As one of its final actions of this session, the Florida legislature passed a law restricting public bathrooms according to biological gender identity. Violators May be criminally prosecuted. The purpose obviously is to prevent trans people to use the bathroom aligned with their chosen gender. This is yet another performance by Ron DeSantis to go to the right of every other GOP figure by showing his hatred for LGBT.

A small number of Republicans joined their Democratic colleagues in opposing House Bill 1521, which applies to schools, government buildings, prisons and detention centers. It now heads to the desk of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who is expected to sign it into law. DeSantis — who has privately indicated that he intends to seek the 2024 GOP presidential nomination — has tacked to the hard right on social issues such as abortion, as he courts primary voters by showing off his conservative vision for the state and pitches Florida as a “blueprint” for the rest of the country.


The bill that passed was more limited than earlier drafts, which would have extended the ban to facilities in many private businesses. It is opposed by LGBTQ and civil liberties activists, who say that it criminalizes transgender people for ordinary behavior. “Our state government should be focused on solving pressing issues, not terrorizing people who are simply trying to use the restroom and exist in public,” said Jon Harris Maurer, public policy director at Equality Florida, an LGBTQ advocacy group.

One important question is how the bill will be enforced. Will people be reqhired to show their genitalia whenever they enter a public bathroom? Will they carry a copy of their birth certificate with them, to be produced on demand?

Who will do the genital check? Will the state hire new employees to check birth certificates?