Minnesotans are the face of a new campaign by a national network of anti-LGBTQ organizations. The campaign, #askmefirst, features Christians imploring schools, businesses, and “transgender activists” to ask them for permission before allowing transgender people to use the bathroom.
A video released with the campaign’s launch last week features Emily and Jamie. The video doesn’t say where the duo are from. Their story is about a school that didn’t “ask them first” before making steps to be inclusive of transgender and gender nonconforming youth. The two parents formerly had children at Nova Classical Academy in St. Paul and were outspoken critics of what they call “gender confusion.” Both appeared at a press conference earlier this year with Republican Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen and spoke in support of barring transgender people from using the bathroom.
In the video released last week, they spoke of a “gender confused student.” Emily said, “This is a battle for our children’s innocence… It’s a battle that I think is worth fighting and I will continue it for other people’s children.”
The Ask Me First campaign was developed by the Family Policy Alliance — formerly called Citizenlink — which provides a network of financial and political assistance for Family Policy Councils throughout the United States including the Minnesota Family Council.
The latter sent out an email last week stating:
Ask Me First provides women an opportunity to share their real life stories in the hope that other women and families nationwide will have courage to speak up for common sense safety and privacy policies – in public school restrooms, locker rooms, housing, government buildings, on sports teams, etc.
Their stories are also meant to send clear messages to school administrators and legislators that there are serious consequences for moms, daughters, students, athletes, sexual abuse survivors and businesswomen when men are allowed to access women’s private facilities!
In the video, Emily spoke about how they brought in the anti-LGBTQ Minnesota Family Council to speak at the school. “We ran a little fundraiser. We got the funds together and we rented the gym at the school and brought in a speaker from our state’s own family council. It was great.”
Jamie added, “It was great. That was an event that was — I call it the labor of love because it was a labor of love.”
Emily wrapped up the video saying, “We made sure to contact various christian legal groups either locally or nationally and ask for their advice… we have our gut feeling we have the truth the Lord shares with us and we have the courts on our side we can be bold in fighting this.”
Together they both said, “Ask us first!”
Oh, for pete’s sake. You are NOT special. No one has to obtain your permission for a damn thing, Grow up, realize you live in a pluralistic society, and get over the idea that everyone has to worry about your feelings.
hahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahhaha. Oh my god this is dumb. “Ask me first” if your religious beliefs means anything to me. Answer: no. Get lost.
I have an alternate campaign to suggest:
“Mind Your Own Fucking Business First”
and last
and ALWAYS.
I believed you are doing a good thing. The people that complaint are those who doesn’t believed in God and care less about the bible. They only go to church, just to mocked God.
p.s. Brickbats to Andy Birkey, for giving these gross entitled bigots several inches of essentially unchallenged column space.
Geena M. Phillips, sign me up for the “Mind Your Own Fucking Business First” campaign!
Seriously (and I mean this in the polite terms possible) .. go pound sand.
But seriously: Exploiting rape survivors to try and support your childish, entitled bigotry may not be the absolute *lowest* moral depth to which a person can sink, but it’s definitely right down there.
But back to Andy Birkey: This idiotic campaign has been around for months. The reason you’re just now hearing about it is that it has gained NO TRACTION WHATSOVER, outside of the shitty, infantile bigots at whom it’s aimed.
So, thanks for giving these assholes free publicity, Andy
Oh okay so I have to ask you for permission before doing anything with my life. I got it. Okay I’ll make sure to start a public survey before doing anything from now on. How do you believe this is right?
Firstly, this is absolutely disgusting. It wasn’t too long ago that the Twin Cities were in the skies, leading the way for LGBT rights. Hell, our Pride Week (because it’s more of a week than a weekend around here) is one of the best, all-around citywide events you can find in the country.
I have several friends who are gay, bi, trans, lesbian, etc…. and it’s honestly never mattered to me which restroom they use, just as the details of their personal sex/romantic lives aren’t mine or anyone else’s business.
Some people, sadly, are so against change and forward thinking that it’s sad. Some people are scared of the smaller Earth we share… the world isn’t bigger, it’s getting smaller…. and one of the truths is that while the internet and global communications allow us to reach more people, etch ourselves into the digital medium with almost IMPUNITY… it brings everyone closer and closer together. These ladies have a lot of bigotry in their hearts… and now their neighbors and community know it.
I feel sorry for them.
I agree that men should not use the women’s room. But transgender women ARE WOMEN!!!!!
What horrible people. “Ask me first.” No. Fuck you.
“And maketh sure they ask whether or not you are alright with them urinating in the same pit as you, as that is the way of the LORD.” – Said Jesus never.
I’m a grown woman, I’m not asking for permission to use the ladies room. Fuck you.
If the answer is no, do they get to pee on your leg?
To the idiots who want this to be a thing, FUCK YOUR FEELINGS (in the words of my former Drill Sergeant).
“We made sure to contact various christian legal groups either locally or nationally and ask for their advice…” Well, that was a mistake.”…we have the truth the Lord shares with us…” From what Jesus had to say on the matter of transgender people, it looks like you’ve got it wrong to me.
Matthew 19:12 (NIV)
12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others–and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
and we have the courts on our side we can be bold in fighting this.” How do you figure that you’ve got the courts on your side in this matter? Bathroom bill challenges are still advancing in the courts.
You demand the right to make transgender people come to you and ask you for permission to use a restroom? Are you seriously that arrogant? Demanding such an act makes as much sense as the premise of this Irish marriage equality video; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ULdaSrYGLQ
I’m glad to see that there is little support for these Ask Me First knuckleheads in these comments. What, you mean you might say, Go ahead be my guest? Ha! I’m with Geena, Mind your own fucking business first, and Sara. I’m not asking anybody. And if you don’t like it, I don’t care.
So there it is….arrogance on full and public display. Only asking needs be done is if the potty is in your house. If not, I will ask you “can u please take a one-way hike?
‘gender confused, i dont think so, the child understands their gender, no confusion on the child’s end. they mention how other parent brought up compromises to the solution the school had in place and were shot down, they fail to detail any of these suggestions. goes on to talk about how they didnt want to hear from a proponent yet they brought in their own speaker and everyone heard the message, sounds a bit closed minded like consistent with a bigot…
If more people would actually listen to some transgender people maybe they would understand better. To call yourself a Christian and set people up to have to humble…humiliate themselves to “Ask Your Permission”. Why would you really want to embarrass yourself or another human being? God said to love one another. Now, that’s Christianity to me. What are you ladies going to do when your son comes home and says I’m not a boy, I’m a girl. Disown them, try to convince them God doesn’t make mistakes, what? What will you say to your child, that you love, that is your own flesh and blood? If it’s a sin, then I believe it’s up to God to hudge them, not you or me or any other human.
Here is an idea… go out and get a real job and stop wasting everyone’s time!!
Oh I’ll ask you by pissing on you and your religion. You are not a God. You do not and will not ever dictate you sicko ask to pee laws on me or my brothers and sisters. Sickos!
Let me get this straight… those “Christian women” are going to come up to me and ask if they can use the potty as well? If it’s good for the goose it’s good for the gander. Now, if you don’t let me use the potty, I’m going to pee all over your pretty new shoes, lady, or something much, much worse.
Why should anyone ask your permission?
Absolutely pitiful that these ‘ladies’ attempt to hide behind a ‘christian ‘ shield to make their bigotry ok. Arrogant, self-rightous, and insultingly naive. Somebody go poop on their porch….
Ma’am can I go to your house and use your bathroom, Maybe have lunch with you, I will use your sink too. Also not feeling to good could I lay down some where. Why are you asking me to leave, Would god do that.
I don’t know – seems like if someone told a trans person to “get over the idea that everyone has to worry about your feelings” they’d be called a bigot, yet it’s o.k. for you to say that to these women? Isn’t that the whole problem? The feelings of one person are trumping the feelings of another? Just trying to add a little balance to the conversation here.
Replace transgender with black, its quick and easy to seejust how greatly bigoted these people are. “MN conservative Christians want black people to “ask them first” before using the bathroom” Look how hateful that is.
The ARROGANCE! The way they sweetly spew hate is disgusting.
Race and gender identity aren’t the same though (pretty sure I can identify as whatever race I want, but I can’t force anyone to give me any of the privileges of that race), and it’s not about whether or not someone can pee, it’s about things like a transwoman with male genitalia changing in a locker room in front of someone else’s daughter. I think there have to be some boundaries. If not, then maybe we should just get rid of the indecent exposure laws entirely.
I am a Christian and I think it is none of my business what bits you were born with. I repudiate these hating people and all their works.
Fuq off holier than thou crazy fuqnuts
No, Minnesota Conservative Christians do not want you to ask first! THESE Mn Conservative Christians do.
maybe its just me but i cant figure out how to reply.. there is a comment about locker rooms, as a trans person i never used a public changing room. if i did have to use a public changing room while preop i would have not changed my underwear in front of anyone and turned towards lockers to change my pants/shorts. most of us have zero desire to make others feel uneasy in that settings nor do we want to strangers to know we are trans. instead of getting preachy or pissy about it why not just say ‘hay trans people if you dont mind could you be respectful towards others in changing areas’ it might be a little insulting but better than the message sent so far
[…] at The Column, Andy Birkey writes how Minnesota is featured prominently in a video campaign led by anti-LGBTQ […]
Completely agree Kayla! No transwoman that I know has ever wanted to dash about naked in the ladies changing room anymore than i wanna get naked in the mens locker room! I wanna pee in peace without anyones opinion on where i do so!
” Ask Me First ” the words of arrogant, self righteous women, assuredly not ladies in any way. They are voicing slime results of the Christian and Republican “Bathroom Myth,” which has been debunked many ways, and times over the past years. AMF women just where do you think WE Trans have been going to the bathroom, these past hundreds of years, without any difficulties until your Christian groups and the Republicans started these false, and imagined rumours, and actually had people set-up for false accusations. You are a group of assumer’s, and the definition of which is something that you assume to be the case, even without proof. Please note the, Without Proof part. Seems to show your arrogance as well as ignorance all in one step. Your video’s on U Tube are placed without comment, so truth cannot be inserted, to show you are a very mendacious group of people. The video’s are self gratuitous and made without taking any of the up to date medical knowledge of Transgender people into context, thereby, you lack veracity of what you say. Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. Stupidity is the deliberate cultivation of ignorance, an apt description of AMF.
[…] Minnesota there is a religious group that doesn’t want to deny transpeople the right to use the restroo… They want us to acknowledge that it is their space we are entering and that they and only they […]
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