Pro-family advocates criticized a new Colorado law, calling it the “Pandora’s box” of what they said would be a stream of future cases involving sexual predators.
Senate Bill 200 was signed into law Thursday and is meant to combat discrimination. The new law makes it illegal in Colorado to discriminate against gays, bisexuals and transgendered people when buying a home, renting an apartment or using public accommodations.
But opponents of the bill said it would allow anyone who “perceives” or declares one’s “sexual orientation” as a man or woman to be granted full access to all public facilities throughout the state, including restrooms and locker rooms.
“With SB 200, we no longer have two ‘sexes;’ we enter a brave new world with a myriad of ‘sexual orientations’ that must not be discriminated against, upon pain of the substantial civil and criminal penalties contained in the bill,” explained Tom Minnery, senior vice president of government and public policy at Focus on the Family Action, in an editorial written for the Denver Post.
One aspect of the law also enables transgenders to use public restrooms in which they feel most comfortable.
“The governor felt that this bill, SB200, was about fairness and treating people equally," said Evan Dreyer, spokesman for the governor's office, according to Colorado Springs’ The Gazette. "It essentially updates anti-discrimination laws that in some cases have not been updated for 50 years."
Minnery argues that under the new law, small business owners could also be penalized with fines and subject to federal prosecution and imprisonment for refusing to do business with someone because of one’s religious belief that homosexuality is wrong.
Focus on the Family founder James Dobson released a statement saying, “The legislation lists every conceivable type of organization to which this law applies, including restaurants, bathhouses, massage parlors, mortuaries, theaters and ‘public facilities of any kind.’ Those who would attempt to protect females from this intrusion are subject to a fine of up to $5,000 and up to one year behind bars.” The prominent Christian family organization began sponsoring radio advertisements on May 21 in Colorado Springs and Denver denouncing the bill.
“Henceforth, every woman and little girl will have to fear that a predator, bisexual, cross-dresser or even a homosexual or heterosexual male might walk in and relieve himself in their presence,” he added.
Bruce DeBoskey, regional director of Denver's Anti-Defamation League, a civil rights organization, downplayed the dangers Dobson described.
"It is unfortunate that they feel they have to exaggerate the dangers and play on people's fears," DeBoskey said, as reported by The Gazette. "This law is about fairness and justice for all people living in this state."
Meanwhile, Dobson says that there is little that can be done to stop the new law, which is perhaps the worst thing about it.
“[B]ecause of the way this bill is written, it is not subject to the initiative process. There is no recourse,” Dobson said.
RSS
I for one, would avoid any establishment where another gender could just walk in and do his/her/ it's business. Most women do not want urinals in their bathrooms or men who choose to not put the seat down after using the toilet- 64% of men do not wash their hands after using the restroom- YUCK- door handles, etc., YUCK again! Privacy?? Is it a thing of the past, just to avoid making some poor confused transgender feel embarassed? You GO , James Dobson! Genders will never be obsolete, neutral restrooms or not!
Chicago,
No, at least in my city our theaters do not have any "gender-neutral" restrooms. I don't know of any business that does, that doesn't have a lock on it so that only one person can use it at a time. That may be what you're thinking. There may be "gender-neutral" restrooms, but they are designed to accomodate one person at a time and have locks on them. I think this new law would allow businesses with "multiple use" (for lack of a better term) bathrooms where there are a number of toilets/urinals in there with no locks on the doors to be opened to all genders.
I flagged myself.
I live in colorado and I would never eat at a restaurant, or shop at a store, or patronize any establishment that would allow a man to walk into a women's restroom and relieve himself in front of my daughter. It ain't happening.
Way to go Dobson, everyone knows that this will lead to MAJOR problems and make it much easier for sexual predators to do their thing. Shame on CO.
James Dobson is just showing his fear and ignorance again. He's saying that there would be a danger of crossdressers, etc, using women's restrooms. Don't all movie theatres have gender-heutral restrooms where anyone can go? Has this ever been a problem?
Get real.
What concerns me is: "under the new law, small business owners could also be penalized with fines and subject to federal prosecution and imprisonment for refusing to do business with someone because of one’s religious belief that homosexuality is wrong". What if I own a Christian bookstore? Or what if am a board member of a conservative Christian church? Or the pastor of one? A law like this could force someone to hire a person who's very life is contrary to one's relgious belief - Christianity being only one of those belief systems.
Just make unisex restrooms everywhere. Problem solved.
I don't know the specifics of this new law in Colorado, but often, these anti-discrimination laws just require that there be a unisex or "gender neutral" restroom available so that people who do not feel comfortable identifying themselves as male or female can use the gender neutral one.
Gays are not sexual predators, nor are transgender people. Once again, conservatives are playing off scare tactics that truly have no basis in reality. Kudos Blue1018, I couldn't agree with you more!
these people are idiots. im sorry but if this is another 'ERA feared' campaign, its quite silly. anyone can walk into public areas now and would only be prosecuted if caught.
Bruce DeBoskey might be singing a different tune if one of his loved ones were endangered in a public bathroom by a sexual predator.