Page 4 - Boca ViewPointe - August '20

Page 4, Viewpointe August 2020
It’s Time To Learn, To Know, And To Understand, Part III

By Harold Katz, R.Ph. differences at birth... external organs that do not match Bruce Jenner, athlete, Olympic medal winner, auto racer,
his/her gender identity. who became Caitlyn Jenner as an adult, a well-adjusted
(Some readers may feel This is a well-studied subject. Some sociologists and female.
uncomfortable while reading social scientists tell us that there are not just two sexes. LGBT people of all colors and shades of the rainbow
this article. Familiarity with There are five. They include: strive to eke out a place in society. However, therein lies
the facts will, hopefully, Male the problem. Some archaic state laws (and some archaic
assuage this discomfort.) Female thinking people) prevent them from doing so. Title VII
LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Hermaphrodite (a person with reproductive organs of of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 stated that there shall be
Bisexual, Transgender) is a both sexes) no sexual discrimination in employment practices in the
rainbow type organization, Merms (pseudo male hermaphrodites, having testes United States. That seems straight forward enough, but
whose members exhibit, like and some female genitalia, but no ovaries) over the years, appeals and interpretations of this act have
the colors of the rainbow, variations in chromosomes, Ferms (pseudo female hermaphrodites, having ovaries “muddied” the results in some states. Here in Florida,
hormonal disparities, DNA differences, or other factors... and some male genitalia, but no testes) a 2011 law states: “Gender Identity discrimination is
and like the rainbow… there are shades of difference Babies born with these anatomical variations number prohibited in public and private employment.” As this
even within the groups. One such group is identified as about 1 in every 1,500 to 2,000 births. Sometimes the article is being written, mid-June 2020, the United States
Intersex, which includes babies born with anatomical anatomy difference is visible at birth. On occasion, the Supreme Court has just handed down a decision that
full extent of the variation is discernable upon reaching “companies cannot discriminate on the basis of sexual
puberty. Medical and surgical interdiction is an option orientation and gender in the workplace”. This is a victory
The Future sometimes made at an early age; however, the Intersex for LGBT employees in all 50 states and, hopefully,
Civil Society Organization, a group of peers within the
eliminates one area of discrimination. Some will object
LGBT organization, frown at this approach. They prefer to this court decision, but it is now the law of the land.
By Judith Levy letting the child/person determine where they will be more Other types of discrimination that LGBT people
comfortable in terms of gender as they mature. The term struggle against include: healthcare disparities, housing
I used to look LGBTQ is used to describe someone who is ‘questioning’ defaults, public accommodation discrimination, bullying
forward to the future. where he/she belongs. While the frequency of occurrence and harassment in schools, and marriage discrimination.
There was a wedding of Intersex births is small, we can empathize with the These will be reviewed in the next issue of ViewPointe.
coming up, a trip we new parents, who, when asked ‘did you have a girl or a The more we learn about these problems and those of
were taking, a Broadway boy’, the honest answer is ‘we don’t know’ or ‘we don’t other minorities, the more we will be able to understand
show we were happy we know yet’. Many Intersex babies mature to a comfortable their needs. It’s time to learn to know and to understand.
had gotten tickets to, a position in life. Many LGBT babies of all stripes and
neighbor’s anniversary colors make a life for themselves. A recent example is Harold Katz, R.Ph., Edgewater Estates 
party, a grandchild’s
graduation, there were so many joyous events coming
up I had to get a larger appointment book because each Board Of Directors
day was so crowded with things to do, I needed more
room to write them down, but no more.
Everyday is boringly the same. Get up, do a few April 2019 – April 2020 Officers/Executive Committee
chores around the house, and then what? I don’t go any
place except to buy necessities and be careful to stand Chairman and President Barry J. Haberman District 5 Dan Gabrielle (La Corniche)
back. What’s that called, social distancing? What’s Vice Chair Steve Retzer Esplanada, Caravelle, Palomar, La Corniche,
social about that? Vice President Gail Ehrlich and El Dorado
People who looked like friends are now standing 2nd Vice President Jim Collins District 6 Marvin Lazarowitz (Villa Stel)
Villa Flora, Montego Bay, Villa Stel, and Palladium

back afraid to say hello or get into the elevator with Secretary Steve King District 7 Joyce Britt (Villa Sonrisa)
Harvey
Treasurer
Kaplan
you. I go to get my mail, if someone is there, I’m The Plum/Cortina, Villa Sonrisa and Pointe 100
cautious and wish no one were there at all. When has District Directors District 8 Len Kagan (Costa del Sol)
a neighbor become a possible threat? I would want to District 1 Alvaro Fernandez Caballero (Encantada) Costa del Sol and Costa Brava
flee if they happened to sneeze, and I don’t like any Encantada, Valencia and The Palms District 9 Robin Gliboff (Edgewater)
coughing either. Clearing your throat, well that’s okay, District 2 Steve King (Imperial Royale) Edgewater Pointe Estates and Stratford Court
I’m not altogether nuts. Promenade, Imperial Royale, Imperial, Regency
I miss feeling happy. Now I just feel apprehensive. and Panaché At Large Directors At Large Directors
I used to be a news junky, now I don’t really want District 3 Steve Retzer (La Mirada) Through 2020 Through 2021
to listen at all. They keep telling me over and over, La Mirada and Meridiana Carsten Bethge (Valencia) Howard Davis (La Corniche)
how many people have gotten the virus and how many District 4 Bob Greenstein (La Paz) Jim Collins (Caravelle) Gail Ehrlich (Villa Flora)
have died, and they tell me Florida is now the largest El Viento, La Paz, and Southwinds Harvey Kaplan (Meridiana) Barry J. Haberman (Encantada)
Petri dish in the country, so if I felt good when I turned
on the TV, I don’t anymore. I can just soothe myself
with commercials about how I am not remembering
things anymore. Well, that’s not true. I remember the Norbert Graber, R. Ph.
good times, the fun times, the times when I shared and Lynn Graber, R. Ph.
with a friend. Those times are gone and all that’s left
is hiding behind a closed door and praying the guy
who is delivering food is not bringing more then what
I ordered in the way of a helping of trouble.
I used to tell jokes, I don’t anymore, nobody is
laughing, humor is a thing of the past. Now caution
is the theme of the day. I think the laugh is on us.

Judith Levy is the New York Times best-selling
author of GRANDMOTHER REMEMBERS, which
has sold over four million copies, and the mega best-
seller GRANDFATHER REMEMBERS, published by
HarperCollins. 

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