Conn. Transgender Protections Bill on Hold

The Connecticut legislature's judiciary committee Wednesday postponed a vote on a controversial bill aiming to provide legal protection for transgender people.

Diana Lombardi, a 60-year-old transgender woman, feels this measure is an important one to have on the state's books. "My friends who have come out at work, a number of them have been fired. One person I know, that worked for 25 years at a company, when she 'came out,' the next day, they had a layoff of one person; her," Lombardi told local news station WTNH.com.

Opponents of the bill say a law allowing biological men to use women's restrooms, locker rooms, and single-sex sleeping accommodations could be misused by sexual predators, but sponsors of the measure say these concerns are just tactics in the opponents' attempts to kill the bill.

"We have laws that protect people from sexual predators on the books, which would still apply even if this bill passed," said Democratic representative Gary Holder-Winfield.

While sources say the committee already has enough votes to push this bill forward, debates have not yet been scheduled. The committee deadline on the measure is April 15.

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