Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is serious about policing Florida bathrooms.
He enacted one of the most strict bathroom laws in the nation. Anyone 18 or older who does not use the public restroom corresponding to the sex they were assigned at birth may face criminal charges.
To make matters somewhat complex, you can select a gender marker on some government documents, including passports.
"The gender you select does not need to match the gender on your supporting documentation such as a birth certificate, previous passport, or state ID," according to the Department of State.
Do you need to carry your birth certificates to public restrooms in Florida?
The new law applies to government buildings, educational institutions, and prison facilities. Private companies, including restaurants and gas stations, were previously included in the draft.
DeSantis signed the said law only weeks before it is generally anticipated that he will declare his candidacy for president in 2024.
Many find the new law only to serve DeSantis' presidential ambitions.
Everyone is a police officer
The new law allows anyone to police who belongs in which bathroom, which is perilous in a nation plagued by gun violence and vigilantism. It states that someone can be charged if they refuse to leave a restroom when another person requests them to do so.
Advocates are concerned about how the law will be applied because they claim it is written confusingly and ambiguously. It's unclear what may happen when someone stands accused of criminal trespassing by a civilian.
Advocates claim that if a person does not subscribe to conventional patterns of gender expression, they could be targeted if they use a public restroom.
The bathroom law in Florida is similar to North Carolina's H.B. 2, which was approved by Republican Governor Pat McCrory in 2016.
Since North Carolina's bathroom bill, GOP-controlled state legislatures have adopted a bewildering assortment of anti-LGBTQ laws, including ones that outlaw gender-affirming care for trans youngsters and prevent transgender kids from participating in school sports.
We're yet to understand how these laws would affect the population with intersex traits, such as hermaphrodites or phenotypic females.
What do you think about the new bathroom laws in Florida?
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