LITTLE ROCK, AR. – Two more bills targeting transgender Arkansans were introduced this week leading one of the state’s progressive news outlets, the Arkansas Times, to dub Arkansas as “the hate state.”
The Arkansas Times reported that state Representative Cindy Crawford, (R-Fort Smith) had introduced HB 1882 earlier this week, a measure that would allow lawsuits against government public agencies if a restroom or changing room is used by a person with a birth sex different from the sex designated for the facility. The Times also notes that “a public employee also has a cause of action if made to share sleeping quarters with a transgender person.” There was a carve-out exception so that a transgender person could make a written request for accommodation in a single-occupancy or controlled-use for facility.
H.B. 1882 does not affect private businesses like Walmart or Target. It only applies to facilities on government property — such as public schools, state parks, and government buildings.
In addition to HB 1882’s introduction, on Thursday, the Arkansas House passed HB 1749 sponsored by Rep. Mary Bentley, (R-Perryville), a bill that The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports which specifies that Arkansas teachers wouldn’t be required to address students by a name or pronoun inconsistent with the student’s biological sex.
Lawmakers who opposed HB1749, as well as LGBT-rights advocates, say it protects teachers who intentionally misgender students who are transgender, which sponsor Rep. Mary Bentley, (pictured) has acknowledged would be the case, the Democrat-Gazette reported.
The House’s 62-21 vote, which was mostly along party lines, sends HB 1749 measure to the Senate. Two lawmakers voted present, and 14 didn’t vote. Two Republicans, Rep. Frances Cavenaugh of Walnut Ridge and Rep. Jeff Wardlaw of Hermitage, voted no, and Rep. Spencer Hawks, R-Conway, was excused, the Democrat-Gazette reported.
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has expressed concerns about the latest proposal. “This bill is unnecessary,” he said.
The Arkansas Times also noted that there have been nine anti-transgender actions of this legislature session. Also approved is a House resolution for the state to defy federal rules and law protecting LGBT people.
The Arkansas House and Senate overrode Governor Asa Hutchinson’s veto of House Bill 1570 earlier this week on Tuesday. That bill is an anti-transgender law aimed at denying medically-necessary, gender-affirming services to transgender youth.
This is the first bill of its kind to become law in the United States. There are so far 192 anti-LGBTQ bills under consideration in state legislatures across the nation. Of those, 101 directly target transgender people and 30 would, like HB 1570, deny medically-necessary services and gender-affirming care to transgender youth.
