While Washington's politicians are busy arguing among themselves about the legality of gender bending, the practice is becoming more and more prevalent in their own river. That's right, there are gender bending fish in the Potomac, and much of this is believed to be caused by man made chemicals (State of the Nations River 2009). The politicians who wish to put an end to gender bending should start focusing environmental regulations, rather than how to prevent transgendered people from using the bathroom.
Gender bending chemicals are finding their way from human products into rivers and oceans, and having significant effects on the ability of fish to breed. This is caused by EDC (Endrocrine Disrupting Chemicals). They affect the way that hormones work in the bodies of vertebrates, including humans. They can be found in everything from female contraceptive pills, to hormone replacement therapy pills. EDCs have been seeping into rivers through sewage systems for decades and have had an observable effect on fish, altering male biology to make them more female - hence the gender bending reputation of these chemicals. It has been found that intersex fish (those who have had their sexuality compromised by EDCs) had their sexuality compromised by up to 76%. (University of Exeter)
REPORTS
The Consequences of Feminization in Breeding Groups of Wild Fish (NCBI)
State of the Nations River 2009 (PDF)
OTHER LINKS
Potomac River Threatened by Pollution, Congress, New Report Says (The Washington Post, 5-15-12)
Potomac River Pollution (Huffington Post, 6-10-16)
Hormone Disruption and Environmental Pollutants in Anacostia and Potomac River Fish, Washington DC (USGS, 2-28-12)
Potomac River Health Gets a 'D' On Latest Report Card (Cheseapeake Bay, 10-10-11)
Research proves ‘gender-bending’ chemicals affect reproduction (University of Exeter, 10-26-10)
Washington D.C.'s Potomac River is So Polluted That Fish Change Sex (What About Our Politicians?) (Disinfo 4-24-10)
Potomac River (Wikipedia)