Ore. transgender proposal draws controversy

08:18 AM PDT on Thursday, October 20, 2005

Associated Press

EUGENE, Ore. -- A proposal to require transgendered Eugene residents to show documentation in order to use public facilities like bathrooms and showers drew criticism from a handful of activists this week.

Members of the city's Human Rights Commission have already expressed support for a plan to join 79 other cities around the country that have added gender identity to the list of "classes" protected from discrimination in public employment, housing and accommodations.

But ironing out the details is proving tricky, with the documentation proposal coming in for particularly sharp criticisms.

Earlier this year, a Gender Identity Work Group unanimously recommended that revisions to the city's human rights code include allowing people to enter whichever public bathroom, locker room or shower they regard as "most appropriate" for them.

But a handful of critics, including some transgender women, say it's appropriate to require documentation -- in the interests of protecting women and children from being exposed to male genitalia in public spaces that are reserved for women.

At a hearing on the issue this week, Rebecca Taylor, a transgender woman, submitted signatures from 28 women -- three transgender and 25 straight -- whom she said support the idea of requiring documentation.

Taylor, however, was the sole person to speak in support of documentation. Others agreed with Joe Humphreys, who said documentation "makes people guilty until proven innocent."

Transgender people could actually face greater risk of harassment or violence if forced to use a public facility other than the one they prefer, Humphreys said.

City human rights analyst Greg Rikhoff said similar legislation has been "a slam-dunk" with little or no controversy in other communities.

But in Eugene, Rikhoff said progress has been slowed because city staff members have asked for a legal review of how the issue of access to public facilities relates to public indecency laws.