Texas lawmakers have released SB6, their own version of North Carolina’s infamous House Bill 2, the “bathroom bill.” The bill, backed by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, states that persons must use public bathrooms that align with the sex that is on their birth certificates; this prevents transgender individuals from using the restroom of the gender with which they identify.

Texas officials claim that this bill is meant to ensure the safety of its citizens, especially women and children; However, many people see it as a form of outright discrimination.

The bill in North Carolina sparked immediate outrage because it forces people to use the bathroom that aligns with their “biological sex.” The state and its former Governor Pat McCrory, who was the one to sign the bill into law, have received harsh criticism for the exclusive policy. Many celebrities and large companies have condemned North Carolina – some even boycotted the state all together.

Musicians such as Nick Jonas, Demi Lovato and Ringo Starr have cancelled shows in the state in protest of the state’s prejudice. Also, major athletic institutions have moved events such as the 2017 NBA All-Star game, the NCAA championship and the ACC championship to other states. In total, HB2 is responsible for a loss of over $600 million for the state, according to Forbes.

Despite the massive loss of state revenue for North Carolina, Lieutenant Governor Patrick is convinced that Texas’ economy will not suffer.

“We have the 10th-largest economy in the world. We will continue to grow,” Patrick has said.

Evidence suggests the opposite. The Texas Association of Business announced at a press conference the results of a study, conducted by researchers here at St. Edward’s University, which estimated that a Texas bathroom bill could cost the state more than $8 billion and 100,000 jobs.

Also, the NFL has suggested that enacting a discriminatory bill such as SB6 will affect their decisions about the state’s hosting of events, such as the Super Bowl. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said, “If a proposal that is discriminatory or inconsistent with our values were to become law there, that would certainly be a factor considered when thinking about awarding future events.”

Texas has hosted more Super Bowls than any other state. More companies and celebrities are likely to openly condemn the bill and boycott Texas, just as they did to North Carolina.

Patrick’s main rationalization of SB6 is that it will keep men from committing sexual assaults against women in the restroom. However, there is no evidence whatsoever suggesting that allowing transgender people to use the bathroom of their choice results in an increase in sexual assault. Patrick is blatantly denying facts in order to justify his prejudice.

The only way for transgender individuals to get around the bill is to go through the process of getting the sex on their birth certificate modified; However, there is no standardized procedure allowing them to do this. This means that transgender people will be forced to deny their own identities.

Residents of Texas are not happy about the backwards law being introduced to the state. Austin and other major cities have ordinances that protect the rights of the LGBT community. Since state law preempts local law, SB6 would reinstate the exclusive policies that our community and others have already opposed.

Protests against the bill have already been planned to take place the largely liberal capital of Texas — Austin — and sentiment against the bill can be felt city wide.