Ah, yes. North Carolina. My new home. I am SOOO proud (not!)
I felt badly after reading Sharon's response, because Sharon is among the kindest people, and among the most supportive of social justice, on the planet;
I've never been to North Carolina (though I'm planning on going there in August for a visit with Sharon and other members of the old University of Dayton group who volunteered in Appalachia in the 1970's. See posts from 3/9/2015 and 3/10/2015) but I'm sure it's a beautiful state full of good people who are just like most people. I believe that most of us just want to live and let live wherever we live and that most of us have no interest in hurting or putting down anyone else. I believe most people in North Carolina probably have nothing personal against transgender people or gays, though I suppose for some it can be hard to overcome the prejudices they've been so carefully taught since birth, especially when these beliefs are intertwined with religion.
Question: Though I'm not really sure why God created us gay, straight, transsexual, male, female, Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, or from among any of the infinitely diverse manifestations of humanity, why would God, the Master Builder, have created anyone as God didn't mean them to be? And how could it possibly please God to see one group of us being mean to another group of us?
I believe God created diversity among us because God wanted diversity among us.
But I digress.
What I mean to say is, it's the jelly-filled lawmakers of North Carolina, led by Governor Pat McCrory, who, unduly influence by a (hopefully small) cadre of loud, intimidating constituents, are responsible for the institutionalized discrimination recently legitimized in that state. I didn't mean to disparage North Carolinians as a whole or their state .
Sharon, don't feel badly, it's people like you who make North Carolina a good place.
Forgive me for not acknowledging that as well.