Florida house debates bill to make refusal to leave facility reserved for opposite sex second-degree misdemeanor

HB 1521, the Safety in Private Spaces Act, is sponsored by Rep. Rachel Plakon (R-Seminole). The legislation states that females and males should be provided restrooms and changing facilities for their exclusive use in order to maintain public safety, decency, and decorum.

“This ensures the safety of all Floridians by requiring the use of common decency standards in all private spaces,” explained Plaken. “This is a simple, common sense bill.”

The proposed restrictions would also apply to correctional facilities, shelters, and healthcare and educational institutions.

The misdemeanor charges apply to those over 18. Education institutions would be required to establish student conduct disciplinary procedures for those under 18 who wilfully enter a space reserved for members of the opposite sex.

A debate on the bill earlier this week took a nasty turn Monday with those in opposition calling it “genocide” and “eugenics,” and a Republican member in support comparing transgender people to X-Men “mutants,” reported The Florida Standard.

“You don’t know what it is to be trans or non-binary, and like your Führer, you fear what you don’t understand,” said a member of Women’s Voices of Southwest Florida.

“This bill is nothing more than the extension of mass-genocidal bills that are being pushed forth for the benefit of Ron DeSantis’ 2024 campaign. This is genocide, this is eugenics, and you should be ashamed.”

“Do you know how amazing it is to see trans people who are older than me?” Asked one trans-identified female. “I don’t get to see that often, because of the ‘transgenocide’ that is going on with the over 490 bills that are being presented.”

More measured opposition came from some Democratic members of the House.

“I don’t like laws that we more than likely can’t enforce,” Rep. Christopher Benjamin of Miami stated, pointing to the apparent difficulty police would encounter determining a person’s sex. “The fact that this law isn’t policed will be difficult to prosecute. It will be difficult for a police officer to even investigate its violation.”

Diplomacy was not on the agenda for Rep. Webster Barnaby (R-Volusia), who expressed his vehement disapproval of those opposing the bill.

“I’m looking at society today and it’s like I’m watching an X-Men movie,” began Barnaby. “It’s like we have mutants living among us on planet Earth. This is the planet Earth! Where God created men, male, and women, female!”

“I’m not afraid to address the dysphoria or the dysfunction: The Lord rebuke you, Satan! And all of your demons and all of your imps, who come and parade before us. That’s right, I called you demons and imps, who come and parade before us, and pretend you are part of this world,” he continued.

The legislation passed and will now advance to the House floor.