Nearly ten years after North Carolina passed its infamous “bathroom bill” — sparking national protests and corporate boycotts — similar laws are making a strong comeback across the United States.
As of now, 19 states have enacted laws that prohibit transgender individuals from using restrooms in K-12 schools that match their gender identity. In many of these states, the restrictions extend to other public buildings. According to the LGBTQ think tank Movement Advancement Project (MAP), this means over one in four trans people live in states that limit where they can legally use the bathroom.
These laws mirror North Carolina’s 2016 House Bill 2 (HB 2), which prompted massive backlash and led to significant economic consequences — including the NCAA pulling championship events from the state. Though HB 2 was partially repealed in 2017 with a compromise law, the broader trend of anti-trans legislation has only grown.
Unlike the furor around HB 2, recent laws have received far less national attention, despite being more expansive in scope. One reason, according to Logan Casey, policy research director at MAP, is the sheer volume of anti-LGBTQ bills now being introduced. In 2016, lawmakers introduced about 250 such bills. In 2024, that number has surged to over 700, with bills targeting everything from healthcare access to school library content.
“Just the sheer volume of attacks made it a lot harder for even just the general public to really track everything that’s been happening,” Casey explained. “They’re flooding the zone.”
States Widening the Scope of Restrictions
Of the 19 states with bathroom laws:
- 6 states restrict trans people in all public spaces (including schools and colleges),
- 8 states limit access in K-12 schools and some government buildings,
- 5 states target K-12 schools only.
In addition, Indiana, Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas have legal definitions of “sex” that could effectively restrict bathroom access, even though they don’t have formal bans.
Supporters of these restrictions often claim they’re necessary to protect the privacy and safety of women in restrooms. However, a 2018 UCLA Williams Institute study found no evidence that allowing trans people to use facilities aligned with their gender identity increases any risk.
Some states are expanding beyond school settings. In Arkansas, a 2023 law mandated that trans students use bathrooms matching their sex assigned at birth. Earlier this year, lawmakers broadened the law to cover public shelters, correctional facilities, and all government buildings, including state colleges.
Real-World Impact
One trans woman working at a university in Arkansas, who asked to remain anonymous, said the policy left her feeling “segregated.” After the law took effect, her boss directed her to a distant single-occupancy restroom. If it’s occupied — which it often is — she has to walk across campus to another.
“I feel singled out for something I don’t have any control over,” she said. “I’m not being treated equally to my cisgender colleagues.”
She said colleagues responded as if she should be grateful for “having a private bathroom,” a reaction she described as deeply out of touch. The experience has led her to accept a job outside the public university system, which she’ll begin soon. Since the law’s passage, she noted, misgendering by coworkers has increased.
“At this point, I really wish I just hadn’t come out at work.”
Logan Casey said these policies send a broader message that legitimizes discrimination. Laws are often written vaguely, which he believes is intentional — allowing them to be enforced inconsistently and applied more broadly.
“Bathroom restrictions can create a more hostile environment for trans people at work and in school,” Casey said. “It’s the government green-lighting discrimination.”
