Transgender bill fuels bathroom fight

BOSTON (AP) - Massachusetts lawmakers are weighing a bill that would end discrimination based on transgender status.

The bill would add "gender identity and expression" to the state's discrimination and hate crime laws.

Supporters say the goal is to give transgender people legal protections at work, in public accommodations and in housing.

Opponents said the bill would lead to a breakdown in privacy in rest rooms, locker rooms and other single-sex facilities and would open women's bathrooms to sexual predators.

Supporters said the bill wouldn't diminish existing laws barring criminal conduct in bathrooms.

They said a dozen states already prohibit discrimination against people based on whether they identify themselves as male or female.