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Bathroom Bullies

A hot issue facing the Texas government is the new proposed Bathroom Bill.

The bill requires people to use public bathrooms that match the sex stated on their birth certificate. The bill was presented to the senate this year. Despite passing the senate recently, it is not in the clear yet. The bill faces much opposition. There is a clear partisan divide regarding the bill. Around 39% of Americans are in favor of the bill’s implementation, while 52% are in opposition to it. The bill is proving to be one of great controversy for the Texas government and its citizens.

The bill jeopardizes the unity of the Texas Republican Party, which controls all three branches of government in Austin. The lieutenant governor and the Senate are in support of the bill, while the chamber of commerce and the Texas Association of Business are strongly opposed. There are a multitude of factors at play in the proposal of this controversial bill that has stirred quite the pot in the Texas government.

Why is this bill causing so much controversy? Let’s take a look closer into the fine print. Senate Bill 6 (the bathroom bill) would uphold birth sex assignments for public bathrooms. This includes in public schools, government buildings and public universities. Here are some of the bill’s specific pieces:

  1. Nullify local ordinances that extend protections from discrimination to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents

  2. Will prevent a transgender individual from using the bathroom that matches their personal gender identity if they have not altered their birth certificate

  3. Protestors say there is no statewide procedure for doing this

  4. How can they enforce this?

  5. It would apply to public universities such as UT or Texas A&M, but not private universities such as Baylor and RICE

  6. It would apply to not only public schools, but also all schools receiving state money

  7. Accommodations for students are still acceptable with permission (e.g. allowing transgender students to use the Nurse’s bathroom). Is this embarrassing for students?

  8. Children under 10 years old can enter a bathroom of the opposite sex, if they are accompanied by a parent

  9. Civil penalties of 1,000-10,500 for schools or government entities that do not regulate these rules

  10. There is no penalty for the individual that uses the public bathroom of the opposite sex

  11. For penalties to be given, a person must file a complaint with the Texas Attorney General

The bottom line is, no matter which way you spin it, this bill is stripping a portion of American citizens of their liberties. The rules and restrictions embedded in this bill are meant to take away the rights of citizens of a certain gender identification. People will claim it is to protect the safety of these individuals or to make a more comfortable environment for everyone, but this is an outright lie. This bill is intended to serve a message to the transgender community. That message being: you are not the norm and we will make it unnecessarily difficult for you to live your life freely.

The same sort of bill was passed in North Carolina not too long ago. The passing of this bill received major backlash from businesses, entertainers, sports organizations and the movie industry. Most everyone heard when the NCAA moved March Madness out of North Carolina following the passing of the bill. What I was unaware of was that the negative consequences reached farther than that. It was estimated that the state lost more than 600 million dollars in the six months following the signing of the bill by Gov. Pat McCrory.

This same governor was then beaten out in the next election. So why, with all of these negative consequences, has the Texas government not realized how poor of a decision they are making? Texas will soon regret their decision proposing this bill as now some of the biggest GOP donors for Texas have openly spoken about fighting this bill until the end. The president of the Texas Association of Business put it perfectly:

“The message from the Texas business community is loud and clear. Protecting Texas from billions of dollars in losses is simple: Don’t pass unnecessary laws that discriminate against Texans and our visitors.”

The business community, such as the BSA, is counting on the Texas Speaker of the House, Joe Strauss, to be the “political backstop” for assuring the bill dies in the house committee.

It is interesting to see what lies ahead with this decision. Will the bill be passed and what happens if it is?

  1. Ura, A., & Murphy, R. (2017, March 13). Here's what the Texas bathroom bill means in plain English. Retrieved March, from https://apps.texastribune.org/texas-bathroom-bill-annotated/

  2. 'Bathroom bill' clears Texas Senate but still faces hurdles. (n.d.). Retrieved March, 2017, from http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/15/bathroom-bill-clears-texas-senate-but-still-faces-hurdles.html

  3. Poll: Partisan Divide on Transgender Bathroom Bill. (n.d.). Retrieved March, 2017, from https://w.graphiq.com/w/5tXQHBhmHZP

  4. Goodwyn, W. (2017, January 02). 'Bathroom Bill' Fight Brewing In Texas. Retrieved March, 2017, from http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/02/507910587/bathroom-bill-fight-brewing-in-texas


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