In a sweeping victory for LGBT activists concerned about the recent slew of so-called “bathroom bills,” the White House on Thursday announced that President Obama would be issuing a transgender bathroom decree which would protect students in public school districts across the country. The decree, which is set to be delivered to schools on Friday, addresses fears some have expressed that banning transgender students from using the bathroom of their identified-gender could result in bullying or violence against those students. In a statement to The New York Times on Thursday evening, Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. reaffirmed the president’s beliefs that transgender students were owed protections that the numerous bathroom bills circling state politics otherwise stripped.
“No student should ever have to go through the experience of feeling unwelcome at school or on a college campus,” King said. “We must ensure that our young people know that whoever they are or wherever they come from, they have the opportunity to get a great education in an environment free from discrimination, harassment and violence.”
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In a copy of the president’s letter provided to The Times on Thursday, Obama stated that it was each school’s obligation “to ensure nondiscrimination on the basis of sex requires schools to provide transgender students equal access to educational programs and activities even in circumstances in which other students, parents, or community members raise objections or concerns.”
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Melanie L Schmitz 