Gov. Matt Bevin is “pleased” Obama’s “absurd” trans guidance has been halted
Bevin's administration cheered the news, saying it "reaffirms the right of local control"
“We are pleased the federal court has put a halt to the Obama administration’s absurd proposals for bathroom and locker room policy in our public schools.”
–A statement by the administration of Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R.), reacting to news that a federal judge in Texas had temporarily blocked the Obama administration’s guidance on transgender students.
The guidance, which says transgender students must be allowed to use a bathroom consistent with their gender identity, was blocked by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, who deemed it a form of federal overreach.
“The court’s decision recognizes the danger of this governmental overreach and reaffirms the right of local control,” the statement continues. “We will never stop working to ensure that such issues continue to be decided by Kentuckians, not by politicians and bureaucrats in Washington.”
Bevin has previously lashed out at the guidance alongside other Republican governors, saying President Obama was “intentionally dividing America by threatening to sue or withhold funding from our cash-strapped public schools if they do not agree with his personal opinion on policies that remain squarely in their jurisdiction. They should not feel compelled to bow to such intimidation.”
Chris Hartman, director of the Fairness Campaign in Louisville, criticized the ruling and Bevin’s response.
“A transgender woman does not belong in a men’s restroom, and her being in there creates a disruption and creates a dangerous situation for her. There have been no reported incidents across the entire U.S. of transgender people harassing people in the bathroom or targeting them. This is a fabricated problem that infringes upon the safety of transgender people,” he said, The Courier-Journal reports.
“It’s deeply disappointing that our governor has entered into this frivolous lawsuit that seeks to legislate away the rights and safety of one of our most vulnerable populations,” Hartman continued. “It’s the least compassionate thing to do, and unfortunately, he’s done it.”
Related: Republicans aren’t happy about new trans students guidance
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