I think this is a horrible law! So many lives are at stake now. The progress that many have made through their transition will be stomped out for one bathroom break. People are going to end up getting UTI's from holding their urine in and possible blockages from holding in feces. It feels like oppression of the worst kind to me. I am not in NC but I understand the turmoil that all transgender people are facing. Wish we could unite in order to have this law overturned; for people to see it as the oppressive, manipulating, slave like regulations that it truly is (I use the term slave loosely to compare the segregation that African Americans faced just a few short years ago to the segregation that the trans community is now facing).

Joe,

I know how horrible it is, when I transitioned way back in 1987, I had this problem and while PA no longer has birth gender bathroom laws, I did not use the bathroom so long as I looked female, I started to use the men's bathroom as soon as I looked obviously male.

Now for this new development in NC, it would be interesting to know if indeed they are going to do gender checks in bathroom entrances for each person that enters, do they realize just how time consuming this would be or as a trans man who looks incredibly male asked: Do you want me to share a bathroom with your wife?

If they are not doing gender checks and they have no checkpoints in bathrooms, then by all means use the male bathrooms. The best way to test this is to have a sis gender friend go in a see what transpires there, if he/she gets checked or looked at and go from there.

As far as I know a lot of big business have stated that they will pull out of NC if this law is signed among them American Airlines, the movie industries and the NBA and the NFL, last time I read it and if they get hurt in the pocketbook deep enough, they may back down.

Meanwhile, we need to get our sis allies and protest this unjust and truly insane law. We can organize the sis community to stop ordering cakes for weddings from homophobic bakeries, ordering flowers or even dining in their establishment. If the sis community stops frequenting their establishments, they will need to rescind it.

I know it is a tall order but I know a lot of folks in NC are not in favor of this insanity so let's enlist them to hurt the homophobes where they leave, in their greedy bank accounts.

Wolf (FTM since 1987)

Well, for you personally, you can stealth to be a cis men and use a stall and go on your business. just be careful.

The law is meant to target one specific group the Male to Females. The law is centered around someone born male in the woman's restroom, however, because no one in this world seems to really think anymore before they open their yap, laws like this are made. Personally if I were in your place Joe, I would likely go into every woman's room I could. I would cause it to create as big an issue I can, hopefully to the level of having the police called and at every turn I would give them my birth cert showing I am following the letter of law. They can't arrest you or hold you for it and if they do you have a case against the police. My goal would be to cause everyone to open their eyes to how utterly stupid the law is and how it only made the matter more disconcerting. Kinda like the lady in Canada who was taking pics while in the men's room that she was forced to use. She was beautiful and just captioned them with "do you really want me in there alone with your husbands? Society as a whole has lost a massive amount of intelligence with the introduction of reality tv, smart phones and the internet. time to wake them out of apathy. I Know this is not helpful in any way but its how I see it. I would raise as much hell as I could.

Yeah I herd about it, its nothing more than a witch hunt that is targeting the lgbtqi. Here are some links from my group site on Facebook, one link you shouldn't have no problem viewing, but the other link requires you to have a Facebook account for viewing.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/dominicholden/nc-anti-lgbt-law-lawsuit#.bpNZQVqVl

https://www.facebook.com/groups/butterfly15/

Nobody thus far on campus has said anything at all; I've kept on using the men's rooms as usual, without any problems.

For me, I can "stealth" at this point in my transitioning, but there are others who cannot - including a few on campus. From my personal observations, the younger set - 20 and below - have no real issues against the LGBTQI community as a whole; it's the older generation - say, 35 and up, maybe - who seem to imagine we're going to do weird things in public restrooms. Makes me wonder what weird things THEY are up to, in public restrooms,.... especially those Legislators.

BTW, it has ALREADY been signed into law. H2, I think is the shorthand for it. A LOT of businesses have dropped plans to move into the state over this, and the International Furniture Market held in High Point, NC annually has reported a LOT of businesses and individuals have CANCELED plans to attend until this law is overturned/repealed.

Several cities have made it illegal for their employees to enter NC on their dime - meaning, they won't pay for employees to travel into NC for ANY reason.

It is already adversely affecting the state economy, as resorts and hotels have begun reporting cancellations due to this law. People are letting it be known they don't want to travel to, visit, or participate in things within NC as long as this law is in place.

I hope everyone remembers this SNAFU when election time for the Governor and Legislators rolls around. They should be voted out, every last one - including the ones who refused to vote either way on this law. They KNEW it was a bad piece of legislation, but ALLOWED it to be passed by remaining silent on it.

Wynd,... I am already a guinea pig for the VA, breaking new ground with every procedure I manage to get them to perform. Once I get something done by the VA, the next transgender veterans who come along find my precedent, and use that to their advantage - I know this, because I have been told so by both doctors in the VA, and by fellow transgender veterans. Currently, I am AGAIN up for surgery to repair the damage done when they botched my double mastectomy years ago. The VA has approved the surgery as medically necessary; now, it goes up before the Veteran's Choice healthcare providers for THEIR review before I can get it done.

Trail blazing sounds exciting and romantic; but it is a huge pain in the butt, difficult, and demeaning. I'm doing my part, within the VA, in hopes what I am going through will help make things easier for the next person. But every once in a while, I wish there was someone else blazing a trail for me to follow. Widening a trail someone else has cut is so much easier than cutting a trail where none was before.

Wolfie, I know none of this is news to you - you're one of the original trail blazers for us all. As soon as I had an experience in the ladies room where they reacted to me as a man invading their space, I knew it was time to use the men's room only from then on. I still had boobs, but the ladies all saw my face, heard my voice, and fled, returning with men to oust me from the ladies room for them. The guys all saw I had boobs, so they asked the ladies what the problem was - guys thought I was a woman. It was a difficult period, until after I recovered from the double mastectomy. I really had to avoid using public restrooms for about a year or so,... Meant I stayed home a lot. I haven't used the ladies room since.

I have one thought in my mind "what will happen if you use the restroom being a trans male or female that you get assaulted? What then ? Are the police going to say its your problem with bruises all over your body?
Has the state representatives thought of that issue ?

As ridiculous as this law is who is really going to take the time to police it? Personally I would still use the restroom I identify with, otherwise going into a male restroom would send up too many red flags. I mean unless you have a scarlet letter across your chest I honestly don't think many people will be paying attention to this. I also have an issue with the word transgender and have started referring to myself as a woman, because that is what and who I am, there is no reason for anyone to know my personal business or what is between my legs. What bothers me is the fact that this will drive those that are self conscious back into the closet. I am just thankful I live in a blue state.