The first criminal bathroom ban with a jail sentence has just taken effect overnight in Florida. Florida is now dangerous for transgender people to travel through, with arrests likely in coming days.
This is one of the biggest threats to transgender people here. I'm in contact with an attorney who is researching the challenges against this and the possibility of joining in an amicus. Please, if you live in Florida, download an app like Refugee Restroom so that you can find gender-neutral / family restrooms and stay safe.
Erin, I'll keep you posted when and if I can. I'm using any leverage I can as a candidate to research and overturn the mess in Florida. We all thank you for the amazing coverage you have provided.
For anyone interested in following my campaign, Ericha Vance is my pen name. Please follow my campaign for the Florida State Senate District 19. My real name is Vance Ahrens and I'm running against one of the worst legislators to attack the Trans community, Randy Fine.
You can find me on FB and Instagram under Add Vance for Florida. And Twitter @AddVance
This all makes me so sick. I look at my sweet kid, and I’m so angry! I actually used to like visiting Florida, and now I don’t know if I could ever go back there again, even if DeSantis is gone and these laws change. It’s so totally messed up! My kid can’t even have a connection in the airport because what happens if she needs to pee! I do hope they lose soooo much business from this!!!!
I own stock in the Italian soccer team Juventus. (Big fan.) Juventus is scheduled to play Real Madrid (biggest club team in the world from Spain) in a "friendly" match in Orlando on August 2nd at Camping World Stadium. Is Camping World Stadium covered by this bill? If so, people should contact Juventus and Real Madrid (two of the biggest soccer teams in the world with hundreds of millions of international fans; Juventus in particular has a well-established record of inclusiveness) and request that the game be moved to New York/New Jersey or some other location that is not hostile to LGBTQ+ rights. These are international organizations not beholden to any chud GOP types who generally can be counted on to hate soccer. But moving the game will be a loss and will punish the Florida bigots who planned to attend.
Yes, it is. It is a stadium that receives state funding. So it falls under this enforcement.
The people of Orlando are generally welcoming, but the stadiums, airports, theaters, and even the convention Center are under this rule. I would also note that the complaints come from citizens so this will likely be abused at other locations that do not fall within the original scope of the law.
Thank you. I have already written to Juventus investor relations and Real Madrid objecting to this game being played in Florida with a request that the game be moved. I'm not expecting much, but maybe a statement will be sent out. Juventus has a very well-earned commitment to diversity and non-discrimination, particularly because of what goes on in Europe during football games. For anyone familiar with Serie A and Italian football, there was an incident just this season where Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku (who is black) was the subject of racist taunts at Allianz Stadium in Turin resulting in Juventus not being able to sell tickets to supporters in its own stadium. Juventus had to work to get the penalty overturned on the grounds that it was a non-league game (Europa Conference) and that they had no control over those fans as they were not season ticket holders.
I really would like to emphasize this for people who are unfamiliar. Juventus and Real Madrid - the latter even moreoso - are HUGE internationally. Their websites set forth their diversity goals. As European football clubs - with all of the history of hooliganism - they take this stuff pretty seriously. People should not pass on the opportunity to complain about this game being played in racist, homophobic, transphobic Florida in a facility governed by a criminalizing anti-trans bathroom bill. People drink beer at games.
I read about these, and I think about N*zis. How there were all these individual choices of hatred across that country, and how they added up cumulatively and enabled the larger-scale atrocities to happen. I wonder if people don't realize that their choices matter.
These types of bans are cruel and fraught with difficulties (as Erin reports). Going forward, how enforcement plays out is likely to be unpredictable, but it seems reasonable to imagine that most people in bathrooms just want to get their business done, and aren’t eager to risk accusing a stranger of being trans, when they could be wrong and when it isn’t always possible to tell. So perhaps enforcement will be spotty. For sure, trans people are put in a very difficult situation; many may avoid public bathrooms totally, whereas some “passing” trans people might be tempted to use the bathroom they have always used, reasoning that if they use the opposite one where they don’t “pass”, they could be immediately accused and detained (even if later they could prove their birth gender assignment). If I’m understanding the law correctly, no crime is committed unless 1) a trans person enters a bathroom, 2) they are accused of being trans and told to leave, and 3) they don’t leave - correct?
For those folks visiting Erin's web portal, I am Canadian, and the entire legal "mess" in the state of Florida is a matter I wish to use to educate myself. Do any of my new friends on this portal want to suggest good, clarifying, SIMPLE language, online sources to explain the U.S. laws? Thank you. Additionally, I am interested in the process how and what methods U.S. citizens legally use to counter, and reverse draconian laws. Thanks again. In the meantime, please stay as safe, and healthy as possible. I am sending lots, and lots of Love to Everyone. Thank you, again, Erin & Co.
I wish I could suggest something, but we too in the U.S. are reeling from the confusion. I don't think there will be anything simple soon. Typically these laws are written with weird, confusing language. With time, people get arrested (or other incidents happen) that cause the laws to be challenged in our regional courts (circuit courts and federal courts), and eventually some cases will make their way to the Supreme Court, and that's when you finally know what all the laws "mean" and whether they stand. Our system prioritizes the laws of states over the laws of the central federal government, but the federal government (typically via Supreme Court rulings) can overturn state laws or lower-court rulings, so it can take a while (years) for things to be established, and even then the Supreme Court can overturn previous rulings, such as in Roe v. Wade.
I am grateful, Heather, for your explanation. The World is our classroom since the advent of social media, as many of our Friends here are already aware. I am attempting my level best to learn each day. Here in Canada, the Laws of the Land confuse Canadians too. Ok, we will keep our heads up, our eyes, and ears open. Please stay safe, and well. Love from London, Ontario, Canada.
Given that I’m not entirely sure what the TOS for substack entails, I cannot fully express my thoughts on this matter except to say “mixed magazines make for peaceful pooping.” Florida is a stand your ground state with constitutional concealed carry, for what that is worth for the community.
Personally I’m glad to be on the absolute furthest point from there in the contiguous US and there’s no way in hell I’ll ever go there again. I do feel nothing but sorrow and worry for our trans family who lives there though.
I'm a straight cis-woman. I'm not scared of sharing a bathroom with transwomen or even transmen (though that is a bit awkward). I AM super-terrified of having to prove my birth certificate gender (who carries a birth certificate?) or having to share a bathroom with a straight cis man predator who's claiming to be trans just because he can and he's up to no good...but he can totally say, "No, really, I was born female, I should be here," and how is anyone supposed to know him from a transman who's just trying to comply? Ugh. Laws like this empower bigots, trolls and rapists.
This is one of the biggest threats to transgender people here. I'm in contact with an attorney who is researching the challenges against this and the possibility of joining in an amicus. Please, if you live in Florida, download an app like Refugee Restroom so that you can find gender-neutral / family restrooms and stay safe.
Erin, I'll keep you posted when and if I can. I'm using any leverage I can as a candidate to research and overturn the mess in Florida. We all thank you for the amazing coverage you have provided.
Thank you!
For anyone interested in following my campaign, Ericha Vance is my pen name. Please follow my campaign for the Florida State Senate District 19. My real name is Vance Ahrens and I'm running against one of the worst legislators to attack the Trans community, Randy Fine.
You can find me on FB and Instagram under Add Vance for Florida. And Twitter @AddVance
https://facebook.com/100092846599633
https://instagram.com/addvanceforflorida?igshid=ZDc4ODBmNjlmNQ==
https://twitter.com/AddVance?t=RpQvjit87Po5YMUeUvCFvQ&s=09
I will be posting updates there to my events and the launch of my web page.
Thank you Erin for allowing me to share this info.
Thank you for this Erica! I'll be sure to share this resource.
This all makes me so sick. I look at my sweet kid, and I’m so angry! I actually used to like visiting Florida, and now I don’t know if I could ever go back there again, even if DeSantis is gone and these laws change. It’s so totally messed up! My kid can’t even have a connection in the airport because what happens if she needs to pee! I do hope they lose soooo much business from this!!!!
Disgusting bill written and passed by some of the poorest examples of humanity
Don’t go to Florida for any reason. This is a disgrace.
I own stock in the Italian soccer team Juventus. (Big fan.) Juventus is scheduled to play Real Madrid (biggest club team in the world from Spain) in a "friendly" match in Orlando on August 2nd at Camping World Stadium. Is Camping World Stadium covered by this bill? If so, people should contact Juventus and Real Madrid (two of the biggest soccer teams in the world with hundreds of millions of international fans; Juventus in particular has a well-established record of inclusiveness) and request that the game be moved to New York/New Jersey or some other location that is not hostile to LGBTQ+ rights. These are international organizations not beholden to any chud GOP types who generally can be counted on to hate soccer. But moving the game will be a loss and will punish the Florida bigots who planned to attend.
Yes, it is. It is a stadium that receives state funding. So it falls under this enforcement.
The people of Orlando are generally welcoming, but the stadiums, airports, theaters, and even the convention Center are under this rule. I would also note that the complaints come from citizens so this will likely be abused at other locations that do not fall within the original scope of the law.
Thank you. I have already written to Juventus investor relations and Real Madrid objecting to this game being played in Florida with a request that the game be moved. I'm not expecting much, but maybe a statement will be sent out. Juventus has a very well-earned commitment to diversity and non-discrimination, particularly because of what goes on in Europe during football games. For anyone familiar with Serie A and Italian football, there was an incident just this season where Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku (who is black) was the subject of racist taunts at Allianz Stadium in Turin resulting in Juventus not being able to sell tickets to supporters in its own stadium. Juventus had to work to get the penalty overturned on the grounds that it was a non-league game (Europa Conference) and that they had no control over those fans as they were not season ticket holders.
I really would like to emphasize this for people who are unfamiliar. Juventus and Real Madrid - the latter even moreoso - are HUGE internationally. Their websites set forth their diversity goals. As European football clubs - with all of the history of hooliganism - they take this stuff pretty seriously. People should not pass on the opportunity to complain about this game being played in racist, homophobic, transphobic Florida in a facility governed by a criminalizing anti-trans bathroom bill. People drink beer at games.
I've got family in Florida, and they're acting like I'm crazy because I refuse to visit them.
I read about these, and I think about N*zis. How there were all these individual choices of hatred across that country, and how they added up cumulatively and enabled the larger-scale atrocities to happen. I wonder if people don't realize that their choices matter.
These types of bans are cruel and fraught with difficulties (as Erin reports). Going forward, how enforcement plays out is likely to be unpredictable, but it seems reasonable to imagine that most people in bathrooms just want to get their business done, and aren’t eager to risk accusing a stranger of being trans, when they could be wrong and when it isn’t always possible to tell. So perhaps enforcement will be spotty. For sure, trans people are put in a very difficult situation; many may avoid public bathrooms totally, whereas some “passing” trans people might be tempted to use the bathroom they have always used, reasoning that if they use the opposite one where they don’t “pass”, they could be immediately accused and detained (even if later they could prove their birth gender assignment). If I’m understanding the law correctly, no crime is committed unless 1) a trans person enters a bathroom, 2) they are accused of being trans and told to leave, and 3) they don’t leave - correct?
DeSantis is garbage.
For those folks visiting Erin's web portal, I am Canadian, and the entire legal "mess" in the state of Florida is a matter I wish to use to educate myself. Do any of my new friends on this portal want to suggest good, clarifying, SIMPLE language, online sources to explain the U.S. laws? Thank you. Additionally, I am interested in the process how and what methods U.S. citizens legally use to counter, and reverse draconian laws. Thanks again. In the meantime, please stay as safe, and healthy as possible. I am sending lots, and lots of Love to Everyone. Thank you, again, Erin & Co.
I wish I could suggest something, but we too in the U.S. are reeling from the confusion. I don't think there will be anything simple soon. Typically these laws are written with weird, confusing language. With time, people get arrested (or other incidents happen) that cause the laws to be challenged in our regional courts (circuit courts and federal courts), and eventually some cases will make their way to the Supreme Court, and that's when you finally know what all the laws "mean" and whether they stand. Our system prioritizes the laws of states over the laws of the central federal government, but the federal government (typically via Supreme Court rulings) can overturn state laws or lower-court rulings, so it can take a while (years) for things to be established, and even then the Supreme Court can overturn previous rulings, such as in Roe v. Wade.
I am grateful, Heather, for your explanation. The World is our classroom since the advent of social media, as many of our Friends here are already aware. I am attempting my level best to learn each day. Here in Canada, the Laws of the Land confuse Canadians too. Ok, we will keep our heads up, our eyes, and ears open. Please stay safe, and well. Love from London, Ontario, Canada.
Given that I’m not entirely sure what the TOS for substack entails, I cannot fully express my thoughts on this matter except to say “mixed magazines make for peaceful pooping.” Florida is a stand your ground state with constitutional concealed carry, for what that is worth for the community.
Personally I’m glad to be on the absolute furthest point from there in the contiguous US and there’s no way in hell I’ll ever go there again. I do feel nothing but sorrow and worry for our trans family who lives there though.
I'm a straight cis-woman. I'm not scared of sharing a bathroom with transwomen or even transmen (though that is a bit awkward). I AM super-terrified of having to prove my birth certificate gender (who carries a birth certificate?) or having to share a bathroom with a straight cis man predator who's claiming to be trans just because he can and he's up to no good...but he can totally say, "No, really, I was born female, I should be here," and how is anyone supposed to know him from a transman who's just trying to comply? Ugh. Laws like this empower bigots, trolls and rapists.
Excellent point - the law is wacky and plain nasty, wicked
How might we organize a massive non-violent state-wide protest by using opposite-sex public restrooms?
Wondering how this would work for non gendered restrooms?
Try this:
https://substack.com/resources