Honestly, this makes me want to get bus loads of trans people to do bathroom sit-ins aggressively OBEYING the Law. Can you picture a men’s bathroom full of trans women doing their make up and stuff, while the trans men hang out on the women’s room because they have to?
I am not a lawyer, but it seems like this could be useful for challenging these unjust laws.
Sit-ins by trans people visibly using bathrooms alligned with their assigned gender at birth, would probably end up with some of those people being arrested.
Being able to legally demonstrate that these laws make it impossible to use any public restroom, without threat of arrest, might provide the evidence needed for a judge to rule against these laws.
I don’t think they could arrest you. You’re complying with the law and therefore, especially with the media present, they have no grounds. If they do arrest you, it’s false arrest, harassment, and intimidation. The law suites would be epic.
Or bathrooms full of cis AND trans people, all in the bathroom matching their gender. Will they require everyone to submit to genital inspections?? Bc I can see some amazing lawsuits stemming from that, and maybe some pearl-clutching from stories of cis women being violated (unfortunately they’ve already demonstrated they don’t care about trans women being violated).
I'm willing to participate as a cis women and use the men's bathroom. I just love the idea of them trying to sort it all out. I'd be willing to be arrested for my disobedience
Except then we would get arrested for "causing a public disturbance in the men's room" after men complained, then arrested and ironically held in the men's jail, where guards and maybe inmates would take turns raping us to death, wherepon they would find our bloody and beaten handcuffed corpses all Sandra Bland style with the security footage mysteriously erased by accident.
Because that's how police are, and ESPECIALLY RED STATE POLICE AND CORRECTIONS OFFICERS.
We are living in the Fourth Reich and we damned well better remember it.
ACAB?
AFNAB!
White supremacists didn't go to all that trouble of building a school to prison pipeline, a highly profitable private prison incarceral industrial complex, and the war on Black folk NOT to use it on women and queers, too.
"We are living in the Fourth Reich and we damned well better remember it."
No, we aren't. At that, we can avail ourselves of the 2nd amendment and make their little pogrom too expensive for them. The zeroth law of resistance is not accepting the bad guys have already won -- especially when plainly they have not.
As a cis female ally and mother of a trans child, I was thinking that people like me could equally partake in disobedience by entering the men's restrooms. By my understanding of the law that would be illegal as well, yes?
I have thought about an idea of bringing a trans boy and trans girl to a school board meeting discussing some restroom policy and saying "You WANT this person [indicating the trans boy] in the girls' room and this person [indicating the trans girl] in the boys' room while never conceiving of any risk to either. This what you want. You didn't think this through, did you?"
Doing it en masse as you suggest, as an organized action, would be, I think, an effective action. It's something that could be filed under "malicious compliance."
In fact, I suggested this post on r/mtf on Reddit, hoping the community would really around the idea and some organizers could be found, but unfortunately almost everybody shit all over it and basically said I was stupid for suggesting it.
Sad but this is what we need, she is a hero. Fuck Florida, Fuck Republicans! Silence no more, hiding in the shadows is in past. It’s time to fight back, we will not go quietly. We will not be an easy group to oppress, fight back anyway you can. It’s time to fear us not for who we are but what we will do!
Lovingly, there are SO many radical queer and trans folks here in Florida fighting like hell against these bills and to stay alive. Be careful when you say things like Fuck Florida. We are definitely not our politics, and we are not disposable.
This! I am the mom of a trans college kid. I moved back to my home state of FL to fight for the trans kids who can’t fight for themselves. My kid is safe in a very blue state. But other kids aren’t. When we say things like Fuck Florida, it feels like we are erasing those trans and queer folks who can’t move out of the state. I remember when my beloved state was not like this. It requires fighting back from inside the state, as well as outside the state.
It’s time to save ourselves, we cannot rely upon the courts, we must be strong. They will destroy the courts eventually, we need to turn to each other and our allies. It’s the only way to win.
So sad. I wish she had consulted advocacy groups ahead of time, but I feel like she knew her risks. I wonder how badly she wanted to wash her hands or if she was just taking action so that they would respond. She said she's not an activist, but all of her actions sound very much like she's an activist. (And that's a good thing.) If she's brave enough to take these steps and sacrifice her freedom to legal authorities, she may not realize (yet) the impact she's making. I hope that she stays safe. The fact that she made her story public before she was arrested hopefully will keep her safe while she's incarcerated. These laws make no sense. If she hadn't said anything ahead of time, they wouldn't have even known that she was female.
In the FL news article Erin links, it states that she said she regrets doing it because she didn’t think she would actually be arrested. I, too, wish she had worked with an advocacy group or had legal support going into it.
You go girl….you read my mind. I want to do the same thing. My kids do not want t me to do it and I would probably lose my job. We need to publicize this and be the change we need to make. Spread the word. Way to go Marcy. I am also Catholic and your story resonates with me in so many ways.
Sweetheart, if you're engaged in civil disobedience, you're no longer a centrist. The lack of political literacy is amazing in this country. Also, a trans person saying they are a centrist in the age of fascism. *ugh*
But, aside from that, I am proud of her. It's insanely brave and I applaud you for it.
I was face palming reading that as well like if you're are a minority, you have no luxury or not following what is happening to yourself or whatever minority group you belong to, like you can't be apathetic or neutral when clearly things are burning in the background regardless if you know it or not, it's still happening
But that's a lot of people within the LGBTQIA+ Community that says this and I can't help but be upset at them for saying stuff like this and completely in the dark, not saying to hurt yourself daily looking up information like Digital Self Harm, but in this political climate and how the state of the US is, you can't be walking around with a blind fold and hope for the best, no, stuff is still happening daily, only thing you can do is prepare yourself with knowledge but that's just me but it's more common than folks realize and honestly really sad but not shocking to hear
It’s going to take this kind of courage, repeatedly, or the general masses will just forget how sick and perverse the Florida executive and legislative branches of government truly are… until it happens to them. I’m a bit surprised that law enforcement was so eager to make this arrest when their heads are often turned away during the commission of crimes against natural law. It’s disgusting she had to endure that.
A lot of Marcy Rheintgen’s actions do sound very much like an activist! Regardless, she acted with immense courage and integrity. I agree with Jon Harris Maurer’s statement that “weaponizing bathroom access in a place like the State Capitol is an antidemocratic effort to block [transgender people] from directly participating in government while simultaneously stripping their rights behind closed doors.” Rheintgen is a true heroine and we must support her in any way we can!
She made a powerful statement and it was a courageous act. Even more so knowing she would be sent to a men's prison. Would love to donate to her legal defense!!! Cis people (like me) really need to figure out how to help carry the water and take these punches. It is our "brethren" that pass these nonsensical and inhumane laws. It is not right to expect the people being persecuted to bear the responsibility of fixing this shit.
She’s a badass. If she has a legal cost fundraiser, I want to chip in
Yes, especially after it's been vetted by the EitM team.
Yep, me too!
Count me in!
My too.
Same.
Honestly, this makes me want to get bus loads of trans people to do bathroom sit-ins aggressively OBEYING the Law. Can you picture a men’s bathroom full of trans women doing their make up and stuff, while the trans men hang out on the women’s room because they have to?
I am not a lawyer, but it seems like this could be useful for challenging these unjust laws.
Sit-ins by trans people visibly using bathrooms alligned with their assigned gender at birth, would probably end up with some of those people being arrested.
Being able to legally demonstrate that these laws make it impossible to use any public restroom, without threat of arrest, might provide the evidence needed for a judge to rule against these laws.
I like the idea of big hairy muscular transmen doing defiant compliance en masses. Preferably with Nacy Mace
I don’t think they could arrest you. You’re complying with the law and therefore, especially with the media present, they have no grounds. If they do arrest you, it’s false arrest, harassment, and intimidation. The law suites would be epic.
Absolutely we should do this.
This is a completely brilliant idea! Can you imagine the press we'd get? Amazing. I'm going to be talking to friends...
Can we agree to pick a date to do this? I'm a day's drive from DC. I just need a few days notice.
I was just thinking the same thing!!!!
Or bathrooms full of cis AND trans people, all in the bathroom matching their gender. Will they require everyone to submit to genital inspections?? Bc I can see some amazing lawsuits stemming from that, and maybe some pearl-clutching from stories of cis women being violated (unfortunately they’ve already demonstrated they don’t care about trans women being violated).
I'm willing to participate as a cis women and use the men's bathroom. I just love the idea of them trying to sort it all out. I'd be willing to be arrested for my disobedience
Except then we would get arrested for "causing a public disturbance in the men's room" after men complained, then arrested and ironically held in the men's jail, where guards and maybe inmates would take turns raping us to death, wherepon they would find our bloody and beaten handcuffed corpses all Sandra Bland style with the security footage mysteriously erased by accident.
Because that's how police are, and ESPECIALLY RED STATE POLICE AND CORRECTIONS OFFICERS.
We are living in the Fourth Reich and we damned well better remember it.
ACAB?
AFNAB!
White supremacists didn't go to all that trouble of building a school to prison pipeline, a highly profitable private prison incarceral industrial complex, and the war on Black folk NOT to use it on women and queers, too.
"We are living in the Fourth Reich and we damned well better remember it."
No, we aren't. At that, we can avail ourselves of the 2nd amendment and make their little pogrom too expensive for them. The zeroth law of resistance is not accepting the bad guys have already won -- especially when plainly they have not.
I should make the suggestion, get a grip.
"Except then we would get arrested for "causing a public disturbance in the men's room" after men complained"
That working for them requires the prosecution, judge, and jury all go for it and that last unanimously. I don't think that will happen.
I am a Trans Ally please count me in...:)
Allies are also needed as witnesses/protection in protests like this 💙
As a cis female ally and mother of a trans child, I was thinking that people like me could equally partake in disobedience by entering the men's restrooms. By my understanding of the law that would be illegal as well, yes?
That is an excellent idea, they’re trying the same crap here in Texas, this would be an excellent way to protest it. I think we can do this…..
I have thought about an idea of bringing a trans boy and trans girl to a school board meeting discussing some restroom policy and saying "You WANT this person [indicating the trans boy] in the girls' room and this person [indicating the trans girl] in the boys' room while never conceiving of any risk to either. This what you want. You didn't think this through, did you?"
Doing it en masse as you suggest, as an organized action, would be, I think, an effective action. It's something that could be filed under "malicious compliance."
my partner is currently trying to organize something like this https://discord.gg/ZVwWbF9t
I agree!
In fact, I suggested this post on r/mtf on Reddit, hoping the community would really around the idea and some organizers could be found, but unfortunately almost everybody shit all over it and basically said I was stupid for suggesting it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MtF/comments/1jpr4fe/lets_turn_trans_woman_flordia_bathroom_arrest/
Fight fire with fire! Then fire those legislators next election cycle.
I love that idea.
Time honored direct action!
Yes!!!!!!
Dang that is brave. Just the thought of doing that myself terrifies me.
Please tell me that some ACLU or other group is taking her case and others?
She sent me a DM after seeing a post I made about her situation on Reddit. She said she is talking to the ACLU.
Thank goodness.
Sad but this is what we need, she is a hero. Fuck Florida, Fuck Republicans! Silence no more, hiding in the shadows is in past. It’s time to fight back, we will not go quietly. We will not be an easy group to oppress, fight back anyway you can. It’s time to fear us not for who we are but what we will do!
Lovingly, there are SO many radical queer and trans folks here in Florida fighting like hell against these bills and to stay alive. Be careful when you say things like Fuck Florida. We are definitely not our politics, and we are not disposable.
This! I am the mom of a trans college kid. I moved back to my home state of FL to fight for the trans kids who can’t fight for themselves. My kid is safe in a very blue state. But other kids aren’t. When we say things like Fuck Florida, it feels like we are erasing those trans and queer folks who can’t move out of the state. I remember when my beloved state was not like this. It requires fighting back from inside the state, as well as outside the state.
It’s time to save ourselves, we cannot rely upon the courts, we must be strong. They will destroy the courts eventually, we need to turn to each other and our allies. It’s the only way to win.
So sad. I wish she had consulted advocacy groups ahead of time, but I feel like she knew her risks. I wonder how badly she wanted to wash her hands or if she was just taking action so that they would respond. She said she's not an activist, but all of her actions sound very much like she's an activist. (And that's a good thing.) If she's brave enough to take these steps and sacrifice her freedom to legal authorities, she may not realize (yet) the impact she's making. I hope that she stays safe. The fact that she made her story public before she was arrested hopefully will keep her safe while she's incarcerated. These laws make no sense. If she hadn't said anything ahead of time, they wouldn't have even known that she was female.
In the FL news article Erin links, it states that she said she regrets doing it because she didn’t think she would actually be arrested. I, too, wish she had worked with an advocacy group or had legal support going into it.
I am sure we will be hearing and seeing a lot more of this beautiful woman. :)
this made me cry. the letter is so heartbreaking
You go girl….you read my mind. I want to do the same thing. My kids do not want t me to do it and I would probably lose my job. We need to publicize this and be the change we need to make. Spread the word. Way to go Marcy. I am also Catholic and your story resonates with me in so many ways.
"Political Centrist"
Sweetheart, if you're engaged in civil disobedience, you're no longer a centrist. The lack of political literacy is amazing in this country. Also, a trans person saying they are a centrist in the age of fascism. *ugh*
But, aside from that, I am proud of her. It's insanely brave and I applaud you for it.
I was face palming reading that as well like if you're are a minority, you have no luxury or not following what is happening to yourself or whatever minority group you belong to, like you can't be apathetic or neutral when clearly things are burning in the background regardless if you know it or not, it's still happening
But that's a lot of people within the LGBTQIA+ Community that says this and I can't help but be upset at them for saying stuff like this and completely in the dark, not saying to hurt yourself daily looking up information like Digital Self Harm, but in this political climate and how the state of the US is, you can't be walking around with a blind fold and hope for the best, no, stuff is still happening daily, only thing you can do is prepare yourself with knowledge but that's just me but it's more common than folks realize and honestly really sad but not shocking to hear
"Sweetheart, if you're engaged in civil disobedience, you're no longer a centrist. "
That is not at all true.
It’s going to take this kind of courage, repeatedly, or the general masses will just forget how sick and perverse the Florida executive and legislative branches of government truly are… until it happens to them. I’m a bit surprised that law enforcement was so eager to make this arrest when their heads are often turned away during the commission of crimes against natural law. It’s disgusting she had to endure that.
Love to her
If anyone wants to read the Tampa Bay Times article but can't afford a subscription, this archived copy should work. https://archive.is/1OzCY
A lot of Marcy Rheintgen’s actions do sound very much like an activist! Regardless, she acted with immense courage and integrity. I agree with Jon Harris Maurer’s statement that “weaponizing bathroom access in a place like the State Capitol is an antidemocratic effort to block [transgender people] from directly participating in government while simultaneously stripping their rights behind closed doors.” Rheintgen is a true heroine and we must support her in any way we can!
What a wonderful act of heroism, thank you Marcy for your bravery, righteousness and courage in the face of dimwitticism.
She is a hero or, if she prefers, a heroine of epic proportions! Very brave.
She made a powerful statement and it was a courageous act. Even more so knowing she would be sent to a men's prison. Would love to donate to her legal defense!!! Cis people (like me) really need to figure out how to help carry the water and take these punches. It is our "brethren" that pass these nonsensical and inhumane laws. It is not right to expect the people being persecuted to bear the responsibility of fixing this shit.