The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports House Bill 1259, which protects privacy and dignity by requiring that public schools and government buildings designate multi-occupancy restrooms and changing rooms for the exclusive use of males or females.
Requiring men and boys, and women and girls, to utilize restrooms that are designated for the exclusive use of their respective sex upholds appropriate modesty and privacy in intimate spaces.
Pope Francis has warned about certain forms of “gender ideology,” which are not infrequently used to justify men having access to places reserved for women, and vice versa.
“Yet another challenge is posed by the various forms of an ideology of gender that denies the difference and reciprocity in nature of a man and a woman and envisages a society without sexual differences… This ideology leads to educational programmes and legislative enactments that promote a personal identity and emotional intimacy radically separated from the biological difference between male and female.” (Amoris Laetitia, 56)
The Church cherishes the dignity of every person and accordingly has deep compassion for those who struggle with gender dysphoria. We must accompany these individuals and serve their needs in an appropriate way. But accommodations can be made without compromising the common good, which is served by protecting the privacy and dignity of men and women in intimate spaces.