-->

Thursday, July 4, 2019

A Bill of Gender Rights - JoAnn Roberts

JoAnn Roberts 1948-2013
My good friend JoAnn Roberts of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, never one to shrink from making a meaningful statement, wrote a letter to All Transgender Support Groups on March 1, 1991. She stated that, "It is time to speak up. Silence = Death."  We all need to read JoAnn’s manifesto, and pledge to continue her fight – our fight!

Her Preamble:
  
The Declaration of Independence says, 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, all men are created equal...' In reality, it is self-evident that neither all men nor all people are created equal. Rather, all people should be treated equally; no one should be denied the opportunity to live, work or play simply because they are different. Different does not mean deficient. Different does not mean less capable. Different does not mean less moral. Different does not mean less ethical. Nor does different mean less honorable. Different simply means not exactly like the next person.


________________________

A Bill of Gender Rights 

It is time for the transgender community to take a stand, a strong stand, against all gender-based discrimination simply because some people are different and simply because some people do not fit into current social norms of gender roles. It is time the gender-based community articulate this stand in words that clearly define exactly what their gender rights are. It is time to stand alongside other minority rights movements to declare these gender rights as follows:

The Right To Choose A Gender Role

Every human being has within themselves an idea of who they are and what they are capable of achieving. That identity and capability shall not be limited by a person's physical sex, nor by what any society may deem as "masculine" or "feminine" behavior. It is fundamental, then, that each individual has the right to chose a gender role that is comfortable for them, regardless of their genetic sex or sex role.

Therefore, no person shall be denied their Human and Civil Rights on the basis that their chosen gender role or perceived gender role is not congruent with their genetic sex or sex role. The Right To Freely Express A Gender Role Given that each individual has the right to chose a gender role, it then follows that each individual has the right to freely express that gender role in any manner that does not infringe on the freedom of another individual. 

Therefore, no person shall be denied their Human and Civil Rights on the basis that a private or public expression of their chosen gender role or perceived gender role is not congruent with their genetic sex or sex role.

The Right To Make One's Body Congruent With Gender Role

Given that each individual has the right to chose a gender role, it then follows that each individual has the right to change their body or alter its physiology so it better fits their chosen gender role. These changes may be cosmetically, chemically or surgically induced, provided these changes are supervised by the appropriate licensed professional and the individual accepts sole responsibility for their actions in this regard.

Therefore, no person shall be denied their Human or Civil Rights on the basis that they changed or wish to change their body, cosmetically, chemically, surgically or any combination of these, to better fit their chosen gender role.

The Right To Sexual Expression Congruent With Gender Role

Given that each individual has the right to chose a gender role, it then follows that each individual has the right to express their sexuality within their chosen gender role. Therefore, no person shall be denied their Human and Civil Rights on the basis of sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. Further, no individual shall be denied their Human and Civil Rights for expressing their chosen gender role through private sexual acts between consenting adults.




Happy 4th of July!


3 comments:

  1. An injury to ONE is and injury to ALL!

    Too often, in our society, an individual is more interested in their own rights, than in respecting and protecting the rights of 'the other'.
    Too often, in our society, persons claim 'blessings' as their rights seem to remain intact, often to the detriment of 'the other'.
    Soon, you will see YOUR OWN RIGHTS merely evaporate, slowly, one at a time, until you are declared 'the outsider'--'the undeserving'-- at the direction of the greedy, the intolerant, the evil.
    And when you cry for help, you will find no allies, as those persons not 'just like you' have long ago, one group, one person at a time, been quietly eliminated.

    "As you do to the 'least of us' you do to yourself".

    "An injury to one, is an injury to all."

    Happy 4th of July.

    The clock is ticking, the bell is tolling .... Can you hear?
    Velma


    ReplyDelete