Proposed addition of Section 22-5 to Rockwall Municipal Code

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Subject: Proposed addition of Section 22-5 to Rockwall Municipal Code

From: Nell Gaither <nell@tpride.org>
Date: 4/29/2016 8:23 PM
To: JimPruitt@rockwall.com
CC: davidwhite@rockwall.com, JohnHohenshelt@rockwall.com, kevinfowler@rockwall.com,
dennislewis@rockwall.com, ScottMilder@rockwall.com, miketownsend@rockwall.com
Good evening Mayor Pruitt:

This afternoon I was led to the Facebook post of a proposed City of Rockwall ordinance adding
Section 22-5 to the municipal code of ordinances.
I'm concerned that some leaders within the City of Rockwall may be pursuing this change in
municipal policy based on misinformation. If not, I would be interested in hearing about the
reports and cases of assault that must be occurring in Rockwall to drive such a proposal.

Ordinances and legislation like this are often prompted by outside organizations with ulterior
motives who provide inaccurate or false information around access to gender-segregated
spaces, implying or outright stating that without such administrative policy as is being
proposed, women and children are at much greater risk of assault.

I am proud to have volunteered with Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center as a sex assault advocate,
and I have completed their State-approved certi ication program. I can assure you, and I know
DARCC staff concur, that such policy does nothing to deter violence, but instead fosters
violence against anyone who does not closely enough match someone's subjective idea of what
a man or woman should look like. In fact, policy such as this being proposed will encourage
more actions like that in the link below, which happened today. In Frisco, a non-transgender
man ran into a restroom to accost a non-transgender woman because she did not it his idea
of what a woman should look like: http://www.dallasobserver.com/news/self-appointedbathroom-cop-catches-dallas-woman-using-womens-restroom-8259104.
I ask you to consider what the City of Rockwall's liability will be if such a self-appointed
restroom cop decides to grope a restroom goer's breasts or genitals (potential sexual assault)
to determine "biological sex," or has a gun and decides to take more drastic action, then refers
later to the City's policy as providing justi ication for taking such action.

I would appreciate if we could meet before the Monday evening vote, either this weekend or
sometime Monday. I would like to learn about the problems this proposed ordinance is
intended to address, and would like an opportunity to provide information about the impact of
this proposed policy on the communities that will be negatively affected.
respectfully,
--

4/30/2016 8:09 AM

Proposed addition of Section 22-5 to Rockwall Municipal Code

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Nell Gaither, President, Trans Pride Initiative

Pronouns: she, her, hers
Community space: 501 Wynnewood Village, Suite 213, Dallas, Texas 75224
Mailing address: P.O. Box 3982, Dallas, Texas 75208
214.449.1439 | nell@tpride.org

Please help support the Dallas Trans Shared Housing Project

Make sure to visit our Trans Health Empowerment site!
Nell Gaither <nell@tpride.org>

President
Trans Pride Initiative
Attachments:

nell.vcf

276 bytes

4/30/2016 8:09 AM