As a proud Democrat, conservatives often tell me that I will eventually vote Republican to protect my own economic interests.
This is truly surprising to me – a bisexual woman – because instead of addressing pressing economic issues, the GOP in Washington and Columbus seem to have their heads in the toilet, wasting taxpayers’ money on bathroom bans rather than solving the problem of skyrocketing housing prices, child care costs children and inflation.
This apparent obsession with the bathroom a person uses would be witty if it didn’t do concrete harm to the rights of our transgender and gender non-conforming siblings.
The sorrowful reality is that transgender and gender non-conforming teens are at greater risk of sexual assault if they are unable to employ the bathroom or locker room that matches their gender identity. “Biological males” are dissembling, appealing to hate and fear-mongering as girls, the rights of the entire LGBTQ+ community are being violated as politicians once again wrongfully view those of us who love and identify differently as sexual predators.
I hoped that in 2024 we would get rid of these terrible stereotypes. But here we are wasting taxpayer dollars on restroom bans that only serve to stigmatize and harm people in the LGBTQ+ community.
Discrimination is not constrained to the bathroom. Ohio Republicans routinely fail to pass anti-discrimination ordinances in housing and employment. They restrict access to abortion, even though study after study has shown the devastating economic consequences of abortion denial.
Meanwhile, I haven’t heard a single Republican support measure that would make child care affordable, provide paid parental leave, or guarantee equal pay for equal work. As an openly bisexual woman, it makes no sense for me to vote for a party that would allow employers to discriminate against me when implementing measures that do not ensure my economic well-being. Bathroom bans reflect exactly this: Instead of addressing systemic inequalities and economic realities, Republicans have once again resorted to demonizing the newest group in order to label them as “other” in our society.
So to all Republicans, I vote for my economic interests when I vote “no” and support the only party that advances my economic interests. 🔥
[1] https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/transgender-teens-restricted-bathroom-access-sexual-assault/
[2] https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/06/29/a-bipitarian-bill-will-be-re-introduced-that-would-protect-lgbtq-people-in-ohio-before-discrimination/
[3] https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2022/06/423161/ucsf-turnaway-study-shows-impact-abortion-access
