Texas Senate bars trans people from using bathrooms and domestic abuse shelters
The Texas Senate approved a sweeping bill Wednesday that would bar transgender individuals from using restrooms and domestic abuse shelters that align with their gender identity, citing women’s privacy concerns.
Senate Bill 7, introduced by Republican Sen. Mayes Middleton, passed by a 19-2 vote. The measure mandates that all state political subdivisions—including cities, counties, and school districts—require people to use multiple-occupancy public restrooms corresponding to their sex assigned at birth. This bill joins a wave of similar “bathroom bills” seen nationwide since North Carolina’s 2016 law, all aimed at restricting transgender rights by enforcing use of facilities based on birth sex.
Middleton argued the bill does not deny anyone access but requires adherence to “biological sex,” as defined in the legislation. However, Democrat Sen. Judith Zaffirini challenged whether this narrow definition might conflict with federal anti-discrimination laws like Title IX. Middleton dismissed these concerns, saying the bill follows existing state definitions.
Beyond restrooms, SB 7 would prevent transgender women from entering women-only domestic violence shelters, despite evidence showing that transgender individuals experience domestic abuse at nearly twice the rate of cisgender people. The bill also directs prisons and correctional facilities to house inmates according to birth sex, a practice critics say amounts to cruel and unusual punishment, exposing transgender prisoners to heightened risk of assault and harassment.
The legislation includes civil penalties for facilities allowing access based on gender identity rather than birth sex, with fines starting at $5,000 and escalating to $25,000 for repeated offenses. It also enables private citizens to report alleged violations to the attorney general.
The bill now heads to the Texas House, where its progress is uncertain. Recently, Democratic representatives left the state to block contentious redistricting bills, leaving the fate of SB 7 unclear.
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