Alabama Republicans want to introduce actual real-life bathroom police
A Republican-backed bill in Alabama would force public institutions to hire real-life bathroom police to guard mixed-use bathrooms.
Alabama Senator Phil Williams wasted no time after the new legislative session began this week, swiftly introducing anti-LGBT bill SB1.
Much like legislation that has been fielded in a number of other GOP-controlled states in the past few days, the bill attempts to restrict the use of bathrooms by transgender people after a protracted fearmongering campaign (and shadowy lobbying campaign) on the issue.
However, Alabama’s proposed law is even more over-the-top than some of its counterparts, by forcing public institutions that want trans-friendly bathrooms to hire actual security guards to police them.
The law states that “bathroom, or changing facilities that are designed to be used by multiple persons” must either be exclusively for “persons of the same gender”, or open to people “irrespective of their gender” with physical security present.
It requires: “Bathroom, or changing facilities that are designed to be used by multiple persons at once, irrespective of their gender, that are staffed by an attendant stationed at the door of each rest room to monitor the appropriate use of the rest room and answer any questions or concerns posed by users.”
It adds: “Enforcement of this act shall be authorized by any state or local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the person or entity providing rest rooms, bathrooms, or changing facilities to the public.”
Any public institution that leaves a bathroom un-policed would be hit with a $2000 fine for a first violation, and a $3500 for each further violation, in addition to potential “punitive damages” if people complain.
The law does not specify how it defines “gender”, but trans people in Alabama are required to undergo surgery and file a request in court in order to change their legal gender.
