Trans rights come under fire in Illinois

by Austin Stallings
Journalism Intern

SPRINGFIELD, Ill - State Rep. Thomas Morrison (R-54) introduced a bill into the Illinois General Assembly that requires students to use restrooms that correspond with the sex they were assigned at birth.

HB4474 requires school boards to "designate each pupil restroom, changing room, or overnight facility accessible by multiple pupils simultaneously...for the exclusive use of pupils of only one sex."

The bill defines “sex” as "the physical condition of being male or female, as determined by an individual's chromosomes and identified at birth by that individual's anatomy."

This bill seeks to regulate transgender students’ ability to use the restroom of their gender identity.

Rep. Morrison represents Illinois' 54th District, which covers the northwest suburban towns of Sutton, South Barrington, Inverness and Palatine, which was embroiled in controversy over the accommodations of a transgender student in Township High School District 211.

The student, who was born male and identifies as female, asked for unrestricted use of the girl's locker room after being required to change for gym in a restroom. She filed a federal civil rights complaint against the school district with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union. The district approved a plan to provide private changing areas in locker rooms in December, and by mid-January five bathroom-style privacy stalls in both the boys and girls locker rooms at Fremd High School, the Daily Herald reports.

This is the second bill introduced involving the transgender community’s right to use the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity. North Carolina’s HB2 has made waves nationally inciting a ban on nonessential travel from other states, and social media backlash as well.

HB4474 was assigned to the Human Services committee on March 23 and is scheduled to for a hearing on April 5.

The Gayly 4/1/2016 @ 3:40 p.m CDT