The Texas Senate has passed a bill that bans gender-neutral bathrooms and forces trans people to use the public bathrooms matched with their gender of birth. The North Carolina Senate ignored warnings from business leaders this week, voting to advance the Republican-backed bill, SB 6, by a vote of 21-10. The bill threatens schools with hefty fines if they permit transgender children to use the bathroom of their preferred gender – up to $10,500 for “multiple violations”. JoDee Winterhof, Senior Vice President of Policy and Political Affairs of the Human Rights Campaign, said: “After hearing an outpouring of opposition to this bill during nearly 20 hours of citizen testimony last week, it’s outrageous that the Texas Senate would advance SB 6 to the House. This measure is another product of Dan Patrick’s anti-LGBTQ agenda, and it’s troubling that lawmakers in the Senate cannot see it for what it truly is: an attack on their transgender neighbors, coworkers and friends who deserve the same dignity and rights as anyone else. We hope the House members recognize this and stop SB 6 in its tracks.”
