Three Examples Why President Obama’s Bathroom Decree Goes Too Far

May 13, 2016 | 1 comment

President Obama is now bullying every Pennsylvanian and American with the problematic policy decree he just released todayThis has no force of law or legal authority behind it, but it does put schools at risk of losing federal funding by asking them to throw away every student’s right to bodily privacy.

The letter states:

“As a condition of receiving Federal funds, a school agrees that it will not exclude, separate, deny benefits to, or otherwise treat differently on the basis of sex any person in its educational programs or activities unless expressly authorized to do so under Title IX or its implementing regulations. The Departments treat a student’s gender identity as the student’s sex for purposes of Title IX and its implementing regulations. This means that a school must not treat a transgender student differently from the way it treats other students of the same gender identity.”

 

President Obama specifically states that public schools, colleges and universities must permit:

1. Males to play on female athletic teams, and vice versa. 

“Title IX regulations permit a school to operate or sponsor sex-segregated athletics teams when selection for such teams is based upon competitive skill or when the activity involved is a contact sport. A school may not, however, adopt or adhere to requirements that rely on overly broad generalizations or stereotypes about the differences between transgender students and other students of the same sex (i.e., the same gender identity) or others’ discomfort with transgender students.”

2. Males to use female bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers, and vice versa.

“A school may provide separate facilities on the basis of sex, but must allow transgender students access to such facilities consistent with their gender identity. A school may not require transgender students to use facilities inconsistent with their gender identity or to use individual-user facilities when other students are not required to do so.”

3. Males to share dormitories and other housing facilities with females, and vice versa.

“Title IX allows a school to provide separate housing on the basis of sex. But a school must allow transgender students to access housing consistent with their gender identity and may not require transgender students to stay in single-occupancy accommodations or to disclose personal information when not required of other students.”

Here are ways you can act in response to President Obama’s directive to help stop the removal of student’s privacy rights:

  1. Show support for North Carolina officials and the Alliance Defending Freedom in their lawsuit against the Obama administration.
  2. Help prevent state laws that align with President Obama’s directive – like Governor Wolf’s Bathroom Bills. Sign the petition at tinyurl.com/defendmyprivacy.
  3. Our attorneys at our Independence Law Center in concert with the Alliance Defending Freedom, are working to help Pennsylvania and its schools take a stand against this unlawful order.  If you know of school board members in your area, could you email their names and contact information to us, so we can help them protect their students and schools.  Email them to ekreps@pafamily.org.
  4. Give financially – much time and effort has been devoted to assisting school boards and educating Pennsylvanians about the greatest threat to privacy rights and religious freedom. Your donation is greatly needed and appreciated.

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