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Ms. Toad

(35,855 posts)
11. Thank you for the apology and the delete.
Wed Mar 1, 2023, 04:54 PM
Mar 2023

Just to elaboorate a bit more. The sensitive issue is supporting legal or social distinctions based on gender assigned at birth, or chromosomes - and rationalizing it by suggestion that there is a medical need for it (not medical care, specifically). Those opposing LGBT rights are very good at making arguments that pull in even people who would like to be supportive.

Before same gender marriage was recognized, out of the blue I had friends who started saying that we should create a separate legal status because they didn't believe that faith communities would be forced to marry same gender couples, which they believed would happen if same gender marriages were legally recognized. They missed two things:

(1) faith communities are never forced couples who don't met the criteria set up by that particular community, and in fact already routinely refuse to marry mixed gender couples (e.g. couples who aren't members of their church, divorced catholics, etc.). Making same gender marriage legal will no more force faith communities to marry same gender couples than permitting remarriage after divorce forces Catholics to marry divorced parishioners now.

(2) the initial source of the "concern" came from people who don't want us married in the first place - and they crafted a message which would pull in a lot of folks who otherwise want to be supportive.

The same is true here.

As to #2, the source of the proposed law is obviously trans-hostile.

As to #1, All sorts of invisible things impact optimal medical care. This is especially true in emergency situation, when you are being treated by a doctor with whom you are unable to communicate. But I can easily think of dozens of invisible things which are more critical for an emergency doctor to know than chromosomes (medicines - narcotics, blood thinners; conditions - diabetes, allergies,etc.) The reality is that emergency doctors work all of the time with incomplete information - sometimes hidden information that can even be life-threatening. Why legislate mandatory legal recognition of one piece of hidden information that might influence your care in the very rare circumstance when you cannot communicate that information to the doctor, but not others?

As to ongoing health care relationships - I encourage everyone to share openly with their doctors about everything that might influence their health care (supplements/alternative medical care, drug and alcohol use, health conditions, etc.). Not everyone chooses to be so open with their doctors. It's a choice. Again - why mandate legal recognition of one piece of information it might be helpful for your doctor to know, but not others?

As an ally, I'd encourage a couple of things:

1. If it's a law being sponsored by people who are trying to kill us/legislate our lives out of existence/make our lives illegal - assume it is evil. It probalby is. Even if you can think of some rationale for it.

2. Listen lots - particularly to those whose lives are being legislated - before weighing in.

3. If you still truly believe there are valid reasons for the law, ask yourself are there other circumstances that raise similar concerns which are not being legislated. Then ask yourself why this one.

4. Finally - talk to your trans friends (if you the kind of relationship with them in which they are willing to help you learn)

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