“Dozens of companies including Apple, Amazon, eBay, Intel, Microsoft, Twitter and Yahoo have signed on to an amicus brief in support of a Supreme Court case involving a transgender student’s fight over which bathroom to use at school,” Levi Sumagaysay reports for SiliconBeat.
“The case involves Gavin Grimm, a transgender student in Virginia who claims that the school board in his county violates his Title IX rights — rules that prohibit discrimination in education based on gender — by not letting him use the boys’ bathroom,” Sumagaysay reports. “‘Many amici employ and/or serve transgender people, and all amici are concerned about the stigmatizing and degrading effects of the policy adopted by the Gloucester County School Board, which restricts access to public school restrooms for transgender youth,’ the brief reads. Two big tech companies missing from the amici: Google and Facebook.”
“Some of the 53 companies that signed the brief, such as Apple, Salesforce, Twitter and Microsoft, also recently spoke out for transgender rights after Donald Trump’s administration’s move to roll back federal protections for transgender students,” Sumagaysay reports. “A federal appeals court last year ordered the school board to let Grimm use the boys’ restroom, but the Supreme Court put a hold on that decision. Oral arguments before the Supreme Court are scheduled to start March 28, and a ruling is expected in June. But there is talk about possibly putting the case on hold because of the Trump administration’s action.”
Read more in the full article here.
CNN Wire reports, “‘As President Trump has clearly stated, he believes policy regarding transgender bathrooms should be decided at the state level,’ the White House said in a statement. ‘The joint decision made… by the Department of Justice and the Department of Education… paves the way for an open and inclusive process to take place at the local level with input from parents, students, teachers and administrators.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Which version of the Designed by Apple in California coffee table book do you prefer? The larger 13 x 16.3-inch version for $299 or the smaller 10.2 x 12.8-inch for $199?
SEE ALSO:
Apple, other tech firms to support 17-year-old transgender student’s bathroom choice case – February 25, 2017
Why Apple won’t be hurt by denouncing President Trump’s decision to rescind federal transgender bathroom guidelines – February 23, 2017
Apple condemns President Trump’s decision to rescind federal transgender bathroom guidelines – February 23, 2017
Tim Cook’s Apple: More socially responsible, less visionary – August 24, 2016
Apple’s politics may be hurting its brand – June 29, 2016
Apple objects to North Carolina law company says discriminates against LGBTs – March 28, 2016
Apple backs U.S. bill banning lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender discrimination – July 23, 2015
These companies are ignorant for hopping on this issue-du-jour. They are not showing courage or leadership. They are deceived by the very basic purpose of our existence. Apple didn’t care about this issue 5 years ago and there is a good reason for that: It is a made up issue. We do not get to determine our gender because biology does that for us. Thinking or wishing yourself to be a different gender than your chromosomes dictate is a mental illness and should be treated as such. They need help, love, and treatment; without it they will lead a lonely, and depressed life. Parents who encourage this mental illness are abusive and doctors who “reassign” individuals either surgically or chemically should be guilty of mutilation.
Your statement shows massive amount of ignorance and is on the same level as Sun revolving around Earth.
There is massive amount of research and scientific study out there that clearly shows what gender identity (or sexual orientation) is, how it comes to be determined, how it can (and on rare occasions does) differ form physical manifestation of it.
Look, even if we agree that it may fall into a category of a disorder (or sickness, or whatever you wish to call it), we know that there is no “treatment” for it today. So, what is a man who feels trapped in a woman’s body to do? He is attracted to other women, he made everything he could to look and feel like a man. And now, suddenly, some law comes out that tells him that he must use women’s bathroom. If that weren’t profoundly offensive and hurtful for him, it would likely be actually titillating. After all, I’m sure quite a few men would love to have a legal excuse to walk into women’s bathrooms with impunity.
I can’t even respond to this, which has nothing to do with your comment, but when I try to think this issue out, I feel as though I just dropped into a maze of absurdity, and I have a highly developed sense of absurdity.
The issue really is absurd, in a sense. Yet it has invaded the high courts and raised up civil rights to a keen edge. We can all sound off on the internet about the matter, but our pontifications, and our feelings, won’t solve diddly-squat. If ever there was a subject ripe for lampoon this is it. Until it is all settled, I for one am opting for the bushes outside of the rest rooms. Not taking any chances.
thelonious, I think you’re Rush Limbaugh in disguise. You lurk and seldomly these days you pop your head up and compose a few short words of wisdom which sum it all up nicely in a bow-tied package.
Two-bit, failed, powerless congresswoman from delusional, cloistered, leftist enclave refuses to applaud American job creation:
Three points:
1. Actually, Apple DID care 5 years ago.
They were among the first companies in America to provide equal benefits to straight and gay employee couples. In 1993, they walked away from a deal for an $80 million call center in Texas because they saw the local community as being unsupportive of their position on providing same-dollar benefits to same-sex couples. In 2008, Apple was in the forefront in fighting California’s Proposition 8 to ban gay marriage, saying it was a “fundamental” civil rights issue, and donated $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign.
Apple has no choice but to take a position on the current issue. If it did not join in the amicus brief when almost every other firm in its industry is doing so, it would would stand out like a sore thumb and be perceived as taking a position in favor of discrimination against its own transgender employees.
2. You are entitled to your opinion on gender identity, quoted essentially from the manifesto of the American College of Pediatricians (with 500 members, not all pediatricians). Your opinion is rather emphatically opposed to the position of the American College of Pediatrics (membership 60,000+). I’m not an expert, but when the people who are experts split 120 to 1 on an issue, I’ll generally rely on the majority.
Finally, 3. The sainted Steve Jobs did not get an invitation to sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom by being nonpolitical.
has apple and other liberals asked Muslims how they feel about transgendered people using any bathroom? might as well since they are the same people who want us to open the borders to all of them in.
Many more people than you seam to know are getting born with BOTH SEX! Their chromosomes DO EXIST and all the damn bigots believes (all religions including) dont change anything to the reality.
ENOUGH WITH POLITICS!!!!!! I thought this was an Apple forum so let’s hear the newest and latest about Apple software and devices. I actually don’t give a damn what your political beliefs are!!
When some law forces a person who looks and thinks like a man (beard, mustache, well built, likes women) to go into women’s bathroom, I don’t care what was between that person’s legs at the time of birth, (s)he has no business in that bathroom; certainly NOT when my daughters are in there.
I can’t see how that is a problem to be solved by individual states any more than the interracial marriage (or right to vote, or to own slaves) was something to be left to the states.
But then, what do I know about your constitution; I’m just a foreigner…
In America “states rights” is coded language from the pre reconstruction era that persists, and generally means that locales want to be able to continue to discriminate or “hold on” to a way of life that has rapidly passed them by. It is primarily used by far right conservatives when they do not agree with a federal civil rights policy, and it typically involves southern states. It was the language of the confederacy. When a left leaning state like California invokes the same argument with regards to any subject, the right wing blows a gasket and tries to force them back into their box.
The really funny thing is that almost all of these state statutes were adopted to reverse the decision of a local government to provide equal rights to their LGBT citizens.
North Carolina didn’t pass its law until Charlotte passed an equal-rights ordinance. The Texas Bathroom Bill, together with an effort before the Texas Supreme Court to deny equal benefits to same-sex couples who are legally married, are responses to a Houston city ordinance.
Evidently, we should only promote local control for as long as the city dwellers support policies that farmers and ranchers find acceptable.
IN America, “states rights” are guaranteed in the Ninth Amendment, idiot.
NINTH AMENDMENT
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Actually, the Ninth Amendment read in conjunction with the Fourteenth warns the Government, whether federal or state, to heed the rights of individual people. States, as such, have no rights as against those retained by actual human beings.
wrong.
It is you who are incorrect, read the 14th amendment in its entirety and then apply it to the document as whole. That was its purpose.
The 14th Amendment does NOT contradict the Ninth, you stupid shit.
Which is more sacrosanct, states’ rights or individual liberties?
the latter, always.
further, those rights must be specifically enumerated in Constitutional amendments, if not, they belong to the people; that is, the states. Hence, the United STATES of America.
I refuse to get into another constitutional discussion with you since you parse and deliberalty mis interpret language. If you are unaware of the pollitcual definition and usage of “states rights” then you are tragically ignorant of history, or deliberately remaining obtuse when you know better. Co-opting genuine language and giving it a coded or double meaning has been the stick and trade of right wing groups since the “no nothings”, and the confederate states of America. Throughout Jim Crow and the civil rights era, states rights was used as the basis for their right to ignore federal policy for minorites. But if a left leaning state passes a state law leagalizing something counter to their worldview, which residents of the state or locality actually want, they march in the streets and attempt to force that state/locality into reversing the action. Or they secede and fire on American troops at first sumpter to protect their right to hold slaves. Every far right social issue since the early 19th century has been couched as “states rights”. We are the United States, if a federal policy is made or law passed it applies to all members of the union, and if you cannot understand that or are incapable of understanding the ninth amendment lanuage, or the 14th amendment which makes your argument void, then discussing these subjects isn’t something you should do.
Your knowledge of the Constitution is the void, cowgirl.
Then maybe you should explain your deep knowledge of the amendments in question, complete with citations, to prove your assertions in a argument. I have noticed that once you resort to name calling, you are well aware of the deficiency of your position. TxUser is correct, I am correct, and if you wish counter our collective legal knowledge I suggest providing information from reputable legal joiurnals that supports your position so we can have a reasoned argument. Otherwise you’re simply a drone who repeats whatever crazy media source’s opinion you listen to. He and I will patiently wait for your reasoned responses and look forward to actual intellect so debate, until then, good day sir.
Ah botty, the homophobe. When people like you use the phrase ‘pipeline timmy’ it indicates to me you have no idea of your own sexuality which causes fear. This in turn causes you to fear anything that doesn’t comport to your own ‘view’ of what normalcy should look like. Thus, your continued lashing out at anyone/thing that won’t fit your world view, actually country view as you obviously have no idea what occurs beyond the borders. Really, take a step back, maybe even smoke one and get your head straight, you’re a better Soviet citizen than an American one. You are the most pathetic American and no doubt have foreign eyes upon you as an ‘agitator’. Good for you.
I think you and others are wrong to brand botvinnik and others as homophobes with Freudian identity issues. This has less to do with individual psychology, and more to do with social policy, whether citizens should be compelled to coexist uncomfortably with those unlike themselves. Such issues are rare in Europe, at least according to my experience. But in the U.S. today, there has emerged an exceptional regionalism that fosters exclusionary views. It is much the same with remote Amazon tribes such as the Maloca, the Yuri and the Passé. America is exhibiting what may be considered a reversion to the Tribal Mean. Myself, I’m eyeing migration to Ontario, and good riddance.
You takin’ Cher with you?
If I were going to move to another country, I would go to France and join with Marine Le Pen’s campaign and their great battle for liberty from the EU.
Uh-uh. I fear that Cher would turn out to be a terminally annoying travelling companion. I couldn’t talk about lipsticks for three hours.
As for skipping to France, I’d be an immigrant there and Mme Le Pen frowns upon such. And the WWF French dictionary has just half as many words as the English. I’d rather return to Éire, as a citizen. I hear there are murmurings of an EU exit there too, as the EC hvae certainly overplayed their hand
You would be an articulate and eloquent advocate for a Free Ireland…home is where the heart is.
If a “constitution” does not respect human and individual rights, then it definitely HAS to be changed.
Then do it, that’s why there are amendments, jackass.
…you could call it Almux’s “Free To Pee” 28th Amendment.
The Constitution provides that an amendment may be proposed either by the Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures.
best of luck with that.
But we all know exactly what is the primary target of these laws: trannies (or drag queens). Or at least that’s how your average ignorant person perceives a transsexual woman.
Because, for those average ignorant folks, there is no sweeter punishment for such deviant, degenerate perverts than forcing them to go to the men’s room.
So, no, this was never about protecting women and girls from perverts in the women’s bathrooms. After all, there were never any known cases where such incidents happened. And even if such incident ever did happen, nobody would have ever succeeded in their defense by claiming to be transgender. You can’t prove you’re transgender by simply proclaiming it (and putting on a dress). It is definitely not that simple, and no court of law would ever fall for that.
So, no law was necessary to prevent such defense. Existing laws protect women’s bathrooms quite well. So, why this law? As I said, to punish “sexual deviants” for being what they are by forcing them to go to the bathroom where they will feel extremely uncomfortable.
I don’t know if that’s true… but I feel myself falling into the maze again.
Not quite. It’s clearly a beachhead against expanding human rights to new, reviled minorities.
You really talk to ignorant folks… Alas, they want it so! Some people will never do any effort to study a matter before criticizing blindly.
This is a long term drama and pulls humanity down since centuries… And this is the actual American government!
Why is this garnering such attention when this relates to less than 1% of the population?
Nothing like tackling the important issues! Look…a squirrel.
This shït is merely step conditioning to accept pedophilia as “okay.” First, condition the public that it’s “okay” for grown men to be in young girls’ bathrooms under the guise of “equality.” When that is saturated and accepted in the public mindset, acceptance of pedophilia is next.
Insanity.
Seriously, your vitriol toward this whole subject should raise some red flags for you. Get counselling before you buy the handgun.
I have amongst my friends several who are psychiatrists (and they are not homosexuals) who regularly notice that most of the homophobes are, in fact, repressed homosexuals. I thing, botvirnnik, that it’s time for your coming-out!
Too much hate is a sign of illness anyway.
Little botty, you are sadly confused, a victim of irrational fear and an severely uninformed, undereducated bigot.
Read this
http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_molestation.html
…and this
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/explaining-pedophilia
…and this
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/1932622
…and get a clue.
There’s not only no correlation, but as one source says, “It’s like comparing apples to rat poison.” The simple answer is that pedophiles are attracted to children, not gender. (Though, some pedophiles prefer one gender over another.)
I think your only option is to move to Saudi Arabia. You will find plenty to like there: they have no gays (and if they find any, they stone them to death), their women know their place (in the kitchen), there is none of this trans business there, just manly men and the women they own. You will never want to go back!
oh, shut up.
You are one paranoid motherfucker botvinick. Stay home, lock the doors and don’t look out the window. Me thinks you are a closet homosexual who hasn’t come to terms with yourself. The rest of the world won’t hurt you, only the people you hang out with. Man up or shut up, have you shaved lately?
speaking of conditioned, the cheese is in gate four, Rat.
Seriously though, have you had a shave yet?
Far easily baited than anyone I’ve seen.
You haven’t been posting as much lately, your changed he password again didn’t she.
Sorry if I’ve frightened you, just want you to accept what’s right in front of your face, then you can enjoy life the way you were meant to. Don’t fight it, it’s bad for the soul, if you actually have one. You’re now blocking my posts because you can’t think of a ‘Sean Spicer” response can you.
BotV must have been sent to bed early tonight, it seems he has ‘recused’ himself from his usual back and forth. Wonder what he did.
I don’t see the big deal, you go in, do you duty, wash you hands and get out. It’s not a hangout.
NOTE TO SELF
If you want your comments to be read, break them in readable quadrants; with a paragraph space between each.
If you want your claims to be believed, reference them.
If you want to kill off trollers, don’t feed them.
IF you don’t mind some of the language spoken here, don’t let your children come here.
If I called Siri Transgender would Apple f-ing fix it?
Apple used to be in the computer business, today not so much. Politics is not a good place for a company marketing to a broad audience.
Not long ago Apple pioneered giving partners- same or opposite sex- benefits coverage and this was long before it was considered mainstream even in Silicon Valley. They did the right thing, did not hide it, but also did not shout it from the rooftops. Apple should be looking out for fairness for all people- including the Transgendered- but within the company. Beyond the company only where it directly impacts their corporate behavior.
Make no mistake, I am an ally of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered communities- but not a blind ally. Great progress has been made in civil rights for those communities but getting too far ahead as with the bathroom issue is not going to end well- especially in Jesusland. Not every place is Palo Alto or Santa Monica- much less West Hollywood. The acceptance of Trans people is coming along in the broad culture but will do far better by changing hearts and minds than by legal edict or administrative decision. The last time the law was used to push a divided social construct on American society was Roe vs Wade and we are still dealing with the backlash some 400 years later.
Apple needs to stay out of politics at this level. To be honest, most Americans do not give a shit what Apple or Google think about bathrooms in public schools.
40 years later. Damned MDN app types strange from time to time on my iPad Pro.
People think that this doesn’t matter but look at target
They just reported a drop in sales and just at the same time while Walmart is actually doing better.
That’s because they lost a lot of shoppers with their whole bathroom debacle people refuse to support them
In all honesty in there should not ever be a debate about this we’re talking about 1% are actually less than 1% of the population who even would be affected by this if you have a penis you use the boys bathroom if you have a vagina use the girls bathroom simple as that
And I don’t understand why these transgender people can’t just use the bathroom that corresponds with what is between their legs why you have to car search up for inverse just because you think you’re a woman or you think you’re a man is beyond me.
Walmart and many other companies refuse to debate the issue And look no one goes oh boo boo Walmart isn’t supporting me.
Most of the population does not want this in sorry we should not have to kiss ass and bend over backwards for just a few people
As recently as 1967, the town where I live operated a separate “Colored School.” Most of the population did not want to integrate. The school system only stopped segregating when it was forced to do so by repeated lawsuits.
In 2015, the Atlantic profiled a high school in Cleveland MS that had 359 black students out of 360. The school system has justified this by claiming that if they fully complied with the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court of the United States and integrated the two local high schools, it would be so unpopular that there would be a taxpayer revolt.
I could point out a very popular barbecue place less than thirty miles from Austin that still (in 2017) has two entrances and two sets of restrooms. Most of the customers don’t understand why everybody can’t just use the bathroom that corresponds with their race.
Sometimes it is better to be right than to be popular.
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