Critics say Arkansas bill would hurt transgender people
An Arkansas lawmaker wants to expand the state’s indecent exposure law in a move that opponents say could criminalize transgender people’s use of bathrooms.
Republican Rep. Bob Ballinger’s proposal would make it a crime for people to knowingly expose their sex organs to someone of the opposite sex in a public place under circumstances likely to cause alarm.
[...] American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas legal director Holly Dickson says laws already are in place to address people acting with criminal intent in public restrooms.
The Human Rights Campaign said the measure “exposes Arkansas to tremendous risk of the kind of financial, legal, and political blowback that has beset North Carolina since the passage of HB2.”
[...] Ballinger said he saw a gap in the indecent exposure law and that he doesn’t believe his proposal will affect the transgender community.