Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announced on Monday that he has signed a new law aimed at regulating transgender individuals' use of bathrooms, locker rooms, and dormitories in public education buildings. This move makes Mississippi the 12th state to impose restrictions on transgender students regarding the facilities they can access based on their gender identity.
The governor criticized a federal regulation that prohibits blanket policies preventing transgender students from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity. Reeves, along with Republican attorneys general from several states, is challenging this federal regulation.
The new law mandates that all public education institutions in Mississippi must provide single-sex bathrooms, changing areas, and dormitories, along with at least one gender-neutral bathroom and changing room. Individuals are required to use facilities corresponding to the sex assigned to them at birth, regardless of their appearance or any gender-affirming procedures they may have undergone. Violators of this policy could face legal action, although schools, colleges, and universities would be shielded from liability.
The law defines individuals as either male or female based on their sex as observed or clinically verified at birth, disregarding their psychological, chosen, or subjective gender identity. Democrats raised concerns during legislative debates, arguing that the new restrictions could endanger transgender individuals and criticized Republicans for prioritizing this issue over other legislative matters.
In recent years, Governor Reeves has signed other bills targeting transgender rights, including legislation banning transgender athletes from participating in girls' or women's sports teams and prohibiting gender-affirming hormones or surgery for individuals under 18. Similar bills are being considered in state legislatures across the country as Republicans seek to limit transgender individuals' access to gender-affirming care, bathrooms, sports, and other aspects of public life.
