UNDER THE RADAR

Utah Lawmakers Pass Transgender Bathroom Ban

When a similar bill was passed in South Carolina seven years ago it led to national outrage and boycotts.

Utah lawmakers passed a bill Friday that would bar transgender people from using the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identities in public schools and government-owned facilities, NBC News reports. The bill also establishes the state’s definitions of “male” and “female” as being based on genitalia rather than gender identity. When a similar bill was passed in South Carolina seven years ago it led to national outrage and boycotts, but this bill has garnered little attention from actors outside of the state. Utah state Rep. Kera Birkeland claimed that the bill is about “keeping men from women’s spaces,” and not about the transgender community.