WV Senate adopts extreme anti-transgender bathroom ban

CHARLESTON, West Virginia — The West Virginia Senate voted 32-1 in favor of a bill that bans transgender people from using the correct restroom facilities in all state-owned buildings, including schools, universities, domestic violence shelters, and correctional facilities.

The bill, Senate Bill 456, will head to the House of Delegates for consideration. The House has a similar bill, House Bill 2006, which is currently parked on the inactive calendar.

Andrew Schneider, executive director of Fairness West Virginia, released the following statement:

“Our state is facing so many challenges, and yet our lawmakers spend hours debating bills to police where a transgender woman can use the bathroom. Transgender people have already been using the correct bathrooms for years, bathrooms that align with their gender identity. And guess what? There is no evidence that this makes anyone unsafe.

We all care about safety and privacy. In fact, we already have laws in place that make it illegal to enter a restroom with the intent to harm anyone. This law’s only purpose is to make life harder for transgender West Virginians. And it will. If this bill is signed into law, could you imagine how hard life might become for our transgender neighbors? Even if you’re not transgender, imagine how difficult life would be if you weren’t able to use the restroom while you’re waiting at the DMV.

West Virginians are tired of the culture war, and we expect our lawmakers to fix the real problems facing our state. We don’t want our lawmakers to invent fake problems that don’t exist.”

###

Please direct questions and interview requests to Jack Jarvis, Communications Director, at jack@fairnesswv.org

Fairness West Virginia is the statewide civil rights advocacy organization dedicated to fair treatment and civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer West Virginians. Our mission is to ensure LGBTQ+ people can be open, honest and safe at home, at work, and in the community. We are open to everyone who believes in fundamental fairness.