In preparation for WAR Room on June 13th, I read chapter 7. This article gives a great view of why we need the "Othering' concept enforced. Some crimes are worse than others and there is a need for the registry to stop these horrible crimes. The difference from public urination to Child molestation. One should be on a list and one shouldn't. I thought WAR was against "Othering"?
The author seemed to attack the Hetero style family with insinuating that the Gay community respects children and the Hetero community is the one that is molesting children. Is this number of incidents just because there is more people who claim to be hetero, or is there actually something wrong with making the choice to be hetero. Why is being hetero considered a choice when all others are just natural?
I'm writing this here because I don't know if I will be able to attend meetings. Although this is only conversation with my landlord, I may have to relocate and since I was on the registry, and now removed, finding housing is still very difficult. (Your never really off the registry) I may have to move because a marginalized "couple" or "family" wants to live here. DEI at work. I have a lease till November. After that, I don't know. I have items that belong to WAR and want to return them. They are envelopes, letters from inmates, and stamps.
After the Washington DC conference and some of the people I spoke to, I was concerned about the path that WAR would take. I'm not sure if I will continue with my advocacy work with this direction. The Registry is wrong, I'll support that fight. Going to be hard for me to fight for the LBGTQ.... community with my experiences, since that group never seemed to want to have anything to do with registrants.
After my second WAR zoom meeting, I have made the decision to no longer be an active member of this organization. I didn't make this decision lightly and have had restless sleep since the meeting.
My reasons are: When I joined, we advocated for all persons on the registry. Now we only seem to want to say that the Transgender group is oppressed by the registry. This group is facing oppression, but the families of non Trans are also being harmed. Supporting one and not the other seems to go against what WAR is about. Apparently, the mission goals have changed.
I have attended Pride parades that were sexually explicit in front of single digit age children, I have been pressured to change my gender identity. I'm currently doing this now for my protection. This community is allowed to expose themselves and is exempt from many of the sex offense laws because of their identity. If I did many of these acts, I would have a least 15 years on the registry. I also needed police to help me get away from the three pride marchers that demanded I walk with them. I never thought I would be glad to hide behind law enforcement. I was stalked by a Gay man when I was in high school. Thank goodness, a neighbor Mother stepped in and put this "man" in his place. Thank Goodness for Moms. I have known Doctors that were reprimanded for not performing transition serves because this went against the Doctor's beliefs. I currently know some surgeons who are retiring because they don't want to transition Children or Adults.
I will leave this up to the Administrators. If you want to include me in the zoom meetings, send me the link. I'll understand the decision either way. I paid for a lifetime membership and drove the Casket to D.C. My stance is to end the registry. I never considered any of this gender ideology or sexual preferences
I want everyone to know, I will fight to end the registry for "ALL PEOPLE". I don't believe that this is a good direction to limit ourselves to a special interest group. The registry is a bad law, as everyone knows or has heard. My experience is if I have to deal with the Trans community, or the registry. I think the registry is the lesser of the evils.
This isn't Transphobic, my stance is behavior phobic.
I wish everyone the best of luck in the path they choose to follow. If this organization wishes to fight for all registrants, I would consider becoming active again, Assuming the organization will take me back. Even if, the registry is abolished only for the LGBTQ.... community, at least this will be something.
Sincerely,
Mike T.
Mike,
I have no idea what you're talking about. Of course WAR supports everyone on the registry. Where you got the idea that we only support trans members, I haven't the foggiest idea. I can't imagine we have that many trans members in the first place.
Is it true that gay men tend to get put on the registry more often than straight men? There does seem to be some support for that. Certainly a gay man is more likely to get a higher score on the Static 99, which is the tool they use to determine the likelihood that you'll end up in a shadow prison. But that doesn't mean we don't support straight men who are forced to register.
Yours in solidarity,
Anne Croat
Director of Membership and Engagement
Women Against Registry
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