Common Sense

Only in Portland.  Well, maybe that's a stretch, but read this if you will:

http://tinyurl.com/6romjx

What the hell, you ask?  Well, ME TOO.

Now.  The issues I take with this situation are probably obvious. 

This comment really takes my feelings about frivolous law suits and condenses them into something anyone can understand. 

"Suing a woman's shelter: Class." 

There.  Simple & elegant.

That being said, let's just get past the disclaimer section:

I do not care if you're gay, straight, secretly wish you could piss while standing up, are a girl on Wednesdays and a male on Saturdays.  The level of action taken for a need based situation should not be concerned with preferences like these when dealing with the welfare of a human being. Transgendered services as well as any other, should be readily available when needed.  Those services are apparently in need of better advertisement if they're being missed entirely. 

Done with that, here we go!!

What's happening here, is that a person who identifies as bi-gendered, (and insists upon being referenced as Lee/Lisa, he/she, you get the idea) did not receive the level of care expected within a woman's shelter and support system.  In return, bricks have been thrown, threats have been chucked and people are frightened. 

Just for some clear understanding of this situation, I've sifted through the metric ass-ton of slanderous comments being spewed from both sides of the equation, on various message boards and blogs.  I'm still not clear on the details of this particular situation, nor do I really want to be, honestly. It's a battle of wills, instead of a constructive attempt to correct. 

What I've turned up repeatedly though, is that this person is being presented by one side of the debate as very well known throughout various PDX communities for being a real pain in the ass, who regularly takes libel to a new standard!  The other side takes up arms to support a brave and brilliant defender of the transgendered community.  Makes a person want to skip past the pile of steaming backlash to check out the facts instead, eh?  Meanwhile, here's my piddly opinions.

 

1. Don't walk into a women's shelter and demand services if you're going to demand recognition as the very gender NOT accepted at that organization/affiliation. 

• For instance, my brother cannot take his inflamed ball-sack to my gynecologist to complain about the burning he's experiencing after having unprotected sex with a complete stranger.  Nor do the guys at the comic book convention have any interest in my bleeding vagina and water retention. That seems easy enough to understand...
  

• People who have run to a shelter geared toward the services of women and children should not have to fear dealing with a person who identifies as a man (sometimes), just as a person in need of life-saving assistance should be able to find that help without having to turn to a service designed for a specific gender. For a specific reason.
  

• Reality says: it takes a very specific environment to handle a female based clientele on this level.  These women have been severely abused, raped, stranded and/or are trying to keep their families together, and don't need this level of conflict around their mentally damaged children while they attempt reconstruction of their lives.  Again.

• Someone is going to be overlooked due to lack of vacancy, resources, criminal background, and a plethora of other factors.  Nature of the beast.  Unless a person has been on this side of the fence, in need of shelter, they're probably not going to understand this unfortunate concept of trying to get into a shelter or program.  Those who have been there, should understand those wait lists and lack of funding to assist every person who crosses the threshold.  Sorry, but that's the way it goes. 

2. Hiding behind gender misidentification shouldn't be the platform for spouting threats to a service who didn't bleed itself dry to individual satisfaction.

(Pun intended, yes.)

• The equality fight needs to be avoided by having services available to everyone who might need them. 
  

• Use the actual problem to present to your cause, which in this case, should not have escalated into a grand production of percieved or otherwise, forced gender oppression from an unwilling or unable organization. 
  

My bitch is more along the lines of this:

I've had it with people taking up a violent approach about things that need kindness and consideration applied with a heavy hand.  If the service doesn't exist at one shelter or organization, ask for references and don't burn your bridges along the way!! Stop throwing a fit to get what you want from a dry source, Lee/Lisa!  It takes a g-damn long time to set the right resources and services into order, and the work isn't shortened by flippant suits. 

Put the time in the saddle, get with your non-profits and roll up your sleeves to make things happen.  If you don't like what you see, change it for the better, start your own programs & rally for the good, instead of ripping credibility and financial backing away from services who exist on donations from limited resources.  Really, come on now!!!

Burn me at he stake, but I just don't feel a rise within me to defend an individual simply based on their gender issues, who is in an abusive (mentally, sexually or otherwise violent) relationship. Gender or indentifying gender should NOT be the issue.

If abuse exists, it needs to be stopped.  Period. 

Personal Experience Moment:

I will say, when I had to call upon the services of a WOMAN's shelter after having my head bashed in enough times by the man who I shared children with, I came with two frightened children in tow, hoping to not have to confront men, people who identified as men, or any level of conflict or threat.  No shit.  The last thing I wanted to wrap my literally rattled mind around would have been this unnecessary anger and hostility due to lack of services or claims of oppression from a person who couldn't squeeze anymore milk out of a dry tit.  (Yes, I meant that too.)

Enough is enough.  

And don't worry, I'm happy to hear any viable debate to this commentary.  My opinion is certainly not golden. Bring it.

 

 

Pitches