New Virginia law allows transgender men to use ladies’ rooms in all places open to the public
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – A new law signed by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Friday has the effect of prohibiting any place or business that is open to the public from denying transgender biological males access to ladies’ bathrooms, locker rooms or dressing rooms.
Described by the Virginia Human Rights Campaign as an extension of “non-discrimination protections,” the Virginia Values Act decrees it is unlawful for any place or business that “offers or holds out to the general public goods, services, privileges, facilities, advantages, or accommodations” to deny anything of what they offer to any person over 18 years old on the basis of their “gender identity” (or on the basis of other features such as race, age, marital status and disability.)
Under the law, “gender identity” means “the gender-related identity, appearance, or other gender-related characteristics of an individual with or without regard to the individual’s designated sex at birth.”
Discussing the legislation for CNS News, journalist TP Jeffrey wrote: “The plain language of the law would seem to indicate that a Catholic or Christian school that sponsored football, basketball or baseball games on its campus would be required by the state to allow adult men—who say they are “transgender” and, therefore, “women”—to use the women’s rooms open to attendees of those events.”
In providing exemptions to the legislation, the Act states these provisions will not apply, among things, to any establishment that is “not in fact open to the public.” This includes any “place of accommodation owned by or operated on behalf of a religious corporation, association or society that is not in fact open the public.”
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