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Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Lobby

Last evening I had an interesting experience.  I attended the monthly cocktail reception for my Business Group.  I have been a member there for about 5 years and I am well known to the group of about 75.  I have written about the group in the post “Chief Operating Officer - COO”.  Attending last evening was the State Representative for my district.

I decided to discuss with him the bathroom bill that came up in the Florida legislature and other state
legislatures this past year.  It meant revealing myself as transgender.  So here is how it went:

I ask to have a minute and stated I wanted to discuss an important issue.  I showed him my driver's  license and stated I was transgender. My concern was that the bathroom bill was going to be reintroduced in the upcoming legislative session.  It took him a while to see the "M" on my license.  He kind of shuttered and then mumbled, it would likely go nowhere as it had the previous year.

I brought up Houston and stated that there was much prejudice in the wind and the bathroom issue had actually been the impetus for repealing an important ordnance granting basic human rights to many.  He stated he understood and would do what he could.  I ended the conversation stating that using a public bathroom is a basic human right. “Please understand that.”

Doing this was way outside my comfort zone.  I seldom announce my nature and just let people believe what they may.  I felt this was important. 


 

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