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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 2018)
November 7, 2018 VETERAN’S DAY Special Edition O PINION Page 17 MCS Still in Business Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $50.00 A small distance/travel charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $50.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area and Hallway Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) : $30.00 Heavily Soiled Area: $10.00 each area (Requiring Pre-Spray) Area/Oriental Rug Cleaning Being Trans Was Scary. Now It’s Terrifying New order would deny we exist r obin C arver I’m a trans wom- an, and I’m terrified. Already, on any given afternoon, I’m regularly and publicly catcalled, mocked, laughed at and treated as an object of social disgust. Trans women are one of the most as- saulted and murdered demograph- ics in the United States, especially when they’re non-white. We’re the frequent and favor- ite target of even liberal-leaning culture outlets like Saturday Night Live. Even Democratic darling Kamala Harris repeatedly fought to deny life-saving medical treat- ment to incarcerated trans women when she served as California’s attorney general. Even lesbian, gay, and bisex- ual advocacy organizations like the Human Rights Campaign took decades to support trans activism. Worse still, in 29 states we can by be legally fired or evicted from our homes simply for being trans. And a recent Department of Health and Human Services policy allows any medical provider to deny trans people care of any kind, even in emergency rooms. Some small progress came with the Obama ad- ministration, which updated guidelines for changing the sex marker on important ID documents. The Obama-era Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and several others began adopting more inclu- sive terminology that expanded already existing civil rights pro- tections to trans people. In May of 2016, Attorney Gen- eral Loretta Lynch sued North Carolina over its controversial “bathroom bill.” In a speech de- livered at that time, Lynch said, with specific reference to the trans community, “This country was founded on a promise of equal rights for all, and we have always managed to move closer to that promise. … It may not be easy, but we’ll get there together.” That promise is gone. The New York Times reports that the Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services is working across multi- ple agencies to establish an offi- cial definition of sex as “a person’s status as male or female based on immutable biological traits identi- fiable by or before birth.” The memo continues, “The sex listed on a person’s birth certif- icate, as originally issued, shall constitute definitive proof of a person’s sex unless rebutted by re- liable genetic evidence.” This definition goes to absurd lengths to define broad swaths of trans people as explicitly belong- ing to the sex they were coercive- ly assigned at birth. It flies in the face of the broad consensus of the medical community that treats trans people and worldwide stan- dards for trans health care. It’s a fundamental denial of our most basic and important claim: that our sex and gender cannot be accurately identified at or before birth, and they are not sufficiently explained by a binary of female/ male, woman/man, or XX/XY. It’s the policy equivalent of telling trans people that we don’t exist. It’s flatly absurd. This policy, if put into effect, would expose trans children to violence and psychological trau- ma at school. It would deny trans adults critical access to appropri- ately gendered homeless shelters, prisons, and restrooms. It would specifically eliminate the basis on which we could make any case for discrimination of any kind at the federal level. Even worse, Congress has no say over the implementation of this policy. In theory, it could be overturned in the courts, but a conservative majority there is un- likely to support trans rights. Even when Trump leaves office (whether after 2020 or 2024) the next president would have to undo two to six years of precedent to get us back to where we are now — which they could only do if the right-wing Supreme Court doesn’t strike a blow in the intervening time. Being a trans person in Ameri- ca was already scary enough. Now it’s downright terrifying. Robin Carver is a development assistant at the Institute for Poli- cy Studies. Distributed by Other- Words.org. Regular Area Rugs $25.00 Minimum Wool Oriental Rugs $40.00 Minimum UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $70.00 Loveseat: $50.00 Sectional: $110 - $140 Chair or Recliner: $25.00 - $50.00 Throw Pillows (With Other Services) : $5.00 ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949
