Most people are still not comfortable with the idea of having to share a public bathroom with a trans person. In this case, there have been several bathroom bills that politicians are trying to pass in several states. But is the country ready to keep trans people out of public bathrooms for the sake of religious rights?
What Are Bathroom Bills?
Most bathroom bills that have recently been proposed aim to make sure trans people can only use public bathrooms that match the sex indicated in their birth certificate. This means that a trans woman who was born male will not be allowed to use a female bathroom in a mall or a restaurant.
It might seem like too much trouble to go through in an effort to limit a trans person's use of the bathroom, but most lawmakers are claiming religious rights to pass their bills. Wisconsin lawmaker Jesse Kremer states that it could affect the future. "Down the road, this basically blows the doors off of any boundaries in society-we'll have a completely sexless society," the Republican told Slate.
How Many Bathroom Bills Are Out There?
There have been several bathroom bills that were presented throughout the country although none of them have actually succeeded. In March, a bathroom bill that was aimed at public school students in South Dakota was denied by the state's governor.
A similar bathroom bill was proposed in Tennessee but it lost its sponsor. Meanwhile, another bill in South Carolina did not win against the State senate.
The Connection Of Bathroom Bills To Gay Marriage
Some believe that the sudden surge in bathroom bills was caused by the approval of gay marriage. Human Rights Campaign senior legislative counsel Cathryn Oakley spoke about how religious conservatives have now turned to bathroom bills instead of rallying against gay marriage.
"There's a sense that that battle is lost, but that energy remains," she told Slate. "I think that energy has unfortunately been diverted in the direction of attacking trans people, specifically trans kids, but also trans adults."
None of the recently proposed bathroom bills have been passed in the country (via MSNBC). However, there are more bills that could be proposed in the future.
