A new California bill plans to separate “intimate spaces” based on “sex, irrespective ofgender identity or gender expression.”
The proposal, known as AB 1998, woulddefine “sex” in state lawas biological and immutable — male or female — and require private facilities such as bathrooms, locker rooms, dressing rooms and showers to be separated accordingly in spaces where individuals typically undress or expect privacy from the opposite sex, according to the bill.
The bill is authored by Assemblymember Leticia Castillo.
Supporters say the legislation would provide clarity andmore privacy for females.
Under current California law, the Unruh Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in business establishments based on several protected classes, including sex, which the state interprets to include gender identity and gender expression.
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AB 1998 would carve out a specific exception for so-called “intimate spaces,” requiring those areas to be separated according to a person’s “immutable biological sex.”
The proposal would still allow single-occupancy bathrooms to remain gender-neutral.
The legislation is being backed by the conservative advocacy groupCalifornia Family Council, which says the measure responds to concerns from parents and women who feel existing policies have eroded privacy protections.
“This legislation is not theoretical. It responds to real incidents that have left women and girls feeling vulnerable, dismissed, and unheard,” the parents rights non-profit, said in a statement.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
