ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A bill that would limit which bathrooms transgender people can use moved one step closer to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk.
The Florida House passed a bill that would require people to use the public bathroom of their sex at birth. That would apply to areas like educational institutions, healthcare facilities, or any place deemed public under law including lodging, restaurants or gas stations. The bill is now headed to the Florida Senate.
Lawmakers who approved it said this is about protection and safety. However, advocates from the LGBTQ community said they fear of the bill's repercussions, including 18-year-old Samuel Vanmiddlesworth from the Tampa Bay area.
"I'm not hurting anyone," Middlesworth said. "Trans people aren't hurting anyone by being themselves."
Middlesworth, who identifies as non-binary and transmasculine, said he would be forced to use the women's restroom. A place he hasn't been to in years before his transition, he said.
Vanmiddlesworth said he's afraid enough using the men's restroom due to factors like his appearance and voice, but fears how he'll also be treated under the new bill.
"I feel unwanted in the state I grew up in," Middlesworth said.
Floridians 18 and up could face a misdemeanor for violating the rule.
In a statement written in part, House bill co-sponsor Rep. Rachel Plakon, R-Lake Mary, wrote:
"The current law is there is no law. If a biological male wants to enter a women’s restroom or even a little girl's changing facility, he can legally. This bill simply codifies what has been part of our culture and tradition since 1887."
Plakon stated assaults in restrooms have also prompted the need for the "Safety in Private Spaces Act."
The controversy over the bill became heightened over comments Rep. Webster Barnaby, R-Deltona, made during a committee meeting more than one week ago. Barnaby would later apologize for comments he made referring to transgender people as "demons."
On top of the bathroom bill, Vanmiddlesworth and his mother, Beth, said they worry about the possibility of losing insurance coverage for transgender treatments.
Another bill making its way through the Legislature would has a provision that would bar insurance policies from providing coverage.
Already, a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors is headed to the governor's desk. The two state boards of medicine already voted to ban it last fall. That vote went against mainstream guidance including from the federal level and medical associations like the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Last year, Medicaid coverage of gender-affirming care became restricted under the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). Since then, a lawsuit was filed to challenge state health officials.
On Wednesday, the Florida Board of Education also approved a ban on classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, expanding the law critics call "Don't Say Gay."
Another bill that would keep kids out of "adult live performances," which critics said targets drag shows and Pride events, is also headed to the governor's desk after House approval on Wednesday.