all, then we would all go into the working force as we were as high schoolers -- and how scary is THAT? Now THAT'S immature. Being able to accept people for who they are -- yes, INCLUDING their gender identity -- is actually quite the opposite. It boggles the mind how you could call open-mindedness and acceptance immature.

So, really, maybe you're right -- maybe students DO lack the maturity to be curators. But it certainly isn't the transgender community or the students supporting this change.

Sincerely,
Maureen Willmann"

I was going to be mean, but then I realized that would be immature and that would sort of make the argument pretty moot :( it put rather a large hole in my fun.

[kiwi_kero]

Very nice. Yeah, it's hard not to get petty sometimes, but I think our side of the argument has kept it very respectable.

[reeology]

I'm just hoping Kelly doesn't send something retarded like I KNOW SHE WILL

I am a bitch :(