Campaign wants repeal of open-bathroom rule for transgender people

OLYMPIA, Wash. — A group that wants to repeal a Washington state rule allowing transgender people to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify is trying once again to overturn that policy at the ballot.

The "Just Want Privacy" campaign filed its second attempt at an initiative on Monday. Last year, the group failed to gather enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot.

The first effort of an initiative came following news that a state regulation took effect at the end of 2015 that required buildings open to the public - including schools - to allow transgender people to use restrooms and locker rooms of the gender they identify with.

The state Human Rights Commission said the new rule was a clarification of the state's existing anti-discrimination law that added transgender people as a protected class in 2006. The commission was created by the Legislature and is responsible for administering and enforcing that law.

Group Washington Won't Discriminate released a statement in response to the filed repeal.

“Washingtonians sent a clear message last year – we won’t discriminate,” said Seth Kirby, a transgender man and Chair of Washington Won’t Discriminate. “Voters didn’t buy the pitch that repealing our state’s non-discrimination protections for transgender people would somehow make us safer. Washingtonians value fairness and equality and we believe that everyone in our state should be able to earn a living, frequent a business, earn an education, and raise a family free from the fear of discrimination.”

Washington Won’t Discriminate is a broad coalition of more than 500 law enforcement, clergy, business leaders, violence prevent groups and others opposing efforts to roll back our state’s non-discrimination protections.

Cox Media Group