At a press conference at the Texas Capitol on Monday morning, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick voiced his support for SB 6, known as the ‘bathroom bill’. The bill will require people in government owned buildings to use the bathroom based off of the biological sex listed on their birth certificate, rather than the sex they identify with.
Patrick announced his “One Million Voices” campaign where he has called on Christian pastors across the state to become educated on the bill and get involved.
“North Carolina was the tip of the sphere, we will be the next to pass a bill that focuses on privacy, a person’s privacy and public safety,” Patrick said.
Patrick was joined by North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest who shared his views on how North Carolina made the right decision by passing the bill into law, despite how some have said the bill has negatively impacted the state’s economy.
“This is an issue about privacy and safety and protection, and certainly Texas, like North Carolina is a state of reasonable accommodation.” Forest said.
However, not everyone agrees.
Grace Rogers with the Lubbock chapter of the LGBTQ support group, PFLAG said this bill will bring an increase of violence toward the transgender community rather than providing protection for the straight community.
“Transgender people have a high rate of being attacked and suicide, of violence of all kinds against them.” Rogers said.
Rogers said she thinks rather than a statewide law, communities should be able to decide for themselves if they think the bathroom bill appropriate.
“Local schools should make this decision, and I think think the decision should be that they are able to go to the bathroom,” she explained.
“I think it should be left alone to do what they think is best for their students the local schools should make this decision, and I think the decision should be that they are able to go into the bathroom associated with the gender they are presenting to the world.” Rogers said.