Right-Wingers Want Constitutional Amendment Banning Trans People

Members of the Family Research Council have called for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would forbid the federal government to legal recognizing anyone's gender if it was not consistent with what the person was assigned at birth.

Right Wing Watch captured audio of the discussion between FRC spokesmen Peter Sprigg and Craig James on FRC's radio show Washington Watch With Tony Perkins Monday.

The panelists lamented recent gains in transgender equality, including July guidelines from the Department of Labor that confirmed federal prohibitions on sex-based discrimination extend to transgender people, in accordance with a 2012 ruling from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Sprigg admitted that right-wing activists -- who he calls "we in the pro-family movement" -- "have not been as prepared" to degrade efforts to protect rights based on gender identity as those activists have been in mobilizing against the "homosexual movement."

"Might Congress -- might there be a need for us to have a constitutional movement, an amendment, to identify a person's sex: It is what you are at birth?" asked James.

Seeming to agree, Sprigg went on to speculate how the federal government should regulate the gender of its citizens.

"I think the ideal policy for government with respect to [trans rights] is that your sex is your biological sex," Sprigg said. "My view is, that if your biological sex is unambiguous at birth -- if your internal sex organs, your external genitalia, and your chromosomal makeup all are unequivocal in declaring you to be of one sex -- then that is your sex for life, and that is your only sexual identity that the government will recognize."

Sprigg demonstrates a surprisingly accurate understanding of intersex identity, when an individual is born with chromosomes or sex organs different than or resembling both those generally considered "male and female."

"Most transgendered people are not intersexed," Sprigg says, using almost-accurate language. (Editor's note: Intersex, like transgender, is an adjective, and therefore one cannot be "intersexed," nor "transgendered." The Intersex Society of America generally refers to individuals "with an intersex condition." GLAAD suggests that journalists avoid using the term "transgendered," instead opting for "transgender person," "trans woman," or "trans man" according to how the individual identifies.)

"They're punishing us if we don't accept that they want to change their assigned sex," James lamented, before rattling off a list of cities where FRC and other anti-LGBT activists have opposed trans-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances. James uses the defamatory phrase "bathroom ordinances" to describe such commonplace policies that allow transgender people equal access to gender-segregated facilities that correspond with their gender identity.

"Gender identity, that might be the flashpoint, that might be the next thing we have to combat in this war with the LGBT community and those who are challenging sexuality," concluded James.

Listen to the exchange via RWW below.