Lubbock parents react to transgender bathroom directive

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) - The White House issued a directive Friday that orders schools across the country to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity.

Schools that do not comply risk the loss of federal aid.

That warning was issued in a letter to public schools nationwide from the Departments of Justice and Education.

The directive has parent and Lubbock resident Ben Cook concerned. He says people posing as transgender may prey on small children in the bathroom.

"This opens the door to so many other things and then who's going to be responsible for that when my child potentially gets molested or something like that happens," Cook said. "Is it going to be up to the parents to pay for years of therapy and rehabilitation services because they were exposed to something that the federal government said was good?"

Annika Conrick is the incoming president of Tech's Feminist Majority Of Leadership Alliance. She says transgender people are already using the restroom of their choice.

"If I was a perpetrator and was going to do that, I could be doing that currently, so honestly, it's protecting trans people from the violence they're already facing when choosing the bathroom," Conrick said.

Freddy Garcia is a parent with children in Lubbock schools. He says there is a way to cater to everyone on this issue.

"Make three restrooms," Garcia said. "There's already three right now, you've got family restrooms in malls in shopping centers in some amusement parks, where if a single father has their baby or their little daughter they can go into a family restroom and use it."

Conrick says this would sequester and identify transgender people, who she says already face oppression.

"With a third bathroom you're kind of outing trans people," she said. "You're kind of putting them up to more violence like you are now saying, 'Oh you're a trans person, I'm walking into this bathroom,' so who's to say that when you walk out you're not going to face violence."

You can share your reactions to the directive on our KCBD Facebook page.

South Plains area schools released statements on the issue. You can read those here.

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