Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been pushing the Legislature to produce bills that correspond with his campaign talking points. Even legislation regarding public restrooms.
HB 1521, called the “transgender bathroom bill” by some and also known as the “Safety in Private Spaces Act,” was approved earlier this year by Florida lawmakers.
Sponsored by Republican Rep. Rachel Lora Saunders Plakon, the bill prohibits anyone male or female from entering any bathrooms or changing facilities of the opposite sex.
The bill has brought an uproar of controversy and opinions across the nation and has made an impact on the LGBTQ community, who are calling the bill an “attack” and are worried for their rights.
Most members of the LGBTQ community are wary of discrimination and have said they are tired of being used as a political punching bag.
Rep. Plakon, originally from Dothan, Alabama, has called the bill which she sponsored “common sense” legislation in interviews with different news outlets. She has called it a “good law.”
Some think otherwise.
A music education student at Florida A&M and a member of the LGBTQ community who wishes to not be named, regards the new law as an attack on transgender individuals.
“My initial reaction to the law as it was being stated was hard to describe. I have relatives and friends who are transgender and left the state after it became in effect,” the student said.
Many members of the LGBTQ community are reeling in the aftermath of the bill, which involves personal, private issues as well.
“I had to watch people I know leave out of fear for what else was to come. They felt unsafe. A lot of states watch Florida for examples of what laws to implement and this may just be the first of more. I’ve lived in this state my entire life, it was not until these recent laws that I’ve had to worry about what may truly come next for myself and other LGBTQ people to make me feel unwelcome and unsafe,” the student said.
Republican-led legislatures across the country have been approving bills that seem to target the LGBTQ community. According to the Trans-Legislation tracker, out of 574 bills filed in 2023, 366 are active and 86 have been passed, leaving 125 failed bills.
Although this bill has brought many opinions and ideas, some are able to see both sides of the controversy.
The Famuan has reached out to Rep. Plakon and her staff but did not get a response.