State senator’s comments cause transgender backlash

LifeSiteNews ^ | 2/10/16 | Lisa Bourne

[wagglebee]

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota, February 10, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – Recent comments from a group of Republican South Dakota legislators on proposed legislation in the state have caused controversy among the transgender movement.

In a discussion on a bill that would limit bathroom and shower facility use in South Dakota schools to students sharing the same gender, State Senator David Omdahl referred to individuals suffering from gender dysphoria as "twisted" due to their identity confusion and said they would benefit from psychological treatment.

"I'm sorry if you're so twisted you don't even know who you are," said Omdahl, explaining the intent behind HB 1008 at a legislative coffee this past Saturday.

Omdahl first praised the bill, stressing that it was about protecting the state's children, before indicating that gender dysphoria would be better served by psychological treatment.

"They're treating the wrong part of the anatomy. They ought to be treating it up here," he said, pointing to his head in a video posted by the Argus Leader. "And so my feeling is, let's protect the children. Let's get this bill passed, to save our kids."

Omdahl's remarks, along with those of other legislators at the event who support the proposed bill, were not well-received by transgender advocates and individuals.

"People who are transgender are not twisted. We are people just like everyone else," University of South Dakota assistant professor in clinical psychology Jae Puckett said in a report from KSFY-ABC. "Bills like this, if it gets passed or not, has a detrimental effect on people. If it does get passed, it's a form of basically legalized discrimination."

"REALLY SD? Really?" was the response from PlanetTransgender.com, which used an expletive to tag its article.

The Peacock Panache website stated that "the South Dakota GOP wants to unduly burden transgender students based solely on their gender identity. And the coffee event demonstrated the hate-filled animus and fear behind the legislation."

TheNewCivilRightsMovement.com referred to Omdahl's comment on transgender identity confusion as "malignant" and said of Omdahl and his fellow lawmakers who back the bill, "Their ignorance runs counter to basic human rights."

While the American Psychiatric Association (APA) changed the name of the psychological disorder affecting transgender individuals from "gender identity disorder" to "gender dysphoria" in 2012, the condition remains classified as a mental disorder by the APA.

The following year, a prominent Toronto psychiatrist issued a statement saying that from a medical and scientific perspective, there is no such thing as a "transgender person." 

Doctor Joseph Berger said regarding legislation proposed in Canada at the time that terms such as "gender expression" and "gender identity" are at best ambiguous and are more an emotional appeal than a statement of scientific fact.

Doctor Berger stated as well there seemed "to be no medical or scientific reason to grant any special rights or considerations to people who are unhappy with the sex they were born into, or to people who wish to dress in the clothes of the opposite sex."

South Dakota's HB 1008 would designate use of restrooms, locker rooms, and shower rooms in the state's schools to students of the same biological gender.

For the purpose of the bill, biological gender, or "biological sex," denotes "the physical condition of being male or female as determined by a person's chromosomes and anatomy as identified at birth."

The proposed bill provides for reasonable accommodation for transgender students such as a single-occupancy restroom; a unisex restroom; or the controlled use of a restroom, locker room, or shower room.

Another South Dakota lawmaker, Representative Steven Haugaard, told those present at the February 6 legislative coffee that the topic was sensitive "only because it was pushed into the category of political correctness."

The legislator said that decades of law practice, service on a county mental health board, and legal representation of transgender and homosexual individuals had shown him the personal struggles among individuals identifying as transgender, but conceding on demands such as shared bathroom facilities would be counterproductive. 

"And seeing the angst that exists in their lives, for us to perpetuate confusion in the lives of anyone is a disservice to them," Haugaard stated.

"I can tell you that the suicide rate is dramatically higher," he said. "And it's because of the internal confusion and angst that exists."

"And by having the school districts or the state put their stamp of approval on this [allowing students access to facilities for the opposite sex] as though it's a reasonable alternative to your natural creation, it's a poor choice by the state to do that. And I think it facilitates increased problems among that segment of the population."

Representative Jim Stalzer also spoke in favor of HB 1008 at the legislative discussion, rejecting the idea the law was an attempt to supersede federal anti-discrimination law, which he said specifically excludes restrooms, locker rooms, and showers.

"So I do not think we are flouting federal law," Stalzer stated. "I think we are protecting the young women in our South Dakota high schools."

Stalzer went on to say it is already a crime for a male to expose himself in front of females, and thus anyone with male anatomy entering a female restroom would be in violation of that law.

Representative Mark Willadsen reiterated the proposed legislation's intention.

"To me this bill was pretty simple," Willadsen said. "Basically, it says, if you're a boy, you go in the boys' room; if you're girl, you go in the girls' room. If you're one of the unfortunate people that don't really know, then you go to a separate bathroom."   

The bill passed the South Dakota House January 27 in a 58-10 vote and is scheduled for a hearing by the Senate Education Committee on February 11.

[PGR88]

I could claim: “Only females can bear children” or “The sky is blue”

and the media could find someone “outraged” by the statement.

At some point, you have to ignore the media BS and just lead.

[Fido969]

“Transgender backlash?”

Sounds like what happens when a john finds out the person servicing him is a guy, or something.

[Trillian]

It probably means one person out of the whole state cried and then called a lawyer.

[Ouderkirk]

They are sodomites...that seems to light them up when I address them as such.

[grobdriver]

Gender is about Spanish nouns.

der, die, das.

[olezip]

In a discussion on a bill that would limit bathroom and shower facility use in South Dakota schools to students sharing the same gender, State Senator David Omdahl referred to individuals suffering from gender dysphoria as "twisted" due to their identity confusion and said they would benefit from psychological treatment.

As far as I can tell, it is true that gender confusion is a treatable mental disorder. It would be highly counterproductive and costly to humor insane people who think that they are another gender.

We used to put people like that in the "crazy house." But, unfortunately, the left has closed such institutions and put the inmates on the street.

[onedoug]

"People who are transgender are not twisted. We are people just like everyone else," University of South Dakota assistant professor in clinical psychology Jae Puckett said in a report from KSFY-ABC.

The lunatics run the asylum.

[VRWCmember]

It isn't that difficult. Even a kindergarten kid can understands the difference between boys and girls.

[VRWCmember]

But, unfortunately, the left has closed such institutions and put the inmates on the street.

Try again: But, unfortunately, the left has closed such institutions and put the inmates on the street. on the judicial bench and in charge of academia.

[Billthedrill]

Their ignorance runs counter to basic human rights.

I was unaware that dressing like the opposite sex and forcing my way into their rest rooms whether they like it or not was a basic human right. If that counts as ignorance, then so be it.

[olezip]

Try again: But, unfortunately, the left has closed such institutions and put the inmates on the street. on the judicial bench and in charge of academia.

I think that you are correct. Excuse me, while I puke.

[JimRed]

...have caused controversy among the transgender movement.

All twenty three of them? Big voting bloc!

[getitright]

Indeed.

When they proclaim a disagreement between the mind and the body, who’s to say the error lies with the body?

[tbw2]

Up until recently, I worked for a defense contractor who used the hierarchy system of rights.
A woman’s right to privacy includes abortions covered by the health plan, but not the right to use a bathroom without a mentally ill man in a dress still sexually attracted to women IN the bathroom with full permission of HR.
When I filed sexual harassment charges against him for lecturing me on dress, appearance, behavior, comparing his planned surgeries to a woman’s period, HR told me to work it out between us girls.
His rights trumped mine.

It is the same when there’s a dispute in the workplace between minorities and majorities - the minority is presumed right and has more protections.

[mom of young patriots]

Back when it was generally accepted that a person’s gender matched their sex, it wasn’t necessary to draw the literary distinction. It’s sad that we have to now.

[mom of young patriots]

The truth is especially damaging when you’ve built your whole identity on a lie.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

Oh, come on. How many pervs can there be in South Dakota? Just ignore them.

[chesley]

Too little, too late.

In the end there will be a civil war; I'm convinced of it. Unless Christ comes again, first, and that will be messy for those who defy God, too.

I may not live to see, either, but it can't go on like this without some disaster striking

[Maelstorm]

I totally agree. There is no such thing as transgender there’s just insanity.

[HLPhat]

>>You bet people had better speak up

Before the fat lady sings... again.

 

When an interviewer recently called Lady Gaga the "Billy Graham of pop," she claimed,

"I'm teaching people to worship themselves."

http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/2011/may/lady-gaga-wheres-outrage.html

Rom 1:25-27
25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator Ã¢â‚¬â€ who is forever praised. Amen.

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. 
NIV