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Montgomery County voters to decide on transgender discrimination law
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Montgomery County (Map, News) - Montgomery County voters will decide whether to repeal a new county law that protects transgender people from discrimination, after the county board of elections approved a referendum petition Friday.
Opponents to the law gathered 32,000 signatures to force the referendum that will appear on the November ballot.
Passed by the County Council in November and approved by County Executive Ike Leggett, opponents argue the law puts women and children at greater risk of assault in places like public restrooms.
Opponents also want the law to exempt schools so they won't get sued if they choose not to hire an otherwise qualified instructor because they are transgender.
Supporters of the measure say that is inaccurate because the policy does nothing to change existing law about how the public can access public restrooms or locker rooms.
Comments from Examiner Readers
3:04 PM MST on Mon., Mar. 10, 2008 re: "Montgomery County voters to decide on transgender discrimination law"
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12:03 PM MST on Mon., Mar. 10, 2008
re: "Montgomery County voters to decide on transgender discrimination law"
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Examiner Reader said:
wow!
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Examiner Reader said:
I think the reaction and subsequent action of the people in this county exemplifies the dangers of ignorance. To think and say that a person is a danger to women and children simply because they are transgendered is absurd. To promote discrimination in any way is asinine. Transgendered people do not live as the opposite sex to get into the other bathrooms. They do not live in a state of anxiety of whether or not they will be discriminated against, and/or possiblly physically harmed for the fun of it. When they go into the bathroom, it is to take care of the same needs everyone has, no matter the biological gender. I can gaurantee that a transgender person is in considerably more danger going into a public bathroom than anyone else in there. Why don't we go so far as seperate water fountains for trans people? Ignorance itself is not culpable,but the intentional refusal to understand someone different than yourself is.
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