Patrick: Bathroom bill a top priority for Texas lawmakers

[Billy Jingo]

Patrick: Bathroom bill a top priority for Texas lawmakers




Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced Thursday the filing of Senate Bill 6, a so-called bathroom bill, described as a public safety measure that allows businesses to create their own restroom policies and keeps public schools from allowing transgender students to use the facilities corresponding to their gender identity.

“The people of Texas elected us to stand up for common decency, common sense and public safety,” Patrick said in a statement. “This legislation codifies what has been common practice in Texas and everywhere else forever — that men and women should use separate, designated bathrooms. It is supported by an overwhelming majority of Texans including both Democrats and Republicans, Hispanics, African-Americans and Anglos, men and women.”

The bill is authored by state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham.

Patrick, who last year called for Fort Worth school district Superintendent Kent Scribner to resign when the district adopted guidelines to protect transgender and other students from bullying and harassment, said the bill ensures that businesses can determine their own bathroom policies and “that no public school can institute a bathroom policy that allows boys to go in girls restrooms, showers and locker rooms and girls to go in boys restrooms, showers and locker rooms.”

Patrick said the “Privacy Protection Act” is a top priority for the GOP-controlled Legislature, which convenes next week, the Associated Press reported. Lawmakers likely will support it, even though Texas’ largest business lobbying group says it and other anti-gay rights proposals could cost the state up to $8.5 billion and 100,000-plus jobs.

[Billy Jingo]

Patrick, who last year called for Fort Worth school district Superintendent Kent Scribner to resign when the district adopted guidelines to protect transgender and other students from bullying and harassment


...


Those guidelines, adopted by the Fort Worth school district to support its anti-discrimination policy, aimed to protecting transgender students and other students from bullying and harassment

Well, there's your problem right there. You are "permitting or enduring a situation that one does not support or desire in the interest of keeping peace or allowing others their own freedom of expression."

[phillygirl]

I am sooo bored of this topic. I agree with the proposed legislation regarding the private businesses. I have trouble with it with respect to schools. I think it needs to be a case by case basis. If a student is undergoing puberty blockers, then that child is truly beginning the process of transitioning. It's not a phase. It's not some boy trying to get a free pass into the girls' locker room. On the other hand, a girl transitioning to a boy, in my mind, is at greater risk in the boys' locker room than they are in the girls' locker room. And the boy transitioning to a girl is at greater risk in the boy's locker room than in the girls' locker room. But the bio girls in the girls' locker room have some issues as well with respect to having someone in transition there. Not so much from a sexual assault perspective, but from the perspective of their own feelings of discomfort. I don't know that there is a perfect answer. I do know that, when it comes to these children, it is complicated and I don't see legislators being the answer.

[gary m]

Patrick, who last year called for Fort Worth school district Superintendent Kent Scribner to resign when the district adopted guidelines to protect transgender and other students from bullying and harassment


...


Those guidelines, adopted by the Fort Worth school district to support its anti-discrimination policy, aimed to protecting transgender students and other students from bullying and harassment

Well, there's your problem right there. You are "permitting or enduring a situation that one does not support or desire in the interest of keeping peace or allowing others their own freedom of expression."

Yeah, sometimes that whole "consent of the governed" thing really blows.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

I am sooo bored of this topic. I agree with the proposed legislation regarding the private businesses. I have trouble with it with respect to schools. I think it needs to be a case by case basis. If a student is undergoing puberty blockers, then that child is truly beginning the process of transitioning. It's not a phase. It's not some boy trying to get a free pass into the boys' locker room. On the other hand, a girl transitioning to a boy, in my mind, is at greater risk in the boys' locker room than they are in the girls' locker room. And the boy transitioning to a girl is at greater risk in the boy's locker room than in the girls' locker room. But the bio girls in the girls' locker room have some issues as well with respect to having someone in transition there. Not so much from a sexual assault perspective, but from the perspective of their own feelings of discomfort. I don't know that there is a perfect answer. I do know that, when it comes to these children, it is complicated and I don't see legislators being the answer.

So, the bottom line is, NOBODY is really safe in the boys' locker room...even boys. Which most of us already knew anyway. So the real solution is to eliminate locker rooms, reduce homework and let kids exercise the old-fashioned way. Or not. It really isn't the schools' role to be the fitness police.

[phillygirl]

So, the bottom line is, NOBODY is really safe in the boys' locker room...even boys. Which most of us already knew anyway. So the real solution is to eliminate locker rooms, reduce homework and let kids exercise the old-fashioned way. Or not. It really isn't the schools' role to be the fitness police.

Well, on the first sentence, I agree. Or at least that nobody who is not part of the perceived "cool" clique is safe. It's interesting how times have changed. A friend of mine, who grew up in the 50's, went to a Catholic school. He was one of the tough kids and a good athlete. He frequently talked, when telling the stories, of "Cornelius", the kid who had leg braces due to polio. It was interesting that he always spoke about how they would "let" Cornelius play whatever sport they were playing, to the extent that he was able to participate. They didn't make fun of him. They didn't torture him. They knew he was disabled and given a bad hand in life due to the polio. Unfortunately, I don't think life is like that now, but maybe I'm wrong.

I do believe in having gym class (despite the fact, that after 8th grade I made certain that I didn't work up a sweat, regardless of the dreaded activity of the day for it, because there was no way I was going to shower in the group shower and there was no way I was going to mess up my awesome-better-than-FarrahFawcett-hair).

I had to take 4 credits of phys ed in COLLEGE! I took 2 dance classes...one was ballet and the instructor offered for me to come to the studio in order to take the advanced class and I declined...again, not that interested in actually breaking a sweat at the time. The indoor soccer class never actually saw me on the roster...just my roommate who signed me and my other roommate in each week. And a weight training class...where I went once, lifted the weight bar with no weights on it a few times and again, got someone to sign me in and out of it.

But back to the topic, I do see that some kind of accommodation needs to be made for these kids. I just don't think it's an all or nothing proposition, which appears to be the political positions on it. I don't like it.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

Well, on the first sentence, I agree. Or at least that nobody who is not part of the perceived "cool" clique is safe. It's interesting how times have changed. A friend of mine, who grew up in the 50's, went to a Catholic school. He was one of the tough kids and a good athlete. He frequently talked, when telling the stories, of "Cornelius", the kid who had leg braces due to polio. It was interesting that he always spoke about how they would "let" Cornelius play whatever sport they were playing, to the extent that he was able to participate. They didn't make fun of him. They didn't torture him. They knew he was disabled and given a bad hand in life due to the polio. Unfortunately, I don't think life is like that now, but maybe I'm wrong.

I do believe in having gym class (despite the fact, that after 8th grade I made certain that I didn't work up a sweat, regardless of the dreaded activity of the day for it, because there was no way I was going to shower in the group shower and there was no way I was going to mess up my awesome-better-than-FarrahFawcett-hair).

I had to take 4 credits of phys ed in COLLEGE! I took 2 dance classes...one was ballet and the instructor offered for me to come to the studio in order to take the advanced class and I declined...again, not that interested in actually breaking a sweat at the time. The indoor soccer class never actually saw me on the roster...just my roommate who signed me and my other roommate in each week. And a weight training class...where I went once, lifted the weight bar with no weights on it a few times and again, got someone to sign me in and out of it.

But back to the topic, I do see that some kind of accommodation needs to be made for these kids. I just don't think it's an all or nothing proposition, which appears to be the political positions on it. I don't like it.

I don't. I believe in recess and enough time to eat lunch without giving yourself GERD and enough free time for kids to ride their bikes and play baseball and go ice skating and dance. Except for the jocks who already do the things they do, kids compelled to take gym do as little as possible, risk athlete's foot and physical assault in the locker room and learn how to lie. It's fine to offer it as an elective, like music and art, but with all the complaints about how ill-prepared kids are for college or work, I'd like to see more focus on academics and work skills and no compulsory PE. It would be cheaper and more effective in terms of fitness to put the money spent on PE into vouchers for local gym memberships, organizing bike pools for kids to safely ride in groups to/from school, scholarships to existing after-school sports programs for those so inclined, etc. I knew whole families whose kids wnted to do Little League or Pop Warner, but couldn't afford the fees and uniforms/gear.

[phillygirl]

I don't. I believe in recess and enough time to eat lunch without giving yourself GERD and enough free time for kids to ride their bikes and play baseball and go ice skating and dance. Except for the jocks who already do the things they do, kids compelled to take gym do as little as possible, risk athlete's foot and physical assault in the locker room and learn how to lie. It's fine to offer it as an elective, like music and art, but with all the complaints about how ill-prepared kids are for college or work, I'd like to see more focus on academics and work skills and no compulsory PE. It would be cheaper and more effective in terms of fitness to put the money spent on PE into vouchers for local gym memberships, organizing bike pools for kids to safely ride in groups to/from school, scholarships to existing after-school sports programs for those so inclined, etc. I knew whole families whose kids wnted to do Little League or Pop Warner, but couldn't afford the fees and uniforms/gear.

Hey, without gym class, I wouldn't have known that I truly did suck at softball. Or that I could be pretty damn good at kickball and dodge ball and murder ball!

[80zephyr]

Well, on the first sentence, I agree. Or at least that nobody who is not part of the perceived "cool" clique is safe. It's interesting how times have changed. A friend of mine, who grew up in the 50's, went to a Catholic school. He was one of the tough kids and a good athlete. He frequently talked, when telling the stories, of "Cornelius", the kid who had leg braces due to polio. It was interesting that he always spoke about how they would "let" Cornelius play whatever sport they were playing, to the extent that he was able to participate. They didn't make fun of him. They didn't torture him. They knew he was disabled and given a bad hand in life due to the polio. Unfortunately, I don't think life is like that now, but maybe I'm wrong.

I do believe in having gym class (despite the fact, that after 8th grade I made certain that I didn't work up a sweat, regardless of the dreaded activity of the day for it, because there was no way I was going to shower in the group shower and there was no way I was going to mess up my awesome-better-than-FarrahFawcett-hair).

I had to take 4 credits of phys ed in COLLEGE! I took 2 dance classes...one was ballet and the instructor offered for me to come to the studio in order to take the advanced class and I declined...again, not that interested in actually breaking a sweat at the time. The indoor soccer class never actually saw me on the roster...just my roommate who signed me and my other roommate in each week. And a weight training class...where I went once, lifted the weight bar with no weights on it a few times and again, got someone to sign me in and out of it.

But back to the topic, I do see that some kind of accommodation needs to be made for these kids. I just don't think it's an all or nothing proposition, which appears to be the political positions on it. I don't like it.

Well isn't it? You either let them use the locker room of their choice or you don't? Some school tried to provide special accommodations but they were ruled to be discriminatory.

Mark

[phillygirl]

Well isn't it? You either let them use the locker room of their choice or you don't? Some school tried to provide special accommodations but they were ruled to be discriminatory.

Mark

That's my issue. I'm not convinced that special accommodations are not the answer. Hence my comment.

[80zephyr]

That's my issue. I'm not convinced that special accommodations are not the answer. Hence my comment.

To thinking people it would be. To the politically correct Nazi's, 100% integration is all they are willing to accept.

Mark

[phillygirl]

To thinking people it would be. To the politically correct Nazi's, 100% integration is all they are willing to accept.

Mark

Or, on the flip side…only 100% denial. As I said, all or nothing on both sides of the issue.

[80zephyr]

Or, on the flip side…only 100% denial. As I said, all or nothing on both sides of the issue.

I disagree. I don't know of anyone who wouldn't be amenable to set up accommodations for those who need it on my side of the issue.

Mark

[Novaheart]

I would like to see a size and cost comparison between a high school group restroom and individual restrooms of collective equal capacity.

[Novaheart]

Restrooms are the most dangerous places in any school. There are children who do not eat or drink in the course of the day to avoid needing to go into a restroom.