The right to comfortably use a bathroom is essential. We’re concerned that new legislation in the Missouri House would infringe upon this right for a group of Missourians who already face discrimination, vilification, harassment and violence: people who identify as transgender or gender non-conforming.

Last month, House Bills 1338 and 1339, two bills aiming to eliminate state funding for any public institutions that implement gender-neutral environments or multi-use unisex bathrooms, were introduced to the Missouri House by Rep. Jeff Pogue, R-Salem.

These bills came soon after the Department of Residential Life announced the addition of gender-neutral housing in College Avenue for the 2015-16 school year. The new residence hall, Gateway, will feature gender-neutral bathrooms.

Pogue said in a news release that the goal of the bill is to uphold the cultural norms of Missouri and of the United States. He also claimed that keeping public restrooms gender-divided would help protect the safety of women, citing support from Amnesty International.

These bills and Pogue’s defense of these bills are both utterly ridiculous. While he claims that they are not intended to be discriminatory, the bills are, by definition “unfairly treating a person or group of people differently from other people or groups of people.” HB 1338 and 1339 directly alienate and isolate citizens who identify as transgender, portraying them as different and lesser than other citizens.

Pogue and other representatives from other states trying to pass similar legislation have said that allowing gender-neutral bathrooms in public places will make sexual assault significantly easier for predators. Aside from having no basis in evidence, these statements promote an ill-educated view of rape culture, perpetuating the idea that we should be focused on preventing victims from being raped instead of preventing rapists from raping. A change in the gender designation of public restrooms is not going to have a profound effect on sexual assault statistics and implying that it will is irresponsible.

The closer we look, the less this bill seems like an actual, legitimate bill aimed at preventing gender-neutral bathrooms in public facilities. No, it seems more like a misguided attempt by Pogue to show his constituents that he’s being an active member of the House, fighting for the good ol’ days.

This legislation highlights the ongoing problems faced by people in our society who identify as LGBT. It’s just another step in the despicable pattern of demonization aimed at this community of people in our culture. Everyone should be striving to end this pattern and for inclusivity for all people.

Gender-neutral bathrooms in public settings are a step in the right direction. Forcing transgender people to use a restroom based on the gender they were assigned at birth is a problematic practice that our society has been pursuing for a long time. Increasing access to gender-neutral environments would help end this problem and would allow us to create a more inclusive, accepting environment for transgender people.

Bills like HB 1338 and 1339 promote a culture where transgender members of our society are left feeling isolated and unprotected. Pogue and legislators like him want to uphold 200-year-old societal norms that foster discrimination and transphobia. Instead of focusing on keeping the status quo, it’s time for us as a society to protect and promote the individual freedoms of our fellow people.