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More than just in high schools, I wonder about potentially issues with bathrooms in elementary schools especially since kids do stupid things.

I know my coworkers son was peed on by another boy who "missed" their urinal. Or when I was a camp counselor heard stories of 1st grade boys who formed a "penis club" in the bathroom but showing their stuff and then a girl wanted to join.

Obviously this stuff is happening now, but if you change the rules for what bathroom you can use it could make it easier.

I remember trying to peak into the boys bathroom because I was curious what it looked like. I could imagine kids not fully understanding why their friend who was a boy now gets to use the girls bathroom and deciding they could do it too.

@lamariniere: I wonder the same thing. What do people think trans people have been doing all this time? Most likely using the bathroom corresponding to their expressed gender. Are we now going to require people to strip to prove their sex? Or carry around cards stating their physical sex characteristics? How exactly is this going to be enforced -- and by whom?! If I were trans, I'd just keep on keeping on and ignore it. If someone tried to say I didn't belong in the women's room, I'd just say, "Yes I do, I'm a woman," and see what they think they're going to do about it...

@snowjewelz: I'm sure there are people who do believe all this "bathrooms will be overrun with predators" propaganda, but I would like our response, as a society, to focus on educating those people and encouraging them to think about the situation rationally. Right now they're letting bigoted people influence their opinions with scare tactics that have no basis in fact. It's just frustrating and ridiculous how trans rights have morphed into a "bathroom issue."

@LAMARINIERE Exactly!! It will prove impossible to make everyone do a genital check before going to the bathroom or even to card someone. It's a complete violation of privacy, which Americans (especially conservative ones) tend to be very protective of except when it comes to LGBT issues and women's reproductive rights.

@snowjewelz Yes even if someone is totally transitioned, they are now supposed to use the bathroom according to their birth gender... Imagine how creeped out people will be when there are bearded, ripped dudes going pee in the women's room because he happened to be born female. It creates a lot of safety issues for trans people of all genders as well. It is a stupid law that creates problems where there were none. Trans people have been peeing in the bathroom forever. I mean- there are millions of starving children in this country and this is what we are focusing on?

@MrsSCB: @caterw: that's why I don't get how this could even be a law. There is no plausible way of enforcing it.

@lamariniere: Oh, there is no way to enforce these laws, which the politicians know. Enforcement of these laws isn't the point of these laws. There are primaries and a presidential election coming up and one way to get a certain segment of the US population out to vote is to make big issues out of “protecting women and children from perverts” and making that protection of our children (whether in bathrooms, or other areas) a conservative vs. liberal issue. Getting people all riled up about imaginary monsters (while all the while ignoring the real monsters we have plenty of!) is decent for voter turnout. I’m sure there will be more bills like this in the coming months, unless big businesses successfully economically shame and endanger these states.

@lamariniere: I'm sure it's not the only reason, but the timing doesn't surprise me at all. Stuff like this always happens at election time!

@snowjewelz: while their are people who fully transition with reassignment surgery a lot of people don't do that final step. So outside they may look like a male and have facial hair and the like because of hormones, but still u underneath have female parts.

I do think once you have reassignment surgery you are legally your new gender, while the law would impact those who identify but haven't yet taken the final step.