SB486 would require government buildings, correctional facilities, shelters, and other public entities to designate multi-occupancy restrooms, changing rooms, and sleeping quarters strictly based on a person’s sex assigned at birth. It would also create a private right of action, allowing individuals to sue if they encounter someone of the "opposite sex" in these spaces.
The ACLU of Arkansas opposes SB486 because it is a discriminatory “bathroom bill” that targets transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people under the false premise of protecting safety and privacy. This bill threatens the dignity, autonomy, and legal rights of Arkansans by enforcing rigid gender norms and inviting surveillance, exclusion, and litigation against already marginalized communities. Everyone deserves the right to use public facilities without fear or harassment.
