Woman attempts to temper flames of transgender restroom debate with Puget Sound coffee chat

One transgender woman hopes to temper the flames of the controversial bathroom access issue with her event: “Coffee with a real live trans person.”

Jade Gee says her idea was born out of a saying she loves.

“The quote is that it’s hard to hate anyone whose story you know,” she said. “So that is what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to … let people know my story and know in a general sense the story of trans people, so … they know that we just want the right to use the bathroom, just like anyone else.”

Related: Legislator explains why she’s blocking transgender bathroom opposition bill

In December, the state Human Rights Commission made a rule that says people who are transgender are allowed to use public bathrooms based on the gender they identify with. A bill proposed in the state Senate would repeal that rule.

Supporters say they’re scared of the regulation because sexual predators could use it to pose as a transgender person and prey upon people using the bathroom, or locker room. They say that women, and particularly victims of sexual assault, shouldn’t have to be in a locker room with a man.

Gee thinks perhaps they just don’t know anyone who is transgender. She believes they don’t really understand the situation.

“I am just as concerned about my safety using the restroom as they are about theirs and so I want it to come across that trans people are not going about this in a blasé way,” she said. “It’s really important to us and it impacts us very deeply.”

Gee says that having to use a men’s bathroom would put her in danger.

Her Facebook event page is full of comments from supporters who say she’s brave for coming up with this idea as well as some critics, who say coffee won’t change their point of view.

“Coffee with a real live trans person” will be Feb. 20, 2-5 p.m.

Gee is still deciding on the location but she knows it won’t be in Seattle.

She says people who support the bill that would limit her access to the women’s restroom have largely come from Kitsap County, where controversy erupted when the YMCA announced open access to public bathrooms for transgender people. Gee says that’s why the coffee chat will be in Port Orchard, or somewhere in Pierce or Kitsap counties. She wants to do everything she can to convince those people to attend.

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