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A proposed law would involve Oklahoma’s prison structure to house people according to their natural sex by regulating bathrooms and sleeping areas, and there is a lot of disagreement over it.
House Bill 3022 supporters claim it is a proactive measure intended to home transgender prisoners and shield them from physical attack. Reviewers say it’s superfluous, creates a logistical problem and is another assault on the right of LGBTQ+ Oklahomans.
Rep. Justin Humphrey’s legislation mandates that members of the same sex be allowed to apply each Department of Corrections room and changing area at the same time. Additionally, it stipulates that even members of the same sex can use sleeping quarters in DOC-run prison.
County and city inmates would be free.
Humphrey, R- Lane, said he’s watched other states, especially California, struggle with housing trans inmates.
Humphrey said politicians need to anticipate any potential problems, despite acknowledging that he is unaware of any problems with accommodation transgender prisoners in Oklahoma. That’s what he believes his regulations does.
” This bill is intended to prevent a significant population from today claiming to be transgender and claiming to be housed in a unique service because they identify as things various,” he said.
Humphrey claimed that it is less of a problem if someone has completely transitioned or is transitioning at the same rate or has sex differences.
” We’re not going to damage our entire system and put other people in harm, especially women in harm, by putting a female in that facility”, Humphrey said.
But Rep. Mauree Turner, D- Oklahoma City, said they question what politicians are doing when they see expenses like this. Oklahoma is consistently ranked in the middle 10 in training and quality of life for people, said Turner, who is nonbinary and uses they/them nouns. People have to choose between paying book and having, they said.
Over the past two sessions, legislators have banned sex- affirming care for minors, sex- natural birth certificates and trans youth’s participation in women’s sports. Additionally, students are required to use rooms in schools that reflect their natural sex more than gender identity.
Turner claimed that the state recently experienced the death of make young Nex Benedict in Owasso. The 16- yr- ancient died by suicide on Feb. 8, a moment after reporting abuse. Benedict’s dying drew a regional protest. Joe Biden, president, urged people to stop discrimination and address the issue of transgender and nonbinary junior suicide.
It is absurd to throw stones of community oppression at each other while keeping our hands a secret because we do n’t have any authority over our elected officials, Turner said.
They claimed that the act flagrantly disregards health transitions and that many trans people are unable to make the transition.
According to Turner, Oklahomans continue to witness the effects of transgender Americans and Loading being killed and assaulted in real-life, according to Turner.
” If we want to defend people in Oklahoma in our prison especially, we have real problems that we are facing”, Turner said. It is definitely abhorrent to force Receiving to detransition because they ended up in our prison before they ended up with the tools they needed to survive this condition.
Kay Thompson, a DOC director, said the company does include trans individuals.
Without setting any more parliamentary parameters, she claimed the agency handled the situation really well.
” I do n’t necessarily feel like this legislation fills a gap that we were missing”, Thompson said. ” I believe we have handled it very well on our own,” he said.
Doctors takes special precautions for trans inmates, giving them more medical care, ensuring they’re housed properly and feeling secure in their cover, she said.
” We do get all of that in great consideration in housing”, Thompson said. We currently work within those types of domains to make sure that we keep everyone safe, and we want to make sure that everyone is safe and comfortable.
Based on their genetic sex, residents are divided into different housing options. Doctors has not yet had someone come into their guardianship who has thoroughly transitioned, she said.
Nicole McAfee, senior director of Freedom Oklahoma, which advocates for LGBTQ+ right, said the policy is unnecessary. Transgender inmate circumstances in Oklahoma are handled individually, according to them.
According to McAfee, who uses the she/they pronouns,” the logistics of this act that may require Doctors to include birth certificates for every single person that they process just seems so far-fetched- fetched.”
They claimed that the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act establishes stringent standards to make sure that people are residing in facilities that do n’t discriminate against them based on their gender identity.
According to McAfee,” I think this bill would only cause issues if they had to comply with a situation where they had a transgender person in DOC custody.”
The legislation passed the state House in accordance with the parties. The Senate will consider it.
As a 501c ( 3 ) public charity, Oklahoma Voice is a part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news organization that is supported by grants and a group of donors. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: info@oklahomavoice .com. Follow Oklahoma Voice on Twitter and Facebook.
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