When a sexual orientation law in Mainewas passed in 2005, it was the most radical of its kind ever. The law not only protected homosexuals from discrimination, it also prohibited discrimination on the basis of “gender identity” and “gender expression.” “Gender identity” is the belief that one is either male or female, regardless of one’s biological sex. “Gender expression” is the dress, hairstyle, and the like which expresses one’s perceived gender.
One result of this law is what happened at the Asa C. Adams Elementary School when a twelve year old boy, a fifth grader, wanted to use the girls’ room. The school offered a compromise — the use of a unisex faculty bathroom. The boy’s parents then claimed the school was discriminating against their child, who thinks he is a girl. When denied entry into the girls’ bathroom, a case was filed and The Human Rights Commission concluded unanimously that the school discriminated against the boy.
