(I’ve omitted my personal information, everything else is exactly as I literally MAILED it TODAY to the Governor.)

Dear Governor Abbot,

I live in Lakeway. I’m politically conservative (I voted for you and Ted Cruz), I’ve been a conservative Christian all my life and attend and serve at one of the churches responsible for the Good Friday event at the Erwin Center, and I’m transgender.

I’m NOT an activist. I have a small computer repair business. My clients don’t know I’m transgender. A few pastors at church know I’m transgender (because I didn’t want it to ever be an issue) but no one in the membership knows. I’m very private about it, writing you is well – unusual to say the least.

I had surgery 25 years ago, never a moment of regret, and obviously don’t have any personal issues in using the ladies room. However, it does break my heart to see the vitriol from both sides over the whole transgender bathroom issue. I see my Christian friends jumping on board often in a nasty (and very UN-Christian) way against any accommodation, and likewise those in favor are vicious in their attack on conservatives and Christians.

Being transgender, I can assure you a predator in a dress in the women’s restroom is in reality the least of society’s problems. A predator can do it today, a law won’t stop him – he won’t care. I do however feel places like school locker rooms are NOT the place to allow even transgender students to be with the gender they feel they are (to protect the other students), NOR do I feel they belong in the locker rooms of their birth sex (to protect the transgender kids.)

There MUST be a compromise that will allow both sides to feel a sense of victory – and granted there will be those that aren’t happy unless they get EVERYTHING they want, but frankly I feel those people are interested only in their own agenda and care NOTHING about the people they claim to be championing, and these people are on BOTH SIDES!

Neither a grown adult nor kid in school born male who identifies, dresses and totally looks every bit a female should be told they have to use the men’s room, and vice-versa. THAT is dangerous, and an opportunity for you to show compassion to the transgender community. I think for school locker rooms they probably need some accommodation in the way of a changing area – EVERYBODY needs to feel safe. School bathrooms can be worked out. BOTH genders are using stalls with doors anyway or provide a separate bathroom – either way everyone is safe. Only the extremists won’t be happy.

President Obama doesn’t care about the safety of the people involved here one bit. He’s only concerned with continuing to appease his political supporters, and further his and his party’s agenda. Fighting his “decree” is the right thing to do. That does NOT mean we have to be in favor of the exact opposite with no compromise. This is totally doable and (if I must say) a political win if carefully done.

I know you understand the need to accommodate folks in difficult situations. This is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate that conservatives actually care about the PEOPLE directly affected by this and that the safety of EVERYONE is what is of utmost concern.

Thank you for your time, I’d be happy to have a civil discussion with anyone in your office about this.