Kane County Reporter

A former collar counties state senator says she stands with a Republican House representative who objected to a recently passed gender-neutral bathroom bill and was accused of  being "transphobic" for his trouble.

Former state Sen. Jeanette Ward told the Kane County Reporter that she agrees with Rep. Tom Morrison's (R-Palatine) objections to House Bill 3195 and that she is "vehemently opposed" to the legislation.

"A society that will not defend and protect its women and children does not deserve to flourish," Ward said.

She added that she's puzzled by some of the bill's wording, considering it came from colleagues on the left, who often claim to disavow gendercentric observations.

"I also find it interesting that the bill synopsis on the [Illinois General Assembly] website refers to 'male and female' toilet seats and stalls," Ward said. "I thought 'male and female' did not exist? Aren't there 57, or 73? Or is it 157 genders?"

Ward, a product manager for an international chemical company, lost her race for the District 25 Senate seat in November in a very tight race with Democrat Karina Villa, following incumbent Republican Sen. James D. "Jim" Oberweis' decision to run in the 14th congressional district race.

The Illinois State Senate 25th District is located within Cook, Kane, Dupage and Kendall counties.

House Bill 3195 now is in the Senate Assignments Committee.

The day after HB 3195 passed the House along party lines, primary sponsor Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville) told the Chicago Sun-Times that concerns by Morrison over the danger to women and girls posed by the legislation are "clearly transphobic."

In the same Sun-Times story, Stuart said that her legislation is well meaning and has the very best and nothing but good intentions at heart.

"This bill is really about when you have a caregiver that's an opposite gender, that they can now go in with their loved one, such as a mother can go in with a son and help in the restroom," she said. "And we're talking about a normal bodily function, a human bodily function. That's all we’re talking about."

In a separate interview with the North Cook News about HB 3195, also called the "Equitable Restrooms Act," Morrison countered the bill has picked up a reputation as LGBT bathroom legislation, which in turn seeks to smother alarm about opportunities predators will quickly find.

"In any other discussion, most everyone agrees that women and girls are at particular risk of male violence," Morrison said. "It is disingenuous of the sponsor to claim this bill is to enable mothers to bring male children into a restroom with them. That action is socially accepted and not prohibited by law. Why do mothers do that, by the way? Most mothers would answer that they keep young sons with them because of the risk of predation in the men’s room."