Utah officials say they have been inundated with more than 4,000 false complaints about transgender people using public restrooms, just 72 days after the state launched a program to report such cases.
“We haven’t seen anything that seems credible,” Utah Auditor John Dougall told the Salt Lake City Tribune.
The auditor’s office created an online complaint form to comply with the state’s controversial “Gender-Based Designations for Privacy, Anti-Bullying, and Opportunity” bill. Women,” which was signed into law in January and requires Utahns to use only bathrooms that meet their reproductive needs. organs.
Under the law, which took effect May 1, the auditor’s office was ordered to “establish a process to receive and investigate alleged violations of this chapter” by the government.
If the violation is not resolved, the auditor must refer the issue to the Utah Attorney General’s Office, which can impose fines of up to $10,000 “per violation per day” on the government entity. deemed to be at fault.
“I guess the Legislature probably hasn’t thought through what kind of public reaction might occur,” Dougall told the Tribune.
He said false allegations were “pretty easy” to identify: “Like, if they have my name as the complainant, you know, I’m not complaining. »
“The alleged violation must have occurred at a publicly owned or controlled facility, program, or event,” the online tool tells those looking to file a complaint. “To the extent possible, citizens should make a good faith effort to address and resolve their concerns with the government entity before submitting a complaint to the State Auditor.”
Although it is not illegal to send false reports to the auditor’s office, repeatedly reporting a crime to emergency responders can result in a misdemeanor charge.
The law affects Utah’s transgender community, which makes up less than 1 percent of the state’s population, according to The Tribune.
In addition to being restricted to restrooms only based on their biological sex, they are also prohibited from using locker rooms and showers in public facilities that do not match their biological sex.
Those who have undergone costly sex reassignment surgery and have had their sex changed on their birth certificate are exempt.
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