Trump’s policies for transgender bathrooms angers many
The Trump administration decided to rescind protections for all transgender students in public schools that had previously allowed them to use the bathrooms they felt most comfortable with on Feb. 22. This goes against former President Obama’s policy to protect the right of transgender students to use the restrooms and locker rooms that best match their gender identities.
Obama’s administration announced that the Title IX antidiscrimination law from 1972 applied to transgender students with regard to bathroom access. But Trump’s recent order said the opposite, essentially that states and schools can choose their own policies on this issue.
The issue of transgender bathrooms will no longer be decided by the federal government; it will instead be handled by individual states. Thus, depending on the state, discrimination is not illegal, and schools are not obligated to allow students to use the bathroom of their choosing.
Many gay rights activists and members of the LGBTQ community have expressed their disapproval of this action.
“It was a terrible move,” said senior Kaiya Brown, vice president of the Gays and More club. “It only emphasizes how little he cares for the marginalized citizens of the United States. All he’s done was say that the government will not protect children because of a certain orientation, which has only further displayed his unjust agenda.”
Gays and More, which has made plans to install a unisex bathroom at CVHS, is upset at this turn of events. However, this will not deter the club from its goal. Its members have already spoken to the faculty and WA Assett about the issue of a multi-stall unisex bathroom and are currently waiting for approval. If approved, the bathroom will be installed somewhere on campus within the next two to three years.
“It’s a slow process, but a necessary one. This will hopefully open doors for our school to gain more traction in their ability to protect transgender and gender nonconforming youth,” said Brown.
I believe that people should use the side of the bathrooms that is most comfortable for them. But there are also people who might take advantage of this. Trump allowing states to make their own decision for transgender bathrooms is pretty much his own way of saying that it’s OK to segregate / differ transgenders from everyone else. Some might say it’s just discrimination.
I feel Trumps decision to change the law is not good because it’s bin a certain way for so long and shouldn’t be changed.
Is there is a better way to spend tax money, be it Measure G or other, than on constructing new bathrooms for the students at CVHS? It seems to me that, while it does look like a major problem, building new bathrooms has its own consequences. Cost, first of all. Possible harassment that can come from students who will take advantage of same-sex restrooms to take pictures or other inappropriate actions, for another. I think that the resources spent on bathrooms for a fraction of the students could be used for something else, for the majority of the students to benefit from, like better or cheaper meals, for example.