President Obama sat down with Chris Geidner of Buzzfeed News to talk about his nomination of Judge Garland for the Supreme Court.
During the course of the interview the topic moved to the many recent laws being passed limiting the access of LGBT people to public restrooms. Geidner asked the President about the lawsuit that the administration has brought against the state of North Carolina. He also brought up the guidelines that the President recently issued for all schools in the United States.
The President became a little bit emotional as he talked about this issue. He rarely shows his feelings in public, but when the issue is about children being hurt, he lets his guard down a little. Remember his tears as he spoke about the Newtown shootings and the need for gun control?
The President feels just as deeply about the need to protect all children from bullying, especially in our schools.
When asked what he would say to the governors who are refusing to comply with the guidelines, the President paused, thought, then said:
“We’re talking about kids. Anybody who has been in school, in high school, who has been a parent should realize that kids who are sometimes in the minority, kids who have a different sexual orientation or are transgender are subject to a lot of bullying, potentially. They’re vulnerable.”
The guidelines that the administration sent to the public schools of the nation simply say that as long as the school provides separate facilities for males and females, then kids need to be allowed to use the bathroom for the gender with which they identify.
It sounds so logical! If a student feels like a female, thinks of herself as a female, dresses and acts like a female, she should be allowed to use the girl’s bathroom and locker room. Obviously!
This President understands children. He understands how hard it is to be different, to be struggling. He believes that all children need to be treated with dignity.
“I think it’s part of our obligation as a society to make sure everybody is treated fairly and our kids are all loved and protected.”
How can anyone argue with that?
The topic of LGBT rights come up at 19:15 on the video below.
Featured image via YouTube screengrab.
