As the nation mourns 21 lives lost to senseless gun violence, the Republican governor of Oklahoma, Kevin Stitt, made sure to sign the latest anti-trans bill into law. On Wednesday, Stitt signed a bill requiring public and charter school students to use bathrooms that align with their sex as listed on their birth certificates. In short, this is an effort to ban trans youth from accessing the correct bathroom and instead force them to either “out” themselves by using the one assigned at birth or to delay their bodily functions until school is over. Because young people don’t have enough to worry about.
The law applies to all students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The measure dictates that if trans youth refuse to use the bathroom aligning with their sex assigned at birth (and who are unable to hold it all day) must use a “single-occupancy” bathroom instead. It goes into effect immediately, per CNN.
Oh. And if schools say, No way, use the bathroom that feels safest to you? They can be sued by parents and have state funding cut by up to 5%. Because conservatives want to stomp down on not only LGBTQ+ people but structural allies as much as possible. Sadly, this latest move is just another in Stitt’s considerable history of enacting hate in his state.
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For example, in April, Stitt signed a bill into law banning nonbinary sex markers on birth certificates. Prior to that, back in March, he signed discriminatory legislation into law banning trans girls and women from participating in girls’ sports teams at public schools, charter schools, and public colleges in Oklahoma.
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Republican state Rep. Danny Williams authored SB 615 and, surprising no one, used the same conservative defense that’s been circulating the nation for years now. “It’s about safety, it’s about protection, it’s about common sense,” Williams explained according to local outlet KTUL.
But it’s not. It’s about hate.
There is nothing gained from these legislations. Trans youth are already uniquely vulnerable when it comes to harassment, bullying, and assault. They’re also more likely to live with mental health issues, like anxiety and depression, and to experience suicidal ideation. They’re more likely to become homeless before they reach 18.
These anti-trans efforts stir unwarranted hysteria and drive up hate and suspicion. In the latest Oklahoma law, for example, parents and students are essentially now given the right to be “on watch” for any trans students accessing bathrooms or locker rooms, and that’s a quick entryway for harassing anyone who is remotely gender non-conforming.
The result? Students may avoid bathrooms and locker rooms, causing them to isolate themselves, or they may need to hide their true selves or preferred presentations in order to slip by unnoticed by their peers. Either way, it’s grossly unfair, and can’t be good for mental health.
We simply can’t discuss Oklahoma without talking about another hateful, insidious bill Stitt signed into law on Wednesday. Stitt signed HB 4327 into law which is pretty inarguably the most restrictive anti-abortion and anti-choice law in the nation.
It bans abortions from “fertilization,” meaning that they’re essentially banned at any point of pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest, or medical emergencies. Mind you, the sexual assault and incest need to be reported to law enforcement, which is just another barrier to make survivors less likely to pursue it.
The law explicitly states birth control, morning-after pills, and Plan B are not abortifacients. This should be obvious because those things are not medicine abortions, but given the state of the Republican party, does need to be made clear.
Stitt manages to congratulate himself for signing such evil, backward legislation into law, sharing in a statement that he “promised Oklahomans that as governor I would sign every piece of pro-life legislation that came across my desk” and is “proud” to keep that promise.
Make no mistake: Republicans are getting more and more extreme and anti-trans and anti-abortion efforts come from the same place. Please don’t fall into the trap of believing one is separate from the other.
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