The House Civil Law Committee approved legislation that would prohibit transgender individuals from using a public bathroom at a school that’s not in line with their birth gender.
The bill also prevents the "opposite sex" from using restrooms, changing rooms, or sleeping quarters at domestic violence shelters, correctional facilities and juvenile detention facilities.
It does not apply to restrooms at private or other public facilities.
Denham Springs Representative Roger Wilder said he’s trying to prevent a biological woman from having to share a bathroom with a transgender female, who was born a biological male.
“Women must know that they are truly protected from the vulnerability of intrusion, embarrassment, trauma; or unfortunately in worse cases; situations of assault,” said Wilder.
He calls the bill, "The Women's Safety and Protection Act."
Additionally the proposed law states, "no governmental agency... shall prohibit distinctions between the sexes with respect to athletics."
That means that sports organizations could prohibit people who transition from their birth gender from competing with individuals of the biological opposite sex. Essentially allowing bans against people born with biologically male genetics from competing against biological females.
An advocate for domestic violence victims, Morgan Lamandre, argued this legislation puts federal funding for domestic violence shelters at risk because Louisiana’s shelters would be in violation of federal rules.
“The bill as written would result, my rough calculations, in the loss of somewhere around $14 million per year in recurring federal funding for the shelters... which again is the vast majority of what they receive,” said Lamandre.
Trans advocate Britain Forsyth urges members of the House Civil Law Committee not to force transgender children to use a bathroom that aligns with their biological sex.
“I get that everyone is worried about kids. I’m also worried about kids. I’m asking that we also worry about trans-kids. Cause they are very scared,” said Forsyth.
Despite the concerns raised, Baton Rouge Representative Emily Chenevert looks at this legislation as a common sense bill.
“This is not to harm any child, but this is to bring some common sense clarity,” said Chenevert.
The bill also states that students shall not share sleeping quarters with a member of the opposite sex on school authorized events unless such persons are members of the same family.
The measure heads to the House floor for more discussion.