Male and female bathrooms are the standard form of bathrooms in the United Stated of America schools. Today, some students are revealing that they are either lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. The National Center for Transgender Equality (2014) defines transgender as a term for people whose gender identity, expression or behavior is different from those typically associated with their assigned sex at birth. Due to the students revealing their gender identity, several schools had to address some controversies. The Transgender people were having a difficult time accessing the bathrooms on school campuses.
Letters were sent to all public school districts by the Obama administration requiring them to allow transgender students to use the bathroom of their gender choice. Schools that are federally funded needs to comply with the Obama administration. If the schools do not comply, they are at risk of losing their federal funding. This decision did not set well with some states. Many schools depend on federal funding to keep their school functioning properly. North Carolina was one of the states that had the Charlotte City Council’s decision about the transgender people using the bathrooms overturned. The States that were not onboard with the letters that they receive and they filed suit to block transgender from using the bathrooms for the gender that they recognized themselves as and not their birth gender (World Socialist Web Site, 2016). Students and their parents did
The labeling of other people determines how people think about them. Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein’s idea of linguistic determinism illustrates that people tend to alienate others from themselves, and not relate to those that they do not want to simply by their descriptions of the other. As seen in the film, Maria, Full of Grace, the words used to describe the drug smugglers were sub-human, and therefore no one would think about the reason they needed to play into that role. Likewise, in the short poem, “The New Bathroom Policy at English High School,” the principal’s paranoia to what he cannot understand shows that he is fixated on the differences in language across culture, rather than the similarity. Theoretically this is put
In her article North Carolina students sue U.S. over stance on bathroom access, author Colleen Jenkins talks about the issue going in North Carolina regarding the law in which banned transgender’s using the the restroom of the gender with which they identify with. In her article, Jenkins discusses the fact that students in North Carolina have asked the U.S. court to block two federal agencies from withholding education funding while the dispute over the bathroom access for transgenders goes on. In addition, the group called “North Carolinians for privacy” discussed the fact that U.S Department of Justice and U.S Department of Education had dishonorably held arrangements of government laws banning segregation in the education settings on the
Texas recently brought a case forward blocking President Obama’s transgender bathroom policy. “The Texas case was brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, who led a group of plaintiffs that included 12 other states and two school districts. The plaintiffs argued that the Obama administration guidance came with the implicit threat that federal education funds could be withheld if school districts refused to allow transgender students to use the bathroom of their chosen gender identity. The guidance also had implications for federal student privacy laws, threatening education officials with sanctions if they fail to address students by their preferred gender pronouns. In a statement, Paxton praised the ruling as correcting "illegal federal overreach" by the Obama administration” (Korte, 2016). The Texas judge ruled that Obama’s bathroom policy could be
In recent years, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has received an increasing number of questions from parents and schools regarding civil rights protections for transgender students. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination in educational programs/activities based on gender, including discrimination based on a student’s gender identity or transgender status. This letter, while it does not add requirements to applicable law, provides significant guidance and encouragement regarding a school’s Title IX obligations for transgender students and how a school is evaluate for compliance with these obligations.
Here in Canada, this issue has been brought forward in both communities and provincial level of concerns. To take a look closer to home, the city of Toronto had witnessed the complexity of this issue in the past years. A Toronto transgender teen who identifies as a male, was banned from using his high school boys restroom, and was forced to leave school grounds and search for a public bathroom at a gas station. Concerns were mentioned for the safety of Spencer, and also how he felt uncomfortable being forced to use the women’s restroom; however, several parents and students agreed with how the school was taking action to this problem. After a petition was enacted by fellow supportive students, Spencer was allowed to freely use the restrooms at his high school.
Gabriel Arthur, to the Cherokee Overhill capital at Echota in 1673, but the following year
It is a known fact that both men and women use the restroom. What many are not aware of, is that using the toilet in public areas reinforces the differences between male and female. For instance, the very first thing any individual sees when entering a public restroom is the little dolls of a man or a woman as an indication of a female restrooms and or the male restrooms. This simple sign reaffirms the sexual differences of gender and also unconsciously the individual’s identity for that matter. The concept of gender neutral bathrooms is to break the imaginary wall of gender separation thus allowing either sex to use one single restroom. If we think about it, in our home we share one restroom, and are pretty much accepting of the fact that we all use the toilet. The book states that gender salience is the relation of gender across activities and spaces. The book further discusses that when teachers would place children alphabetically versus by gender the importance of gender reduced. Gender is a persistent element in any school. The concept is simple when it boils down to education the main purpose is to place the students together by groups of the ones that are getting the material and are able to proceed to the next or placing them in a group of students that need more time grasping the given material and curriculum. Although gender salience is like a roller coaster in different parts of the elementary school experience the flow of gender is a persistent element in education. Gendered bathrooms, as previously discussed reinforces the differences between male and female. Back in the Victorian era, they created restrooms for women with a special room that had a resting area before entering the section in which the restrooms were located. This was primary because back then it was not lady like to dispose bodily fluids. They believe that women should keep such matters private, and it was pretty much unheard of for women to even use the restrooms the way it is indented. Till this day many women restrooms still have a resting area before entering the restroom section. Bathrooms are designed with an assumption that everyone is heterosexual. Thus not allowing the possibility of that many individuals don’t
Recently, there have been a lot of questions regarding who can use which public restroom in regards to transgendered individuals. This became a controversial issue when North Carolina passed a law that required transgendered individuals to use the restroom that corresponded with the sex stated on their birth certificate. The U.S. Department of Education then declared this a violation of American discrimination rules and created a directive allowing transgendered individuals to use the restroom that they identify with. Transgendered individuals are human begins. They cannot help that they feel that they are in the wrong body, but that should not make people judge or discriminate
The School Board will be in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681 et seq., if they do not allow a male that is diagnosed with gender dysphoria and identifies as a female, access to the female restroom. Though the Supreme Court has not ruled on this topic, a Fourth Circuit ruling, the Department of Education and Department of Justice Dear Colleague Letter, and case law regarding transgender students can help enlighten the school board on this topic. An introductory understanding of Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 will assist in this matter. Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 and its regulations prohibit sex discrimination in schools, educational programs and activities that are recipients of Federal funds. Within Title IX it specifically prohibits the discrimination of student’s based on gender identity, including the discrimination of transgender students. Title IX provides: “[n]o person… shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance” 20 U.S.C. § 1681(a).
More and more kids and teens are realizing that, they are not who they want to be. Meaning that, they want to, or have already changed their gender identity. This doesn’t seem like the problem, but these kids, teens, and even adults don't have the rights we have on a regular daily bases. According to Discovery Education, it says that, these kids and teens aren’t allowed to use the bathroom of the gender they choose to be. This is a big problem throughout the United States, especially in elementary, middle, and high schools. The government also took away the law stating that transgender people, are to use
Gender equality is a pressing issue in the United States. The definition of gender, and the rights that accompany them, is constantly being updated and adjusted. The LBGT community is fighting for equality after being repressed for many years. Because of this sudden movement, social issues are sparking outrage and debate on whether a certain law or right for LBGT people is to be initiated. In many instances, these issues dominate the media, and cause for chaos on both sides of the spectrum. The bathroom controversy exemplifies this. The LBGT community argues that anyone should be able to use whichever bathroom that matches with their identified gender. Members of the LBGT community should not be able to use whatever bathroom they please.
One current court case is dealing with a federal judge releasing an injunction to momentarily restrict transgender students from using school bathrooms as well as locker rooms of their choice (Eldeib). In blocking students from using something as simple as a restroom or locker room, a student’s identity can be misconstrued. Especially with a student who may already feel differently about their identity. A mother in Denton, Texas, hopes to change the legal problems revolving around the controversy of bathroom laws in Texas schools. Amber Briggle states her 8-year-old transgender son has felt he needs to wait to use the restroom until he would arrive home. As well as this, Briggle confirms her son, MG’s grades dropped drastically. His grades continued to worsen until he was given a restroom alteration, allowing him to feel comfortable. (Wright). Along with MG, many students do not feel safe in their schools because of having to hide their transgender identity. Students may not feel safe just because Texas is such a conservative state. Ken Paxton and other state leaders even exchanged in transphobic rhetoric at the 2016 Texas GOP convention. Because of the strong conservative viewpoints in Texas, young people as well as students in the area may not feel accepted as who they are, leading them to disguise their true self. School is already a tough time in a child or teens life, and being discriminated against because of how one identifies does not make a student’s lifestyle any easier. Because transgender students in Texas schools are entitled to free expression of gender identity, they are also permitted to dress how they please. As well as wearing the clothes a transgender students feels most comfortable with, it is permissible to address these students by their preferred name. Because transgender
The long term misunderstanding and simplification of RIGHT vs. LEFT terminology in political discourse is responsible for the misconception that “The RIGHT” with its emphasis on traditional, nationalistic, conservative or religious values is inevitably a step in the direction of the FAR RIGHT "ending in Fascism." Yet history has demonstrated that both political extremes share a basic common appeal to the “masses” and depend on a collectivist ideology that glorifies abstractions such as "The Nation," "The People," "The Throne" or "The Working Class."
I feel that the gender-neutral bathrooms in schools are not a very good idea because as a woman I feel that not a very common or safe idea. I would not feel safe because I do not want to share a bathroom with men. One thing that could happen in the gender-neutral bathrooms is sexual assault. Women and girls are the number one victims in these cases of sexual assault. I also feel that I do not have my personal or private place to use anymore. By adding the males in the females and females to males, gives us both the feeling of los-ing our privacy of a girl and a guy to do what we need to in the bathrooms. I feel that having separate bathrooms will help with the safety issues of the males walking into a fe-male bathroom and vice versa. Overall,
However, President Donald Trump is moving to reverse Obama-era guidelines on transgender students' right to use the bathroom of their choice in public schools to no rights at all (Kennedy). Certain schools give transgenders the right to choose the bathroom that they're comfortable in, while in other schools, it is necessary to be on a sex-reassignment plan and to have your sex legally renamed in order to use the bathroom you wish. Yet, there are problems which occur in this, “Schools can only require an assertion of gender transition. Requiring a diagnosis or treatment before a student is considered transgender may be unfair to lower-income students without access to such options, advocacy groups say” (Blad). One thing that many don't consider is the setting of income in which these students have. Another issue is that President Trump’s opinions on transgender students has lost federal protections that allowed them to use school bathrooms which match their gender. “In several cases, schools have opted to allow transgender students to use bathrooms that match their gender identity, but complaints from parents or others in the community have prompted schools to reverse their policies” (Kennedy). Even though some parents may be worried of danger involving creeps and predators, it is important to take into consideration the safety