On the front for the fight for equality, a new challenge has arisen. Nebraska is leading a coalition with it and nine other states against the government's announcement that it is unlawful for transgender individuals to be barred from using the restroom of their choice. These 10 states in total have formed a lawsuit to fight the amendment to Title IX because of the fear of losing federal funding for public schools. Strangely enough, they won't lose their federal funding as long as they follow what the government has done. Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson's argument is that the work of school districts has been ignored in favor of listening to the transgender student. He claims that school districts work with parents, and health care workers when these problems arise. I'm not sure about transgender grade school students today, but when I was in high school I would have never announced to my school my identity - it isn't safe due to the mindsets of teachers, administration and other students. We are on the cusp of a revolution for the transgender community - plowing into it full force in the way Peterson suggested by forcing the students in question to out themselves just to feel comfortable is a horrifying thought. The phrase 'health care workers' suggests that they would be required to have medical transition in order to function as their gender in their school.
This is becoming both a time of change and a time of danger for the transgender community as well as the LGBT+ community as a whole. It sickens me that they are pressing for this in the wake of the Orlando tragedy.
So what does this mean for the transgender community, and specifically for you? It means that if you are living in one of the ten states who have joined Nebraska - Arkansas, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming - and happen to be transgender, your newfound assurance of your basic human rights could be pulled out from under you. As a resident of Ohio, I, too, would experience jarring discrimination. This lawsuit could spell doom for the transgender community. What these people claim is a 'federal overreach' and that they are protecting students is false. By overriding what the Obama administration has done will jeopardize not only transgender students in grade schools and colleges, but also the general public. If these ten states are granted amnesty from the law, who is to say the rest of the nation won't follow suit? We must stand fast and rise to the occasion to defend our rights and defend the rights of our fellow citizens.
Do you really want to see innocent people assaulted in bathrooms over this mess?
Again?
