The Mississippi Legislature, led by Republicans, made a last-minute push to revive a bill aimed at regulating transgender individuals' use of bathrooms, locker rooms, and dormitories in public education buildings. The bill was pushed through the House and Senate in the final days of the session after negotiations on an earlier proposal broke down. The legislation would require all public education institutions to provide single-sex facilities, with individuals only allowed to use spaces corresponding to their sex assigned at birth.
Violators of the policy could face legal action, although schools would be protected from liability. Democrats raised concerns about the bill potentially endangering transgender individuals and criticized the focus on this issue while other legislative priorities remained unresolved.
Republicans argued that the bill aimed to protect female family members on college campuses and emphasized the importance of safeguarding resources for women. The bill faced several revisions and disagreements between the House and Senate before a final version was approved.
While the bill passed, some lawmakers expressed hopes for stronger penalties in future legislation. Previous proposals in Mississippi have targeted transgender individuals, including bans on transgender athletes competing in girls' or women's sports teams and restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors.
Similar bills restricting transgender rights have been considered in state legislatures across the country as part of a broader Republican effort to limit access to gender-affirming care, bathrooms, and sports for transgender individuals.
