On that same day in early April, the State Senate voted 26-5 for a bill mandating that K-12 students use only bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with the gender on their original birth certificate, rather than their current gender identity. The House approved the legislation by a vote of 66-28. Rafferty’s loss was swift and resounding. Just don’t you dare call me a friend after this.” He ended his speech with a direct appeal: “I’m begging y’all, all right?”Īnd then he acknowledged that his efforts were largely futile: “What’s going to happen is going to happen. “It’s even harder growing up being different and then have the state Legislature, your elected officials, the leaders of this state, put a target on children’s backs.” “It’s hard enough growing up being different,” he said.
Minutes before Alabama lawmakers were set to vote on a bill criminalizing medical care for young transgender people who are transitioning, State Representative Neil Rafferty took to the floor of the House and pleaded with his colleagues to reconsider.
