If I preface this post by identifying it as a press release from the Christian Newswire, perhaps you can guess what’s coming…
The Student Safety and Physical Privacy Act was introduced in the Minnesota House and Senate today. Senator Brown introduced SF 1543, with co-authors Kiffmeyer, Ruud, Thompson and Westrom. Representative Tim Miller introduced HF 1546, with co-authors Lucero, Scott, Whelan, M. Dean, Drazkowski, Backer, Heintzeman, Newberger, Rarick, Hancock, Runbeck, Daniels, Lohmer, Pugh, Green, and Gruenhagen.
“We thank these legislators for coming forward to protect the rights of all students to decency, privacy and safety,” stated Renée Doyle, President of Child Protection League Action, a Minnesota-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit that has been calling on Minnesota lawmakers to take action on the issue.
The legislation would overturn the Minnesota State High School League’s recent decision to allow boys who think they are girls to play on the girls’ sports team. The legislation would also require public schools to provide restrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms and shower rooms for the exclusive use of either the male sex or the female sex, allowing for additional accommodations to be made if needed.
A poll was released last month that found 90% of Minnesota voters–Republicans, Democrats and Independents–support student physical privacy, which includes separating biological girls and boys.
“We’ve seen the public express outrage over the Minnesota State High School League’s actions,” said Doyle. “Over 10,000 calls and emails came into the MSHSL Board from all over the state, and people showed up in force for both MSHSL Board comment meetings.”
“Support for student physical privacy was the number one call-in topic at the gubernatorial debate,” Doyle pointed out. “With the Minneapolis schools now allowing students to ‘self-select’ the bathroom of their gender choice, and with the St. Paul Schools poised to implement similar policies defining male and female as nothing more than an expression, it’s clear that legislators need to provide protection of all students who will actually lose all privacy under these policies.”
“Our children are not guinea pigs, and we cannot allow them to be used as a social experiment,” stated Doyle.
“CPLAction will be informing the public about the pending legislation and urging them to voice their support to legislators,” continued Doyle. “We look forward to getting the word out that parents have a remedy they can support.”