Florida is set to arrest people in restrooms regardless of legal gender status in sweeping bill

[Celerity]

https://www.reckon.news/lgbtq/2023/05/florida-is-set-to-arrest-people-in-restrooms-regardless-of-legal-gender-status-in-sweeping-bill.html



May 18, 2023 1:22 PM

Yesterday, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida signed HB1521 —a bill that would criminalize trans people from using public restrooms, effective July 1. Introduced on Mar. 6 and sponsored by Republican Sanford area Rep. Rachel Plakon, the bill is intended to “protect children in public bathroom facilities.” Critics of the bill—now a law—deem it to be an attack on trans people. Earlier this year in January, during an MSNBC interview with Jonathan Capehart, actress and trans advocate Laverne Cox shared her thoughts on what is behind the rising wave of attacks on trans people. “It’s always been about limiting the liberty and bodily autonomy of trans people of all ages,” she said.

HB1521 states that “females and males” must use a restroom that is “respective to their sex” as means of maintaining public safety. HB1521 puts trans people in danger of going to the restroom in public facilities because of the definitions of “sex” in the bill. Previous bills targeting trans people from using the restroom define “sex” as one that is “assigned at birth,” but HB1521 takes it much further. The definition of “sex” in HB1521 is classified as “female and male” with “a specific reproductive role,” that is determined “by the person’s sex chromosomes, naturally occurring sex hormones, and internal and external genitalia present at birth.” What makes this extreme is that for trans people whose legal paperwork reflect their gender identity, they are still vulnerable to the bill.

Even definitions of what qualifies as public casts a wide net on which bathrooms could be a dangerous facility for trans people to use. Defined as spaces that are “owned and leased by [Florida],” restrooms that are public include airports, convention centers, schools, parks, shopping malls, stadiums, and more. Should a trans person be reported to the facility and refuse to leave or not comply, penalties will be qualified as a trespass under Florida’s statute of Burglary and Trespass, which would incriminate a trans person up to one year. The jail will “likely [be] a jail of the wrong gender identity, which will put trans people in immense danger of sexual assault,” LGBTQ rights journalist Erin Reed wrote in her newsletter Erin In The Morning.

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People using restrooms who are accused of being trans also will be obligated to undergo genitalia exams, DNA testing, and other invasive procedures. In a video posted by Twitter user @ThoughtsFromDev last month during the HB1521 debate hearing, members of the House were on their cell phones, laughing with each other and paying no regard to Democratic Rep. Marie Woodson of House District 105 as she shared her concerns with the bill. “This video is symbolic of how Florida politicians feel about [trans rights],” the account tweeted. Gov. DeSantis, who posed with smiling children behind him, signed HB1521 into law yesterday among three other anti-trans laws, including a ban on gender-affirming medical care for trans youth and trans adults provided by nurse practitioners, anti-drag obscenity law, and a ‘Don’t Say Gay’ expansion law.

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[DemocratSinceBirth]

1. I can't wait until someone gets misgendered and sues.

[EndlessWire]

5. Can you imagine the emotional trauma

that person would suffer? These new laws are just bizarre.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. As a general rule people should use the restroom that most matches their appearance.

And their gender at birth is the default position.

[EndlessWire]

8. At a risk of offending the DU Floridians

My general rule is avoid Florida as much as possible, and my default position is avoid Florida as much as possible. Or, at least, avoid DeSantis.

I don't really understand how DeSantis got elected in the first place. People are people, everywhere, and no one has the right to do this to them. Gonna be a lot of peeing out back, because of confusion as to where to go.

I am cis-gender, but I am taller than normal. I know how it feels to be misidentified. If I had to attend something in Florida, and got picked up, and they went to do an invasive test, or a visual rape, I'd refuse. Then, if they forced me, I'd sue the bloody crap out of each and every one of those involved, and especially Ron DeSantis. Each and every suit should include this evil terrorist who seeks to destroy peaceful people just going about their personal business.

DeSantis is NOT going to be President; whoever he chooses to be his running mate will not be the VP. Better be careful, wannabe VP, cause the rumors may start...

[Phoenix61]

18. He was always RW but he really went off the rails since he was re-elected. nt

[Initech]

2. Hey GOP, go fuck right the fuck off with your "protect children" bullshit.

You haven’t protected one child from one “groomer” and you fucking know it. Stop it with this shit already. It’s not about protecting kids. It’s about legislating hate. Ronnie, go shove that bill up your ass.

[MagickMuffin]

3. Nice diversity of props in the fascist signing of oppression

Little girls smile for the cameras.

And be sure to get a pen that denies people their god given rights!

[MineralMan]

4. I'm betting that there will be very, very few arrests.

In fact, I expect that the numbers will be vanishingly small. This bill is a showpiece for the far right. It makes them feel all important and shit. Will it result in arrests? Not very often, if any. It's all a look-see thing.

[GoodRaisin]

11. Exactly.

No way to enforce this without hiring “bathroom checkers”. It’s a ridiculous law that is essentially a rerun of McCrory’s “transgenders in ladies bathrooms” law to “protect little girls” in NC which was all show and never heard of even one arrest.

[pstokely]

22. but I wouldn't be surprised if there's some volunteer bathroom checkers

since those retirees in FL have so much free time to hang around a store bathroom all day or some young GQP cult group at a college, probably not any store employees since they never wanted be mask cops,

[GoodRaisin]

23. Probably with an AR-15 slung around him.

[Karadeniz]

7. So where is a trans supposed to go to the bathroom? If they don't recognize any gender except male

and female, they don't have to provide an alternative.

I never hear these Christians addressing the verses in which Jesus addresses eunuchs. In addition to the castrated meaning, eunuch was a slang for gays, hence Jesus's view that some people are born that way. His views began with his listeners asking about divorce, which Jesus vetoes except for adultery... in which case, such a marriage strikes them as not worth the effort. Then Jesus makes matters worse for their male superiority by landing on the idea that sex isn't all that important anyway. This is in Matt. 19. (A literal understanding of this episode is clouded by marriage appearing in Jesus's parables as a symbol.)

Then in Acts, disciples are guided by Spirit to the Ethiopian eunuch. They don't avoid him and eventually accept him as a fellow follower. This event, as a close reader learns to expect, is also clouded by ending in water baptism, since water serves as a common symbol for the division between the spiritual and physical realms, especially for souls finishing a life here and souls returning to earth for another incarnation.

Nevertheless, Jesus and disciples in scripture show that the light, the soul, is what matters, not a heterosexual or homosexual basket.

[RegulatedCapitalistD]

9. So this means...if I am at a concert or event

And the Women's Room line is too long and my weak sensitive bladder cannot wait....If bolt into a Men's room stall ....as I have in the past. Now Florida can arrest me for that....

[Deuxcents]

12. I have done that a few times and never had a problem

At the beach, I had my friend stand outside the door of the men’s bathroom until I walked out.. never a problem. There are places with just one bathroom and I’ve never known of a problem. This is a made up problem while our real issues are ignored

[RegulatedCapitalistD]

13. Agree......who could have guessed it would

one day be made a crime?

[Chainfire]

10. The most important problem in Florida today is who pisses where.

[milestogo]

14. But Republicans are allowed to piss on everybody.

[Hortensis]

16. Seems very similar to FL's bill requiring students to use bathrooms

correlating with sex at birth. The 11th circuit upheld its constitutionality, though in a very divided opinion. We just put a Biden appointee on the 11th Circuit, Nancy Abudu, a strong civil rights warrior. Still more conservatives than liberal, though; six of the 12 are tRump appointees.

At least this law makes violation a misdemeanor, not a felony. Don't imagine it'll exactly be popular with law enforcement at any level.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

17. when does DeSatan do any work to actually benefit the people of Florida?

[roamer65]

19. The DeSatan Potty Police.

🚓🚓🚓🚓🚓🚓🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

20. I would be more impressed if Beyonce

Cancelled all Florida appearances in protest.

It's not like she needs whatever she'd make in Florida these days.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

21. Once again, I don't get how anyone would know, one way or another

Maybe for the people who are in the middle of the transition, sure, it could be obvious that they're transgendered, but, most of the time, it's impossible to tell just by looking at someone. I was at a gay club with some friends, back in the 90s before the pronouns had sorted out. So don't get mad when I relate that this utterly beautiful woman walked by and one of the gay guys said, "Hold on. I know him. Gotta say hi, then I'll pop right back."

I would never have checked that transgender woman off as originally a male. Not in a million years.

And besides, if you're in the loo, what are you doing looking at other people in there? The last thing I want is to look at anyone or have them look at me at such a time. Do your business and get out. Sheesh.

[CTyankee]

24. He better not go to France where they have unisex bathrooms and my gawd "pissoirs"

[Rhiannon12866]

25. +100!

He must have had a tough time on his overseas "trip..."