Denton’s GOP Nominee For County Sheriff Will Put Transgender Bathroom Users In Hospital

A Republican nominee for a Texas town has recently started a debate on and off-line over transgender bathroom users by suggesting that he would put them in a hospital for using the same restroom his child was in.

The trangender bathroom argument has peaked over the last month, when the Republican-run state of North Carolina passed a bill that would not only prevent transgender people from using restrooms they sexually identified with but, preventing cities from making that decision for themselves.

Governor McCrory was on Meet The Press last week, answering for why he signed the law.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjbX_77e_KI

Forty-five minutes to an hour’s driving distance north of Dallas is a college town called Denton.

Denton is known for its hipster culture, music, and art scene, which many indie bands favor.

It is even home to major acts such as Neon Indian and members of The Polyphonic Spree.

The town has been at odds with the conservative Texas government, and both parties dragged into the news over a fracking ban the citizens voted for a few years ago. The Inquisitr wrote about the ban, which caused the state government to scramble and adapt new laws that took the city’s power to make that kind of decision, away from them.

Much like the battle of ideas that impacts districts nationwide, tea party conservatism is at the center of this city’s issue with transgender bathroom laws.

The Dallas Observer on #transphobic #GOP Sheriff candidate #TracyMurphree. https://t.co/uuMIxlllgx @JacieLeopold @TheAngryindian @gogopoet

— Haley's Unpopular Opinions In Twinkle Town. (@dxingwithhaley) April 24, 2016

The Dallas Observer recently published a report on a Facebook post by Denton County Sheriff nominee Tracy Murphree, who has threatened and called for violence against transgender people hypothetically using the same restroom his little girl would use.

The article spotlights a conversation between two parents who pragmatically, appear to make their case for why they would or would not support Murphree’s anti-transgender bathroom views, without resorting to faith-based ideologies, which make up a small percentage of the comments in the post.

One recalls Kim Davis, the country clerk who refused to marry same-sex couples due to her religious beliefs in August of 2015.

The Denton Record Chronicle however reports their response to his view where they cover a public forum with candidates, in which assaults on transgender people were questioned.

Guide: The 2016 Denton City Council Candidates and the Issues — https://t.co/fLqqBWASjS pic.twitter.com/1OxQRtXmPo

— North Texas Daily (@ntdaily) March 24, 2016

It notes that a Tracy Murphee supporter had asked via Facebook, whether they would be arrested for attacking a person who identified as transgender when using the same bathroom as their child in which Murphee said they would not.

The panel of city council candidates agreed that anyone attacking another should be prosecuted, no matter what they identify as.

Incumbent council member Greg Johnson made that very clear.

Johnson said the city should never sanction violence, adding that a person who assaults another should be prosecuted.

“We wouldn’t condone violence against anyone, period,” Johnson said.

The comments section of the article however, seemed to continue much of the same kinds of comments seen in the Dallas Observer article.

One was against Murphree, through the Facebook comment section for the media source’s page.

“Tracy Murphree is the judge, jury and executioner of anyone he feels does not fit the picture of a male or female. I feel sorry for anyone that naturally does not fit his model of a ‘normal’ looking male or female in appearance. He gets to beat them to near death first and then ask questions. Wake up do you really want someone who is a hateful bigot ‘serving and protecting you.'”

Murphree is a former Texas Ranger who won the primary against the incumbent Will Travis in March, and he now stands against Libertarian Randy Butler, in a field with no Democratic challengers, who are more likely to support transgender bathroom rights.

The same source out of Denton reported on his primary win, and explains how he got the support he needed for the run.

Murphree collected endorsements from the Denton County Law Enforcement Association, Texas Narcotics Officers Association, Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas and local police officer associations in Denton, Little Elm and Frisco, along with personal endorsements from many members of the Texas Rangers.

The report also says that support for Will Travis waned towards the primary deadline due to what many involved felt were stories about his shady business dealings.

Murphrees is looking to win the election in November, but there are currently no details on how he would enforce an anti-transgender bathroom condition, whether he has the support of law enforcement or not.

[Image by Nicolas Henderson via Flickr | CC BY 2.0]