Joe.My.God. LGBT News
Montana Public Radio reports:
A Montana legislative panel has rejected a bill that called for a statewide vote on whether to bar transgender people from using bathrooms and locker rooms that don’t match their gender at birth. The House Judiciary Committee voted 11-7 against the bill today. It is likely dead, though it could be revived if enough votes flip in the committee or if a majority of representatives blast it to the House floor. Legislators who opposed the bill warned it would lead to humiliation and increased safety risks for transgender people. They added it would harm the state’s economy because entertainers and tourists would see Montana as unwelcoming.
More from the Missoulian:
The Montana Locker Room Privacy Act was carried by Rep. Carl Glimm [photo]. If voters had limited bathroom use for the transgendered, a person could sue a government agency, such as a school or county, that didn’t take reasonable steps to prohibit a member of the opposite sex from using a bathroom or locker room.
After the vote, the Montana Family Foundation, which supported the bill, said they will instead bring the Montana Locker Room Privacy Act as a ballot initiative. “The people of Montana want to see privacy, safety and dignity protected in our locker rooms and showers,” said Jeff Laszloffy, president of the Montana Family Foundation, in an emailed statement. “Girls shouldn’t have to shower in front of boys. It’s just common sense. We will take the Locker Room Privacy Act to the people and let them have their say.”
Last week several people gave emotional testimony in front of the committee, saying the bill would discriminate against people who are transgender by forcing them to use a bathroom that does not comply with the gender they appear to be. Other opponents said the bill would put an impossible burden on Montana communities who would have to police facilities.