Men do not belong in women’s restrooms – and the South Dakota legislature finally said it.
That simple statement has been the subject of dispute for nearly ten years in the South Dakota legislature, but this month, elected officials finally passed a measure to protect women’s private spaces from biological males in public schools and on government properties. This is a major victory in the war against wokeism.
HB 1259 instructs public schools to designate multi-occupancy changing rooms, restrooms, and sleeping quarters as “for use exclusively by females, or for use exclusively by males.” Any student unable or unwilling to use those facilities can file a written notice with the school administration, who “may grant a request for a reasonable accommodation.” Under the bill, school districts can be sued if they allow a person to use a facility that does not correspond to their biological sex, or if they fail to take reasonable steps to safeguard bodily privacy.
The bill passed through the House by a margin of 49-21, and the Senate with a margin of 27-6. HB 1259 is the fifth attempt by lawmakers to pass a bill enshrining protections for women’s private spaces into law. Similar legislation was filed in 2016, 2017, twice in 2018, and once in 2022. The success this year is a direct result of the November 2024 General Election, which secured more Republican seats in the House and Senate. This bill is one example of the major impact your vote can have on the future of South Dakota!
“Men don’t belong in women’s private spaces. Our laws and policies should recognize and respect that males and females are biologically different,” South Dakota Representative Brandei Schaefbauer, HB 1259’s sponsor, shared. “Respecting these biological differences is essential to ensuring the privacy, dignity, and safety of both sexes. Sex-specific showers, restrooms, and locker rooms are a common-sense solution to protecting the bodily privacy and safety of all.”
In a committee hearing for HB 1259, we heard from a school official that if a “transgender” male was going to be placed in a hotel room with a female (on a school trip, for example) they would decide whether or not to tell the girl or her parents on a case-by-case basis. That is unacceptable, and one of the reasons passing HB 1259 was so critical.
With the Governor’s signature today, we join 17 other states that have taken a stand for the simple truth that men have no place in women’s restrooms, locker rooms, showers, or any other private space.
This victory is a perfect example of why we help craft and support bills that fail to pass one or both of the legislative chambers year after year. Sometimes, it only takes one try to pass a bill into law, other times it may take a decade. Win or lose, we will never stop fighting to protect your fundamental freedoms and conservative values in South Dakota. We are incredibly thankful for the many legislators who never gave up on this issue and continued to fight to protect women and girls until the battle was won.
