Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick proposed a bill that, if passed, would limit transgender people’s ability to use the bathroom that matches their personal gender identity.
The proposition has received backlash by a number of groups, particularly from business owners who fear that a “discriminatory” law such as Patrick’s Women’s Privacy Act would have a negative effect on the state and local economies.
A similar bill, the HB2 law, was recently enacted in North Carolina and prompted a number of companies who opposed it to cancel their large sporting and entertainment events in the state, costing the state millions of dollars in economic losses.
About 200 small Texas businesses have signed an open letter by Equality Texas, a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equal rights group, urging law makers to oppose the bill that they believe not only discriminates against the LGBTQIA community but also is a threat to small businesses.
San Antonio’s local economy could suffer from the law, business owners argued at a Tuesday press conference, especially since the city is slated to host the $75 million NCAA Final Four tournament in 2018.
