Leading House Republican Seems to be Ok with Letting Men in Girls’ Bathrooms

Many Texans were concerned this week when Rep. John Zerwas said he refuses to support the privacy and safety of Texans in public schools and buildings — even if his constituents demand that he vote to keep men out of little girls’ restrooms and locker rooms.

The entrenched six-term Texas House member, Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, expressed his opposition to the Texas Privacy Act, SB 6, at a public Texas Tribune interview on Thursday.

“I’m opposed to the bathroom bill as it exists. I don’t think it’s good for the state’s economy, I’m not for that,” Zerwas told moderator Evan Smith, editor of the Texas Tribune.

Just 45 minutes from where Rep. Zerwas made his comments, a school district has put the privacy and safety of little girls at risk by implementing a policy that allows men into girls’ bathroom. Rep. Zerwas’ opposition to the Texas Privacy Act is a statement that he thinks polices like in Dripping Springs are seemingly ok.

Despite doomsday scenarios of economic effects being proven “Mostly False” by even the liberal media, Zerwas maintained that he would persistently vote no. Smith asked Rep. Zerwas if his vote would change if the bill left committee and received a much-more publicized debate on the House floor. Sometimes House members “may have to vote yes regardless of how they might think,” Smith explained.

Zerwas’ pledged to remain a firm “no,” even on the House floor should be concerning to his Fort Bend County constituents.

There have been many polls conducted from a variety of reputable sources — even the Texas Tribune — which indicate high levels of public support for state action in defending our restrooms from government interference. According to a recent University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll, 54 percent said Texans should use the public restrooms based on their birth gender.

The truth about the Texas Privacy Act is that it is good for the economy and necessary to protect the rights of private business to set their own policies free from government interference. The City of Houston did not lose its Super Bowl contract over voters taking a stand against Houston Mayor Anise Parker’s Men-in-Women’s-Bathroom ordinance.

North Carolina, which passed its landmark House Bill 2, continues to be the second-best state in the U.S. in which to operate a business. The states with the strongest economies have overwhelmingly not adopted policies which force businesses and public institutions to allow men into the women’s restrooms – a fact Mr. Zerwas needs to keep in mind before SB 6 makes its march through the Capitol.

His support of the same position as the LGBT activists is deeply concerning.