The Human Rights Commission of the state of Washington announced on December 26 a new set of rules governing use of sex-specific facilities.

In essence the state is officially recognizing transgender women to be women and transgender men to be men.

Of course, there are some folks who can't wrap their heads around that.

The rules make it illegal for business owners to limit sex-specific facilities such as bathrooms, showers, and locker rooms to persons with the anatomical parts of one sex and apply to businesses with eight or more employees.

They also dictate that schools should “allow students to use the restroom that is consistent with their gender identity” and in most cases, give transgender students “access to the locker room that corresponds to their gender identity.”

If another student expresses concern about sharing a sex-specific facility with transgender individuals, the policy says the student “should be directed to a separate or gender neutral facility, if available.”

To my knowledge, this is the first time in the country that there’s been a statewide effort to mandate all public accommodations cooperate with the gender identity concept that somebody declare.

This is the next step in this war on gender.

--Joseph Backholm, executive director of the Family Policy Institute of Washington

Of course the vast majority of transgender people are only battling the gender they were assigned at birth...not the concept of gender itself.

I hate to play into conspiracy stuff because that’s not what I’m trying to say … but it’s really been done quasi-private.

I had to have our attorneys and staff at the legislature actually get this information to confirm it so that we could read it and figure out exactly what has been going on.

--Rep. Graham Hunt (R-Orting)

Hunt says that "what's been going on" is of concern to some people.

I’ve received emails from folks who have been abused and taken advantage of in intimate private settings because someone had access to a facility that they shouldn’t have.

I don’t believe that most people who are transgender are trying to gain access for the wrong reasons,” he added. “But what we have to be careful for and what we have to prepare for are those who are going to take advantage of these rules.

--Hunt

A person claiming to be transgender in order to inflict such abuse, of course, has never happened.

By adopting inclusive policies, places of public accommodation can ensure that all people are welcomed, included, and supported.

--Gender Justice League

Hunt promises legislation aimed at reversing the new rules.