A Republican state lawmaker on
Wednesday unveiled a bill that would prohibit transgender students
from using the bathroom of their choice in Michigan.
Senator Tom Casperson's bill would
require schools to use “biological sex” to separate use of
facilities such as bathrooms, locker rooms and showers.
While the proposal has been assigned to
a committee, Senate
Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof said that the issue was not a
priority in his chamber.
The bill is a response to a May 13
letter from the Obama administration that advises schools to allow
transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice.
On Wednesday, eleven states led by
Texas filed a federal lawsuit challenging the guidelines.
(Related: Eleven
states sue Obama administration over student transgender bathroom
use.)
The issue has exploded nationwide since
North Carolina in March became the first state to prohibit
transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice in
government buildings, including schools.