A petition calling on Washington to reverse a recently passed statewide legislation that makes it illegal to prohibit transgender individuals from utilizing bathrooms and other public gender-specific facilities has garnered over 10,000 signatures.
The Washington Human Rights Commission passed WAC 162-32 in December with revisions added to the state's human rights code.
The code now charges that access to gender-specific bathrooms, shower rooms, locker rooms, and other private changing areas be given to individuals "consistent with that individual's gender identity."
The mandate also prohibits the "asking of unwelcome personal questions about an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity or gender transition."
The Family Policy Institute of Washington (FPIW) -- a coalition of national and local organizations -- launched a petition on January 11 calling for repeal of the policy.
FPIW maintains that the regulation went into effect without the approval of state legislature, essentially granting rule-making authority to the Human Rights Commission.
"Not only does this new mandate require people to completely ignore biology and reasonable concern for safety in private places, but it also restricts an individual's ability to question the motives of an individual entering those facilities," the petition states.
The concern related to the rule is not that all transgendered people are predators, supporters argue. The concern is that the rule creates opportunities for those who are.
Three bills have been introduced by lawmakers in Washington to repeal the rule, according to communications director of FPIW Zach Freeman.
"All of the bills focused on this effort contain provisions to repeal the dangerous policy enacted by the Human Rights Commission," said Freeman in a post on the FPIW website.
