Who knew sexuality and restrooms could spark such a debate.

Assembly Bill 1266 of California, which goes into effect Jan. 1, is a law that requires public schools to allow transgendered students K-12 to be able to use the restroom of the gender they identify with, and will allow them to join either male or female sports teams.

The bill has caused the conservative group Privacy for all Students to start a petition to repeal the law.

The main goal of AB 1266 would be to reduce discrimination against transgendered students, but some people are fighting back with ignorance and hate as their main strategies.

Privacy for all Students, which also oversaw Prop 8 campaigns, has started a petition to repeal the law and currently has 620,000 signatures, according to The Huffington Post.

The length at which some are willing to go to in order to keep inequality alive is unimaginable.

Pastor Jim Garlow of California said, “This is the most aggressive, the most dangerous bit of legislation against the child and against the family than any other in the history of the United States.”

I definitely would say the three-fifths compromise might have been a little more dangerous than allowing a transgendered student to have the choice as to which bathroom they would like to use.

People scratch their heads in confusion when there’s an abnormal outbreak in suicides among bullied youths who are struggling with their sexuality, when in reality it’s groups like these that send the message: “There’s something wrong with you. You don’t deserve to be treated equally.”

I wish people would spend more time on issues that actually need improvement rather than try and undo a law that has already been signed and is fighting for equality.

California has the highest rate of impoverished people in the nation, according to the United States Census Bureau. Why don’t these hate groups work on sending a petition to end that, rather than singling out a small community based on their sexuality?

Some people are opposed to AB 1266 because they believe the students in question are too young to view themselves as transgender.

This goes to show that some who disagree with the law don’t understand what being transgendered even means.

The American Psychology Association states that the word transgender is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity, expression or behavior does not conform to the sex they were assigned at birth.

The youngest case of gender identity crisis was found in a 5-year-old boy who felt as though he was born the wrong sex, according to The Telegraph.

Transgenderism isn’t something that people choose, and it certainly isn’t a phase. Those who identify as the opposite gender must overcome many personal obstacles, and none of which are made easier by the ignorance-fueled aggression these conservative groups have against LGBT equality.

In the bigger picture, this law isn’t trying to interfere with family values or put the wellbeing of other children at risk. It is simply about gender expression.

We are all promised to be treated equally, but in some cases that isn’t true. Until those who oppose AB 1266 mind their own business and focus on what’s really important, this issue will linger for years to come.

 

-Dominique Wald is a senior communication major from Santa Clara, Calif. She can be contacted at 335-2290 or by [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this Column are not necessarily those of the staff of The Daily Evergreen or those of Student Publications.