WS Chronicle

Explaining how terribly HB 2 works among the masses

To the Editor:

I was in a clearly marked women’s bathroom. A person walked in wearing a beautifully tailored suit, white shirt, tie, close-cropped haircut and the shadow of a beard. The friendly greeting of “Hi, how’re you doin” came from a very low masculine voice.

The little girl with me said “Why is he in the women’s bathroom?” At which point the young man pulled out his birth certificate with the box indicating sex marked female.  “He’s following the HB 2 regulations that you must use the bathroom of the sex listed on your birth certificate,” I answered.

Meanwhile, you and a few other men are in a bathroom clearly marked men. A person with shoulder-length hair, face-full of makeup wearing a high-fashion dress and heels walks into the bathroom. You and a row of men are standing at the urinals with your penises hanging out. It doesn’t take much imagination to know what will happen next. Embarrassment and anger from the men; humiliation for the woman – and most likely some very nasty, ugly comments will be thrown her way. But she shows them her birth certificate: sex marked male. She’s following the HB 2 regulations.

HB 2 legislators and supporters: Is this REALLY what you want?  Do you understand that these are exactly the situations this legislation sets up?You claim that HB 2 will eliminate all those supposed predators and perverts but you can’t provide any supporting data for a problem that doesn’t exist.   Repeal this terrible piece of legislation now.

Lois Roewade

Pfafftown

Help us dodge devastating blow to The Arts

To the Editor:

The White House released its proposed budget to Congress today [March 16], officially recommending full termination of funding of both the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for FY2018.

Eliminating the NEA would be a devastating blow for arts and cultural programming all over our country, but we wanted to share with you specifically what a devastating blow this would be for Forsyth County.

Over the last 10 years, the National Endowment for the Arts has invested more than a half million dol-lars in Forsyth County’s arts commu-nity.  Among many projects too numerous to list, their support helped start the Creative Corridor Coalition and RiverRun’s “Films with Class” program. It has helped the National Black Theatre Festival continue to thrive and has built a digital database of Reynolda Houses’ collection.

Of course, this is just the begin-ning of the federal appropriations process and advocacy efforts must be sustained throughout. I wanted to urge you this morning to call your representatives and ask them to oppose any decrease or elimination of funding to the NEA, the NEH, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports PBS and NPR. It is important that we come out strong at the beginning of the negotiation process, so that there is no question of where Forsyth County stands on its passionate support for arts and culture for the people.

For more information about who to call and what to say, please visit the Americans for the Arts Action Center.

www.votervoice.net/ART-SUSA/Campaigns/47344/Respond.

Jim Sparrow

President & CEO

The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County

Marching for  Marshall would be fitting tribute

To the Editor:

At the home going service for former Commisioner Walter Marshall, Mayor Joines declared with a city resolution that the month of March be a month of mourning in behalf of the legacy that Walter Marshall established with his life example of community service.

That is a very respectful gesture. However, after giving it more thought, I am offering another way during the month of March to show our collective respect for Walter Marshall. Commit to taking out a lifetime membership with the NAACP. It’s only $75 per year. That equates to $6.50 per month.

If the community can establish this effort during the month of March, we will indeed be ” Marching with Marshall” during the month of March.

Perhaps your house of faith will join you in a life membership with the NAACP. I have started my lifetime membership. Will you march with me?

Fleming El-Amin 

Winston-Salem