SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A group of protestors marched inside the Utah State Capitol as dozens spoke out against a bill that would prohibit people from using the bathroom that doesn’t match their biological sex.
Utah’s Senate leaders said they expect a long debate about this bill on Wednesday.
Just under the Capitol Rotunda, dozens of protestors called on lawmakers to vote against House Bill 257, the so-called transgender bathroom bill.
However, some lawmakers said the bill doesn’t exactly do what the critics claim.
According to Senate President Stuart Adams, the bill doesn’t punish transgender people from using any bathroom they want; they would only be punished if they use it for “unintended purposes,” like loitering and voyeurism.
“I couldn’t find a penalty in the bill for somebody going into a space that is opposite of their sex. Because, if they went in and used the bathroom for its intended purpose, there is no penalty,” he said.
However, protestor Fenyx Winters said they’ve read the bill, and they don’t trust how Adams is interpreting it.
“Even if we did take them at their word, I still don’t think that that’s something we can trust. My concern is that we’re going to see more legislation like this and it’s going to continue hurting trans people,” Winters said.
Winters also said a trans woman would be at higher risk of harassment and assault if they had to use the men’s bathroom.
“Say a trans woman has to go into the men’s bathroom instead, if she looks and sounds like a woman, then she just looks like a woman using the men’s bathroom. It puts her at risk because she’s in with these other men,” Winters said.
Sen. Luz Escamilla said Democrats are worried about the bill conflicting with federal law, which could make the state miss out on millions of dollars in federal grants.
“We are very concerned of potentially losing funds on domestic violence and centers of rape and sexual assault [recovery] services. So, if they could modify this and put an amendment on that, that will be very helpful,” says Escamilla.
However, the floor sponsor, Sen. Dan McCay, said they’re still getting feedback about the bill from critics, supporters and even the press, although, he wouldn’t say if the bill would be modified before the Senate debates it.
“There are always concerns about how a bill is drafted, about how a bill is applied, and I think when you look at this bill, it’s certainly a sensitive issue and I’m certain we will see litigation aimed at this bill,” McCay said.
After the protest under the rotunda, the group of protestors marched to Gov. Spencer Cox’s office and chanted “Veto HB 257.”
