I just posted a forum about us, and restrooms about a week ago.  Then I read a story about a transgender rights bill in Maryland and an individual that was opposed to the bill.  He basically said we were perverts and pedophiles and we would create a hazzard to the safety of females in public women's restrooms if the bill passed.  I was in a bit of a hurry when I read it and when I had time to go back, couldn't find the original story.  It looks like the bill passed.  the story was written by a woman reporter and was not written in a pro, or con style.  Just the facts.  I did manage to write down her email address when I first read it and wrote her this morning to give her "another prospective".  I also asked her for a copy of the original story, and any other stories on the bill passing.  The bill was not about restroom use by transgenders, but was about various rights they were proposing for us.  It was the opponents that were using the "I'm affraid for my wife and daughter's safety" ploy to get people to go against the bill.  I hope to get a response from her and post the stories here.

This is not the story I originally read on this, but it has a lot of the same opponents views on it.

http://www.examiner.com/county-republican-in-baltimore/citizens-speak-on-both-sides-of-baltimore-county-transgender-bill

This is not the original story I read either, but is a little closer as far as content,

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/bs-md-co-council-meeting-20120117,0,6969747.story

Tis is a copy of the email that I sent the writer of the original article.

Hi Alison,
I read an article that you wrote last week, it made me so upset, ...no, it made me angry.  I was not angry with you, the article was very neutral and just stating facts.  I have to admit that I was in a hurry at the time and read it quickly before I had to go to work.  The Article was about someone that opposed a trans gender rights bill in your area and that he was "afraid that passing the bill would put female family, children, and friends at risk of being assaulted or raped in public restrooms if it were passed."  I tried to go back to the story later but could not find it. 

My name is Briana, my friends call me Bri.  I am a trans woman that is in the middle of my life but only in the beginning of my journey.  I am not completely out and not living full time at this point.  I would be in a minute if it weren't for the way we are treated by society.  It would be greatly appreciated if you didn't expose me further. I know girls that have lost everything coming out.  It is a very slow and painful process that MUST be done on our own terms. I have friends like myself on probably every continent.  I belong to an online community that is like face book, but for people like me, their families, and even admirers.  It is a very "clean" site, and it's purpose is to provide support and friendship for people like myself.  I was recently asked by some of the administrators of the site to do some writing for the U.S. forums.  News articles and stories that pertain to us.  It's funny, about a week before I read your story, I wrote a piece on using public restrooms, and the laws that deal with it.

I can't tell you how saddened and sickened I am when the restroom comments start flying when talking about transgender rights.  Who are theses people and how do they make it into positions of authority.  I have always said that the only thing worse than a bigot, is a bigot in a position of authority.  His comments have to be one of the most moronic, bigoted things to ever come out of ones mouth,  Let's take a serious look at his thoughts.  Think back over your entire life, all the news that you have ever watched or read.  When was the last time you heard a story of a man, putting on a skirt, putting on a blouse, removing all of his body hair, getting a feminine hair cut, or putting on a wig, putting on heels, and learning to walk in them, so he could go into a ladies room and assault someone.  Yeah, I didn't think so.  Now....... when was the last time you heard a story about a transgender, or any other member of the LGBT community being seriously hurt or even killed for no other reason then....."they existed".   There are far to many of these stories.  I think that poor girl that was assaulted in the McDonald's restroom was in your corner of the world.

We are not perverts, we are not pedophiles, we simply want a safe place to do what we need to do, and I can tell you from personal experience that one of the most terrifying things to us is needing to use a restroom because it could be a life ending experience, and that's talking about walking into a woman's room.  Can you imagine what would happen if I walked into a men's room. 

There are many good people in this country.  To this day I have never had a bad experience when I am out but there are far to many stories of others being beaten or killed.  Our society can be such a hypocritical one, we talk about how horrible things were in Nazi Germany, yet look at the way we as a society have treated the African Americans, the Native Americans, Asians, Hispanics (Arizona SB1070), and so many others.  Is it now "our" turn in history?  All we want is to live as normal a life as possible and be treated as equals.  Is it so much to ask.

I believe I saw that the bill was passed and nothing could make me happier.  I live at the other end of the country so I have to LOOK for news like this.  I hope you get this email and if possible, could you possibly forward me a copy of the original story I am speaking about, and any about the bill passing.  I would love to post and write about it to share with all of my "sisters".

Thank you for your time