Arkansas has become the fourth state in the US to sign a law restricting transgender people from using bathrooms in public schools that match their gender identity. The law signed by Republican governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders applies to multi-person restrooms and locker rooms in public schools and charter schools serving pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. It won’t take effect until later this summer. The move comes as several other states are expected to enact similar bans targeting the trans community. Bills in Idaho and Iowa also await their governors’ signatures, and an even stricter Arkansas bill criminalizing transgender adults using public restrooms matching their gender identity might follow.
The majority-Republican Legislature gave final approval to the bill last week. It is a cause of concern for advocates of transgender rights who say that the law discriminates against transgender students, making them vulnerable to bullying and harassment. Supporters of the bill, however, argue that it is meant to protect privacy and safety in public school restrooms and locker rooms.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, more than 200 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures this year, with a majority of them targeting transgender people. Such bills are part of a wave of conservative legislation seeking to limit the rights of LGBTQ+ people. President Biden has issued an executive order combating discrimination on the basis of gender identity, but many of these bills are still being introduced in state legislatures across the country.
This new Arkansas law has been criticized by many groups, including the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ civil rights organization in the US. The organization called the law “unconscionable” and stated that it places transgender students in danger.
The new law raises concerns about the rights of transgender individuals in the US and the challenges they face in achieving full equality. It remains to be seen how the situation will evolve in Arkansas and other states.