Two of Del. Bob Marshall’s bills aiming to marginalize transgender people and make their use of the bathroom illegal are heading to a House sub committee tomorrow afternoon, 1/19.
HB 1612, also known as the Personal Privacy Act, would require people to use public restrooms and facilities that correspond with their “biological gender” that appears on their “original birth certificate.”
Legislators have been developing language to combat trans bathroom use as trans folks work through the complicated and expensive process of changing their gender markers on state IDs and birth certificates – Marshall’s is the first to require the “original” birth certificate gender to define where someone pees.
HB2011 deals with an issue he tried to get involved in last year, limiting school boards from passing inclusive non-discrimination policies. State law protects against “race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, national origin, age, marital status, or disability” and, under the Dillon Rule, according to Marshall, they shouldn’t be allowed to add sexual orientation or gender identity.
He’s fought in places like Fairfax County where such policies have been put into place, but State AG Mark Herring put out a legal opinion supporting such moves because of federal connections to school systems, and his attempts to control school boards last year was shot down as by fellow conservatives.
Last year’s hearing (top image) on similar issues gave a voice to trans people like never before in Virginia with members of the community of all ages and colors coming out and speaking against the bills.
While it can be hard to nail down an exact time the bills will be heard, if you wish to speak against the bills, plan to arrive at the General Assembly building, House Room C, around an hour after Adjournment, usually around 3 PM. You can monitor the House session on Twitter here.
The bills are set to be heard during General Laws Subcommittee 4 which happens immediately after the full General Laws committee.
The full General Laws committee meets 30 mins after adjournment.
Either way, because it’s a short session there’s a lot on the docket, arrive early or expect to stand in the back of the room.
This is the bills first subcommittee hearing, if they pass, like they did last year, they will move on to full committee which will probably meet next Thursday.
