South Carolina bill would ban transgender people from using bathrooms of their choosing

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina would ban transgender people from using public bathrooms, showers or changing rooms of their choice under a bill introduced in the state Senate on Wednesday.

If passed, the proposal from one of the Senate’s staunchest conservatives, Lee Bright, R-Spartanburg, would prevent local governments from requiring businesses to accommodate transgender customers or workers who want to use bathrooms of their choosing.

Bright also proposed mandating that government-run parks, museums and schools designate bathrooms, showers and changing rooms for use only by people based on their biological gender.

The bill would apply only to bathrooms and changing rooms used by more than one person at a time. A member of the opposite sex could enter a public bathroom for cleaning and medical assistance.

Bright’s bill comes on the heels of several measures in the South that curb transgender and gay rights, including ending employment protections and allowing businesses to not serve people based on the owners’ religious beliefs.