Imagine being a transgender college student just minding your business using the bathroom you wish to use when politician Cheryl Helmer tells you she doesn’t appreciate sharing a restroom at the Statehouse with a “huge transgender female.”

Imagine too that you are a politician falsely claiming transgender people are assaulting “wee little girls” in school bathrooms…

All doesn’t have to be imagined for Rep. Cheryl Helmer. Her hate-filled remarks were made just a few days ago via email from her legislator address to Brenan Riffel, who identifies as transfeminine and provided a copy of the exchange to Kansas Reflector.

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The victim of the situation contacted three other House Republicans and Helmer expressing her disappointment in their sponsorship of House Bill 2210 which makes it a crime for a doctor to perform gender reassignment surgery or hormone replacement on minors.

“No surgeon can cut, remove, wop, add to change the biology that is chemically occuring [sic] in each and every fiber, bone and molecule of every human being. A doctor can inject meds and dilute but cannot destroy what God has done in the perfection of the HUMAN BEING.”

Helmer wrote in her email response

The comments about sharing a restroom with a transgender peer are reported to be in response to Rep. Stephanie Byers who is the state’s first transgender legislator.

“Now, personally I do not appreciate the huge transgender female who is now in our restrooms in the Capitol. It is quite uncomforting. I have asked the men if they would like a woman in their restroom and they freaked out. Just to make my point — I went into their restroom one day. They were all standing in a circle talking but they all in unison started screaming like girls ‘Cheryl – you’re in the men’s restroom!’ It was quite apparent by their bright red faces that they were extremely embarrassed that I had entered ‘their territory’. But now we have a very unfair situation. We as women have humans that are much larger, stronger, more adrenaline and testosterone and therefore possibly more dangerous and we have to share our restrooms. Not only that but our wee little girls in elementary and middle and high school are having to be exposed and many have been raped, sodomized and beaten in the restrooms by these supposedly transgenders who may or may not be for real.”

Helmer continued…

All Riffel wanted to do is express her concern for the growing hate against Trans people and how the bills being passed can add fuel to an already hot fire.

“With the rise in attacks of trans people and with the growing acceptance of violence towards the trans community, it’s important to advocate and fight back this legislation that aims to erase us and make us targets.”

“Unfortunately, I expected such a bigoted and close-minded response.”

Riffel said

Continuing with her criticism of Helmer, Riffel added: “I am appalled that she is in office with such beliefs. My concerns about the well being of our trans kids was not addressed by Rep. Helmer and all I got back in return was blatant transphobia fueled by hateful religious rhetoric.”

“How embarrassing is it that this is the same argument that was said in the 1950s and 1960s about why you couldn’t have Black people in the same restroom — because they were predators. And you know, that stigma carries on. We still see it. Learn to live her life out of love instead of out of fear, and to put people first, above politics.”

Byers said in response to Helmers comments and actions

Tom Witt, executive director of Equality Kansas, said Helmer’s comments point to the motivation behind the attempt to ban transgender athletes from school sports.

“It’s rare that they say the quiet part out loud, but it’s clear that the backers of this bill are driven by nothing but hatred.”

House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, D-Wichita, said Helmer’s “dehumanizing commentary” is evidence the ban on transgender athletes is not about empowering young girls.

“It’s heartbreaking for the community at large. You get a 15-year-old kid who’s going to try to tell his classmates that he’s really a girl. And she’s all set, ready to do this. And she’s found a teacher who’s supportive, and she’s found a counselor who is supportive. And then an article runs about the state banning trans girls, or an article runs about other states like Alabama or Florida or wherever, considering or passing laws to ban affirmative health care. All that bravery begins to wane. Because the minute you say something, people are looking at you differently.”

Byers concluded by saying that 0.000047% of athletes in Kansas schools are transgender girls.

Read a more in-depth analysis of the comments HERE