Milberg's Musings: Protect more, fear less

Miami-Dade commissioners give first approval to extend county's human rights protections for gender identity, expression

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – By the numbers, relatively few people will struggle with issues of gender identity. Safe to say, many more will struggle to understand what that's all about, and/or witness the harassment or discrimination that many transgendered people describe.

What better reason to support the efforts of the Miami-Dade commissioners who gave first approval to extend the county's human rights protections for gender identity and expression.  

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Last week's committee vote was actually the second try, and it brought a similar show of opposition that suspended the first attempt last year.  A crowd of mostly (if not all) faith-based people who believe people choosing their own gender identity are committing a sin of biblical proportions.  

Their emotion and fear is authentic, though in this case, faith clouds fact, as in the red herring argument about who will use which public bathroom.

Having extended protections for race, religion, gender, age, and most recently sexual orientation, this community has evolved, and hopefully will continue to progress next month when this latest act of human inclusion goes to the full commission.

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About the Author:

Glenna Milberg joined Local 10 News in September 1999 to report on South Florida's top stories and community issues. She also serves as co-host on Local 10's public affairs broadcast, "This Week in South Florida."