By JOSHUA KIRSTEIN
Many people are outraged by President Donald Trump’s withdrawal of Obama’s federal protections for transgender students in bathrooms.
Last May, the Obama Administration set up federal protection for transgender students to be able to use the bathroom of the gender for which they identify.
President Obama sent letters out urging schools to allow the transgender students of the school to be allowed to use the bathroom of their associated gender. Although many schools felt that his attempts were aggressive, they allowed it and many of the students felt welcomed and accepted as a result.
On Feb. 22, the Trump Administration lifted that protection,
- The White House’s official statement read: “As President Trump has clearly stated, he believes policy regarding transgender bathrooms should be decided at the state level.”
Students Voices
Many students from Ramapo College of New Jersey feel the measure is unfair to transgender students. Many of the students feel it’s unfair to have bias rules that don’t take into consideration how many of the transgender students feel.
Sophmore, Jake Grimes, 19 was asked about his thoughts about the recent withdraw of federal protection “Trans students already have a very high suicide ratio, this will only make it much worse”
Ross Warlick, Sophmore at Ramapo College
Christian Moraes, Sophmore at Ramapo College
“It’s frightening and hurtful that they would start stripping away from the trans population” said sophomore, Arielle Gordon, 21. She like many other students at Ramapo College that Trump should reinstate the original protection.
Not even Trumps entire cabinet team agrees with this act. Many of them believe that this issue should be given full federal protection. Betsy Devos, Secretary of Education, has been arguing strongly against pulling the federal protection.
She issued a statement after the protection saying it was a “moral obligation” for us all.
“We have a responsibility to protect every student in America,” Devos stated.
I think it would be interesting to have talked to a Trans student, but the perspective of hetero cis students is also very interesting. I think the quotes were very good and invoked feeling.