Men in Women’s Bathrooms Is Still Being Debated

I have never copy and pasted a piece of proposed legislation into one of my columns, but NH Senate Bill 268 is one that I almost did. I chose not to, because you’d probably get bored and stop reading within the first sixty seconds.

Instead, let me save you some time and try to explain it as simply as I can. NH Senate Bill 268 is a bill that would clarify that certain policies based on a person’s biological sex at birth are not considered illegal discrimination under New Hampshire law.

The bill would allow public and private organizations to separate people by biological sex in these situations:

Bathrooms and locker rooms used by multiple people.
Sports and athletic competitions where physical differences between males and females could provide a competitive advantage.
Prisons, juvenile detention facilities, and certain mental health facilities where people are involuntarily housed.

The fact that a law is needed to protect organizations that define which bathrooms men and women can use, or to prevent men from competing in women’s sports is not only disturbing and repulsive, it should bring great concern to everyone. When I first heard about this bill, I honestly couldn’t believe it was real.

As the father of three daughters, this topic is not only personal to me, it’s something I feel compelled to speak unapologetically openly about. It’s also common sense, and the fact that I even need to write about this topic is mind-boggling.

My youngest daughter is eight years old. When we are out together in public and she needs to use the restroom, it’s a pretty simple decision. She goes into the women’s room alone and I stand outside of the door and wait for her to come out. I can tell you candidly, that if a man walked out of a bathroom that my daughter was using, it would be a bad day for him (or whatever pronoun he uses) and for me.

My middle daughter is a fiercely competitive athlete. She goes to the gym every single day. She follows a strict diet that most people could never fathom. She works with a professional trainer multiple times a week. She works tirelessly to be the best she can be in a sport that she loves. She is amazingly talented and has accomplished great things throughout her high school and college career.

I have thought extensively about what would happen if my daughter went to compete at an event and a man claiming to be a woman was competing against her. It’s a very simple decision. I would not allow my daughter to compete, and we would leave immediately. There is no other option. Fortunately, it has not happened yet, and I hope it never does. If it did, I can promise you that I would dedicate every ounce of energy I have to denouncing the situation and publicly speaking the truth to protect women’s sports.

I sincerely struggle to understand how and when we ended up in a society where people think it’s acceptable for men to use a women’s bathroom. How can any person with a half working brain think it’s OK for a man to compete in women’s sports? What rational person thinks it’s acceptable for a man to be in a woman’s locker room?

There are certain issues that define political parties, however this is one that is not worthy of politicization. It’s not political at all. It’s common sense. The fact that a law is needed to define where it’s acceptable for a man and a woman to be can and should concern everyone, regardless of your political beliefs.

Allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports undermines the very protections that generations of female athletes have fought fiercely to secure. Allowing biological men to use women’s bathrooms and locker rooms is not only disturbing, it’s a nightmare every father hopes his daughter never has to experience.

What’s most interesting about this bill is that it passed the NH Senate four times. It was then vetoed by Governor Kelly Ayotte three times and by former Governor Chris Sununu once in 2024

In NH, women’s rights views appear to be more about “Live Free or Die” than common sense and the line between the two is challenging to define.

Chris Thompson’s ([email protected]) column is published weekly on howiecarrshow.com and livefreepressnh.com