Texas adopted the transgender bathroom bill of North Carolina and after 13 consecutive hours of public hearing, the bill passed key votes. The bathroom bill will require transgender people to use public bathrooms that correspond to the gender listed on their birth certificates.
The hearing had transgender-rights supporters opposing the bill and they were heard by the Senate committee at the Texas Capitol. More than 400 people gave their testimonies against the bathroom bill and included are the parents of transgender school children. The key votes that the Texas transgender bathroom bill received 7-1 votes, ABC News reported.
One of the parents, Chelsa Morrison, said her eight-year-old daughter Marilyn was bullied after she underwent gender transition. If the bill will be passed, Morrison feared it would devastate her daughter further. Marilyn added she will be embarrassed if she has to use the boys' bathroom, BBC reported.
Republicans claimed the bill will protect the privacy of women as well as to protect children from sexual predators who may pose as transgender people. Critics, on the other hand, said the bill is flat out discrimination. The opposition also believed Texas could lose $8.5 billion and around 185,000 jobs will be lost if the bill will be passed.
North Carolina experienced the same economic turmoil after the transgender bathroom bill was passed. PayPal withdrew from its expansion and many artists who were set to perform in the state canceled their events. The National Basketball Association also canceled events in North Carolina.
The Texas bathroom bill received backlash from the National Football League. The National Football League said they embrace inclusiveness and the transgender bathroom bill does not.
The Texas transgender bathroom bill passing key votes came after President Donald Trump reversed the federal guidelines from his predecessor, the Barack Obama Administration. The guidelines temporarily blocked transgender bathroom laws already in effect.
