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There are now 16 states that have passed laws ensuring that bathrooms, locker rooms, and other intimate spaces are segregated by biological sex, rather than gender identity.
In the latest win in the battle against radical gender ideology, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, R, signed into law a bill protecting girls and women in their private spaces on Thursday.
House Bill 72, the “Protecting Women’s Privacy in Public Spaces Act,” mandates that multi-occupancy restrooms, locker rooms, and other intimate facilities in public institutions be designated for use exclusively by individuals based on their biological sex.
“This bill ensures that women and girls can feel safe and respected in places where privacy is essential—bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, and correctional facilities,” wrote state Rep. Martha Lawley, R, who sponsored the bill.
The act defines “sex” strictly in biological terms, specifying that males and females are differentiated by their reproductive systems. It requires that every multi-occupancy changing area, restroom, and sleeping quarters in public facilities be designated for use exclusively by males or exclusively by females. Furthermore, individuals are prohibited from using facilities designated for the opposite sex.
The law allows for reasonable accommodations, such as providing access to single-occupancy facilities upon request. It also outlines specific exceptions where individuals may enter facilities designated for the opposite sex, including situations involving custodial duties, medical assistance, maintenance, or emergencies.
To ensure compliance, the legislation permits individuals who encounter violations to file complaints and pursue civil actions against governmental entities that fail to uphold the law. This provision aims to hold public institutions accountable for maintaining the designated use of sex-specific facilities.
Sara Beth Nolan, who serves as legal counsel for the Center for Public Policy at Alliance Defending Freedom, also celebrated the governor signing the bill into law.
“States have a duty to protect the privacy, safety, and dignity of women and girls. Letting men intrude on women’s spaces—whether at college, in public buildings, or in correctional facilities—is an invasion of privacy, a threat to their safety, and a denial of the real biological differences between the two sexes,” Nolan wrote. “By signing this bill into law, Gov. Gordon is protecting women and girls in Wyoming for generations to come.”
Opponents of the new Wyoming law argue that it discriminates against transgender individuals and could lead to exclusion from public life. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wyoming said, “Eroding the fundamental rights of transgender people is dangerous for every one of us.”
Critics also contend that the law could have negative impacts on the mental and physical health of transgender individuals, potentially leading to increased stigmatization and marginalization. They argue that the legislation does not account for the complexities of gender identity and may infringe upon the rights of a vulnerable population.
The new Wyoming law goes into effect on July 1.
Wyoming has become the 16th state to pass legislation requiring individuals to use bathrooms and other sex-segregated facilities in government-owned buildings based on their biological sex rather than their gender identity in certain cases, the Christian Post reported.
Florida and Utah have enacted laws covering all government-owned facilities, including K-12 schools, colleges, and universities. Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Ohio have similar laws that apply to K-12 schools and some other government-owned buildings. Meanwhile, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia have laws specifically addressing K-12 schools.
A similar bill in Louisiana, signed into law in June 2024, expanded privacy and safety to correctional facilities and domestic violence shelters to protect girls and women.
“States have a duty to protect the privacy, safety, and dignity of women and young girls. Yet certain advocacy organizations—and even the Biden Administration through its recent Title IX rule—are demanding states to tear down the long-standing tradition of having distinct facilities for men and women,” ADF Senior Counsel Matt Sharp wrote, adding,
“This radical social experiment, which especially harms children and women fleeing abusive situations, flies in the face of common sense and even the plain language of Title IX and other federal laws. Letting men into women’s spaces—whether at public schools, correctional facilities, or domestic violence shelters—is an invasion of privacy and a threat to their safety.”
The new law is only one part of a growing number of privacy issues related to gender ideology changes in public schools and other institutions. At the University of Wyoming, a sorority was forced to admit a 6’2, 260 pound man identifying as a woman, allowing him to live in the sorority house and openly take showers in the communal bathroom.
Colorado’s Jefferson County Public Schools undermined parents by secretly putting students in hotel rooms with the opposite sex on overnight trips and forcing students to share cabins and showers with transgender counselors during a mandated week-long middle school outdoor camping trip.
And males who suddenly decide that they are female are being placed in female prisons in states like California, New York, and New Jersey, leading to especially horrifying situations.
The above stories, among so many others, clearly illustrate why laws like Wyoming’s are necessary.
As Christians, we are called to uphold the dignity and protection of all people, but particularly the most vulnerable. Wyoming’s new legislation, designating public restrooms and changing facilities according to biological sex, aligns with the biblical principle of safeguarding modesty, privacy, and safety — especially for women and young girls.
The Bible teaches that God created humanity male and female (Genesis 1:27), and this distinction is not just biological but part of His intentional design. Scripture consistently upholds the importance of respecting boundaries, such as in Deuteronomy 22:5, which speaks to maintaining distinctions between men and women, and in 1 Corinthians 14:40, which calls for orderliness. Providing separate facilities for men and women respects God’s created order while offering security in spaces where privacy is necessary.
Jesus demonstrated deep concern for the dignity and well-being of women. In John 4, He treated the Samaritan woman at the well with care and respect, affirming her worth. The Christian response to cultural shifts should be grounded in both truth and grace.
While it is important to stand for policies that protect women’s privacy, we must also respond to those who disagree with compassion. Ephesians 4:15 calls us to “speak the truth in love.” That means advocating for biblical principles and biological reality while showing kindness to those struggling with gender identity confusion.
Many K-12 schools now embrace the secular woke agenda and are hostile to Christian beliefs and parental rights. Fortunately, parents don’t have to settle for this. Liberty University Online Academy is a K-12 program designed to educate your children in the ways of the Lord while preparing them to stand firm in their faith when they graduate. Our flexible online curriculum ensures that your student is trained at your convenience and keeps YOU the ultimate educator of your children.
