Obama stands up for trans youth as "if it was our child"

by Sara Ritsch
Staff Writer

President Obama spoke strongly on behalf of protections for transgender young people during a PBS town hall event this week. According to the Human Rights Campaign, an audience member asked why the issue of which bathroom a person uses is so important. The president reminded the audience that it wasn't an issue that arose overnight, and that rather "people suffered silently" for generations as they were excluded from everyday society.

President Obama laid it out simply: "...We should deal with this issue the same way we'd want it dealt with if it was our child. And that is to try to create an environment of some dignity and kindness for these kids. And that's sort of the bottom line."

The full conversation can be read below.

The questioner began, "I'm a strong believer in equal rights. I was wondering though...why is the issue of which bathroom [people use]....such an issue?"

President Obama began his response, saying, "Somehow people think I made it an issue. I didn't make it an issue." Then, he really laid it out.

"You have transgender kids in schools. And they get bullied. And they get ostracized. And it's tough for them. And," he motions to the questioner, "We're of a generation where that stuff was all out of sight mind, and so people suffered silently. But now, they're [transgender kids are] out in the open. And the question then is, schools are asking us for guidance, 'how should we deal with this?' And my answer is that we should deal with this issue the same way we'd want it dealt with if it was our child. And that is, try to create an environment of some dignity and kindness for these kids. And that's sort of the bottom line.

"I have to just say what's in my heart, but I also have to look at what's the law, and my best interpretation of what our laws and our obligations are is that we should try to accommodate these kids so that they are not put in a vulnerable situation. I understand the people for religious beliefs and general discomfort might disagree. And im not the one making big issue of it, but if school districts around the country ask me what we should do, we're [going to] tell them, 'let's fins a way to accommodate and make sure these kids are not excluded and ostracized."

The questioner responded, "It's my religious belief...equal rights for all. I think wherever you were going to the bathroom before, continue going to the bathroom there."

"The problem is that, for a lot of these kids, they might not even feel comfortable going to the bathroom, which is a tough situation if you're a kid," Obama emphasized. "I have profound respect for religious beliefs on it. But if you're in a public school, the question is, 'how do we just make sure that children are treated with kindness?' That's all. And my reading of scripture tells me that that Golden Rule is pretty high up there in terms of my Christian belief. That doesn't mean somebody else has to interpret the same way, but as President of the United States, those are values I think are important. This will be settled by courts ultimately. There have been law suits everywhere.

"I just want  to emphasize to you, it's not like I woke up one day and thought, 'man, you know what we really need to do is start workin' on high school bathrooms!" Obama paused for laughter. "I was thinkin' about ISIL. I was thinkin' about the economy...jobs. But one thing as [POTUS] that you learn is that you don't choose the issues all the time, the issues come to you....I've expressed what i think is the best judgment," he concluded.

The Gayly - 6/3/2016 @ 11:41 a.m. CDT