A ONE-ON-ONE "OPEN SESSION"
WITH LIEUTENAT GOVERNOR DAN
PATRICK TODAY BROUGHT OUT SOME
TOUGH QUESTIONS FROM THE
AUDIENCE. AMONG THEM: SENATE
BILL SIX.. CALLED THE TEXAS
PRIVACY ACT -- BUT ALSO KNOWN
AS THE "BATHROOM BILL."IT SAID
THERE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONS, FOR
EXAMPLE IF YOU'RE GOING INTO
THE BATHROOM OF THE OPPOSITE
SEX FOR CUSTODIAL PURPOSES,
INSPECTION, AND EMPLOYEE OR
AUTHORIZED VOLUNTEER, STUDENT
PARENT GUARDIAN. SO, RATHER
THAN PUTING ON A DRESS AND
PRETENDING TO BE A MAN OR
WOMAN, COULDN'T I JUST PRETEND
I'M A CUSTODIAN AND GO AND
ABUSE PEOPLE. 52:55 PERHAPS
THIS NEEDS TO BE CHANGED ALSO?
WHAT ABOUT THAT? LOOK, WE WILL
ALWAYS LOOK AT LEGISLATION.
WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME,
AGAIN AN ERRONIOUS REPORT ON
THE AUTHOR OF THIS BILL
SENATOR KOHLKORST AND I HAVE
BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR
MONTH. WE WILL CONTINUE TO
LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE,
OBVIOUSLY THERE WILL ALWAYS BE
EXCEPTIONS. THE WOMAN WHO
ASKED THAT QUESTION.. HAS A
DAUGHTER WHO SAYS THE BILL..
PUTS HER SAFETY AT RISK.
KXAN'S GIGI BARNETT WAS ALSO
IN THE AUDIENCE.. AND SPOKE
WITH THEM AFTER TODAY'S Q AND
A SESSION. "IT'S A PUBLIC
SAFETY ISSUE."THAT'S LT. GOV.
DAN PATRICK'S NUMBER ONE
REASON FOR BACKING ONE OF THE
STATE'S MOST CONTROVERSIAL
BILLS THIS LEGISLATIVE
SESSION. SENATE BILL SIX..
TITLED THE TEXAS PRIVACY ACT..
WOULD REQUIRE PEOPLE TO USE
THE BATHROOM OF THEIR
"BIOLOGICAL SEX" - EFFECTIVELY
BLOCKING TRANSGENDER PEOPLE
FROM USING THE RESTROOMS THEY
IDENTIFY WITH. SIERRA DAVIS
AND HER FAMILY ARE FIGHTING TO
BLOCK THE BILL."THEY WANT ME
TO DRESS LIKE A BOY AND LIVE
LIKE A BOY AND USE THE BOY'S
RESTROOM AND THAT SERIOUSLY
CAUSES ME DEPRESSION."DAVIS
AND HER FAMILY WENT TO THE
TEXAS TRIBUNE'S OPEN FORUM
WITH THE LT. GOVERNOR IN
DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, WITH PRESSING
QUESTIONS. SHE WAS BORN A BOY.
AND, SINCE DAVIS WAS SIX SHE'S
FELT MORE LIKE A GIRL-- BUT
STILL CHOSE THE MOST MASCULINE
JOB SHE COULD FIND."I WAS
FORCED TO BE MASCULINE, VERY,
VERY MASCULINE. SO, WHEN I
TURNED 17 AND GRADUATED HIGH
SCHOOL, I THOUGHT THE MOST
MASCULINE THING I COULD DO WAS
BE IN THE INFANTRY MARINES.
SO, THAT'S WHAT I DID."NO
LONGER IN THE MARINES, DAVIS
FEARS SHE'S MORE AT RISK -- IF
FORCED TO USE RESTROOMS WITH
MEN."OK SO, I'M GOING TO FIGHT
FOR YOUR RIGHTS, BUT YOU'RE
GOING TO SAY THAT I CAN'T GO
PEE IN PEACE. I MEAN, IF I GO
INTO A MAN'S RESTROOM LOOKING
LIKE THIS, SOMEONE IS GOING TO
TRY TO HARASS ME."BUT, THE LT.
GOVERNOR SAYS THE BILL AIMS TO
KEEP SEXUAL PREDATORS FROM
EXPLOITING LAWS ALLOWING THEM
TO GET INSIDE RESTROOMS."WHEN
WE INTRODUCE MEN IN TO LADIES
ROOMS, WE INTRODUCE A DANGER."
DAVIS'S FAMILY MEMBER SAY
"HOGWASH.""NOBODY IS GOING TO
PRETEND TO BE TRANS TO GO IN
ANBODY'S RESTROOM OR SHOWER
WITH THE GIRLS. THAT'S BEYOND
RIDICULOUS. IT'S A SERIOUS
MEDICAL ISSUE.ONE DAVIS SAYS
SHOULD STAY OUT OF THE STATE
LEGISLATURE.IN DOWNTOWN
AUSTIN, I'M GIGI BARNETT, KXAN
NEWS. PASSING S-B-6.. COULD
ADD TEXAS TO CALIFORNIA'S
STATE-FUNDED TRAVEL BAN. AS OF
JANUARY FIRST.. CALIFORNIA NO
LONGER PAYS FOR PUBLIC
EMPLOYEES TO TRAVEL TO STATES
BELIEVED TO DISCRIMINATE
AGAINST LGBT PEOPLE.
CALIFORNIA'S ATTORNEY GENERAL
MAINTAINS THE LIST -- WHICH
CURRENTLY INCLUDES NORTH
CAROLINA, MISSOURI, TENNESSEE
