US "bathroom laws", on balance, are justified and beneficial to society.

Before I begin with my case, I'd like to make something clear. This debate is 5 rounds long and the maximum character limit has been set as high as possible. Both of these are in place to encourage both debaters to create robust and complete arguments so that this debate is as fruitful as possible. While the opponent's "introductory arguments" are fine for Round 1, I fully expect that they will be threshed out in his following speech. Remember, if you can write your full argument in one paragraph, you probably should be discussing the issue in the forums instead of taking on debates on that issue. With that said, I'll present my opening arguments and rebut the opponent's introductory case. The Case1. Transgenderism is not a mental illness, but rather a natural phenomenon. According to the American Psychological Association, being transgender is not considered to be a mental disorder. [1] Furthermore, I state it as common knowledge that transgender people do actually exist. Given these two facts, it can be logical concluded that transgender people actually experience a gender identity that is different than their biological gender. It is important to understand this as a natural phenomenon and not some odd mental illness, as it legitimizes the status of transgender people as citizens deserving of equal rights. 2. Laws that promote equality without doing harm are beneficial for society. Premise: "Bathroom laws" are pieces of legislation that promote equality. A person or group is considered "equal", in this context, if they both have access to the same priveleges and opportunities as other groups. Not too long ago, transgender people did not have access to the bathroom matching their gender identity, whereas other members of society did. Under that system, there was clearly a lack of equality present. It should be mentioned that there is no actual necessity for having bathroom segragated by gender or gender identity, as a "man's" bathroom has all of the necessary facilities to accomodate both sexes. As such, it is not a valid argument to claim that a "mans" bathroom is not capable of supporting biological women, or the inverse. Premise: Allowing transgender people to use the bathroom of their gender identity does not cause noteable harm. There has never been a case in which a transgender person has used their status to molest someone in the bathroom opposite their biological gender. In other words, there is no empirical evidence that exists implying that this law would cause any increase in bathroom rape, molestation, or voyuerism. Approaching this from a logical standpoint, it is easy to see why. Predators are often effective because their existence is unnoticed until they commit the crime. It is often fairly easy to tell when someone is transgender (though not always), meaning that they stand out to observers. This is the kind of attention that a sexual predator would never want to have. As such, sexual predators do not and likely will not claim to be "transgender" in order to attack someone.3. "Bathroom laws" are consistent with the principles and ideals of the United States. Both the Constitution and Declaration of Independence make it clear that "freedom" is central to the ideology of the United States. The Declaration of Independence loudly declares that "all men are created equal", and large swathes of the Constitution specifically deal with insuring that people's rights can never be taken away. Our Founding Fathers understood that though people have many different and conflicting beliefs, it is critical that we ensure people's freedoms. Group A's freedoms are more important than Group B's resentment of said freedoms. Considering this and my previous arguments, it is clear that these laws aren't just beneficial, they are also just. In fact, any law that removes a person's freedoms without due cause works against the ideals of this country and are greatly unjust. These laws do not take away from anyone's freedom, but only adds to those already existent. Laws demanding equality are the most just form of lawmaking in the United States, as they harken back to the ideals that thrust this country into existence so long ago. The Opponent's CaseThe opponent did not say much in his opening arguments, so this will not be a particularly long section. Additionally, there was no clear separation of arguments, so I'll just be following down his speech in order. While I usually to not employ the "quote and respond" rebuttal, the extra space allows me to do such, as it does make things a little more clear. Note that I will be paraphrasing, though I'll strive to retain meaning. "Bathroom laws are ridiculous. "This statement is an opinion. While it is important that each person holds an opinion, they alone do not carry weight in a debate. "The men's restroom is called the men's restroom for a reason. Same with women. "I don't contend this. However, it stands to reason that people who consider themselves men would use the men's restroom just as people who consider themselves women would use the women's restroom. The sign on the door does not say "biological men only", but merely says "men". Ask any transgender person who wants to use the men's restroom whether they are a man or woman; you'll find their answer is consistent with the gender displayed on the door. "If one day I decide I am the Governor of California. .. "This is not a parallel example, as a person who truly believed themselves the Governor when they are not would be labeled "delusional". As I proved ealier, being transgender is not considered a mental illness, whereas believing you are the Governor when you aren't would be considered a mental disorder. "If a maniac decides he's a man . .. but I don't see why I should have to play along. "Bathroom laws do not demand that you play along. In fact, unless you are transgender, bathroom laws do not apply to you. You are still welcome to use the bathroom you always have, in the same places you always have, in the same way you always have. Claiming that you should have the privelege to not share a bathroom with a transgender person is the same as a racist claiming he should not have to share a restaurant with a black person. When you use a public bathroom, there is an understanding that you will be sharing said bathroom with the public. If you have problems with certain members, you have the right not to use the bathroom. You don't, however, have the right to dictate whether others can use the bathroom. ConclusionI have demonstrated that "bathroom laws" are just and beneficial to society. I have furthermore demonstrated that my opponent's bare-bones argument does not stand up to reason. I leave the opponent with this: If there was legislation in Congress to force biological men to use the women's bathroom and vice-versa, you would be furious. This would be understandable -- as you consider yourself a man and, as such, you would like to be able to use the restroom that men use. The exact same issue is what is currently facing transgender people. You may not personally understand what it really means to be transgender and you may fundementally believe that the feeling is a choice or a rouse. Ultimately, though, their motivation for being transgender is none of your business. You don't have to agree with what they are, but you would be doing harm to the ideals of this country by claiming that they don't have the right to be who they are or that they don't have the right to the same priveleges as everyone else. Sources:[1] - . http://www.apa.org...;