A largely invisible issue in Georgia schools — which bathrooms transgender students use — became highly visible Friday with a White House advisory.
Wielding Title IX anti-discrimination laws and the threat of losing federal funding, the U.S. Justice and Education Departments advised schools they must allow transgender students access to school restrooms “consistent with their gender identity.”
“This guidance further clarifies what we’ve said repeatedly – that gender identity is protected under Title IX. Educators want to do the right thing for students, and many have reached out to us for guidance on how to follow the law,” said U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr.
Comments in AJC online forums and on news stories, ranged from “not an issue” to “this is a reason you must vote in November,” but most comments in this Republican controlled state opposed allowing transgender students to decide which bathroom to use and decried the federal intrusion in the matter. Here is a sampling of reader comments under each poster’s screen name:
Diana Manriquez: “To extort States to comply with the will of an ‘administration’ and not the democratic will of the people…is a perversion of our government.”
Mitch: “Why should we attempt to placate mentally disturbed children and their parents? They should get treatment instead.”
Root4U: “Boys go to boy’s restroom and girls go to girl’s restrooms. It’s been this way since the beginning of time. It kills me that less than .1 of 1 percent of the population can stir up the pot like no other. I can’t believe our country even needs to discuss a topic like this.”
John Adkinson: “Executive orders, president invented “law” without going through Congress…all of it means ZERO!”
Grumpster: “I keep thinking about concerts I’ve been to where the line for the women’s restroom is a mile long and the line for the men’s restroom is nonexistent. Some women reasonably decide, in my opinion, the hell with this line, I’ll use the men’s room. I don’t remember any issues with guys peeking over the stall wall or leering or such, except for the occasional goober who hasn’t quite grown up.”
Freeborn: Your feelings are not protected by the constitution or the Bill of Rights. There have been family bathrooms in most stores for more than 30 years. If someone is having trouble understanding what gender they are — even though it’s taught to every boy and girl from grade school through college biology — they can use the family bathrooms out in public. As far as high school and middle and elementary schools go, neither my daughter nor any other daughter should have to worry about a male who doesn’t understand what being a male is being in the same restroom as them.
David Gordon: “The civil rights of women and girls in bathrooms, dressing rooms, and public showers are being violated.”
Area man: “I don’t know but to me this whole thing still sounds like a solution in search of a problem.”
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