Why Mike Huckabee was (partially) right

Trigger Warning: The following is probably not for you if you think trigger warnings are necessary.

Mike Huckabee’s comments about being transgender have come under a lot of fire recently: “ I’m pretty sure that I would have found my feminine side and said, ‘Coach, I think I’d rather shower with the girls today.”

However, before we immediately start bashing him for this, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and think about it for a second. His point is that a widespread acceptance of trans-gender people might lead to a point where people use it as a means to achieve other not-so noble motives. Regardless of it’s accuracy, does bringing up this point make him a “monster” as some people have so eloquently put it?

In some sense, it can be argued that it does; he admitted that he would fake being trans-gender to sneak a peak at women’s bodies. It is accepted that that behavior is bad; Huckabee even implicitly admits it is (otherwise, he would not bring up this objection at all!). His admission that he would abuse the system if present, however, is perhaps not the best political move. But both having been and been friends with sexually frustrated high school boys, I can say that sometimes, they make stupid and immoral decisions based as a result of hormones and immaturity (note: this is not an excuse!). The fact that some would take a chance to sneak peaks at a women’s body is not really that surprising for anyone who’s been one. Certainly not the right thing to do, but it’s a) not surprising and b) not abhorrent (this will depend on your perspective on what morality is, but at least for me, it’s not).

His creepiness aside, there are some who think his statement is misguided. A common response would be: why would anyone put themselves through the bullying and the social oscatrism to look at a few boobs? Of course, the key point is that while there are high standard for proving gender dysphoria now and there is a large amount of social stigma associated with it, does not mean there will be in the future. Indeed, if social justice does win out, there would be no stigma. It is at that point that Huckabee’s criticism comes in. After all, there are people now we say they have “ADHD” to get adderall to help study (a pretty common occurance at my school). Is it really a big step to think that people would not abuse being transgender if it was more accepted?