Transgender bathroom access

Kentucky House member
introduces school bathroom bill:

2019-DEC: Rep. David Hale (R) pre-filed a bill in the Kentucky House called the "Kentucky Student Privacy Act." If passed into law, it would force transgender students to use restrooms, shower rooms, and locker rooms based upon their birth-assigned gender. ₁

If an alternate restroom, locker room, or shower exists that no other students use, then transgender students would be required to use them. However, very few schools have such facilities set up for use only by transgender students.

The bill contains a clause that would allow any student to sue their school if they see a transgender student in a facility that matches their current identified gender.

It states that allowing transgender students to use facilities that match their current identified gender would:

"... create a significant potential for disruption of school activities and unsafe conditons; and ... create potential embarrassment, shame, and pychological injury to [cisgender] students."

(Cisgender students make up the 99.5% majority who are non-trangender, and identify their current gender as the same as their birth-identified gender.)

Nadeem Fauver, a recent male transgender graduate of a Kentucky school, said that the law would endager the safety of other trans students. He said:

"When I got beat up, it was a [cisgender] girl who did it, and I have no doubt in my mind that that would have happened more if -- especially once I started transitioning -- if I coninued to go the the women's washroom."

Daniel Villarreal, writing for LGBTQ Nation, said:

"Research backs up Fauver’s claim. A May 2019 study ₂ showed that lack of bathroom access leads to higher rates of sexual assaults for trans youth.

However, Hale defended his bill:

'It’s a moral issue and it’s a common-sense issue for individuals that are born as biologically male or female to use restrooms, showering facilities or dressing room facilities that are designated for specifically them. And especially for the individuals in the school system that are minors'.”

Related essays on this web site that you might find interesting:

• Main menu: About transgender persons and transsexuals.
  
  
• Conflicts over who should use which public washrooms

References used:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

1. Daniel Villarreal, "Students would be allowed to sue if they see a trans person in the bathroom if new bill passes," LGBTQ Nation, 2019-DEC-11, at: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2019/12/students-allowed-sue-see-trans-person-bathroom-new-bill-passes/?utm_source=LGBTQ+Nation+Subscribers&utm_campaign=56b4ba2f97-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_12_13_06_06&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c4eab596bd-56b4ba2f97-430840981
2. Gwendolyn Smith "Lack of bathroom access leads to higher rate of sexual assaults for trans youth," LGBTQ Nation, 2019-MAY-07, at: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/

Copyright © 2019 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally posted on: 2019-DEC-15
Author: B.A. Robinson