Scottie posted this meme yesterday and it prompted a further exploration than seemed easy in his list of images.
I think I’m going to shock some people here, maybe even get someone mad at me at this writing. I have to tell you all, I’m kinda a shy person. So, I’m not comfortable with some strange transgender person staring at my pecker when I pee.
I’m really just not comfortable with that. But, you know, I’m not comfortable with a strange man staring at my pecker when I’m trying to pee either. Nor am I comfortable with a strange woman staring at my pecker. In fact, I don’t flaunt my pecker about when I pee. And, I feel somehow disenfranchised because I don’t find the bathroom a place to flaunt my privates, yet the way some on the right talk about it there must be things going on in there that I’m not contributing to or enjoying. What am I doing different than those who are worried about this happening?
Some may also find this startling, but I heard that this person was found in the women’s bathroom. Many accused homophobes feel that people should not “pretend” to be a woman for the sole purpose of going into the women’s bathroom.
And, some uptight karens would say that the prevalence of this very person in a women’s bathroom is indicative of just how far things have come that “she” would feel comfortable going into a women’s bath. They say we should be shocked and outraged at Sports Illustrated for publishing these pictures.
And others would be wise to tell you that this is ILONA MAHER, a phenomenal women’s rugby star and arguably the best in the world. I would tell you that she is very strong, very aggressive, and very beautiful, and I would tell you that hassling Ms. Maher is surely contraindicated for a long life.
The uncomfortable facts are that sexual assaults perpetrated by trans people is extremely low. And, let’s consider just for a moment the great deal of bother a person needs to go through to transgender, and there are those who think it’s so they can go look at girls?! Further, the uncomfortable fact remains that 85%-90% of all sexual assaults are perpetrated by someone known by the victim — ie: not strangers, and often they are family members or close family friends and DO NOT happen in a public bathroom. And finally, a great many lgbtq folks actively avoid bathrooms, no matter how desperately they need relief, because they are all too often the victim of assault by other bathroom goers.
Personally, I’m not going into the bathroom to make friends, to admire others or to find comparisons to determine where I fall in the pissing contest of reactionary karens. I don’t care. We are all human, and like the kid’s book says, we all gotta poop.
Randy
Scottie's Playtime 
Well said
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Thank you, Barry. My purpose with this new style is not to act like I have the answers, because I am far less read and up on the topics than many others, but to share my opinion and perhaps allow others the chance to think on it and share theirs, or at least to have a chance to have something handy if they come across the issue in life. I’m also really hoping that people feel free to disagree, which I think people feel uncomfortable doing often times believing they will be criticized. I think on how my conversations go with my parents sometimes where I know they like trump, and I very much do not. I feel comfortable disagreeing, but I have to be careful that I don’t do so abusively – and for that matter it is ok to like trump no matter how baffling it is to me.
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How would one know? Maybe I’m way old-school, grew up with an outhouse out back, but when I go to the men’s room it’s to take care of business, and that’s all I’m interested in: taking care of business. It’s not a Pub, I’m not looking around
I am oft reminded of an entire universe of scifi books than began with a human trying to explain to a robot the bungling boards between urinals, and how uncomfortable men are when taking care of business in the company of others
I wear a lot of tie-dye, and have been known when accosted about it to ask with the coldest of thousand-yard stares “what do you care about my underwear, are you some kind of [your pick]?”
Not only would I not know but just don’t care …
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Hi TenBears. I’m like you in that – most of the time if I’ve chosen to use a public restroom I am desperate to pee and get back out. Who has either the time or desire to look around?? I’m typically just hoping I didn’t blunder into the wrong room!
I’m not a nudist but I play one at home sometimes (I know, more information than you needed). But the thing about nudism is that it is only skin — male, female, whatever. It’s the mind that puts more in it than that. So, really, in that light does that mean that people who are so “offended” are only offended because their mind is, well, there?
Oh, and that is something I really like about SciFi. The author gets to explore ideas and social situations that if put into modern locale would create a great deal of upset, sometimes really giving the chance to poke fun at it or find the ideal.
-Randy
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Ya know, I don’t look at anything other that empty stalls when I go into a bathroom, always looking for the least offensive one in terms of cleanliness. It’s shocking what some people will leave in a toilet stall, but then maybe they live in a barn and just don’t know the difference. But now that the head sex offender is busy turning the country into a sexist faciest (yeah, I know it’t spelled wrong) at least I don’t worry about him hiding in there waiting to pounce on young girls and that’s another safety measure for me — I’m as old as Kentucky dirt.
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Hi KentuckyAngel. It does seem thickly ironic for the maga crowd, doesn’t it? I’ve made a couple of trips down to Florida to visit Scottie and my parents spend winters there. Bathrooms on the road are a crapshoot (ok, couldn’t resist the pun ;D) but it was a pleasant surprise to go into the Buckee’s restroom. Otherwise, my travels are fairly local and I was raised in the GenX period of “you should’ve gone before we left home!”
I’m at least aware enough to realize that women feel a greater vulnerability than men do but I also remember hearing women say that if they have to go and there is a line to get into the women’s room, they feel no compunctions about blasting into the men’s room. I don’t know, there is no understanding people sometimes.
Randy
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Hi Randy. I speak as an old woman (83 years) who found myself in a men;s room once. I really had to go and didn’t notice the sign on the door, just pushed it open and entered. My first thought was that it was kinda dirty, then wondered why there was that short sink! next to the only stall, but went into the stall and started my business when I heard the door open. Then I saw some really large work boots standing by that little “sink” and suddenly knew what it was and where I was. So, I decided to wait him out before leaving, and just sat there. Several minutes — or maybe hours- he was still there and finally asked if I was through yet. So, I had to tell him I was just too embarrassed to come out because I had entered the wrong room and didn’t want to show my face. He was very sweet, telling me he would close his eyes while I left, and that I shouldn’t be embarrassed since a lot of people made that mistake all the time. I doubted that, but did come out and head for the door as fast as I could, noticing he was standing there with eyes closed. Now you can have a good laugh and know I’ve been there, done that, and always looked closely at the name on the door 3 times before entering after that. Have a great day.
Angie
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This is well written, and thank you!
I have an “I’ll go with you” pin I like to wear if I’m going to be in a place with public restrooms. People who know, know, but it’s about safety for people simply trying to go to the bathroom. I actually got it back during the big W Muslim scare, when women with babies were accosted going into bathrooms as if their child was a bomb, but it became useful once again when Republicans began the big Trump Trans scare.
What a mess people make-Ilona Maher isn’t even trans, and obviously, she can pee wherever she wants to! 🙂
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Hi Ali. I want to be sure people recognize my poetic license regarding Ilona. I don’t know if anyone has ever accused her of being trans, though it wouldn’t surprise me. I think the real problem is that people feel that hating/judging/self-righteousness towards others is a higher calling than simple decency toward other people or even some brotherly love towards our neighbors. We don’t have to agree with someone else, but giving respect to others ought to be the first response.
Randy
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Yes, she is often called trans. That one particular author who is purposely trolls those she believes are trans will never be convinced that Ms. Maher is not trans. I thought you used photos of her as picture examples of why people ought not judge others. I think it was clever, anyway!
I appreciate Ms. Maher as an example of where judging people based upon their appearance is a mistake. She doesn’t seem to mind, from what I’ve read, and that’s admirable.
Plus, she can likely kick anyone’s behind if she has to… (and I mean that as a compliment, from a short person who “has no reason to live,” as the song says! I jest, of course, I enjoy that song.)
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