North Dakota limits bathroom use for transgender people

North Dakota’s Republican Gov. Doug Burgum signed a bill Wednesday that limits access to bathrooms, locker rooms and shower rooms for transgender and gender-nonconforming people in several state facilities.

That includes dorms and living facilities controlled by the state board of higher education, penitentiaries and correctional facilities for youths and adults.

Restrooms and shower rooms at these facilities would be designated for use exclusively for males or exclusively for females. Transgender or gender-nonconforming people would need to get approval from a staff member at the facility to use the restroom or shower room of their choice.

The bill had passed the House and Senate with veto-proof majorities.

The American Civil Liberties Union has said that so far this year, more than 450 bills attacking the rights of transgender people have been introduced in state legislatures.

Last week, Burgum signed a bill into law that restricts transgender health care in the state, immediately making it a crime to give gender-affirming care to people younger than 18.

That measure also received veto-proof support from GOP lawmakers — although some Republicans did vote against it, alongside all Democrats.

Earlier this month, Burgum also signed a transgender athlete ban into law after it similarly passed the House and Senate with veto-proof majorities. In 2021, Burgum vetoed a bill that would have imposed a transgender athlete ban at that time, but House and Senate lawmakers did not have enough votes back then to override his veto.

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Trisha Ahmed is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Trisha Ahmed on Twitter: @TrishaAhmed15

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