The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a press statement on July 5, 2022, announcing that it is charging a Davenport, Florida, RV park owner with discriminating against a former tenant who is a transgender woman.
Nathan Dykgraaf is the owner and manager of 21 Palms RV Resort, Inc. HUD charged him with discriminating against a former tenant of the park who underwent gender transformation. He allegedly sent a letter to the tenant, stating:
“I have been informed of your actions to have your sex changed to a female. I am told you have started taking the necessary medication and that after a period of time, your change will be completed. To avoid problems, you must: 1. Act as a man. 2. Talk as a man. 3. Dress as a man. 4. Avoid tight clothing that is revealing sexual organs. If you follow the above steps, trouble will be avoided. Sincerely, Nathan D.”
HUD announced it charged Dykgraaf with engaging in discriminatory housing practices and violating the Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing providers from discriminating due to a tenant’s gender identity.
Damon Smith, HUD’s General Counsel, stated in the complaint: “The conduct alleged here provides a clear example of unlawful discrimination. This charge makes clear that the Department will take action to stop housing providers from subjecting transgender tenants to such unlawful conduct.”
According to the press statement issued by HUD, the charge will come before a United States Administrative Law Judge. However, either party to the action could elect to have the matter heard in U.S. Federal District Court.
Read the HUD press release here. The complaint filed by HUD can be found here.
The complaint stated that the tenant feared being evicted and stopped dressing as a woman and expressing her gender identity. After receiving the letter, she avoided neighbors and RV park staff and curtailed her use of the park’s amenities. The tenant filed the complaint with HUD in Feb. 2021. She and her minor child moved from the RV park in August.
HUD said Dykgraaf responded to their inquiry in March 2021, stating the tenant was “not free to engage with other tenants about her clothing and transition that makes them uncomfortable. It is considered disruptive to the community.”
“As a result of Respondents’ discriminatory conduct, Complaints and Complainant [redacted] minor child suffered actual damages including, but not limited to emotional distress, lost housing property, and out-of-pocket expenses,” the charging documents said.
“No one should have to change how they express their gender identity to maintain their housing,” said Demetria L. McCain, HUD’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “Setting restrictions like these is not only unacceptable, it is illegal. This charge demonstrates HUD’s commitment to enforcing the Fair Housing Act and ensuring housing providers meet their fair housing obligations.”
##RVT1060b
And you are not addressing the topic being discussed. We are discussing men in women’s restrooms. If you aren’t going to make a positive contribution to the conversation at hand, I suggest you refrain from getting involved.
I reread the article and saw nothing in it about men in women’s restrooms. And even if restrooms are the issue, which restroom is an hermaphrodite to use? I have experienced women in a men’s room because of the long line at a women’s restroom because of lack of potti-parity. I read the article to be about being discriminated against because of PERCIEVED gender. (I do agree with another commenter – “Don’t ask don’t tell.” – because I don’t really need to know about someone else’s deep down personal life.)
Well Kelly R., the discussion a few of us were having focused on men in ladies restrooms. As you can clearly see by reading the responses, most women agree with me. But to specifically address your “category” (hermaphrodite), that would be an infinitesimal number of people that would fit that description. Be that as it may, if they have that “exception to the genetic norm”, then I guess they would be able to use either. But if you were born a Male, you should use the Male Bathroom! Vise versa, if you are a female!
Ok Ed, you win. (The infinitesimal number in the USA is estimated to be about 3 million.)
I am not sure where you received that stat from but I would appreciate it if you could share the site? Thanks.
PS: This was not about winning, or losing. It is a discussion. Thanks for participating Kelly!
I did a little googling and found a number of sites varying from 1.7 to .08%. I just decided to take 1% of the population. 1, 2, 3, or 4 million, what is the difference? They had noting to do with their birth and they have the same rights as all Americans. Some choose a gender to live with early on. Others who change later in life just found out a little later. Having been brought up on farms, I learned about the “third” gender, if you will, at an earlier age. Once-in-a-while genes, chromosomes, DNA, whatever, gets screwed up. All still God’s creatures. It is not for me to judge, their birth was not my fault.
Hey Kelly, as I said earlier, they are the exception. My beef is with biological males feeling like a female today.
“RV” travel has a story about “RV park”
“RV park owner with discriminating against a former tenant who is a transgender woman.”
If I was a RV park owner, after reading the article. tomorrow I would be going over things you can NOT say and do to tenants and renters with whatever staff I had. Even if you did not have enough common sense not to treat people, our CUSTOMERS, a certain way, there are Federal laws against it. As a friendly reminder of course.
FWIW: Most people would consider me a far right religious zealot. I never thought RVT was either right or left, I thought it was just a well managed website and forum. The article was just facts with no comments.
When my comments get deleted, I think about what I did to get it deleted, and try not to do it again. Or I do not bother to post or read the channel anymore.
Sorry Mike, gotta agree with John B
Well, here you are, Mike. We’re a “leftist political mouthpiece”? And how do you know “he” deleted your comments? Maybe it was our c*ap filter (and that’s not CPAP, BTW). Or maybe it was me? But I want to see what our other readers think about your derogatory (and totally inaccurate) name-calling. And did this article you put your comment on not involve “camping,” or, in this case, an RV park? Hmmm? –Diane
“Derogatory”? Please. It’s called speaking the truth.
And frankly, I don’t care what other readers think. I’m not here to please others or agree with them.
And BTW, it’s spelled “crap”. Or is that too offensive for you?
“Don’t ask and don’t tell” is the best way to handle it. I won’t ask you what you are and you don’t broadcast your sexual preferences to me.
Xcellent ! James…
I agree with James, tired of hearing about this gender stuff everywhere!!
In reading all of this, I did not know that so many people looked under other people’s skirts or pulled down other people’s zippers. I have no idea what kind of “equipment” any of my friends, acquaintances or persons in the grocery line, have. Nor do I need to know. I am not a urologist. “I’m an American, I have the freedom to do __, or to do__, or to do__, but I’ll be damned if you have the freedom to do what you want to do.” ????? If you are not driving head on in my lane of traffic, affecting my freedom of life, I will let you alone and you can let me alone.
well said
If offering public accommodations the landlord cannot discriminate on this basis. Personally I would find no problem in restrictive communities with everything spelled out in rental agreement. In this case is gender change covered as cause for eviction? If not the landlord is in the wrong.
It’s the owners property and he should decide who he rents to.
If you want to discriminate, start a club, or a klan. Everyone’s money is green, last time I checked.
Really? No matter what?
Caucasian, African American, Asiatic, Native American, Mexican, Irish, Protestant, Catholic, Republican, Democrat, White bathroom, Black bathroom, back of the buss, not in my neighborhood….
Discriminating because of this discussion subject is no different.
I’ll bet you were against businesses requiring masks because it restricted your rights. It was offensive to me that people dismiss science and refused to wear a mask indoors and risk other people’s health.
I think the bigger picture we all need to address is what is appropriate and respectful of all people,( the person and the rest of the park) and what is the real solution, not just another bandaid. The gender dysphoria problem was addressed by Johns Hopkins University as a mental health issue, not a physical issue. There are a LOT of stories now of those who changed and now want to change back. I think those who suffer this condition need to be treated with a lot of love and respect first. Let them know you care then broach the subject. Really sad we live in a world where self is promoted above EVERYTHING else. There is a sickness darkening this world and we will all be subject to a GOD less society soon. There is less concern for life and respect of others every day. America was great but is being destroyed by this mess.
I believe that citing Johns Hopkins as having “addressed” gender dysphoria as a mental health issue is misleading: this is a reference to a hotly disputed paper produced in 2016 by the hospital’s former chief of psychiatry (in other words, someone who views the world from a psychiatric perspective) and then published in the conservative outlet New Atlantis. The Baltimore hospital was in fact the site of the nation’s first gender-affirmation surgery (then “change of s*x operation”) in 1966, and after a hiatus resumed gender affirmation treatment in its Johns Hopkins Center for Transgender Health, also in 2016. The “mess” that is destroying us, IMO, is our inability to stop dictating how other people should live and love.
Why are personal choices and decisions such a “hot button” for so many people nowadays? What’s next, some arbitrary maximum waist dimension and minimum chest dimension for women and minimum bicep measurement to be considered a “man”? RE Bathroom use, I wonder if all those concerned are taking inventory by opening stall doors to be sure a person’s “equipment” meets their standard. IMO we have too many people, usually conservatives, forcing their beliefs and personal feelings on others nowadays. What happened to “live and let live” or a person’s right to their own “pursuit of happiness” as Tom Jefferson wrote?
“people forcing their beliefs and personal feelings on others nowadays”, Really Roger? The LGBTQ… is a huge minority in this country yet they insist that we (the majority) absolutely adopt their beliefs, wants, and wishes with penalty for not. I don’t like something shoved down my, and my children’s, throat by anybody. Want to be gay or trans or whatever, great, don’t care, but don’t dictate to me that I have to accept and adopt it.
AGREED, STEVE!! It sounds more like the Administration shoving it into people’s lives. I’m sure all those who are “Different” just want to be left alone. For me: Don’t bother me. I don’t bother you. I’m not here to judge.
Also, women are bone tired of their legitimate concerns being swept under the rug & derided about Fred-Flintstone-in-a-dress being entitled to use women’s bathrooms. Replacing women’s restrooms with “unisex” is NOT the answer. It’s tiresome that men don’t have to get saddled with this utter complete disrespect.
I agree 100%
I totally agree. Having just been called names for my previous comment, it shows the wide gap between reality and feelings. Yet feelings are only allowed for alternate reality. If you want to dress and live as something other than what you were born as, it’s your own business but not your right to push it or demand that everyone else cater to you. Tolerance has to go both ways. Clearly it doesn’t.
I wholeheartedly agree with Jewel.
Well said Steve.
Roger, IMO it’s the other way around and I’m truly disappointed in your comment.
While the letter from the manager is wrong & overstepping his authority and not relevant to his job, the rights of all the tenants to feel safe and comfortable matter.
In addition, there is no discrimination I feeling uncomfortable around a deviant behavior. When a person feels the need to change into something they aren’t, that is exactly what it is -a feeling. Feelings can change but biology can’t.
Feelings are also internal – and projecting them on others and forcing them to react a specific way (as in having to address someone by pronouns and name that are not reflective of facts presented – a man dressed as a woman is still a man) is the crux of the issue. It should be on the person thinking they can change {bleeped} but it becomes everyone’s burden to make that person feel better and “validated” (trigger word of the decade).
Sad times we live in. I hope the minor child of this person gets appropriate mental health care.
It is related to biology (science). So they didn’t change into something they aren’t. Different DNA than you. Not deviant and not expecting validation. Just asking for no discriminating letters that they shouldn’t receive in the first place.
Wow! Nature produces a vast array of anomalies with respect to gender. As Homosapiens we strive to rise above our animal instincts. When self-selecting to rise above fails, good on HUD for taking appropriate action.
This world has gone off the deep end with this nonsense! There are only 2 genders: Male and Female. Neither can be changed, or altered to become the other! That…..is Science!
What rock are you hiding under? Surgical removal of the male parts and a replacement vaginal opening along with female hormones will complete the look and feel. I’m not saying I agree to change {bleeped}, just saying it can be changed.
You CAN’T change the chromosome, it was born with. Male are male..female are female
Actually, you are the one that is under a rock! Apparently you also have rocks in your head. You can not change DNA and Chromosomes, no matter what you physically change with surgery. A Male will always be a male and a female will always be a female! So quit taking the leftist talking points and get educated!
You as you say you are lost…..yes you can change the LOOK but dna NO ….. most want you to accept or force you to accept what they think….be who you want to be but stop forcing it on others to accept it…your choice to enter the area of contra versify.
Unless XX can become XY or vice versa, no, it can’t be changed.
Correct!
Amen!!!!
I agree! Sorry but bathrooms come into question in this situation and I agree with the owner.
Umm . . . where is there any reference to bathrooms being an issue here? And let’s not get into Adam and Eve–that just raises the sticky question of how they acquired any grandkids.
Common sense makes a reference to bathrooms. Men need to use the “Men’s room” and Women need to use the “Women’s room”!
Unless you go in the stall with them, how would you know?
It is amazing that you can discount all of the safety factors that are disregarded when a man goes into a ladies room! If it were your teenage daughter that was in the same restroom as a man, are you telling me that you would be just fine with that?
Thank you, Ed D. I’m tired of those who dismiss & deride this legitimate women’s concern. The fact that many of these new “ladies” identify as “lesbian” is part of the problem, including the issue of real lesbians sick of being hit on & harassed by trans “women.”
I totally agree with you Sheryl. This country has lost its mind !