Perhaps because I was bullied as a child, I made sure to enroll my kids in a “Bully Proof” Jiu Jitsu class. The first rule of dealing with bullies is to “avoid the fight at all costs.” That’s the second rule too. But, at some point, you have to defend yourself to avoid becoming a victim. One of the hardest parts of standing up to a bully is that they’re often loud and aggressive, narcissistic and angry. Some bullies are even skilled at making it appear they’re the victim. To defend against a bully, you must set good boundaries. That kind of boundary setting is exactly what the Alabama Legislature did in passing HB 322, a bill that requires boys to use the boys’ bathroom and girls to use the girls’ bathroom. The bill was signed into law by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey on April 8, 2022.
According to the sponsor of the bill, Rep. Scott Stadthagen, his goal is to protect the safety and privacy of young girls when they use the bathroom or take a shower. Stadthagen warned that in his research, cases of girls getting raped in school bathrooms are “literally spread out throughout the entire state.”
I have heard similar reports in my home state of Mississippi. Legislators tell me their school superintendents are privately begging for statewide protections because they are worried about the safety of their students. They are also afraid of getting sued if the state does not have a clear policy regarding multiple occupancy bathrooms, locker rooms and shower facilities. Both concerns are well-founded.
Parents across America were appalled at reports out of Loudon County, Virginia, that a “gender-fluid” 14-year-old biological male sodomized and raped a freshman girl in a public school bathroom last year. The boy was “wearing a skirt” at the time. The school district apparently tried to conceal the crime, and the boy received only a mild punishment. He subsequently assaulted another girl at a different public school. When the first victim’s father showed up at a school board meeting demanding answers, the Biden administration was asked to investigate him as a “domestic terrorist.”
As I followed the debate in the Alabama Legislature, the objections to HB 322 basically came down to “this bill will hurt someone’s feelings.” I kept waiting for something more substantial, but that’s all there was. As the father of a 13-year-old girl, I am concerned about her feelings — and the feelings of other girls around the country who are afraid and embarrassed to go to the bathroom at school. What about their privacy and safety rights? What about their health and academic performance?
During the Alabama legislative debate, a few lawmakers talked about love. Others quoted Scripture. Another mentioned that she was looking forward to having a nice day — the last day of the session — and had dressed up for the occasion and, now, her plans were ruined by this “horrible” bill. Several others mentioned that they thought they were friends and that this “mean” bill made them question whether that was still the case.
The only objection that came close to an argument was made by a transgender activist during the Senate committee hearing on HB 322. That person claimed that this bill could make transgender kids feel bullied. No child should be bullied, and school administrators should address such situations on a case-by-case basis with care and concern. But feeling bullied is not the same as actually being bullied. Being asked to respect the privacy rights of other students by using a single occupancy bathroom, instead of a shared restroom or locker facility, is not bullying. Indeed, many people prefer the privacy that single occupancy bathrooms afford. In any event, making demands that violate the privacy and safety rights of other students is a form of actual bullying that will cause suffering and anxiety for many other students.
After decades of accommodating other people’s feelings — and receiving no accommodation for their sincerely held beliefs regarding basic biology — many parents are done. It’s hard to have sympathy for a dude who takes pleasure in dominating others — whether it’s on the sports field or in the girls’ bathroom. It’s hard to have compassion for bullies whose irrational demands are compromising student safety. The hypocrisy has become too obvious, and the threat to student privacy and safety too real. Kudos to Alabama for saying no to the real bullies in the bathroom.
Jameson Taylor, Ph.D., has a twenty-year track record of advancing pro-life, pro-family and pro-liberty policies in multiple states, including Mississippi’s ban on late-term abortions now before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is chairman of the Mississippi Governor’s Faith-Advisory Council and serves as Director of Policy and Government Affairs for the American Family Association.