This is a propaganda poster, courtesy of our lovely friends at the Massachusetts Family Institute, used as a fear tactic to inspire hatred in the confused minds of conservatives statewide. 

Currently in the Massachusetts legislator there is a bill that would make gender identity or expression protected identities under the state's non-discrimination policy. Once again, opponents of the bill paint a catastrophic picture of the consequences of such a bill passing. They argue that should the bill pass (1) children will be indoctrinated with an ideology that encourages them to explore and express their gender identity and/or expression in a safe space - perish the thought (2) women and children will be put at severe risks as hoards of transgender-individuals attempt to violate the sanctity of a single-sex bathroom (3) Women-only fitness facilities will have to open the door to ever Tom, Dick and Harry that wishes to gain admittance (4) Last but certainly not least, anyone who even expresses disapproval of the bill could be charged with a dreaded "hate crime". 

So the Massachusetts Family Institute's (MFI) response to such a completely dire and bleak future is to contrive a hateful persuasive marketing campaign to instill fervent fear in the citizens of Massachusetts. Posters that proudly display the haunting message "Who's going to be waiting for your wife and daughter?" are splayed throughout the city. The take-home-lesson from this all is that according to MFI, bathrooms and other public facilities are completely safe and only with the passage of this bill will these spaces become unsafe and predatorily spaces. They argue, like all bills that afford rights to "special interest populations, the "Bathroom Bill" would open the world to a whole host of terrors. 

Various businesses and public institutions, including colleges, have already made changes to their facilities to accommodate transgender individuals. Whether it be gender neutral housing in the dorms or gender neutral bathrooms in offices, studies have demonstrated the positive impact these changes have made. Students in housing feel that they are part of an accepting diverse community where they can learn and grow in a supportive environment - regardless of their identity. Transgender individuals are people who are attempting to live their true and authentic lives and deserve respect, safety and acceptance. They do not deserve to be cast as the dark deviants, hiding in the shadows of bathroom stalls, ready to prance on the moral fiber and integrity of America. In the closing months of 2011, can we believe that society has moved beyond believing the irrational and hate-filled ideology of scared fanatics? Can we hope that we have raised our consciousness to recognize these messages for what they truly are; hurtful, damaging discrimination that does nothing to serve our society.