House Education Committee

Back to order from recess members it's straight up noon. And we're going to go for an hour. Max so this meeting will adjourn at 1:00 PM we want to be as open and as courteous to those that are coming to speak for or against those that are signed up on the list again remember that you are we do have a 5 minute limit for your testimony I will give you a notice at one minute remaining again as I stated this morning. If if if you have something. Very informative to add we welcome that what we don't want is just continual repetitive of the same thing. From each person so we welcome all your comments we will begin as we took up the against. We have a new sheet. We've had some additional sign up we do have to that have signed up for so we will begin alternating with that I'm going to start with Serra Everitt who speak against. That will be followed by Courtney role Dan who will be speaking for so miss ever you're welcome to go to the end of the table if you will introduce yourself for the record and when you're testimony starts we will begin your time. Their account. My name is Serra average and policy director at the ACLU of Arkansas and we ask that you vote no on house bill 1156 I wanted to clarify a couple of points on the law that I heard earlier and just point out that the fourth and seventh circuits have both come to opposite conclusions to the eleventh circuit as far as the prohibiting trans kids from using the correct bathrooms according to their gender identity and I think it's helpful to look to the Supreme Court was said that discrimination against trans people is sex discrimination illegal under federal law course they made that a decision in an employment case but I think the fact that they have already decided this is sex discrimination is important to consider when you're looking at passing laws that would potentially violate that and I would point out that at least 1 bill attacking trans youth from last session has been enjoying a night injunction as so far been up held by the eighth circuit. This bill would require transsexuals to use boys bathrooms and trans boys to use girls bathrooms I think. The people. I can't assume what you all think and believe but people tend to think that you can tell when a person is trans and that is not true there are kids in our schools right now who are trans who maybe this the administrators now but their teachers don't know their peers don't know and there's a reason for that one they shouldn't have to be out anyway it's not who they are it's just a part of them and to. They will likely suffer from discrimination and bullying and harassment if they are out this bill would out them even given the accommodation which we already heard will not work in many schools across the state they're still going to be forced to ask permission to use the special bathroom that is not as accessible as other bathrooms many sporting the buildings of the public buildings don't have these accessible bathrooms so when people come to watch football games or basketball games they are either not going to be able to use the bathroom or may have to use a bathroom according to their sex assigned at birth and then still face harassment from people who don't think they're supposed to be in there. The experience of school administrators across the country has shown that none of the fears about trans people accessing locker rooms have come to pass we know in Arkansas school districts have faced numerous incidents involving physical and sexual assaults by cisgender boys against cisgender boys and boys locker rooms not to mention the many teachers who attacked children in this bill does nothing to address that real issue I see no other bill that does anything to address that real issue not to mention the fact that as has been said we are number 2 I think in childhood hunger in the country we have a crisis when it comes to addiction and people aren't able to access those services this is not the what are Kansans need right now. This law would do nothing to prevent assaults which is why it more than 300 leading organizations against sexual assault and domestic violence oppose laws like this protecting transgender people from discrimination does not allow boys into the girl's restroom or vice versa because transgender girls are girls and transgender boys or boys. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony any questions representative flowers you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman just quickly. Do you know whether or not in this would really be a question probably for the state board but you know whether or not. All enrolled school children who have some form of identifying documentation. That may list the agenda. Of that child. If that what those records are available to access and and available to be accessed by access by all personnel. Thank you and I would I would suggest that you check with the state on that because I'm not sure I got would say no especially when we're thinking about like cafeteria workers and and other personnel who don't regularly. And who wanted administrators or teachers but my understanding to is that a birth certificate is not required to enroll there are many forms of documents you can use for identification so it's possible that not every child would have a birth certificate on file which you know is not exactly my problem with this bill but it would be a problem. I see no other questions thank you for your testimony. We will now go to the fore and Courtney role Dan. 40 you're recognized go the end of the table up next to speak against will be Judson Scanlon. Trolled and you'll state your name for the record you may begin your testimony. Thank you to turn your back on sorry. My name is Courtney rolled in I'm I hear speak against the transgender community I'm here to speak for my 1014 year old. Our kids is our privacy and to not have to worry about someone of the opposite sex being in the bathroom changing room or hotel room when staying overnight I am a mom to both a boy and a girl and neither would be comfortable in the public bathroom at their school with someone of the opposite sex I would not allow my son or daughter to sleep overnight with someone of the opposite sex nor not be okay with them going to into the restroom so why would I want to be have that allowed at their school I don't believe that a transgender person is more likely to sexually assault anyone but I do believe the opening up bathrooms to anyone who identifies as the gender other than the one assigned to birth will make kids more vulnerable whether or not a transgender person is more likely to sexually assault someone is irrelevant because it makes it easier for anyone who would sexually sexually assault someone have access it is time that we are proactive and not reactive to these things that are coming at our kids we need this bill to put it be put in place before Pulaski County or one county or any other county ends up like Loudon county. That's all I have to. Any questions for mistral Dan. C. 9 thank you for your testimony. Juttson Scanlon to speak against. Followed by. Tony rose to speak for. Good morning. Mr later good morning very much yes hello I thought it would be a great opportunity to number 3 I defy yourself for the record thank you well my name is Jensen Scanlon thank you I am a graduate of Nettleton high school I grew up in Jonesborough Arkansas I expect live in North Little Rock I have a daughter who is 11 years old and attends North Little Rock middle school. And I am here to introduce you to somebody who grew up in our public school system transgender. I am transgender you wouldn't know it probably unless I told you that because you see in the transgender community of the transgender reality is that some people do not choose to transition. I do not choose to transition but internally the dysphoria that exists tells me that I am a boy living in a girl's body. And this is what it's like you today are passing judgment on me I have heard you call me and say that I am likely to assault people in bathrooms because I actually would go to the bathroom. Unless you have experienced walking into a bathroom and having somebody tap you on the back and tell you that you're in the wrong one. When you are actually in the bathroom of your assigned a gender you do not understand the humiliation that exists I lived in shame my entire life not shame for who I am as much as the fear of shame of bringing any shame to my family people like me growing up in this environment get overwhelming messages both from the world that we live in and the world that is impacting us that we are broken that we are wrong that we are somehow the problem when in fact we are not broken we are not wrong we are as our god created us and we have every right to happiness that you do the only thing that separates us is that I love my wife and I love my child in the way much like you love your loved ones and you love your family I am no more likely to be a predator then you are so if you want to protect children in this state figure out how we protect them from the system third skoch is that are abusing them and the pastors and churches who are being arrested and imprisoned for abusing them but you do not have to worry that transgender people are people who are gay and lesbian are targeting children for any reason a reason other than to love and support them for children attempted suicide when you were addressing your issue around their identity. And in this situation in this state in age when we are attacking people for our differences I've been poor you. To actually learn how to encourage people to get along you are not my audience you people who are actually making decisions on this are not the audience I'm appealing to the audience I'm appealing to or all the children who are watching you ACT to tell them that they actually do have a champion they do have a reason to grow older they do have a reason to be actual people in society contributing to the betterment of it. And every action that we take should be to support them not attack them. I grew up in the public school system in this state. I actually chose not to participate in athletics because I did not want to be targeted and I am lucky to have lived to the age of 60 in order to participate in this world you have one minute thank you very much Mister chair I have no need for more time. Thank you for your testimony any questions. C. 9 thank you. Speaking for the bill we will move to Tony road. Tony here. I do not see Tony here so we will also. Christel Lambert to speak for the bill. Hello my name is Krista Lambert and I'm sorry my voice is shaking I've never done this before I am simply a parent. And I am speaking for the bill and I just kind of wanted to share my hard and for anyone who's been a parent I'm gonna look at my notes if you don't mind for anyone who's been a parent we all know the challenges that we face all of our children have different challenges and some have challenges that are harder than others and but as parents every parent we want our children to be happy and we want our children to prosper also as a parent I am proud to say that I feel like and I think a lot of us can agree that this generation of young people are some of the most tolerant I think it's the most tolerant generation of young people but with that said I also feel that these young people still deserve to have boundaries put in place for their safety and for how they feel you can be tolerant and understanding but still want your boundaries and your privacy we hear a lot about the rights of the LGBT Q. students. But what we seem to not hear a lot about is the rights of all the other students they have rights to just like the the the children who suffer with. Transgenderism or their sexual identity you know they deserve privacy they deserve comfort they deserve to feel safe I totally totally agree with that. But I also feel like the children. The other children on the other side of that spectrum they deserve the same respect they deserve the same safety the same protection. As everyone else. I've heard you know I've heard today and I've heard in other conversations you hear it a lot that hasn't happened here we don't have we haven't had what happened in West Virginia that hasn't happened here but it does happen so we can't turn a blind eye on that and I think what this bill is doing and I'm from Conway. It is a way of prevention you can't turn you know just because it hasn't happened here doesn't mean it won't and it has happened in other places and we know it. The end and nothing I want to say and and I'm speaking to Conway if at this this point. In case some of you don't know that the practice that they're using for the single occupancy bathrooms that practice has been in place at common schools for at least 9 years that I'm aware of but because of the climate that we're in today every year they had to look at what we gonna do for bathrooms and so with the climate we're in today and trying to be respectful of violent to buy about biological genders and gender identity instead of having to take time focusing on academics looking at these bathroom policies the policy basically was just written so they wouldn't have revisited every year they basically just put in place the practice that has been happening at common schools and as you heard earlier from 2 parents that is a practice you heard them both say of themselves and they both went to different schools that their child was already using single occupancy bathrooms. Let's see. And what I wanted to say because I haven't heard this said yet another reason but the comment or in today is you have to have some kind of policy and it doesn't just affect the students you have to think about the whatever policies at the school it affects everything on that campus that's football games basketball games that's where you have parents adults so if we don't have a policy that clearly states who belongs in each bathroom you are setting yourself up for safety your under under one minute okay. It's so it needs to be clear you don't want an adult male going into the girls bathroom at the football game so it just kind of clarifies that I wanted to say to you that there's not a lot of single stall bathrooms but there are there's nurses stations counselors all of the schools have it I love that what you said about putting the responsibility on the supervise the superintendents and the administration because as a parent I will say there's a lot of money that goes around for athletic so I'm pretty sure if you put some consequences on the administration they're gonna find a way to find these accommodations and I just want to close by saying. What I hope to see at this because there's nothing perfect there's not going to be a perfect plan but what I wish to see is understanding and compromise and it's needed is needed we need accommodations for everyone and I appreciate your time thank you for your testimony members any questions. Seeing none we will go to the against please forgive me if I pronounce this wrong. Hypatia. If you'll state your name for the record you can begin your testimony. Sure I'm a patient of yet. I was a born and raised in Arkansas I live in Conway now and I've been following the events that are happening with the school for their. To my fellow trans folks who are listening I feel you with me I love you regardless of the votes over the next few weeks we will protect each other we will care for each other we will be okay. H. B. 1156 falls apart on several levels but I'll highlight just a few here these are points that have been made by the speakers but I want to put some numbers and some studies to the claims that I've made first transgender students are not sources of danger and restrooms and changing rooms they are in danger representative Bentley you expressed concern about sexual assault in school bathrooms but to representative garner's point the data shows that trans children are much more often victims of sexual assault in 2019 the Harvard school of public health found that the risk of sexual assault of trans and non binary children increased when Beckham restrictions were put in place however reported that 36 percent of trans and non binary teens were subjected who were subjected to bathroom restrictions were victims of sexual assault H. B. 1156 will not protect children it will abuse them. Second many public schools and other buildings do not have adequate single stall bathrooms as has been pointed out to accommodate all trans and non binary folks folks with disabilities and folks with small children there's more than just trans folks who use those bathrooms this building for example of the exactly 0 gender neutral bathrooms available for citizen use according to your info online. Representative Bentley to question earlier the county school district provided us with a list of all single stall bathrooms on their campuses in compliance with the YA and several buildings more than the high school auditorium as was pointed out do not have single stall bathrooms available to students despite your 80 a provision forcing an additional 5 percent of the student population of a public district to use limited single stall bathrooms will reload and already an adequate system and infringe on the rights of trans and disabled children. Third at 1156 will shatter Arkansas economically in 2016 North Carolina passed a similar bathroom bin and suffered serious economic damage business of canceling contracts canceling expansions the teams refuse to play there that will happen here is will cancel expansion because they're trans and non binary employees would lose rights by living here how can you reasonably say that this won't harm the rights of trans and non binary Children trans people skills and work in the disciplines that you want to keep in Arkansas Bills like H. B. 1156 wheel drive that expertise away thank you I will accept questions. Any questions. C. 9 thank you for your testimony I did see Tony road enter the room throws if you'd like to go early in the day we speak for the bill. And miss rose it we do have testimony limited to each for 5 minutes or under and if I'll give you a notice at one minute. Thank you. Good afternoon my name is Tony rose co founder of an American speaks and. State director for the congressional prayer caucus foundation in Washington DC. So what I want to say is that I was also. Director at the chamber of Eureka Springs back in 2014 I think it was. And we went through this so would you ordinance with the 2223 and I've been gathering information on this issue for a very long time so just to give you a little perspective. And I rush to make sure that the transgender child is comfortable and safe. I don't know if we for god or we ignored the 50 percent of the population in our schools that are. Afraid. We're afraid of boys were afraid of men and are places that we disrobe and expect some privacy I don't know if that's built into our DNA or if it's because of all the drama shows but the fact remains is that the that there's a serious fear factor there and those people need to be respected and protected as well. And I agree that it's not the trans gender that is attacking. Women and and this is happening you know I pulled back all of my information on. Attacks on women in showers and bathrooms and dressing rooms they are happening they're happening in every country that has this policy and it's not because the trans gender child is attacking women it's because we don't that. Who is going into those bathrooms. And we don't have a method to do that we have it forced the issue I believe this bill is saying look grown ups. Figure this out you had years to figure this out and you haven't done it yet. So in the meantime we've got to respect the privacy of our most vulnerable people. We have to figure out accommodations for those that are truly agenda to support. And we need to be respectful of the fact that these assaults are occurring. It doesn't matter if it's a dozen. 4 200 we've been gathering information on these assaults on people in the United States in the U. K. in Canada that have these policies and their their. And there's no giant wall that stops at the Mississippi. But says these people are not going to continue to come into our state and not escalate these if we don't figure this out and that's what we're trying to do here with H. B. 1156 is that enough. We haven't had the courage or the will. To finally say look. We have ignored. Out of the 3900 students in Conway that was mentioned earlier. Probably statistically half of those are girls. And we're not seeing any reports of women going into men's bathrooms and assaulting them. But we have to also admit the fact that boys from 10 to 100 have been trying to find a way to look at naked girls. You know for eons this time immemorial. Hey thank you. So let's pass HB 1156 let us require schools to have a safe space for the majority of the people going into the girl's restroom. And then figure out what to do to take care of those people that are truly. Truly trans people that's what we need to do and that's why we need to pass this bill figure it out grown ups figure it out thank you very much for your time in question pretty testimony members any questions. Not. We will move to Rachelle Britain to speak against the bill. The state your name for the record and then your time will begin. My name is Rochelle Britain of I I I happen to be a licensed attorney and I and I'm also transgender. Trying to train a trans woman. The a lot of my experience mirrors that of the part of the other trans people who've. Been here if I have already spoken before you so that so I'm not gonna try and. To go too much over that again. But. Problem is this is just and that this is just a rehash of what's been happening every 2 years for now this is this is at least the third legislative session. Got that level of the culture war issue. Divert attention from. What's really going on in the schools. It may stirring up fears that Virginia situation I Google it what at what was mentioned it it should it had nothing it had nothing to do with the print it the the the. Biological male who was caught in the room wasn't within a train wasn't a trans woman it with friends woman it was a it was a day it was a dating situation. There there is there is no such problem. The devil. The leave vote for the ACLU spoke about the situation occurred up in the north west Ark open doors with Arkansas with cisgender boys. Assaulting sister sexually assaulting 50 under boys and the in the area dressing room that's the as for hazing hazing this bill there's nothing there that about that. How are you how are you going to enforce. This bill without bathroom police. They they go they will the. Then even the bill as amended its talks about. Talk about. Genetics and physiology well what if your genetics go one way your physiology goes the other. And that and some people though it's pretty hard to do so in Arkansas with the with a person to that's pretty hard to do Arkansas if you're a child. Because. Some people some people do get their birth certificates changed. Others may not present their birth certificate when they're filed so. How are you going to help. And I know it in Arkansas if you get your Burch to be changed I have. You have your original birth certificate is locked up in a is. K. is sealed at the health department and cannot and cannot be access without a court order. I mean does that that's probably an adult actuation I didn't transition till I was 50 I'm 58 now. But. How but how do you the but the how how you deal with these those kind of situations with people don't present their birth certificates. Or the president amended birth certificate. You can't you you can't you can't do it without a bath for you you can't enforce a law like this without bathroom police the only other way you can enforce the only situation is enforceable. Frankly is Jen is is by gender identity not sex assigned at birth. I I strongly urge a no vote a note do not pass on this bill thank you. Thank you for your testimony any questions. Seeing none we will go to. Kiersten sal Houston. You'll state your name for the record and we'll begin your time at your opening testimony thank you thank you for having talk today including as 5 minutes which was much more than a couple years ago my name is Kirsten all right so we'll I'm a mental health professional I've been a licensed clinical social worker for a long time coming up on 15 years and my main that population that I work with are transient or kids and helped start 2 clinics in the state I have worked with hundreds of kids I'm you may think I'm biased but for me I am informed I probably know better than most of you at the table with me I also have a non binary child and the mother of 3 identify as cisgender and also an inspiring tracking. I also am a lifelong or Kansan very proud to be part of the LGBTQ community and our state Senate Vice pansexual. I have one story to share and it is a different perspective because it is helping someone after trauma I worked with and it's emotional I'm. A young lady. Hi around the age of 12 he came. To see crisis support in a local hospital after being raped she was assigned male at birth and had been socially transition for most of her life she had been in a facility that made her use the mail restroom and she was raped in a restaurant. When you say that we need to protect our kids we need to protect all of our kids in the transgender community is more vulnerable than any other population especially in our state. There are other examples that I could share with you. From somebody that I see you having a cut on their hand having to go to the quickest restroom it was there it was their assigned gender restroom they were in trouble by the school for having I'm going to the restroom in the emergency situation many of the kids that I see do not tell their staff administrators or otherwise that they are transgender they may not even tell their friends because they do not feel safe in their schools. I have a couple things that. The young lady that I told you about the thing that's the most memorable other than her story was her kindness. She said thank you after she had interviews and medical assistance and all the staff was blown away with how sweet she was after such a terrible thing that happened to her. She also told us it was nice to meet us and it was very genuine part. Another thing I wanted to add is just talking about or fears I will tell you that you could probably see that I'm afraid of most of you in this room and I would say anybody voting for this bill is concerning to me if they vote yes but I will still share a restaurant with you thank you. Any questions from members. C. 9 thank you for your testimony. Will move to Laura kallins. I do not see Laura here. Allison Guthrie. Alison speaking against the bill. House if you'll state your name for the record and then we'll begin your time I thank. My name is Allison got very a psychology student researcher and local activists I want to thank you for allowing me to speak with you today. What are the most common here colors 1 member that right. What about red heads they make up to percent of the population this is the same percentage as individuals with green eyes and those who are intersex which means either their genitalia present as a mix of male and female or whose chromosomes are not the traditional X. X. or X. Y.. Yes society didn't create only 2 categories of hair color on our driver's licenses or birth certificates there are 7 different karyotypes meaning chromosomal make ups for Saks there's X. X. X. Y. which is a male and female XO X. X. X. X. X. Y. X. Y. Y. and 46 X. Y. which is due syndrome with non functioning gonads with typical female presentation. In addition to these are conditions that influence a person's biological and sexual differentiation congenital adrenal hyperplasia androgen insensitivity syndrome and 5 alpha reductase deficiency syndrome and all of these individuals don't necessarily necessarily present as male or female sex is not binary gender is not binary doctors years and years ago made it up we literally made it up it is socially constructed. If I asked you to come to work tomorrow dress as the opposite sex would you do it. I assume you wouldn't because people might look at you like an outcast. What child wants to be an outcast there is not an increase in children identifying as a different gender because of some perverse influence but because society's views are changing and they're becoming to believe that maybe they finally have a place in this world and so are their parents who were no longer telling them that they're wrong please do not take that from them. You say this bill was intended to protect children but which children need the most protection the girls and boys who fit in with their peers. And president as the sex they were assigned or the intersex trans and non binary kids who are consistently subjected to bullying harassment discrimination hate crimes threats and violence. Using the accommodated restroom without the students to their peers making them further targets of such. Many in here I've talked about isolated incident incidents of assault involving trans students but let's exercise caution before using anecdotes as scientific evidence let's look instead at statistically significant significant studies like those of assaults on women by cis men women don't need to go to a restroom to be harassed or assaulted if you're comfortable how many in this room have been a raster salted outside of a restroom. We experienced that everywhere in plain sight it doesn't have to just take place in a bathroom. When are we going to stop the culture of toxic masculinity and hold the cisgender individuals accountable for sexual assault and harassment and stop blaming blaming those who identify differently than the way we do. In no way do I speak for the trans intersex or non binary community but I stand with them and for them. And I encourage all of you to vote against this bill and to look into the genetic and physiological differences I have shared with you today and to consider the dire psychological consequences that this bill will have if passed especially if we plan to make administer. Administrators the agenda genital or birth certificate police history has never applauded the oppression of others let's not oppress those who need the most support you have one minute please do not erase these children that's all I have thank you. Thank you for comments or any questions from the committee. Next person list begin against is a lady a gardener. Please state your name for the record you got 5 minutes thank you thank you good afternoon Mr chairman and members of the committee my name is Olivia Gardner and I'm the director of education policy at Arkansas advocates for children and families or an organization that has been advocating for Arkansas's children since 1977. Today I'm here because transgender children would be harmed by this proposed legislation we cannot allow a bill that puts any of Arkansas as children at risk I believe everyone here wants kids to be safe and school bathrooms but there's no research to support the notion that transgender children pose a threat when they use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity instead the research shows that that that 3 quarters of transgender children surveyed felt unsafe at school and the transgender people are either I don't even are are at a very high risk of experiencing violence starting even before adolescence this bill was written under the premise that it will ensure student safety instead it will put some of our most vulnerable students in harm's way. I understand that providing legal clarity we're currently not exists is valuable but we cannot but we but I believe that we cannot do that at the expense of our most vulnerable students there's a reason not many people oppose these proposals and that this opposition is often bipartisan as the Republican governor of Utah said last year and be telling an anti trans anti transgender bill rarely has so much fear and anger and direct been directed out so few of transgender students he said I don't understand what they're going through or why they feel the way they do but I want them to live. That was Utah governor Spencer **** last spring I think you said it best thank you Mr chairman and members of the committee for your time. Any questions for ms designate. C. 9 thank you for your testimony. I'm sorry Gardner I'm sorry Jessica Disney. You'll state your name for the record and then you begin your testimony yes my name is Jessica Disney and I am here to speak out against a bill into 2 sets I'm from Conway and I am a trans woman I graduated from Conway high back in 2010 and I've spent the better part of a decade working with marginalized youth in social settings that I have the privilege of hearing from them their story and the things that they face in public like in public settings especially in school. Hi as you've heard today many people have come up here with a motional and and a total cases and we have heard there. Situations in front here and I wanted to add some of the studies that we have in regards to this to clarify is from the UCLA school of law there's a 2018 study that reviewed all of the evidence regarding safety and privacy in restrooms locker rooms and changing rooms as part of the study they from the inclusion of gender identity and and non does discrimination laws does not affect the number of frequency of criminal incidents in restrooms locker rooms and changing rooms the reports of privacy and safety violations and public restrooms locker rooms and changing rooms are still exceedingly rare these cases. Jody L. Herman an author of that study was quoted saying that the research has shown that in fact transgender people are frequently denied that are frequently denied access are verbally harassed or physically assaulted while trying to use public restrooms under these cases. 8 also a 2020 peer reviewed study and by the Trevor project researchers published in the journal of adolescent health found that transgender and non binary you were 2 to 2.5 times as likely to experience depressive symptoms seriously consider suicide and attempted suicide compared to their sister and their peers in the LGBT Q. situations. Community. A committee of the years that lack access to affirm in spaces many of these youth lack access to affirm in spaces with only 55 percent of these youth reported that their school is affirming of them and only 37 percent saying that their home itself is affirming fewer than one in 3 trans gender non binary use found their home to be gender affirming and a little more than half from their school to also be affirming. This research has shown that the use and rolled in middle school at middle or high school 52 percent of which a reported being bullied either in person or electronically in just the past year and those who did had 3 times greater odds of attempting suicide in the past year. From. All the information that we have in the research that goes on to it we have no evidence that supports that this kind of bill would actually cause any sort of change in regards to the issue of system there individuals or allowing people to use the bathrooms aligning with their gender identity what we do have information that shows is that are marginalized use the transgender youth do experience a an increase across the board and verbal sexual and physical harassment wind policies like this are put in place and to me that is extremely concerning as somebody who is a trans woman. I have worked with even an individual sitting on this committee who did not know I was trans gender for the year that we work together and. I would say in regards to the suicidality rate of 11 minute remains. Thank you I have lost multiple people in my life and. I wish that the representatives here mine I urge you strongly to voted do not pass on this my question for you to consider is that is the proven likelihood that this policy will cost the lives of our marginalized youth worth it to protect some through some made up information and stories that we have no evidence to support and thank you for your time I will take questions. Any questions. C. 9 thank you for your testimony today last will person signed up to speak today is speaking against the bill and that is alley Tomlinson. Thomason if you'll state your name for the record you begin your testimony. Thank you so much alley comments and and we've heard a lot of great testimony here today in for against I think that a lot of people do agreed that trans and non binary individuals are not the issues when it comes to the bathroom situation I do want to point out that includes the practices are not a pathway to danger and risk I think that that's something that a lot of people here agreed on so I thought that was really great that's something that really bridge as a bridge the gap between us and if that were the case we would have more than an opinion piece and I feel like that's what this bill is we don't have any quantitative data here in Arkansas that has that we can have any dates any times any pay says any names anything that can really show us besides a rumor in Conway and something coming from Virginia so I think that we really and take into account that anytime we come in we ask anything from Arkansas we have to show the numbers we have to show the numbers we want to help children eat when we want community services for disabled children in Arkansas but right now we don't have any of that but we do know that this is going to hurt students and children and our youth our Kansans and the fact is and we all share bathrooms with people that we don't identify with every single day and we are not in a dangerous situation and less that person is dangerous we know that we already have laws that cover sexual assault stalking harassment and if this bill does not pass it is not going to make those loss any less valid that's not going to happen we don't have a need for this in Arkansas we do have use looking to us and even adults that are asking is why we need this when we already have laws in place to protect as of the things that we are scared of I will tell you as. A constituent of yours I do not feel like you are doing the lord's work I feel like this is a witch hunt that is going to get people hurt and I am deeply ashamed of bills that keep getting put on the table that are like this I do ask you all to know thank you and I will take questions. Any questions. C. nuns Thompson thank you for your testimony today members that's all that we have signed up to speak for against the bill said stated in the beginning there was a an amendment that was put on the bill late yesterday afternoon there was not time to get the fiscal impact statement completed on that and so therefore just out of the current uses towards representative Bentley into those of you who had scheduled this day to come speak I want to go ahead and let everyone presenter bill today at present the bill today and and and give their testimonies however we will not take any action on that bill today our committee will reconvene Tuesday at 10:00 AM and pending the return the fiscal impact statement on this bill we will vote on it first that we are adjourned.