Trans-Gender Bias

Published November 19, 2012

Evergreen State College says it would be sued for discrimination if it refuses to allow a man to wander around naked in the college’s women’s locker room in the presence of young girls, and use the sauna with his male genitalia visible, because the man gender-identifies himself as a woman.

Elementary and high school girls from several youth swim teams also use the locker room. One girl, 17, filed a report with campus police saying she was upset by seeing the man. The coach from another youth swim team also has objected.

The Alliance Defending Freedom filed a formal protest. “Clearly, allowing a person who is biologically a man to undress and expose himself to young girls places those girls at risk for emotional distress and harm,” the organization’s letter to the college stated. “Any reasonable person would view this as dangerous to the young girls involved. The fact that this individual was sitting in plain view of young girls changing into their swimsuits puts you and Evergreen on notice of possible future harm.”

But the college stated state anti-discrimination law requires it to allow access to the locker room by men who identify themselves as women. College officials say that’s the end of the matter.

Alliance is not giving up. “Little girls should not be exposed to naked men, period. A college’s notions about ‘non-discrimination’ don’t change that,” says the group’s legal counsel.

Source: Matt Driscoll, “Transgender Student in Evergreen’s Locker Room Draws Ire of Arizona Religious Group,” Seattle Weekly, November 5, 2012