Parents ask Trump to keep Obama-era protections for trans youth

More than 700 parents of transgender youth penned a letter to US President Donald Trump following an announcement from the White House that that administration is issuing “further guidance” regarding the use of school bathrooms by transgender students. Parents are asking the president to secure Obama-era protections for trans students.

The letter also condemns the decision of the Justice Department not to challenge a judge's order that temporarily bans transgender protections issued through Department of Education guidance last year. It states that Title IX should include gender identity, allowing trans pupils to use restrooms and other facilities that match the gender they can identify with.

Parents claim that the aforementioned guidance provide their families with the knowledge and security that the government is determined to protect trans students against bullying and discrimination. "Please do not take that away from us,” the letter said.

NBC News noted that parents described feeling "heartbroken and scared" after the Justice Department declared its case against the ban. Through the letter, parents reminded Trump, “You promised to be a president for all Americans.”

The letter from the parents of trans students was organized by national LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign (HRC). Families from 45 states and the District of Columbia have participated.

In a press release, HRC President Chad Griffin said Trump's administration directly attacked LGBTQ equality. Griffin believes that the move targets the rights of transgender youth. "This disgraceful action exposes transgender students to harassment and discrimination and emboldens bullies from classrooms to state legislatures," Griffin said.

HRC Senior Vice President Mary Beth Maxwell said there are millions of people who will fight to ensure every child receives equal treatment. “If President Trump moves forward with this attack on transgender students, there are millions of people, including these parents and others like them, who will stand up and fight for basic fairness for every child,” Maxwell said.

Vanita Gupta, the former head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, also expressed disapproval of the White House’s plans to revise Obama-era guidance that linked access to school bathrooms to students’ gender identity. Gupta said the current administration cannot take away the rights of trans pupils because the law will continue to protect them.

But for Ryan Anderson, a senior research fellow with the conservative Heritage Foundation, the guideline set during the administration of former POTUS Barack Obama is unlawful because it violates the right of other kids. "It's understandable when a 16-year-old girl might not want an anatomical male in the shower or the locker room," Anderson said.