MA RMV head defends new policy of 'transgender' drivers licenses on Boston talk radio show
Claims it's "concurrent with current medical practices."
Legislators asking for explanation.
March 19, 2009
The "transgender" agenda marches on. The head of the Massachusetts Registration of Motor Vehicles (RMV), Rachel Kaprielian, has arrogantly defended her decision to allow people to change their sex designation on their drivers licenses and state IDs - with simply note from "a medical provider".
As we've reported, Massachusetts has taken the extremely radical step of allowing a person's actual sex to be replaced with "the gender that the individual considers himself or herself to be" on official drivers' licenses and other state-issued identity cards! This was announced in January by Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) chief Rachel Kaprielian, a pro-homosexual activist and former state representative who was appointed to the position last May by Gov. Deval Patrick. According to reports in homosexual newspapers, the change was "implemented quietly" after Kaprielian worked closely with several homosexual groups and openly homosexual state Rep. Carl Sciortino (D-Medford), and was meant to help mainstream the transgender movement.
(Kaprielian is also in the news for her unpopular decision to stop mailing out notices of expiring drivers licenses -- often causing huge problems for people, but saving money for the RMV.)
RMV head makes bizarre statements on radio defending actions
Kaprielian appeared on the Nightside with Dan Rae talk show on WBZ radio in Boston on Feb. 20 as an in-studio guest. She was specifically asked about this new policy.
Kaprielian told the radio listeners the RMV now simply requires "the proof from a medical provider that the person has lived as that gender for a year, because that is concurrent with current medical practices and current laws of the Commonwealth".
She went on to say that "the question is sort of what defines gender, and the medical community has said loudly and resoundingly it's often something other than the old ways, the indices."
This is madness. There's no other way to put it.
Listen to Kaprielian on WBZ radio (with transcript)
(It's interesting to listen to the dismissive tone of her voice when being asked to comment on her actions.)
Not telling the truth
Unfortunately, Kaprielian is not telling the truth:
(1) Her reference to "current medical practice" is blatantly misleading. The American Psychiatric Association classifies individuals with transgender issues as having a condition called "gender identity disorder", a significant psychiatric disorder.
(2) There are no "current laws of the Commonwealth" that deal with gender identity (although they are attempting again to pass one this year). In fact, the term "gender identity" is not even officially defined. (Even "sexual orientation" is left undefined in Massachusetts and even federal law.)
And (3) the official RMV gender-change form mentions no requirement that the person has lived as that gender "for a year" - only that the person "can reasonably be expected to continue as such for the foreseeable future".
But more startlingly, for Kaprielian to state that "the medical community has said loudly and resoundingly" that there a new understanding of "what defines gender" is simply a lie. That is nothing more than homosexual propaganda.
This needs to be stopped.
Enormous implications for society
This behavior is officially classified as a mental illness by the mental health profession. Moreover, it will enable all kinds of fraud and abuse by sexually disoriented people. (See Article #4 below.)
The State of Massachusetts, through its power to issue official identification cards, is mandating the approval and acceptance of this behavior -- cross-dressing and transgenderism -- in the larger society. It will extend to businesses, health clubs, schools, government, and beyond.
A man using a women's restroom or women's locker room could now show police a legal, official Massachusetts identification that he "is a woman". He could get this on the basis of "the gender he considers himself to be" with the agreement of a "medical provider". A male elementary school teacher can start coming to school wearing women's clothes and using the girls' rest rooms or locker rooms. Likewise, women wanting to be men may insist on using mens' restrooms and locker rooms.
Law enforcement and security issues. Suppose a six-foot man gets stopped by a state trooper and produces a drivers license saying he's a female named "Sally"?
Medical issues. What about medical treatment affects males and females differently? Suppose a man with a female-sex picture ID is in an accident? Is there a possibility of medical malpractice?
Legislators asking for answers
At the urging of the public, a few legislators are starting to ask for some answers.
On February 11, Rep. Lew Evangelidis (R-Holden) and Rep. Karyn Polito (R-Shrewsbury) wrote a letter to Kaprielian asking for "background information regarding this policy." The following day Sen. Stephen Brewer (D-Barre) wrote a letter asking "how this decision was made." We've also been informed that Rep. Jeffrey Perry (R-Sandwich) has contacted the RMV on this matter, and that Rep. Elizabeth Poirier (R-North Attleborough) has indicated that she would contact them. But so far, to our knowledge the RMV has not provided any substantial information to any of these legislators.
Here are a few of the letters sent by legislators to Kaprielian
Unfortunately, it will likely take a show of force from the general public to make anything happen.
The public must not stand for this
This must be confronted by good people. We don't anticipate the Legislature standing up to this any time soon without a flood of public outrage to get them moving. It's up to us to stand up to this insanity. Something needs to happen soon. At the very least, a public hearing on this matter MUST take place.
