Students at all public universities and K-12 schools would have to use the bathroom that aligns with their birth sex under a bill the Senate approved this week.

The bill is written by Republican Senator Liz Brown of Fort Wayne.

“This does allow women to have their private spaces. Just because you have decided today that you identify as a man doesn’t mean that you can go into a woman’s space. That’s a good thing. That protects women,” said Brown.

She added language to require birth certificates to match a person’s sex assigned at birth and prohibiting any changes except in cases of a diagnosed sex development disorder. Other lawmakers added language requiring students’ use of bathrooms, locker rooms, showers and living quarters to match their sex assigned at birth rather than their gender identity.

Transgender rights activists voiced opposition to the bill and started a petition that gathered more than 1,000 signatures. They presented that petition to Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray.

Andre Hardy (pictured) says he is a transgender man. If this bill becomes law, he says it would force him to break the law.

“It would force me to use the women’s restroom in public or not use the restroom at all for fear of being arrested. That is very dangerous and not just because I deserve the human right to use the bathroom, but I may have to make the choice between breaking the law or not breaking the law. No one should have to make that choice,” Hardy argued.

The bill gets reviewed by the House next.