Angela Bridgman: A dangerous place for transgender people
House Bill 2 demonstrably makes victims of law-abiding North Carolina residents who just happen to be transgender by forcing them into the place that is proven to be the most dangerous place possible for them.
In 1975, our General Assembly passed Senate Bill 873, amending G.S. 130-60 and allowing for transgender people born in North Carolina to get birth certificates changed to facilitate transgender people’s ability to integrate with and fully participate in public life.
Additionally, legitimate transgender persons are under the care of medical professionals and therapists who must be licensed by the state. They follow an international standard of care for treating people with gender dysphoria. One of the requirements of this care is that one live in the role of the target gender for one year.
HB2 sabotages their ability to comply with this treatment and places them in immediate physical peril.
In a civilized society, when a law creates unintended victims, we work to address that through amendment or repeal. Or was it our legislature’s intent to victimize law-abiding transgender North Carolina residents in this way?
Angela Bridgman
Wendell
The writer is transgender.
This story was originally published April 28, 2016 at 4:25 PM with the headline "Angela Bridgman: A dangerous place for transgender people."