“My children were visibly frightened, concerned about their safety and left asking lots of questions for which I... was ill-prepared to answer."From: NewNowNext
While a majority of civil rights activists have spoken out in support of allowing trans people to use facilities that match their gender identity, the director of the Georgia branch of the ACLU has resigned her post rather than echo the group’s support of the trans community.
Maya Dillard Smith, 37, revealed she is uncomfortable having her daughters use bathrooms where transgender women might be.
“I [took] my elementary school-age daughters into a women’s restroom when, shortly after, three transgender young adults, over six feet [tall] with deep voices entered,” Smith claimed in a statement.
“My children were visibly frightened, concerned about their safety and left asking lots of questions for which I, like many parents, was ill-prepared to answer.”
She accuses the ACLU of becoming “a special-interest organization that promotes not all, but certain progressive rights,” and claims she is “principally and philosophically unaligned” with the organization.
Smith, who holds a masters degree from Harvard, insists she is not anti-LGBT, but is only trying to find a solution that balances personal liberty with “the need to ensure women and girls are safe from those who might have malicious intent.”
She’s launched a new website, Finding Middle Ground, as a “safe space” to discuss concerns and questions without fear of retribution. We’re sure the site won’t become a magnet for bigots and transphobes.
On Thursday, the national ACLU issued a statement in support of trans equality.
“We’re in the midst of a major civil rights battle, one that’s likely to continue for some time. The ACLU’s work on behalf of transgender people, including educating the public about who trans people are through our communications and advocacy work, is far from over.”
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