press release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

News from Progress Michigan

June 3, 2016

Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org

Bathroom Policing Bill Dropped in House by Republicans

Bill is latest attempt by MIGOP to discriminate against transgender people

LANSING — Michigan House Republicans have introduced a bathroom-policing bill that discriminates against transgender people and stokes fear and ignorance in our communities, meanwhile the MIGOP continues to ignore real issues in the state.

The bill, HB5717, comes on the heels of a bill introduced by State Senator Tom Casperson, who introduced similar legislation. Michigan Republicans in the legislature, as well as Attorney General Bill Schuette have all lined up support behind discrimination and bullying of students.

The House bill goes far beyond just schools and into the broader public sphere to include every publicly-owned restroom and locker room in the state, including college, city and county facilities. The bill also threatens local nondiscrimination protections that are currently in place.

“Republicans in Lansing seem hell-bent on monitoring bathrooms, yet they couldn’t be bothered to monitor the Snyder administration for years while Flint was poisoned and allowed DPS to slip further into debt under state control. It’s disgusting that, with all the problems we face in our state, Republicans in the legislature would introduce a bill to police bathrooms and ignore the real problems in the state,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “The Michigan Republicans who are pushing this discriminatory legislation are giving fuel to the ignorance and fear that spawns bullying and harassment in our schools and discrimination in our communities. It is fitting that these proposals would regulate bathroom facilities because the bills belong in the toilet.”

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