Using The Wrong Restroom Could Land You In Prison

If the Florida House of Representatives get their way, utilizing bill HB 583 s.760.55, F.S., using the opposite genders restroom will land you a fine as well as possible jail time.

This idea is just ridiculous, it is alienating transgender people, and it should be rescinded.

The bill, HB 583, s.760.55 in section 2, outlines that despite changing all documentations and having undergone reassignment surgery, nothing truly changes.

If you were born male, you use the men’s room.

The bill makes a case that assault, battery, molestation, rape, and exhibitionism can occur if the rules of using the bathroom are not made clear.

If someone is trying to attack a person within a bathroom wouldn’t the issue be the attack?

Why bring it up aimed simply at gender when people might simply be using the facilities, not rushing in to maim, kill or molest anyone.

What’s more, the bill defines single-sex public facilities beyond just bathrooms but as restrooms, dressing rooms, fitting rooms, locker rooms, showers, and anywhere else that people expect to have privacy.

This includes inside schools, places of employment, as well as any privately owned public buildings or accommodations.

The bill blatantly disregards regulations set in place with Florida’s Social Security Offices for name changing documents and completion of gender reassignment surgery.

With new ID and medical records, transgendered people can effectively change all their documentations to list their changed names and altered gender.

This bill is written with such large stones it actually says this law would actively preempt any laws or understandings enacted in cities, counties or municipality within the state of Florida.

In addition to that, representatives outline in section 4 that anyone who has single-sex restrooms that allow transgendered people to use whichever facilities, without adhering to their biological sex, are liable for prosecution by other guests in the establishment.

We have just legalized gay marriage here in Florida. The possibility of such a silly law undermines the steps we are making toward equality for all.

Christian Perez, 20, a mass communications and journalism major, who is a member of the LGBT community, said he feels the bill is disrespectful.  

No one can physically tell who you are, and when you go to the bathroom, you just do your business and leave, Perez said

“Many people come from all over the world to be free, but yet you’re making it illegal for them to use the restroom,” Perez added. “Nobody should be [discriminated] at all, and I feel like this is a ridiculous law.”