Tampa passes law to protect transgenders.

[Suu]

http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story/Tampa-City-Council-passes-transgender-law/VUsyp9qXZEK_zbU_lIgIIQ.cspx

Florida has really come about since Jeb Bush is no longer in control, but I wonder how long it will take before the state steps in and flips over this, or enough people try to overturn it.

[Kai]

This is cool beans.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

I still don't understand this 'protected' status. Discrimination is illegal, period.

Largo in 2007, when then city manager Steve Stanton announced he was going to become a woman named Susan. Stanton was fired after making that decision.

So that's discrimination... He could have announced he was gay, turning Christian, moving to a small apartment, whatever... that was his private life and there is no justification for firing him.

I mean, why do we have to define X group is protected? All groups should be equally protected... making a list just means there will be a fight any time some group gets added to the list.

I dunno, maybe I'm missing something important here...

[Jasper]

You've basically hit the nail on the head.  There's just this stupid implicit assumption that freedom of speech doesn't extend to our own bodies.

[Requia ☣]

I still don't understand this 'protected' status. Discrimination is illegal, period.

Largo in 2007, when then city manager Steve Stanton announced he was going to become a woman named Susan. Stanton was fired after making that decision.

So that's discrimination... He could have announced he was gay, turning Christian, moving to a small apartment, whatever... that was his private life and there is no justification for firing him.

I mean, why do we have to define X group is protected? All groups should be equally protected... making a list just means there will be a fight any time some group gets added to the list.

I dunno, maybe I'm missing something important here...

The list doesn't really help anyway.  Largo had declared transgendered persons protected shortly before Stanton was outed.  The exact same people who fired her were the ones that pushed the protection through too.

[BabylonHoruv]

I still don't understand this 'protected' status. Discrimination is illegal, period.

Largo in 2007, when then city manager Steve Stanton announced he was going to become a woman named Susan. Stanton was fired after making that decision.

So that's discrimination... He could have announced he was gay, turning Christian, moving to a small apartment, whatever... that was his private life and there is no justification for firing him.

I mean, why do we have to define X group is protected? All groups should be equally protected... making a list just means there will be a fight any time some group gets added to the list.

I dunno, maybe I'm missing something important here...

Because some groups should not be protected.

For instance, sexual predators.

[Jasper]

I don't think that is a good argument.  Sexual predators are not a group of people.  They are not a creed, race, religion, gender, ethnic group, culture, or society in any meaningful sense.

All creeds, races, religions, legal sexual preferences (No protection for those who "prefer" underaged or the unwilling, in other words), genders, ethnic groups, and cultures should be respected and defended by law, not to mention culturally accepted.

[Kai]

I still don't understand this 'protected' status. Discrimination is illegal, period.

Largo in 2007, when then city manager Steve Stanton announced he was going to become a woman named Susan. Stanton was fired after making that decision.

So that's discrimination... He could have announced he was gay, turning Christian, moving to a small apartment, whatever... that was his private life and there is no justification for firing him.

I mean, why do we have to define X group is protected? All groups should be equally protected... making a list just means there will be a fight any time some group gets added to the list.

I dunno, maybe I'm missing something important here...

No, its really not illegal until it's defined as such, because people are allowed to get away with it. Theres sense, justice, and morality, and there is monkey mind. Guess which wins.

Think of it as the same reason affirmative action was necessary at one point (I don't feel like arguing about now, so if anyone wants to they can fuck off).

[East Coast Hustle]

that makes a bold assumption, namely that affirmative action was necessary or even desirable.

had it not been implemented, economic and cultural forces would have brought around equality in hiring practices and college admissions anyway and though it would have taken longer, businesses and institutions with a bigoted bent would have suffered economically in the end rather than being allowed to cover for their regressive attitudes by hiring the odd smudgy person.

[LMNO]

RCH... really?






Really?




Wow. I wasn't expecting the Invisible Hand argument from you. ESPECIALLY not from you.

[East Coast Hustle]

It's not a concept I would apply to everything or agree with in every context, but that doesn't mean it's a concept that's never valid or useful.

also, why would you especially not expect that from me? I've always generally leaned towards laissez faire capitalism, though as with any social/political/economic model it has flaws and isn't always ideal.

[Kai]

that makes a bold assumption, namely that affirmative action was necessary or even desirable.

had it not been implemented, economic and cultural forces would have brought around equality in hiring practices and college admissions anyway and though it would have taken longer, businesses and institutions with a bigoted bent would have suffered economically in the end rather than being allowed to cover for their regressive attitudes by hiring the odd smudgy person.

While I disagree with you, thanks for that.