Perverse Bathroom Directive Goes Too Far

The Obama Administration is threatening to sick the Department of Justice on school districts across the country that refuse to comply with an administration order that they open their school bathrooms, showers and locker rooms to transgender students consistent with their gender identity and not their birth certificate. In addition the Administration says it could withhold precious Title lX education grants from those districts. This is an absurd overreach of power.

Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, a republican,  says the Administration is attempting to "blackmail" school districts by using taxpayer money to make them comply. A letter sent to school districts nationwide explaining the directive was only intended as "guidance," according to White House spokesman Josh Earnest. The letter has touched off a firestorm across the country that could impact the national election this Fall and it should.  Parents of children from grade school on up should be concerned about the strong probability of abuse of this policy.  This exposes our children to the unnecessary  risk of becoming victims of predators, among other things.

The bathroom directive is part of a larger debate over the protection of the civil rights of transgender people. Those rights should be protected and are under existing law.  Those advocating for the open bathroom policy are simply trying to advance a much larger agenda.  There is something dangerous and perverse in all of this and it needs to be roundly rejected.  But that takes courage and conviction, traits our elected leaders either don't have or are to afraid to display.

The Massachusetts Senate voted on Thursday in favor of a transgender rights bill that includes the bathroom provision.  All three Senators in our region, Montigny of New Bedford, Rodriques of Westport and Pacheco of Taunton, all three Democrats, voted in favor of the bill. The House could vote as soon as next week.

The only way to hold our elected officials accountable for their actions is at ballot box.  Let your State Representative know that you find this bill disturbing and that their future could depend upon their vote.