In addition to the abortion neutrality amendment, Rep. Sandy Salmon (R-Janesville) is keeping an eye on efforts to strike gender identity out of the civil rights code.
“That is the basis for a lot of the sexual confusion and so forth that schools are barely managing to keep a lid on,” Salmon said. “Some schools are, some schools haven’t kept a lid on it. So, boys who want to use the girls restrooms and locker rooms — that’s been a problem in some schools. I think we should remove the legal basis for that kind of activity and striking gender identity out of the code would do it.”
Salmon said that, while she knows people do experience sexual confusion, having gender identity in the civil rights code doesn’t help anything.
“There are other things and avenues for them to receive help, treatment, counseling and so forth,” she said. “But this particular civil rights protection does not serve in any way to help them.”
Instead, having it in the code creates other problems.
“We want to see if we can address that,” Salmon said. “I know there’s another legislator who is going to put forward a bill prohibiting sex-change surgery for minors. I think that’s another real issue too because there are a lot more kids now I’m hearing from parents who are getting confused in school — especially junior high age — about whether they should be a boy or a girl.
“That should not be a question that enters the mind of a middle school child. We need to take that off the table.”
