SPRINGFIELD - The end of sex segregation in bathrooms and showers is working its way through the state of Illinois - at least that's how it appears today.
Despite lining up 29 co-sponsors from both Republican and Democrat aisle sides, State Rep. Tom Morrison's (R-Palatine) proposal to designate bathrooms in public schools to be occupied exclusively by one sex was sent down to subcommittee Tuesday. With committee deadlines looming at the end of this week, that move - without a hearing or considering any testimony - is likely to squelch any legislative effort to deal with an ongoing controversy statewide.
In the meantime, high school after high school throughout Illinois is being forced to allow students of one sex full access to bathrooms and showers of the other sex, if a student declares he or she is transgender.
Morrison's bill would have set aside single occupancy restrooms for those students identifying themselves as transgender.
Immediately after the Illinois House Human Services Committee "put a brick" on Morrison's bill, John Knight, Director, of the ACLU's LGBT and HIV Project issued the following statement:
We are hopeful that this will mark a quiet end to this discriminatory legislation. As a result of public discussion of this misguided proposal, many schools across the state — schools that already adopted and implemented welcoming and affirming policies for their students who are transgender — have feared about the future of their students. This is unfortunate.
Schools are making these policies work in all parts of the state, making life easier and reducing the opportunities for harassment and discrimination for students who are transgender. We need to expand such policies, not adopt a statewide, discriminatory bill.
But while the schools working through the policies are opening their bathrooms and showers to be occupied by both natural sex and transgender students, life is not becoming easier for students that seek privacy from other sexes.
That concern was the basis for Rep. Tom Morrison's HB 4474, as in his northwest suburban district, the issue has already created controversy.
Morrison was not alone in his concerns. Agreeing with Morrison were House colleagues Mary E. Flowers, Sheri Jesiel, Mark Batinick, Dwight Kay, Jeanne M Ives,Bill Mitchell, John M. Cabello, Reginald Phillips, John D. Anthony, Barbara Wheeler, C.D. Davidsmeyer, Keith R. Wheeler, David B. Reis, Adam Brown, Charles Meier, Randy E. Frese, Joe Sosnowski, Terri Bryant, Avery Bourne, John Cavaletto, Anthony DeLuca, Michael W. Tryon, Tim Butler, Brandon W. Phelps, Jerry Costello, II and John Bradley.
