By SARA Campbell – Associated Press
BATON ROUGE, La. A bill that would effectively prohibit transgender individuals from using facilities, locker rooms, and sleeping areas in public schools, prisons, and domestic violence shelters in Louisiana was approved by a parliamentary committee on Monday.
LGBTQ+ advocates claim Louisiana’s bill is one of the most wide-ranging and stringent in the nation, in contrast to a few other GOP-controlled states that have recently passed legislation known as “bathroom bills.” Opponents claim that the bill may worsen the situation and put them at greater risk of harassment. The Women’s Safety Protection Act, which was proposed by its proponents, was intended to shield cisgender women and girls from physical abuse and harassment.
The bill will be debated on the GOP-dominated House floor next week after it has been unanimously approved by the Republican committee. If the bill receives approval in the lower chamber, it will proceed to the Senate.
Louisiana’s bill would require public colleges to designate each room or changing area for “the exclusive use of either females, males, or members of the same family”. Similar regulations would be in place for bedrooms and sleeping areas in state prisons, juvenile detention facilities, and state-managed domestic violence shelters.
The bill defines female and male according to one’s natural biological system rather than their gender identity.
According to GOP Rep. Roger Wilder III, who sponsored the measure, “I’m standing for the fundamental understanding that there are biological differences between females and males.” The purpose of this bill is to prioritize people’s assurance in their privacy and security.
Critics argue that trans people should also be prioritized when protecting women. They argue that the bill would marginalize, discriminate against, and “deny the society and dignity” of Louisiana’s intersex and transgender people. LGBTQ+ advocates worry that if a transgender person is made to use restrooms or changing areas that don’t conform to their gender identity, they will face bullying, intimidation, and sexual assault.
“I understand that everyone is concerned about children. I’m even worried about children,” said Britain Forsyth, a transgender man who testified against the bill. “I only ask that we also worry about them because they are very scared.”
The bill from Louisiana comes amid a wave of local and state bills that target transgender people and extremely hostile language being used in statehouses. So far this year, at least 155 bills targeting trans women’s rights have been introduced across the country, according to data collected by the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization.
Previously, Louisiana’s GOP-controlled Legislature passed some bills described by opponents as anti-LGBTQ+ measures. At the time, then-Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoed the majority of the measures from becoming law.
However, with the new Republican governor, Jeff Landry, in office, lawmakers are once again considering a number of bills that aim to affect the LGBTQ+ community, including a “Don’t Say Gay” bill that generally forbids teachers from discussing gender identity and sexual orientation in public school settings, and a requirement that teachers use the names and pronouns that correspond to the students’ birth genders.
The state currently has laws in place that forbid transgender athletes from competing on sports teams that match their gender identity, as well as a ban on gender-affirming medical treatment for transgender minors.
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