Republican sponsors bill requiring schools to check kids’ private parts before bathroom breaks

A Virginia bill sponsored by Republican Del. Mark Cole was filed this week requiring schools to make sure their students use the restroom that corresponds to their “correct anatomical sex.”

House Bill 663 defines “anatomical sex” as “the physical condition of being male or female, which is determined by a person’s anatomy.”

The measure states that: 

“Local school boards shall develop and implement policies that require every school restroom, locker room, or shower room that is designated for use by a specific gender to solely be used by individuals whose anatomical sex matches such gender designation.” 

This explicitly prohibits trans and other gender-nonconforming children from using the bathroom in which they would feel the most comfortable. The bill not only punishes these individuals and threatens them with $50 fines, but implies that schools have the legal right to implement their own policies to enforce it.

It would be impossible to ensure that every child has the correct genitalia to suit the stipulations of this bill without partaking in invasive, demeaning, and potentially psychologically damaging verification performed by school employees. Civil rights advocate Tim Peacock noted the horrifying implications of this bill. He says that “adults would be required to inspect children’s genitals before they use the bathroom” in order for House Bill 663 to be enforceable.

Many have slammed the Virginia GOP’s willingness to violate children in order to uphold traditional gender norms as ridiculous, illogical, and cruel to all children, regardless of their gender identity.

Featured image: Del. Mark Cole via ThinkProgress

Isadora Teich

Isadora Teich is a freelance writer and digital nomad who has worked in web marketing, digital branding, entertainment, and news. When not writing or traveling she is probably doing yoga, learning Spanish, or experimenting in the kitchen.

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