A new legislative proposal in South Carolina, introduced by Representative April Cromer (R-Anderson), is seeking to mandate that students in public schools use restrooms corresponding to their biological sex at birth.
This bill, if passed, would have statewide implications, potentially affecting students in all public schools across South Carolina.
“This bill isn’t aimed to punish a group that is clearly struggling with their mental health. It is to protect young girls from sharing a locker room with their fully grown male coach,” said Rep. April Cromer, the bill’s sponsor.
LGBTQ advocates in the region have expressed strong opposition to the new bill, arguing that the bill would needlessly attack and bring more oppression to students who have transitioned their gender.
The latest development in the bill’s journey occurred on January 18, when it gained an additional sponsor. The bill stipulates that multi-person public school restrooms and changing facilities should be exclusively used by individuals of the same biological sex, defined as the sex determined by anatomy and genetics at birth.
Furthermore, the bill addresses scenarios involving overnight school activities, proposing that students should not share bedrooms or restrooms with those of the opposite sex, except for family members. Discussions with the bill’s author have been postponed for over a month.