Transgender Locker Room Dilemma

(Cleveland, Ohio) A 53-year-old transgender, Karen Deamons, presents as a female but still has male equipment. As a consequence, Deamons has created a controversy among the membership at a local swimming pool.

If Deamons uses the men's locker room to change clothes, youngsters ask their parents uncomfortable questions. If Deamons uses the women's locker room, complaints are lodged by women because of the presence of male genitalia.

A frustrated Deamons has now filed a formal complaint with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, claiming discrimination at the city-run Cudell Recreation Center. Furthermore, Deamons is pursuing legislation to prohibit cities from discriminating because of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Frankly, this is all very confusing to me. Apparently biological gender determination can now be trumped by feelings of being trapped in the body of the opposite sex and it appears that a person can claim transgender status without ever changing his or her biological makeup. Confusion and apprehension on the part of the public are understandable.


[Update 7/29/08]

From another source:

Originally Deamons changed in the private toilet stalls of the women's locker room for about five months without conflict. At some point, a few women complained to Cudell Recreation Center administrators that Deamons made them uncomfortable. [...]

After the complaints, Deamons met with city officials. When asked if she had undergone sex reassignment surgery, she answered truthfully. Even then, she tried to work with the city.

As she was still pre-op, she agreed to use the men's locker room, which, according to the city, recreation center workers were supposed to empty for her use when she needed to change her clothes. The rec workers seldom emptied the locker room.

For over a year, Deamons kept her side of the agreement. She used the uncleared, male-filled men’s locker room the best she could -- even though, unlike the women’s locker room, the bathroom stalls in the men’s locker room have no doors.

Then, last month as she was dressing, a little boy asked why there was a woman in the men's room. Rather than be publicly embarrassed, Deamons attempted to change in an enclosed area in a separate women’s restroom. Pool workers promptly banned her from the pool for a week.

When she returned, rec employees insisted she sign into the pool on the men's registration sheet.

Deamons said she fears gangs will beat her up after seeing her emerging from the men's room or signing the men's registration sheet.

I'm opening myself to get beat up,

Refusing to sign the men's sheet, she is not allowed to swim.

I can't do it anymore. Every time I go through there, it's tearing my insides out.

As the mandate applies to all city pools, there is no public pool available for her to use. On her limited income, she cannot afford the pools at private clubs.

Cleveland Law Director Robert Triozzi said

We are being as accommodating as we possibly can, given the request that's being made, given her own personal situation, given where she's at in life. We're trying to be sensitive.

When other women interviewed recently at Cudell said they understand the dilemma but they would be uncomfortable with a transsexual woman openly changing in the women's locker room.

Since the government is now involved, it's sure that the taxpayers will take a hit. There will be a damages award or new legislation or a mandate for a third category of locker rooms for public swimming pools or maybe something else. In the long run, it might be cheaper to buy Deamons a personal swimming pool to resolve the problem.

Also: The Jawa Report