Louisiana's so-called bathroom bill will take effect later this summer after Governor Jeff Landry signed it on Friday.
That legislation prohibits a transgender individual from using a bathroom or locker room at a school that does not match their biological sex. Rep. Roger Wilder (R-Denham Springs) says his legislation is designed to protect females, especially young girls.
“A 10-year-old little girl who goes into a bathroom stall and locks that door, she needs to know that it’s safe, she doesn’t need to be confused when she opens the door and goes woah, uh-oh,” Wilder said.
The director of the Louisiana Trans Advocates, Peyton Rose Michelle, says this law will only create more fear in the transgender community about bathrooms.
Wilder says women should not have to worry about a biological man who is now a transgender woman entering a bathroom.
“No women’s right to privacy should be contingent upon somebody’s belief about their danger,” Wilder said.
The legislation also applies to bathrooms and sleeping areas at prisons and domestic violence shelters. It passed in the House on an 80-17 vote and in the Senate by a 29-10 margin. Wilder says there was strong support for this measure.
“So we have some strong numbers that support the need for guidance and guidelines,” Wilder said.
After signing the bill, Governor Landry said in a statement that he’s proud to sign House Bill 608, which he claims protects women’s safety and reinforces the very definition of what it means to be a woman.
