Voters in Anchorage, Alaska have cast their ballots in favor of allowing transgender individuals to use the bathroom of their gender choice, regardless of the individual’s biological sex.
Voters were faced with a proposition which would have maintained the requirement for city facilities to offer separate bathrooms and changing areas for biological males and females, but this current ordinance was narrowly voted down, according to The Christian Post.
The ordinance, known as Proposition 1, would have made it a law that all individuals must use the bathroom facilities which correspond to their biological gender, except in cases of maintenance and when parents are helping young children in the restroom.
This bill would have been similar to the controversial North Carolina “bathroom bill,” according to The Christian Post. It also would have allowed individual private businesses to implement the bathroom policy of their choice.
Proponents of Proposition 1 explain the dangers they see with overturning the ordinance:
"This intrusive and dangerous ordinance forces everyone – even private facilities like athletic clubs – to open their restrooms, changing rooms, and showers to members of both biological sexes. Similar laws have been passed in other cities and states – opening a Pandora's box of problems," explained the Yes On Prop 1 website.
LGBT advocates, however, championed the overturning of the ordinance:
“In a world that can be so hostile to transgender people in our daily lives, to know that the city of Anchorage has our backs means everything, I'm grateful to the voters, volunteers and hard-working supporters of our campaign who worked tirelessly to make this night possible,” said Lillian Lennon, a transgender field organizer with Fair Anchorage.
Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/ciud
Publication date: April 11, 2018
