Idaho's bathroom bill leaves transgender men like me with an impossible choice: jail or violencehttps://www.advocate.com/opinion/nikson-mathews-transgender-idaho-bathrooms 🔗Nikson Mathews (25 March 2026)
"My name is Nikson Mathews. I am a Boise resident and a proud trans Idahoan. I stand opposed to this bill." That is the opening statement I use every time I testify against anti-LGBTQ+ bills, most of which directly target trans people.
Over the years, those words have come to mean more to me. It's not easy to be trans in Idaho, but every time I testify against a bill, I look those legislators in the eye and remind them that I am their constituent and a proud trans person.
HB752 is the harshest bathroom bill introduced by Republicans in the country. It criminalizes trans people simply for being present in a bathroom or facility that aligns with their gender identity. It does not require harm, only presence. If passed, a trans person could walk into the bathroom to wash their hands and face up to a year in jail. If they did it again, the penalty would increase to up to five years in prison.
So what does that mean for me?
It means that every single day, when I am out in public, I have to ask myself, do I feel like going to jail, or do I feel like being attacked?
