New York: Girls' room his, too (Transgender men free to use ALL of MTA's loos)

The New York Daily News ^ | October 24, 2006 | PETE DONOHUE

[Stoat]

Girls' room his, too

 

Transgender men free to use ALL of MTA's loos

 

BY PETE DONOHUE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

 

Helena Stone, formerly Henry McGuinness, stands her ground yesterday outside Grand Central Terminal's ladies' room, which can now be used by transgender men.

The line for the girls' room just got longer.

Men who live as women can now legally use women's rest rooms in New York's transit system under an unprecedented deal revealed yesterday.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority agreed to allow riders to use MTA rest rooms "consistent with their gender expression," the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund announced yesterday.

The group filed a complaint against the MTA on behalf of a 70-year-old telephone repair technician who was arrested for using the women's room at Grand Central Terminal.

The technician, who is assigned to the terminal by Verizon, was born Henry McGuinness but now goes by Helena Stone.

"I'm a 24-hour woman," Stone declared proudly. "I just feel like a woman and I like to wear women's clothes."

The MTA would not comment on the settlement but Stone's lawyer said it also includes mandatory transgender sensitivity training for MTA employees and a $2,000 payment to the technician for legal fees.

Michael Sullivan, Stone's lawyer, called the settlement of the complaint with the Human Rights Commission a "milestone" toward recognition of the city law that prohibits discrimination against transgender men and women.

But some Metro-North riders at Grand Central yesterday were stunned by the ruling.

"I would not like that," said Gloria David, a retiree from Connecticut. "I have nothing against gay men or drag queens, but they can use the men's room. I just don't want to go to the bathroom next to a man."

One rider feared predators might dress as women and lurk in the women's room.

But Rena Gantz, 23, a college student, shrugged off the settlement.

"It doesn't bother me because it is a reality," she said. "If they believe they are women, they should be treated as one."

[Stoat]

[sandbar]

So now some pervert who wants to peek up the skirts of women can slip on a dress and come on in.

This world makes me sick.

[Stoat]

I've just discovered another reason why I don't need to visit New York.

[lovecraft]

That's a MAN BABY!!!!!

[PeterPrinciple]

The perverts are in charge of the perverts.............

[blues_guitarist]

This is a job for . . .








Puke guy!

[muawiyah]

See what happens when you put too many sexual deviants in governmental agencies ~ they let the pervs into the lady's room.

And just think of all the times the gay guys told you "this would never happen".

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[Always Right]

Damn, Helen Thomas has competition.

[Alouette]

Who uses the restrooms in the subway? Just pee & dump on the tracks.

[traditional1]

"mandatory transgender sensitivity training "

This is ludicrous....sex deviates now dictate decency policies?

Why be "sensitive" to the sex deviates desires, by accommodation, instead of jailing them or institutionalizing them until they come back to reality?

[RepoGirl]

Oh, now this is real touching. Even septagenarian freaks can go potty in comfort and keep their all-precious senses of self esteem intact.

Now, will any provision made for safety for "real" women who don't want to be preyed upon by rapists and thugs dressing in drag to gain access to, literally, sitting ducks? Or do they have to just suck it up in order to appease the freaks?

Or am I being too sensitive (or insensitive?) here?

[Stoat]

This is ludicrous....sex deviates now dictate decency policies?

Why be "sensitive" to the sex deviates desires, by accommodation, instead of jailing them or institutionalizing them until they come back to reality?
 

The problem, as I see it, is that you are using logic, rational thought and a sane perspective to evaluate this situation.

This is ludicrous....sex deviates now dictate decency policies?

Why be "sensitive" to the sex deviates desires, by accommodation, instead of jailing them or institutionalizing them until they come back to reality?
 

The problem, as I see it, is that you are using logic, rational thought and a sane perspective to evaluate this situation.

[durasell]

Trust me on this one, you don't want to use an MTA bathroom under any circumstances.

[alicewonders]

This is crazy. As a woman, I would not feel safe with a (wo)man in the restroom with me.

They need to build a special restroom for them, the sign would read "Freaks"

[CharlesWayneCT]

I wonder if this would apply to women's changing rooms at the local pools as well?

I wonder how you "prove" you are a transgender person, or if just wearing a dress is all you need.

BTW, this does point out the societal problem with gays and lesbians. You cannot in fact set up a bathroom system that provides "privacy" for them.

Think about it. Suppose you set up a "gay" room. But gays are attracted to each other, so if two go into the room the one might be oggled by the other. It's why we don't let men and women into the same restroom.

But if the gay person goes into the regular men's room, it's like letting women into the room. In fact, you can't have a group with more than a single gay person without that group having the possibility of sexual attraction within the group.

Straight men can shower in a room without fear of sexual attention. Straigh women can shower in a room without fear of sexual attention. You could put a single gay man and a single gay woman together in a shower without sexual attraction. But that's the largest group you can have with gays. Put a single gay man in a room of straight women, and the straight women are attracted to him. Same with a single gay woman. Put two or more gay men together, or two or more gay women together, and there is sexual attraction.

Being gay is simply abnormal from a societal perspective. A gay adult can't be trusted by nature to take either a group of girls, or a group of boys, on a camping trip.

[Neoliberalnot]

The GLBT alliance with the ACLU and Hollywood is tearing down the walls of common decency to allow the queers access to kids and perverts to have whatever right they see fit to have including access to women's private matters. Just remember, if you live in MA vote for Barney Fag, he is there to remedy the situation and promote tolerance.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

"That's a MAN, baby!!!!"

[wideawake]

Not a lot of background here, so let's fill in.

The vast majority of these individuals are prostitutes, drug addicts and petty criminals.

Most transit cops are men.

A male cop cannot just walk into a women's restroom on a hunch to question someone - he has to wait until a female colleague arrives.

Of course, you need more than one female cop because the individuals in question are really men and not women and most can overpower a singl;e female cop.

So the MTA has agreed to allow a criminal element a safe hiding place where they can dispose of evidence while the police are forced to wait on their pleasure.

[traditional1]

"mandatory transgender sensitivity training "

[RepoGirl]

You DO have a point. The one and only time I actually did venture into the horror that is the ladies room at Grand Central, my older, uglier and much meaner sister, stood guard right outside the stall.

After, I felt I needed to bathe in Lysol and pure Clorox.