FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 8, 2023
Hobbs Allows Males to Intrude on Young Girls
in K-12 Public School Restrooms, Showers, Locker Rooms
PHOENIX, ARIZONA— In an effort to protect the privacy and safety of young girls in public school bathrooms, showers and locker rooms, while still providing separate designated spaces for transgender students, especially males who identify as females, Senator John Kavanagh sponsored SB 1040, the Arizona Accommodations for All Children Act.
After every Democrat in both the Senate and the House voted against the bill, Governor Katie Hobbs disgracefully vetoed it today, once again displaying a lack of care or concern for the safety and wellbeing of our Arizona kids.
SB 1040 would have limited access to public school restrooms, locker rooms, showers and hotel rooms on overnight school trips to members of the same biological sex at birth. However, the bill would have also required schools to provide access to single-occupancy restrooms, changing areas or showers for those students who don't feel comfortable using facilities that match their biological sex, while also safeguarding female-only and male-only facilities. Additionally, the bill would have granted a private cause of action to individuals who encounter a person of the opposite sex in specified areas at public schools.
"Women and young girls deserve privacy and their own protected bathrooms, showers and locker rooms where they can have such privacy and are safe from the risk of sexual harassment or sexual violence. Unfortunately, Democrat Legislators and Governor Hobbs are catering to an extremist culture by pushing 'gender neutrality' as a means to win political points from their liberal base while stealing dignity away from women and girls in the process," said Senator Kavanagh. "SB 1040 is about protecting our children while respecting the natural privacy rights of students. A 14-year-old female high school coed should not be forced to stand next to a naked, transgender female, who is actually an 18-year-old biological male. In a rush to become 'trans inclusive,' Governor Hobbs and fellow Democrats have forgotten about the needs of innocent young girls. This veto shows exactly how little they care to protect our female citizens."
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For more information, contact:
Kim Quintero
Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus
kquintero@azleg.gov