Texas ‘bathroom bill’ passes key vote

It has sparked a backlash from big businesses including the National Football League (NFL) with a spokesman for the league saying that the NFL “embraces inclusiveness”.

Republican supporters say the bill will protect women’s privacy and keep them safe from sexual predators posing as women.

Critics say it promotes discrimination against transgender people, an already stigmatised community.

After North Carolina passed a similar “bathroom bill”, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and celebrity musicians cancelled events, leading to the loss of economic activity totalling in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

That law is now on hold due to legal challenges, although the Justice Department has dropped its opposition to the North Carolina bill.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott shot back in a radio interview saying “the NFL needs to concentrate on playing football and get the heck out of politics”.