Debbie Schlussel on Obama Appointee Amanda/Mitch Simpson, Ignorant Bigotry?

It is a common tactic of the Left to attack people personally instead of on the issues and it doesn’t wear well on Debbie Schlussel.

Amanda Simpson

I take issue with Debbie Schlussel’s article “Let’s Hear It For Obama Diversity: Meet “Amanda”/Mitch Simpson” . Those of you who read me know I am no fan of Obama. I might not support his appointment of Amanda Simpson to an Administration job if I knew her politics, but I can see no reason why her transgendered status has any bearing on her qualifications, or gives Debbie Schlussel cause to ridicule her.

I cannot understand why any man would want to undergo a gender transformation, sex change, whatever you want to call it. Just the thought of it makes me extremely uncomfortable and I believe that to be a normal reaction.

BUT someone I know in my industry went through this and I had to confront it on a more personal level than Debbie does in her column. More on that later.

Schlussel takes issue with Simpson being appointed just because she is transgendered.

Debbie Schlussel

Uh, sorry, but we don’t have government-mandated “equality” for people who get face-lifts and boob jobs. And there isn’t a need to do so for men who pay doctors to slice off their penises…..

…..PUH-LEEZE. I can just imagine how they are laughing at us in Greater Arabia. We have men, who voluntarily remove their manhood forever and wear lingerie and make-up, getting appointed to positions running our country. HELLOOOOO . . .? Sorry, dude-without-a-unit, it’s normal not to look past that.

It is a common tactic of the Left to attack people personally instead of on the issues and it doesn’t wear well on Debbie. If there are reasons Simpson isn’t qualified, then let’s hear them. And by the way, they are already laughing at us in Greater Arabia. When did we start giving a crap what they think?

A few years ago a business associate I have known for some time sent out a letter in advance of an annual trade show saying that next time we saw him he would no longer be Steve, he would be Suzie.

We were dumbstruck. Jokes were flying around the office. None of us could even comprehend the concept. Steve, in his 50’s, a man’s man suddenly decided he wanted to be Suzie. It just didn’t compute.

It is safe to assume that anyone choosing to undergo this procedure would be forced to change careers. Steve’s letter indicated he was going to stay in the industry and try to be accepted as a woman. This meant that the rest of us would have to attend trade show functions that Steve, now Suzie would be attending. I  was certainly uncomfortable with the idea but I wasn’t going to give up MY livelihood to avoid Suzie.

When we got to the first function Suzie was at it was uncomfortable for everyone there. There were many furtive glances and the whispers were the loudest conversations in the room.

That was several years ago. Suzie seems to have accomplished her goals of becoming a woman physically (shudder), living as one publicly, and has gained acceptance in her career from most if not all of her customers and associates.

Lessons learned:

1. People do not do this on a whim. You cannot just wake up one morning and decide, “hey I think I’ll have my penis removed and get breast implants”. There are years of counseling and screenings involved.
2. Steve had to be willing to risk everything to go through with this. He must have been convinced at a level none of us could comprehend he was born the wrong gender.

Over the last few years, we have gradually accepted Suzie as a business associate again. Though we don’t profess to understand it, most of us have gotten over the shock. Though it seems weird, in many ways Suzie is the same old Steve, a friend then, and a friend now.

Like it or not, it’s a new world out there with many things that are difficult to accept or understand. There is no law saying we have to but hating what you don’t understand is destructive and unproductive. Someone much wiser than I said “live and let live”. Maybe it was Jesus, maybe not, but it is good advice none the less. Debbie, if you’re listening, don’t be a hater.