Transgender people should use the bathroom of their choice

Transgender+people+should+use+the+bathroom+of+their+choice

Jordin Baker, Reporter

“Gavin Grimm, a 17-year-old senior in Gloucester County, [Va.] … came out as transgender when he was a freshman in high school. The school principal allowed him to use the boys’ bathroom, until some parents complained, and the school board adopted a policy that required students to use the bathroom that corresponds with their biological sex, or a separate single-stall restroom office,” NPR’s Nina Totenberg reported.

Grimm sued the school board. His lawsuit argues the bathroom policy is unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment and violates Title IX of the U.S. Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits sex discrimination by schools NPR said.

Allowing transgender people to use the bathroom that corresponds with the gender they identify with is an ongoing debate. I believe that they should be able to use the bathroom that corresponds with the gender they identify with because if a girl wants to be a boy and now identifies as a boy, then why keep him from using his own bathroom. What’s the point in that?

According to CNN, many believe that there are some risks to allowing them to use the bathroom that corresponds with the gender they identify with. Risks like sexual predators taking advantage of public accommodations laws and policies covering transgender people to attack women and children in bathrooms, transgender people are mentally ill and should not be afforded the same legal protections or healthcare guarantees as gay and lesbian Americans, children are too young to know if they are transgender and supporting a child who identifies as transgender is child abuse.

All of these claims are incorrect and, according to CNN, there are facts to back it up. Anti-discrimination protections covering gender identity have been around for years, and there is no evidence that show an increase attacks in public facilities. The clear majority of mainstream medical, psychiatric and psychological communities agree that being transgender is not a concocted fantasy or mental illness. It’s simply a valid state in which one’s gender does not match what was assigned at birth. Research shows that not allowing transgender children to live their gender identity is harmful, and can be deadly.

What’s the point in keeping someone from using the bathroom of their choice? If a boy identified as a girl and she wasn’t allowed to use the girls bathroom because they think someone will get hurt, they have no case evidence to back up their claim. There is no evidence in the places that allow transgender people to use the bathroom that corresponds with the gender they identify with to have accidents or injuries. So why keep someone from doing something that is right to them?

In August, the supreme court ruled 5-3 that the school board did not have to allow Grimm to use the restroom of his choice in the interim. I think they should have ruled in favor of Grimm.

I believe that people should be able to use whatever bathroom they want to. I also think people should accept that this is how the world is now and it’s only going to get better. I don’t know why someone would want to keep another person from being comfortable with who they are. Everyone should get over not liking it and get used to it.