OYLMPIA, Wash. — Passion about the issue surfaced in a rally on the Capitol steps last month.
Participants were upset that the Republican led state Senate did not repeal new regulations granting transgender people access to the public restrooms that match their gender identity.
Today activists brought their children to the Secretary of State's Office to file an initiative repealing those regulations.
“My 8-year-old daughter is why I am here,” said initiative sponsor Angela Connelly.
“Every person has a civil right, a human right to privacy and to safety. Women and children are most vulnerable in a situation of a shower, a locker room, a bathroom,” she said.
Initiative supporters say also say they are trying to protect businesses who try to protect customers.
“What we shouldn't have is liability for a business when they intervene to protect the privacy of their customers in a case where it is obviously inappropriate for a person to be in a particular place,” said Joseph Backholm of the Just Want Privacy Campaign.
In the Senate, Seattle Democrat Jamie Pedersen defended the anti-discrimination rules.
“If the initiative actually overturned the rule, then I think we have a lot of uncertainty for businesses and a lot of litigation that likely to ensue," he said.
And Pedersen believes the campaign will hurt transgender people, even if it fails.
“I think it would send a really unfortunate message if we had this kind of a campaign in our state.”
Initiative supporters say they do not have a big dollar sponsor. But they are confident they can get the necessary 250,000 signatures to put it on the ballot.
Cox Media Group
