A discussion around “facility change room safety” will be had at Saskatoon’s city council meeting on Wednesday, and has garnered a lot of attention within the community.
“Trans women in women’s changeroom or washrooms do NOT make me feel unsafe. Transphobic and misogynistic men being given a public platform to spread lies and hatred about our transgender neighbours and community members make me feel very unsafe,” Aryn Otterbein wrote in one of the hundreds of pages of comments added to the agenda on Monday.
There has been intolerance and an outcry online after unconfirmed reports of a person with male anatomy in the female changeroom at the Shaw Centre.
“We do not want to take any further steps back on the small progress we have made towards human rights equality in our city, and cannot let a vocal minority push ignorance on the rest of the population,” wrote Bethany Knight.
“Entering a space that is labelled specifically for men when you identify as a woman, or vice versa, feels alienating. When I would use the men’s washroom, I knew I didn’t belong in there. I speak for all trans people in saying that we just want to do the simple act of going to the bathroom or change room and feeling like we belong in there and are safe. Assuming that somebody is a predator just because they are gender diverse is dehumanizing and discriminatory,” wrote Thea Novotny, who had just started identifying as a woman in April of last year.
“The fact is, a small group of vocal bigots want us to see our fellow human beings and citizens as some kind of big bad wolf. That if you allow people equal rights, they will prey upon you like criminals. When all they want is to go about their day and not have to be stigmatized or dehumanized by bigoted, unenforceable policies,” read another comment by Jacob Yaworski.
“As a cis woman and a mother, I am comfortable sharing a change room or rest room with trans women. Trans women should be able to choose the space they feel safe in,” wrote Carla Flogan.
The standing policy committee on planning, development and community service is opening the floor for speakers and comments, among them the reverend for Grosvenor Park United Church, Nobuko Iwai.
Iwai said in a letter that she is concerned about the rising number of protests and attacks on drag performers and the LGBTQ2 community seen in Saskatchewan and across Canada.
She said the protests at the Shaw Centre are one of them, adding that there are hateful and dangerous myths circulating around trans and other queer identities.
Iwai said in-person and online instances of homophobia and transphobia are coming from some extremist and Christian groups in Canada.
“The United Church of Canada affirms that gender, gender expression and sexuality are gifts of God, and that all persons are made in the image of God and welcome people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions. As an Affirming Ministry at Grosvenor Park United Church (Saskatoon, SK), we celebrate the richness and diversity of the Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ community and seek to be public, intentional, and explicit in our support for all God’s children,” Iwai’s statement read.
She added the biblical passage Psalm 139:14: “For all these mysteries I thank you. For the wonder of myself. For the wonder of your works — my soul knows it well.”
“We collectively wish to express our love and stand in solidarity with the City of Saskatoon in support of inclusion and human rights and in opposition to hatred and religious bigotry,” the statement read.
Global News spoke with Iwai, who said underlying a lot of the opposition to the city’s current change room policy, which allows people to “choose the change room or washroom that aligns with their gender identity,” is fear.
“People are spinning a narrative of fear that is unjustified and is untrue.”
Iwai noted that the same kind of story is popping up in several cities.
“I think that there is somewhere, among some people, a concerted effort to stop people from celebrating their diversity,” Iwai said.
She notes that anti-LGBTQ2 laws are being created in the United States, adding that it’s unfortunate and wrong.
“My faith calls us to love everybody, and to care particularly for those who are the most oppressed, and for those who might go slightly against what we mistakenly call the norm.”
She said for anyone not in the LGBTQ2 community who might be on the fence on this issue, the main concern that gets brought up is safety, but she said in places like California and New York, they’ve had trans-inclusive policies for decades.
“There is no statistical data that supports that there is any kind of change in safety issues, particularly for cis people.
“I just want to say to the trans community, I am so sorry, I am so sorry that you have to put up with this crap. I am so sorry that people just can’t love you for who you are, in my opinion, and I believe this strongly, created in the image of God.”
Iwai stressed that trans rights are human rights.
“Trans women are women, and trans men are men.”
She said this starts at the school level, adding that they should be learning to respect everyone.
Iwai added that fear-based policies are never a good thing.
“I speak as a Japanese Canadian woman, when we make policies based on fear we end up with internment camps, we end up with ‘No Japs allowed,’ or ‘No Jews allowed,’ or ‘No Blacks allowed.'”
“We need to really widen the scope of who is human, and not be made fearful of someone else’s political agenda to get votes, or get money, or whatever,” Iwai added.
Iwai ended with one final point.
“I really do not want a cishet man to tell me what should be going on in the women’s change room.”