Editor, Times-Union: Two weeks ago the Obama Administration sent out an “edict” giving all states and school administrators “guidance” on how to create a bathroom policy for the transgender community. It stated that anyone who accepts federal funding must adopt this policy, or he will remove it. In essence ... “Open the bathrooms to any gender, or your low-income students won’t eat.” (This where is the majority of federal funding goes.) How absurd! Schools all over the nation scurried to figure out what this meant. They were boxed into a corner. Allow boys into girls’ restrooms, or lose funding. Ouch! It’s important to note it’s not necessary for any medical care or diagnosis of the transgender person be presented. Simply, if a boy “feels” like a girl one day, he should be able to use the restroom of his choice. This is a dream come true for a teenage boy. The edict also stated it was unacceptable for a school to provide separate accommodations for the transgender. If a girl has a problem undressing in front of a boy, she would need to request a separate bathroom. As a mom of three children in the public school system, I can tell you the transgender community is the least of my worries. My concern is not about hate. It is about the safety of my two boys and little girl. Pandora’s Box has been opened by this “letter.” Some schools across the nation are taking it as law. It is not law. Letters are not laws. Common sense says that opening bathrooms to the opposite sex is dangerous, not only for our children’s physical health, but their emotional health as well. Thirty percent of children have been sexually abused. Twenty-five percent of our teens have body image issues. It doesn’t take a psychology degree to understand what causes “triggers” when exposed to certain variables. I haven’t met one parent who is OK with our teenage daughters being forced to take care of her personal needs in the stall next to a boy, or OK with their teenage daughter showering next to the opposite sex. Is anyone OK with your teen spending the night with the opposite sex on a field trip? (That’s also in the edict.) No parent in their right mind would be OK with this stuff! However, this is our new world. So, what can you do about it? 1. Pray for your school board. Warsaw is blessed with an incredible board. They were thrust directly into a battle they did not choose. The Obama Administration has gone for the jugular – funding. Pray that they remain strong and fight for our families. 2. When you see the board, personally thank them for standing for our children. Write to them and say, “Thank you.” They are our children’s last line of defense. 3. Most important, your politicians have been silent on this. Ask them to speak up and protect our school system from the federal government. Ask Governor Pence (317-232-4567) to tell the feds to stay out of our education matters – we will not comply. Monica Boyer Warsaw, via email
