Jesus Terrazas Terrazas, 1

Senior Portfolio

Argumentative

Arguments are a daily occurance in life, and in Huntington Park Institute of Applied

Medicine we learn to back up our arguments. A noticeable piece of work that displays

argumentative skill is the gender research paper that was assigned to me in the 11th grade in my

AP English Language class. The majority of this assignment was done independently at home,

with some time in class given to find reliable sources to support our argument. For this

assignment we were asked to choose a debatable topic to discuss and present our stand on the

topic. For this we were also asked to choose extremely reliable sources that came from the

EBSCO library and other sources that we found online. The topic that I decided on was gender

roles and how restroom policies should be handled according to these gender roles. Since in the

modern age we see a lot of different forms of expression for a person’s sexual orientation or

change in gender, restroom policies have been challenged due to these new forms of expressions.

My stand on the topic was that people who identify as a different gender, other than the one they

were born as, should be allowed to enter restrooms they feel comfortable with and have the right

to express themselves openly. This assignment is an argumentative piece because it forces me to

use credible sources as evidence to support my stand on a controversial topic. A piece of my

introduction that proves this is “Whether or not we like it, people should have the right to express

themselves as who they want to be and not be judged by others.” and another piece of evidence

that supports my stance would be from the article “Transgender Rights Fight Has Moved into
Bathrooms.” by Michael Scherer, which talks about the social differences between men and

women and how they wouldn’t be able to handle the “harsh realities of men’s spaces”.

For this assignment I met several student learning outcomes (SLOs), but the ones I

believe were completed the most are effective communicator and critical thinker. As an effective

communicator I was able to clearly state my stand on a controversial topic of my choice. By

being able to state my stand on this topic, I allowed my ideas and beliefs to be written on paper

and expressed with support. I was also able to use language that isn’t too difficult to understand

and by doing so, my stand on the gender debate was easy to understand and allows a larger range

of audiences to understand. I also used an easy to follow structure so that my ideas were easy to

follow and allowed me to address different aspects of the topic which range from politics,

medical studies, and general acceptance by society. A piece of evidence that would show me

being an effective communicator would be, “Whether or not we like it, people should have the

right to express themselves as who they want to be and not be judged by others.”. That shows me

clearly stating my point of view on the topic that I chose. As a critical thinker I developed a stand

on the topic of gender roles and bathroom use. I did this by creating a research paper that had

facts supporting my stand on the topic. As a critical thinker, I used credible sources in order to

back up my claim. I was also able to evaluate the evidence in order to use appropriate articles

instead of unrelated ones.

This assignment helped me improve in my argumentative skills since I had to find

evidence to back up my claims. I was able to argue prior to this assignment, but not to the extent

I was pushed to in this assignment. For this assignment I was required to look for reliable

sources, like articles, surveys, and interviews. By using these in my argument, I was able to
properly support my stand and have strong evidence to back it up. Although I did well on this

assignment, I believe I still need to improve on my the wording of my argument to make sure no

one is offended in the process of me explaining my stand. Another thing I would like to work on

is implementing higher level vocabulary into my arguments. This skill can be used in the future

in a situation in which I have to present an idea. Since I want to go into mechanical engineering,

I might be in situations in which I have to present an idea or go against an idea proposed by a

coworker. By having this skill, I would be able to defend my stand on either side. In mechanical

engineering, elements such as math and physics are applied. The results of different equations

could vary from person to person, so being able to argue my results would be a great skill to

have.
 The Bathroom Bill Debate

Have you ever been called a boy or a girl by accident, and then been teased about it? If

this feeling makes you feel inferior, imagine being told that you do not belong in the restroom

you’re in. In recent times there has been debates on whether or not to allow transgender,

lesbians, or gays into restrooms where they feel more comfortable. Many might believe that

you’re born the way you are and can’t change that, but what about those who identify as the

opposite gender?, “There is still this reluctance to accept trans people for who they are,” says

transgender icon, Janet Mock. Whether or not we like it, people should have the right to express

themselves as who they want to be and not be judged by others.

This debate has even moved into politics, to the point where the Supreme Court became

involved as well as other political leaders. In “Battle of the Bathrooms” an article written by

Michael Scherer, it is described how people who identify with a gender not their own are only

“perhaps three-tenths of 1% of adults, according to one study” (Scherer 3). Professor of law

Terry Kogan says, “One might think that it makes perfect sense, that bathrooms are separated by

sex because there are basic biological differences, that’s completely wrong” (Scherer 4). This

quote goes to show that even law professors disagree with the title of bathrooms being of

“biological differences”, they should be viewed as a place of equality for those who need to use a

bathroom, the bathroom they feel identified with. She later goes to the history of

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different sex bathrooms by saying, “Policymakers... argued that women were weaker and needed

protection from the harsh realities of men’s spaces” (Scherer 4). This again supports the fact that

they weren’t separated because of “biological differences” but because women were thought to
be lesser than men. The same argument brought up again in 1957 with the segregation of

African-Americans, with people asking, “Will the white girls be forced to take their showers

with Negro girls?” (Scherer 4). The battles for bathroom equality has always been present since

the creation of different sex bathrooms, now the argument is if people can enter the bathroom

they want. In 2014, Gavin Grimm, a sophomore at the time, was given permission to use the

boy’s bathroom even though he was a girl at birth. Due to mass confusion and debate he was sent

to a converted utility room, he described his situation as “nightmarish”, filled with “untellable

embarrassment and humiliation” (Scherer 5). The school may have thought they made the right

choice in allowing Grimm to enter a converted area, but instead they made him feel great

humiliation. Aside from that, they segregated and prevented him from feeling like a normal

student, which goes back to why people should be allowed to enter the bathroom they feel the

comfortable in.

This statement goes back to the feelings of transgender people, this humiliation and

harassment they experience can become the catalyst for suicide amongst these people. A survey

conducted by Jody Herman demonstrates the increase in suicide, “A 2016 analysis of a survey of

more than 2,000 transgender college students found the rate of suicide attempts increased 40%

among those who said they had been denied access to a bathroom. In a separate survey of 100

transgender people in Washington, D.C., 70% said they had been denied restroom access or

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harassed, and 58% said they had avoided going out in public because they feared being able to

find a bathroom” (Scherer 7). This survey shows that transgender people are forced to live in the

shadows due to discrimination and can be forced to look at suicide as the only solution to this
problem. As I mentioned before, many people in society don’t accept the transgender community

and many think it’s a disease that can bring negative effects, but the American Medical

Association as well as the American Psychiatric Association state that, “with same-sex attraction,

there is no treatment to reverse it, and many of the negative effects arrive not from the personal

experience but from the social reactions to it” (Scherer 8). Society needs to learn how to accept

people for who they are and not discriminate against them, instead of making them feel

segregated they should be treated the same as everyone else. A second article, “The Transgender

Con: Rending Bodies and Twisting Minds” by Selwyn Duke supports the idea of that social

oppression can lead to psychological damage, “that forcing little Justin to suppress his “identity”

and not become Justine is psychologically damaging” (Duke 1). Again, this psychological

damage can lead to higher suicide rates among the transgender community.

The political view on this subject is double sided, while some support the LGBT

community others don’t. Many conservatives from states like Arizona, Maryland, Kentucky and

Florida are against gender neutral bathrooms because it’s “necessary to protect people’s privacy

and public safety.” These conservatives use this argument to prevent all gender bathrooms, but a

more common argument seen is “that allowing transgender women to use the women’s room

would open the doors up for sexual predators or peeping teenage boys to use those protections as

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a dangerous ruse to get into female spaces.” This is a plausible argument as there is no way of

monitoring who goes in and out of these restrooms, but “​No evidence has been uncovered
showing that such fears are warranted​.​” On the contrary “ Media Matters called up the 17 largest

school districts governed by such policies and asked them if they had experienced any incidents

of harassment or inappropriate behavior; ​they reported none had​.” On the other hand, liberals

believe that these arguments are affecting the lives of transgender people, and they use the

survey conducted by Jody Herman. The conservative argument is for the safety of the people but

Ashley Smith has “​read that this bill is supposed to protect safety. Well, what about my safety?​”

Dan Patrick responded by saying that ​“I don’t want sexual predators masquerading as being

transgender to enter into a bathroom to follow a little girl, or somebody’s wife, or somebody’s

daughter.”​ Which again goes back to the argument of public safety, which liberals say that it

doesn’t have any evidence to back it up.

The current generation is much more acceptant of people’s differences opposed to the

older generations whose views vary from extreme to minimal acceptance. According to Miguel,

from “Infinite Identities” by Katy Steinmetz, “he is sometimes bullied at school, but he also finds

acceptance: “People in my generation, if they hear something new, they’re like, ‘Oh, O.K.’”

(Steinmetz 6). Rowan views this argument as “Essentially what they’re arguing about is, Should

trans people be allowed to exist?” (Steinmetz 6). Rowan’s view should make people think and

put themselves in their shoes. How would you feel if politicians were discussing your existence

regardless of your thought. Kyle also supports Miguel’s statement by saying “says that teenagers

today are more empowered and more aware because of social media. “We are able to see a

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bird’s-eye view of all the different types of people that are in existence,” he says. “That exposure

opens people’s eyes a little bit.” (Steinmetz 5). “Every different type of identity that exists

should

be supported” (Steinmetz 7), says Marie Mcgwier who identifies as queer and gender

nonconforming. Many people are coming out now more than ever before because it’s acceptable,

far more acceptable than a few years ago. But now that it’s acceptable the LGBTQ community

has to face more problems that have to with private places, in this case the bathroom.

I haven’t had much experience with a transgender, lesbian, or gay, but the ones I have

met are average people. They are typical people like the rest of us and they deserve to be treated

like the rest of us. Their sexual preferences shouldn’t interfere with their civil rights. The one gay

man I met had a very energetic personality, he wasn’t depressed about being gay, on the contrary

he was happily living his life the way he thought was right. He was a hardworking individual

who never had any problems with anyone and lived like a woman. The only lesbian/transgender

woman I met is also very nice and typical person who lives her life as a man. She, on the other

hand, does struggle a bit with her father accepting who she is, but me and my family treat her the

way she identifies herself. The opinion her father has on her does affect her emotionally. As a

younger woman she believed her father didn’t love her so she began looking for ways to make

him happy. She soon found out that it was her sexual attraction to women is what made him

upset. She did not find that to be a problem, but her father viewed it as a sin. Soon after she

found this out she left her home and came to the United States. Here she also faced some

discrimination, but she also found more people with the same sexual preferences as her. She now

lives a normal life with minor discrimination.

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In conclusion, I believe that people should go into the bathroom where they feel the most

comfortable or the one they identify with. They shouldn’t be harassed in any way because they

are people just like the rest of us, and should be treated as so. The question I would ask you

would be how would you want to be treated if you wanted to work at some place, but they

rejected you because you were too ugly or tall? You would want to be treated like everyone else

right, so treat others the way you want to be treated.

Work Cited

● “Transgender ‘Bathroom Bills:" Inside the Debate.” ​Time​, Time,

time.com/3974186/transgender-bathroom-debate/.

● Jarvie, Jenny. “Texas' Bathroom Bill Debate Shows a Widening Gap between Liberal

Cities and the Conservative State.” ​Los Angeles Times​, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2017,

www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-texas-bathroom-bill-20170724-story.html​.

● Scherer, Michael. “Transgender Rights Fight Has Moved into Bathrooms.” ​Time,​ Time,

time.com/4341419/battle-of-the-bathroom/.

● Steinmetz, Katy. “Gender and Sexuality: Beyond He or She TIME Cover Story.” ​Time,​

Time, time.com/4703309/gender-sexuality-changing/.

● Duke, Selwyn. “The Transgender Con: Rending Bodies and Twisting Minds.” ​The New

American​,

www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/24013-the-transgender-con-ren

ding-bodies-and-twisting-minds.