Bill would prevent more gender-segregated designations

OLYMPIA — A bill to repeal a rule allowing people to use the bathroom of the gender they identify with drew a substantial crowd at its first and only public hearing last week.

Senate Bill 6443 passed 4-3 through the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee. The vote followed party lines with four Republicans approving the measure.

A companion bill in the House has not been scheduled for a committee public hearing.

A person who is transgender has an inner sense of gender identity that is not the same as the sex they were born with.

The Washington State Human Rights Commission created a rule based on a 2006 nondiscrimination law for sexual identity passed by the Legislature. The rule says people must be allowed to use gender-segregated places that match their gender identity.

Several school districts across Snohomish County already have put policies in place for transgender students while others are drafting proposals.

The Senate bill approved Wednesday would prevent the human rights commission from further creating rules concerning gender-segregated locations.

Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, the prime sponsor of the bill, dubbed the rule “men in the women’s locker room.”

“There’s an expectation that parents have with regards of when they take their kids to school of who will use which locker room, who will use which bathroom,” he said to the committee.

He also said the rule could hurt businesses. He called the legislation a compromise since it allowed individual businesses to institute the rule for their business.

Laura Lindstrand, a policy analyst for the Human Rights Commission, said the rule was put in place to clarify the 2006 law.

Backers of the bill said the rule opens doors for sexual predators and human traffickers and that the rule-making process was unsound.

“It’s an attack on our process of democracy. This did not go through a legislative process. This is a group of unelected officials,” said Angela Connelly, president of the Washington Women’s Network. “We need to make sure that everyone is safe and everyone is protected. We need to go back and rethink this.”

The Washington Women’s Network is an advocacy group that walked in the March for Life at the capitol in January.

Paul MacLurg, owner of Thrive Community Fitness in Lacey, said he could lose business because of the rule.

“Before this rule was in place the law allowed me to use my best judgment. Now, I have no good choices, no protection from the law,” he said. “This is not a gender issue. This is common sense, safety, decency and a privacy issue.”

Opponents said repealing the rule would put transgender people, who are at a higher risk of sexual assault than other people, in more danger. They also said the 2006 law has not resulted in problems that backers fear.

“Trans people are already a part of your community. It is understandably easy to fear the unknown, but we must appeal to our better nature and confront fear with facts,” said Jennifer Popkin of Seattle. “Transgender women like me are women. On a personal level I can’t imagine using a men’s bathroom.”

Ryan Trainer of Federal Way said his young daughter is transgender.

“She is who she is and she arrived this way whether we knew it or not,” he told the committee. “She is deserving of respect and protection just like all of the children in Washington state. My transgender child is not a threat, nor will she be when she grows up into a beautiful transgender woman.”

Lindstrand said the commission held four public meetings and one public comment meeting to create the rule.

A question-and-answer document created by the commission said, “The rules do not protect persons who go into a restroom or locker room under false pretenses…The rules do not prohibit asking legitimate questions about a person’s presence in a gender segregated facility.”

This story is part of a series of news reports from the Legislature provided through a reporting internship sponsored by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation. Contact Reporter Izumi Hansen: hansenizumi@gmail.com

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Edmonds Mayor Mike Rosen goes through an informational slideshow about the current budget situation in Edmonds during a roundtable event at the Edmonds Waterfront Center on Monday, April 7, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds mayor recommends $19M levy lid lift for November

The city’s biennial budget assumed a $6 million levy lid lift. The final levy amount is up to the City Council.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

A firefighting helicopter carries a bucket of water from a nearby river to the Bolt Creek Fire on Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022, on U.S. 2 near Index, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Snohomish County property owners can prepare for wildfire season

Clean your roofs, gutters and flammable material while completing a 5-foot-buffer around your house.

(City of Everett)
Everett’s possible new stadium has a possible price tag

City staff said a stadium could be built for $82 million, lower than previous estimates. Bonds and private investment would pay for most of it.

Jennifer Humelo, right, hugs Art Cass outside of Full Life Care Snohomish County on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘I’ll lose everything’: Snohomish County’s only adult day health center to close

Full Life Care in Everett, which supports adults with disabilities, will shut its doors July 19 due to state funding challenges.

The age of bridge 503 that spans Swamp Creek can be seen in its timber supports and metal pipes on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Lynnwood, Washington. The bridge is set to be replaced by the county in 2025. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Snohomish County report: 10 bridges set for repairs, replacement

An annual report the county released May 22 details the condition of local bridges and future maintenance they may require.

The Edmonds City Council gathers to discuss annexing into South County Fire on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Community group presents vision for Edmonds’ fiscal future

Members from Keep Edmonds Vibrant suggested the council focus on revenue generation and a levy lid lift to address its budget crisis.

A rainbow LGBTQ+ pride flag hanging from a flag pole outside of Lynnwood City Hall moves in the wind on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood to develop policy after pride flag controversy

Earlier this month, the city denied a group’s request to raise an LGBTQ+ pride flag at a public park, citing the lack of a clear policy.

The Washington state Capitol on April 18, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)
Washington governor wants agencies to look for deeper cuts

The state’s financial turmoil hasn’t subsided. It may get worse when a new revenue forecast comes out this month.

Members of the California National Guard and federal law enforcement stand guard as people protest outside of the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, on Tuesday. (Philip Cheung/The New York Times)
Ferguson prepares for possibility of Trump deploying troops in Washington

The governor planned to meet with the state’s top military official Tuesday, after the president sent the National Guard and Marines to respond to Los Angeles protests.

Traffic slows as it moves around the bend of northbound I-5 through north Everett on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Officials: SnoCo commuters should prep for major I-5 construction

Starting in June, a significant repair project in Seattle will close northbound I-5 for days and reduce the number of open lanes for weeks.

The age of bridge 503 that spans Swamp Creek can be seen in its timber supports and metal pipes on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Lynnwood, Washington. The bridge is set to be replaced by the county in 2025. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Two Snohomish County bridge closures to start in June

The bridges are expected to remain closed through October to facilitate replacements.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.