The Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival has announced it will likely require all of its venues to supply gender-neutral bathrooms for festival attendees.
Their announcement is a response to a state lawmaker’s proposal to make it illegal for transgendered individuals to use bathrooms designated for the gender with which they identify. The bill, filed by Miami area Republican State Rep. Frank Artiles supposedly out of concern for safety, has stirred a huge backlash in the LGBT community, but is moving through the legislature no less.
“The ‘Transgender Discrimination’ bill is perhaps the most discriminatory bill ever introduced in Florida,” Equality Florida transgender inclusion director Gina Duncan said in a written statement. “This proposed bill is unnecessary, arbitrary, and unenforceable. This bill targets and marginalizes transgender and gender variant Floridians under the false pretense of public safety. We thank the board and staff of the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival for taking steps to provide a welcoming and inclusive event for all.”
The bill, if approved, would overturn transgender protections to local human rights ordinances.
“This bill unfairly targets the transgender community by requiring them to prove their sexual identity or face arrest, and would undo many of the protections that local municipalities, including Tampa and St. Petersburg already have in place,” said a TIGLFF media release.
At least one of the venues, St. Pete’s freeFall Theatre, has responded positively to the proposal.
“freeFall is committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all our patrons,” said Matthew McGee, freeFall’s outreach and marketing director. “We hope that providing a gender neutral restroom will provide privacy and dignity for audience members enjoying TIGLFF’s excellent programming.”
The festival’s board will formally vote on the proposal, which would require at least one gender-neutral bathroom at each place that is screening films, at its next meeting.
Find out more about, TIGLFF, including film caps, dates, venues and tickets, here.
This article appears in Mar 5-11, 2015.
