By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Texas Governor Abbott signed a bill concerning restroom access, calling it a public safety measure. The law mandates that individuals in jails, prisons, and domestic violence shelters be housed according to their birth sex and will impact access to bathrooms in public buildings. The bill’s proponents claim it will keep women and girls safe, while opponents argue it is government overreach and will cause harassment. The legislation imposes substantial fines on institutions violating the policy, making it the most financially punitive bathroom restriction in the country.
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Texas to become the 20th state with a transgender bathroom law. Alright, so here we are, Texas joining the ranks of states with laws dictating which bathroom a transgender person can use. It’s a bit mind-boggling, honestly. We’ve seen this movie before, right? Remember the uproar back when North Carolina first tried this? The boycotts, the lost jobs, the governor eventually losing his seat, and the law getting repealed? It felt like a turning point. But look at us now.
Now trans men are forced to use the women’s restroom, and trans women the men’s room? Does this actually make any sense? It’s almost like the people writing these laws haven’t considered the realities of transition, or, frankly, who’s actually a threat in bathrooms. The ironic thing is, the people who most likely to cause trouble are often the same officials pushing these laws! It’s a nanny-state solution to a problem that basically doesn’t exist. If you’re genuinely worried about sharing a bathroom with a trans person, well, unisex single-stall restrooms already exist, and they work perfectly fine.
I mean, where’s the emphasis on personal responsibility that the right used to champion? There’s a much bigger issue of cisgender men assaulting women in bathrooms than there is of transgender people causing trouble. And the fact is, these laws impact cisgender people way more than they affect trans people. This is a fact. As someone who’s lived through this, let me be clear: this is all deeply frustrating.
I spent two weeks in Texas recently, and the glares in the public restrooms were constant. The law tells people this is what they want and expect. I have a history with this. Early in my transition, I worried about not “passing” well enough and used men’s restrooms to avoid making women uncomfortable. On one occasion, I was violently assaulted in a men’s room. After the assault, I will NEVER use a men’s restroom again. I don’t care what some made-up law says, and especially not if I’m in Texas.
Transgender men and women use the bathroom that matches their gender identity for their safety. We’re not there to assault anyone; we’re there to use the facilities as quickly as possible and get out. There’s not a single recorded instance of a transgender person sexually assaulting a cisgender person. Zero. Come on, if someone wanted to assault someone in a bathroom, why would they go through the process of transitioning? It makes absolutely no sense.
I haven’t had any issues since. Most women don’t give me a second glance, some offer a friendly smile, and I’ve even had conversations while we’re fixing ourselves in the mirror. I’ve never had to worry about my safety. So, to all the Republicans and those who support them using our safety to gain political points: I’ll continue to use the women’s restroom, because that’s where I belong. The reasoning that this is for “common sense public safety” rings hollow. Republicans seem to be afraid of their own shadows. The bill, originally introduced in Texas in 2015, will require people to use the restroom corresponding to their birth sex in schools and government buildings.
Wouldn’t requiring single-stall restrooms fix this? By their logic, these laws are just pushing the issue around. Trans men in women’s bathrooms, trans women in men’s bathrooms. And who’s going to enforce this? If a trans person is in the “right” bathroom, are you supposed to call them out? What if you’re wrong? It’s all just absurd. Can someone explain how this actually makes women safer?
It’s frankly surprising it took Texas so long. It’s a joke. How do you even enforce this? Are we supposed to have gender checks at every bathroom door? The government policing who goes where in the bathroom. A complete waste of everyone’s time.
Some people will be spooked if they see what they deem as a “man” in the women’s room. But kids don’t care. So, how is this enforced? If a man walks into a women’s restroom, how do you determine he’s not a woman? It creates a worse situation with no real gains. This just makes life worse for transgender people. Perverts will break the law regardless. It’s just making life worse for trans people.
They’re going to build elsewhere. What can Texans do? This has been a LONG time coming. It’s just that certain people finally think they have enough support to prevent people from using the bathroom. I can’t imagine being a lady walking into a man’s bathroom. Way more vulnerable. This is not right. Conservatives are obsessed with people’s genitals.
As a trans man, I’ve had the experience of being told I don’t belong in the men’s room. One time at a park, while waiting for a restroom, a woman was about to record me with her phone because I was using the men’s room, even after I’d had bottom surgery! This is the bathroom I am legally required to use in Texas. In schools. Airports. Government buildings. In banning trans women, they’ve forced men into women’s restrooms, increasing the discomfort women feel and creating more problems. These are the consequences of these laws.
We live in a world of performative politics where real issues are ignored and fantasies represent the only movement.