How many of us like using public bathrooms?
I mean, really. It’s uncomfortable, they often smell weird, and who knows how clean they are. We get in, do our thing, and get out. That’s it. Don’t talk to others, go to the bathroom, and move on with your life. Doesn’t sound so difficult. Apparently, for some, it’s really fucking hard.
I’m pretty sure by now we’ve all heard some variation of the trans bathroom argument. Usually, some kind of claim about protecting women and children from predators. Which would be a valid concern if the people claiming that would listen to the facts. Trans people are not assaulting people in bathrooms. They are the ones being assaulted. They are the ones being asked invasive questions about their genitals.
That’s weird behavior. Asking a random person about their genitals and expecting an answer because they don’t fit within your notion of feminine or masculine is weird. It’s invasive. It’s harassment.
Last week, the city council of Odessa, Texas passed an amendment to a 1989 city ordinance “regarding the entering of city-owned restrooms by members of the opposite sex,” according to The Odessa American. The change will limit bathroom use to sex assigned at birth. According to The Texas Tribune, the city can seek fines up to $500 and press trespassing charges against trans individuals using the bathroom “that matches the gender they identify as.” Further, people will be allowed “to sue and seek no less than $10,000 in damages plus the cost of the lawsuit and attorney fees.”
Councilman Chris Hanie said “… what you do in the privacy of your home is your business, but I don’t need to see it in public.” It’s the bathroom. No one wants to see what you’re doing. You don’t see what other people are doing in the bathroom.
All this amendment does is start regulating trans individuals out of public spaces. It fosters mistrust, hatred, and bigotry.
This incident may not have happened in Kansas, but that doesn’t mean it can’t or won’t. This year, there have been 17 anti-trans bills proposed here, though most have failed. Nationwide there have been 662 bills proposed.
Many of these bills try to define “transgender” and in doing so exclude cisgender people. Because many of these bills focus on trans women, cis women are often hurt. Trying to define trans in a way that doesn’t exclude cis is, frankly, impossible. For example, there are plenty of cis women unable to give birth for a variety of reasons.
To use a conservative turn of phrase, stop shoving beliefs down people’s throats. These bills hurt everyone. They attack privacy and bodily autonomy. Let people live.
Kai Spahr is a Buhler sophomore studying journalism and is the Opinion Page Editor. Follow them on X/Twitter.
