I too am suspicious of this convenient coincidence. More concerning is the continuing determination to equate transgenders and homosexuals with molesters and predators. The ABC reporter said "... already there is lots of confusion, .... Does this new law mean that a transgender, a cross-gender, even a predator will be allowed into women's locker rooms." By what rationale do you equate predators with transgender and cross-gender people. In the first place there is no correllation between them except in the minds of bigots. Secondly, predators are not protected by any laws to commit crimes nor are they willing to follow them. That's what makes them predators. A predator is going to enter any area, authorized or not, and commit a crime against someone and he/she is not going to tell a judge that they are innocent because the law said they could do it.

I agree with sillypeoplearefunny. The timing of this incident with the enactment of the new law makes it very suspicious. As an investigation been done to see if this man might have been sent by group itself? I wouldn't put it passed them to stur up fear using these tactics. Look at the fearmongering that Pat Robertson et. al. have done over the years about the "homosexual agenda." Come on you investigative journalists. Look into this!

Susan's repugnance masquerading as "love," disappointing as it is, is typical of those in her group. They have the right to believe what they want, as we all do. The problem arises when they deliberately mislead others in order to get their way, and that is what Susan has done here. No, this will not "happen all over the place." In the nearly 100 other jurisdictions with similar laws in effect, what they are claiming has never happened - and they know it. Men do sometimes commit crimes in public restrooms, but never, not once, has one of these men tried to claim to be a transgender woman. It doesn't happen. The only reason this incident "happened" is that Susan's group hasn't been very successful in getting other people to go along with their attempt to repeal the law. Susan's group believes that transgender people should be singled out for abuse and discrimination, that there should be some sort of "right" to do that. I guess most people in Montgomery County find that idea kind of mean-spirited. And besides, they know that they've already been sharing public facilities with transgender people all along, with absolutely no problems. Where does Susan think these folks have been going to the bathroom until now?

The Montgomery County Council thoroughly addressed these concerns, and there is simply no problem that isn't already addressed by existing law. This is about the desire of people like Susan to make life harder for people they don't understand or approve of, nothing more.

Susan SFO said "God bless and heal all of our transgendered brethren but don't let biologic males in our dressing rooms and don't make catholic schools hire transvestite teachers under this new law."

You words sound like those from a fundamentalist christian that has been misguided by Satan into doing his will. Not all transgendered people suffer from gender dysphoria many are inter-sexed. Meaning they do not suffer from an illness but were born with both male and female genitalia. Which means it is easy to extrapolate that God created them that way and to deny them an equal place in society is to deny God himself. For any Church to discriminate against them is discriminating against God himself. Further, to say inter-sexed people are a freak of nature is to say that God makes mistakes which means he (God) is fallible. God is not fallible but humans are and your views on this issue illustrates that. Go home and read the words and deeds of Jesus, never mind the old testament because Jesus is the new covenant. It appears by you thoughts that your church like many others have been infiltrated by Satan and has replaced the teachings of Christ with those of Abram. I prey that God will reveal himself to you and lift Satan's blind fold from your eyes.

Best wishes

MCA Said "...I am sorry - transgender people are what< less than 1% of the population? Why should the other 99+% be inconvenienced and even threatened, to coddle such a miniscule minority? Every council member who voted for this should be voted off the board...."

I am sorry but the constitution protects the minority ("

I sent the following to the Channel 7 news team, but have received no response indicating that they are following up. Therefore I will post it as a public comment:

I have some serious concerns about your story aired tonight, "Controversial Law on Gender Identity Tested."

If you have been following the enactment of the Montgomery County law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity, you know that Theresa Rickman's group has been making the claim for months that "men" will enter ladies' locker rooms if this statute goes into effect.

It happens that there are many jurisdictions across the US that have similar non-discrimination statutes, and none of them have had a problem with this happening.

This alone should raise your suspicions about this alleged incident. Who is this supposed male "club member," and have you investigated a possible relationship with Rickman's group? Given the content of their highly emotional political campaign, their relative lack of success in garnering signatures on their petition to repeal the statute, and the timing of this incident, plus the absence of similar incidents in other jurisdictions, the most likely explanation of this incident is that it was a member of Rickman's group acting to provoke a salacious story where there otherwise wouldn't be one. There simply is no controversy or cause for fear unless they create one, and I think that is what you have seen here.

I strongly urge you to follow up on this angle, and refrain from falling for the theatrics of this group. As newsworthiness goes, I would think that deliberate fraud and attempted manipulation of the media for political gain would be the more interesting and important story.

Best regards,

David Weintraub President, Equality Loudoun