Tipsheet

This State Just Became the Latest to Restrict Transgender Bathroom Access

Madeline Leesman
Madeline Leesman  |  February 01, 2024 10:30 AM

On Tuesday, Utah became the latest state to prohibit people who think they are “transgender” from using bathrooms that do not align with their biological sex. 

The law, signed by Republican Gov. Spencer Cox, would implement these restrictions in public schools and government-owned buildings. Additionally, the law would require schools to create “privacy plans” for transgender students to allow them to use a faculty bathroom and avoid the students’ restrooms altogether, according to NBC News.

“We want public facilities that are safe and accommodating for everyone and this bill increases privacy protections for all,” Cox said in a statement Tuesday night.

The law will require any new government buildings to include single-occupant bathrooms (via NBC):

Under the legislation, transgender people can defend themselves against complaints by proving they had gender-affirming surgery and changed the sex on their birth certificate. Opponents noted not all states allow people to change their birth certificates and that many trans people don’t want to have surgery.

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At least 10 other states — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Tennessee — have passed laws that seek to regulate which bathrooms trans people can use, and nine states regulate the bathrooms that trans students can use at school. West Virginia’s Legislature is considering a transgender bathroom bill for students this year.

Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a similar bill into law, which Townhall covered. The legislation, H.B. 1521, known as the “Safety in Private Spaces Act,” makes it a crime for someone to use the facilities that align with their “gender identity” instead of their biological sex. The law applies to publicly-owned educational buildings, government buildings, correctional facilities and all school changing facilities.

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“Florida is proud to lead the way in standing up for our children,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for president in 2024, said when he signed the legislation. “As the world goes mad, Florida represents a refuge of sanity and a citadel of normalcy.”