For those wondering, the bill passed but with an amendment that trans people would only be charged if they entered "with the purpose of sexual gratification".

So, in other words, only if they have intent to commit a sex crime. However, there is needless to say a strong bias to view trans women as sexual predators that will put the odds against them to prove their innocence in court. And even if they are found innocent, the fact they've been tried for a sex crime will jeopardize their housing and employment prospects.

Even in its more toned-down form, it's just another avenue for transphobes to make our lives a living hell.

The vagueness of "for the purpose of sexual gratification" alarms me.

Transphobes already think we transition for sexual gratification and fetish/kink reasons. There's nothing stopping them from saying *every* trans woman who exists in public is doing so for sexual gratification.

So if a trans woman only exists in public as a form of sexual gratification, if she uses the restroom (notice they didn't specify *which* bathroom, this could be men's or women's) she is doing so for the purpose of sexual gratification. So it doesn't change the law even a little.

This was 100% a cop out for them. A way to show they "listened" to the outrage that outpoured over this while maintaining both the spirit and the intent of the law with some very vague weasel words.

Don't let them off the hook for that.

Spicy nuclear take but: this is why you should support human rights for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated registrants/sex offenders.

Because of shit like this.

It's already illegal to commit a sex crime in public bathrooms. All this bill does is make it easier to falsely convict trans people as sex offenders.

Which is the point.

What happened to ‘innocent until proven guilty’?

Oh, that never applied to anyone who wasn’t white, straight, male, and cis.