Trump dumps Obama's transgender restroom policy: States and districts should set school restroom policy, NOT FEDS

Trump continues to remove feds from local concerns.

The Trump administration has ended an Obama-era school restroom policy that allows students to use the facility of their choice. The policy, which was handed down as a directive, has proved controversial and ignited legal battles across the country.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -  Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said, "This is an issue best solved at the state and local level," referring to school restroom policies. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said, "The Department of Justice remains committed to the proper interpretation and enforcement of Title IX and its protections for all students, including LGBTQ students, from discrimination, bullying, and harassment."

The Trump administration has ended the Obama-era directive that schools should allow children the use the restroom of their choice, based on their identity as opposed to their biological gender.

The administration's stated concern is the policy has sparked litigation across the country which is time-consuming and expensive. By abandoning the directive, the administration sends the issue to state and local governments to decide.

It is not clear how this would impact individual schools. It's likely there would be no immediate change, but schools could make changes in accord with local preference. Schools in more conservative areas may ask students to use the correct restrooms.

Unfortunately, gender cannot be changed, no matter what feelings a person may have. Gender is determined by DNA, and no surgery or change of restroom can change that. Instead, these individuals are dealing with an issue that is centered in the human brain. How to treat this difference is the subject of moral, ethical and philosophical debate.

Should this departure from the mainstream be accepted or should we find a way to correct it? Can it be considered normal? What laws should we pass to protect such individuals from harassment? It is agreed that people should not be persecuted because of their sexuality. However, there are limits on how accommodating society should be to departures from the norm.

The debate will not end with the discarding of the Obama directive.