Transgender kids and adults in North Dakota won鈥檛 be able to access bathrooms, locker rooms or showers that match the gender they identify with in places like college dorms or jails, under a new law signed by Republican Gov. Doug Burgum.
The American Civil Liberties Union has said that so far this year, attacking the rights of transgender people have been introduced in state legislatures.
Burgum's office announced Wednesday that he signed the bill the previous day. It had passed the state House and Senate
Dorms and living facilities controlled by the state board of higher education would be affected, as well as correctional facilities for youths and adults. Restrooms and shower rooms will be designated for use exclusively by males or exclusively by females. Transgender or gender-nonconforming people would need to get approval from a staff member to use the restroom or shower room of their choice.
The governor鈥檚 office declined to comment on the bill Wednesday.
Rep. Eric Murphy was one of three Republicans who defied their party and voted against the bill when it was in the House.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 try to be polarizing. I just don鈥檛 think there was a need for the legislation,鈥� the lawmaker from Grand Forks said in an interview after the new law was announced.
Murphy, a professor of biomedical sciences at the University of North Dakota, said he doesn鈥檛 think there needs to be a law to tell school officials how to handle this issue.
Last week, the governor signed a bill that 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 鈥� although some Republicans did vote against it, alongside all Democrats.
Earlier this month, Burgum also 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:
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This story has been updated to correct that the bill was signed Tuesday and announced Wednesday.
Trisha Ahmed, The Associated Press
