South Dakota and Mississippi have enacted laws aimed at restricting access to certain facilities for men, particularly in spaces designated for women.
On a Friday, South Dakota’s Governor Larry Rhoden signed House Bill 1259, which explicitly states that “a male may not enter a changing room or restroom designated exclusively for females” and the same applies to females entering male-designated spaces.
This legislation mandates that public schools and other state-run properties “take reasonable steps to provide individuals with privacy in changing rooms, restrooms, and sleeping quarters,” ensuring these areas remain gender-specific.
The law permits exceptions for parents or chaperones accompanying children under 10, those assisting individuals with disabilities, and officials like police and firefighters.
Reacting to this, Samantha Chapman from the ACLU of South Dakota criticized the bill, asserting that Governor Rhoden’s decision increases the risk of harassment and abuse for vulnerable trans youth.
Chapman voiced strong concerns about privacy rights for students, indicating that such legislation could lead to unnecessary sharing of private information.
She emphasized that “attacks on trans rights is an attack on people— their lives, their rights and their freedom to be.”
On a different front, legal counsel Sara Beth Nolan from Alliance Defending Freedom praised the law, claiming it protects the privacy and safety of young girls in South Dakota.
Nolan stated, “Women and girls should not be forced to sacrifice their privacy and safety to activists pushing gender ideology.”
She commended the leadership behind HB 1259 for their commitment to safeguarding women and girls in the state.
Similarly, Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi recently enacted House Bill 188, described as the Dignity and Safety for Incarcerated Women Act, which prevents men from accessing women’s restrooms and changing areas, even within correctional facilities.
The law clearly stipulates that restrooms, changing rooms, and sleeping quarters in correctional facilities designated for one sex can only be used by individuals of that same sex.
In a related context, President Donald Trump signed an executive order early in his term that openly rejected any form of “gender ideology extremism,” reaffirming the recognition of only two sexes, male and female.
This order also urged federally-funded entities to cease providing what the administration terms “gender-affirming care,” which includes irreversible surgeries and hormonal treatments for youth.
Leave a Reply