S.J. Quinney College of Law Professor Terry Kogan was interviewed by The Takeway in a segment titled, “The Sexist Origins of Gender-Segregated Bathrooms.” Kogan discusses the history of the public restroom and nineteenth century American reactions to women entering the workforce helped shape North Carolina’s controversial HB2 ordinance.
North Carolina and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) are facing off over the controversial HB2 ordinance that prohibits transgender people from using restrooms that correspond with the gender that they identify with.
On Monday, Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced she was filing a civil rights lawsuit against the Tar Heel State, its governor, Pat McCrory, and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and the University of North Carolina.
“What this law does is inflict further indignity on a population that has already suffered far more than its fair share,” said Lynch. “This law provides no benefit to society, and all it does is harm innocent Americans.”
Governor McCrory, who filed his own lawsuit against the DOJ just hours prior, said he did not “agree with their interpretation of federal law.” If McCory loses, he could risk losing billions of dollars in federal funding for his state.
How did we get here?
Terry S. Kogan, a University of Utah law professor and contributor to book “Toilet: Public Restrooms and the Politics of Sharing,” discusses the history of of gender-segregated bathrooms in America.
Listen to The Takeaway interview with Kogan »
Listen to the complete segment titled, “Bathroom Politics, Working Moms, ‘Underground'” »