Says Who?

Carrie Underwood, that’s who, and Jenna Talackova.

In common?  Two celebrities both female, although certainly debatable in Talackova’s case and both featured in the “Ministry of Gossip” column - the Los Angeles Times self-proclaimed “Gospel on Celebrity and Pop Culture”  - articles appearing two-months apart.

Not apart, but evidently rather on the same world stage with similar message if not the same page of music, are Underwood and Talackova when it comes to supporting gay “marriage” (Underwood) and non-discrimination against women (Talackova).

Both Underwood and Talackova are enthusiastically heralded as not only popular icons, but pioneering idols, by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), a gay rights group.

Underwood of course is the country music superstar “who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005” and this year is Billboard’s “reigning Queen of Country Music.”

I don’t know what Talackova’s talent is – presumably you have to have some to be a Miss Universe contestant – but Talackova’s most recent claim to fame is “her
gender-reassignment surgery.

“Talackova is back on for the Miss Universe Canada pageant, now that the Miss Universe organization has stricken down its rule requiring a contestant to be a 'naturally born woman’” which Talackova is not. 

“Talackova, whose Canadian passport lists her as female, had been disqualified in late March after the pageant became aware of her past as a man.”

But the on-again, off-again Talackova is on-again since the Miss Universe Organization had dropped the women-only criteria to now allow women-who-used-to-be-men.

Meanwhile, recognizing the difficulty Talackova and other  - about whom I’ve written previously - have accessing the bathroom, Green River Community College (GRCC) recently declared “Gender-Neutral Bathroom Week” on campus.  After all, the collegiate thinkers reasoned, consider “fathers with infants (who) often find that men’s restrooms do not have a diaper changing station”.  What are they supposed to do?  Change the diaper on the floor?  They should have access to the women’s restroom, per GRCC.  And the wheelchair-bound with a caregiver of the opposite gender – what about them?  So now – or at least last week during the time set aside to access any bathroom so-designated at GRCC – anybody, including transgenders, had a place to go.

While you may have missed the parade to the potty, the national and international podium does not seem to lack for the public spectacle spotlighting genderlessness.

There is currently a poll being conducted on Lakewood Patch regarding this issue should you care to cast your vote.