Well here it is. During a committee meeting of the Arkansas legislature session Matt Mckee asked Dr. Gwendolyn Paige Herzig, who is transgender, “Do you have a penis?” Not only is this highly inappropriate it is also sexual harassment, plain and simple.
How do you think he would have reacted to one of his Democratic rivals asking his wife if she has a penis or personal questions about her vagina? I think he needs to be fired or at a minimum censured. Where does he get off asking shit like this? Politics has become a “Got you!” game lately. I am not sure why he would think this question was okay to ask. I have my thoughts on why he would ask it in the first place, maybe looking to somehow show she was breaking Arkansas law in some way or to berate her, both of which are evil. We are being persecuted for who we are.
Many states have been on a witch hunt against transgender people. Politicians feel like they need a boogieman to go after in order to get reelected. These people are making laws on things that have no idea what they are talking about. Arkansas has tried to ban affirming transgender care to anyone under 18, however the ACLU stepped in and brought a legal challenge, because it violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
Florida’s most recent entry into the crusade to go after transgender people, has been to make companies that pay for transgender care responsible for detransition care even after years of transition, even if the person is no longer working for the company. This is an abdominal action to scare companies into pushing transgender people.
Dr. Gwendolyn Paige Herzig, who is transgender, ‘Do you have a penis?’
Youth transition surgeries in general are rare if performed at all. In Arkansas, they have not been performed. There is a lot of evidence that hormone therapy improves the transgender mental health of youth. Remember it’s about political power not about health care. If it were about healthcare, they would focus on the 46% of us that turn to suicide as a way to escape society’s punishment of transgender people.
Life should not be a giant game of “Survivor” with life and death consequence for being exiled from society. Many religious zealots want to ban trans people because of their own faith but at the same time don’t want to follow someone else’s.
Let’s talk about detransition. Fewer than one percent of people who transition detransition. The overwhelming reason people detransition is not because they are no transgender but because of the way society treats trans people. Many find it difficult to find work, many families shun trans people. Society can be cruel to people like me.
Also, what about people born intersex? Are we now limiting what can be done for them? About 1.7% of the population has an intersex trait and about .5% have indeterminate sex traits. Many of these politicians have never meet a transgender person yet that are making laws against us. This is outrageous and must be stopped.
This Us vs. Them fight is all politicians know to get votes. Politicians only care about power because they get money on the back end. I am pissed that we have become the whipping post for this next election. Two more years of violence against transgender men and women will be forthcoming. Politicians push people to act with violence. t
Nonplussed – Arkansas legislator Matt Mckee asks
Dr. Gwendolyn Paige Herzig, who is transgender, ‘Do you have a penis?’
Author Profile
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Sophie Marie White, married with three kids, is a native of South Louisiana. She draws from her varied experiences as a writer, filmmaker, producer, Director of Photography, Chiropractor, EMT, firefighter, race car driver, and boxing promoter to inspire her acting and writing. She has been active in the film industry for the past 18 plus years.
Sophie began acting a little over a year ago. Since then she has been cast in several feature films, including Hummingbird and We All Think We Are Special. Sophie was also cast in several TV series including Tell Me Your Secrets and top of show, guest-starring role, on Chicago Med. In her first year and a half of acting, she has been cast in 3 television series, 14 movies, and 1 play.
She is also a syndicated writer, who writes on transgender issues in and outside the film industry. Her screenplays have won the ISA New Orleans Writers Award 2017 and have placed at Table Read My Screenplay (New Orleans, London, and Sundance), Final Draft Fellowship, ISA Fast-track Fellowship, and New York International Fright Fest.
Films she has produced from her screenplays have won or placed at numerous film festivals including AMFM, London Independent Awards, Imagination Lunchbox, and New Zealand Film Awards, just to name a few. She has even watched one of her produced films in the White House.
Sophie is a transgender female, and with her family, she’s making her way through the complicated transition process. She brings a unique voice that is extremely under-represented in the film and television industry. Her desire to share her journey will hopefully show others that there is hope, and they are not alone. Sophie tries to live up to her motto of love, light, and peace.
