Republican Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah signed a bill on Tuesday that bans men from using women’s restrooms and locker rooms and creates a legal definition for male and female.

The bill, introduced by Republican state Rep. Kera Birkeland, would designate restrooms in schools and public spaces as only “designated for the exclusive use” of females and males, according to the text. The bill was passed by the state House of Representatives on Friday before being signed by Cox this week, according to the press release.

“We want public facilities that are safe and accommodating for everyone and this bill increases privacy protections for all,” Cox wrote in a brief statement.

The bill defines the word female as “the characteristic of an individual whose biological reproductive system is of the general type that functions in a way that could produce ova” and a male as “characteristic[s] of an individual whose biological reproductive system is of the general type that functions to fertilize the ova of a female,” according to the text.

Senate Republicans initially revised the bill to allow anyone to use public restrooms regardless of sex, but then reversed course Thursday, according to KUTV, a local media outlet. The law would provide a limited exception for individuals who have “fully transitioned.”

Kate Anderson on January 31, 2024