Texas’ lieutenant governor said Friday that the state isn’t going to be bullied, and is prepared to forfeit billions of federal dollars in public school funding in defiance of an Obama administration directive requiring schools to allow transgender students to use whatever bathrooms and locker rooms they choose.
The new directive is expected to worsen tensions between Republican-led statehouses and the federal government over divisive social issues. It clarifies expectations for districts receiving federal school funds, which Texas’ powerful Republican lieutenant governor argues the state’s 5.2 million public school students can now do without.
“We will not be blackmailed by the president’s 30 pieces of silver,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said. “The people of Texas and the Legislature will find a way to find as much of that money as we can if we are forced to.”
Patrick said Texas currently receives about $10 billion in federal education funding.
The risk of losing federal school funds alarmed others.
Texas’ attorney general suggested that the guidelines would result in “yet another legal fight” over transgender bathroom access. Just this week, Texas joined a lawsuit in Virginia over transgender students using the bathrooms of their choice and signaled that the Fort Worth school district, which is Texas’ sixth-largest, illegally adopted policies recently that give the district latitude to not tell parents information shared by their transgender children.
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch was sending the directive Friday to school districts. Some told her not to bother.
“When I get that letter I’ll throw it away,” Rodney Cavness, the superintendent of the small Port Neches-Groves school district in southeastern Texas, told Beaumont television station KFDM.
Under the guidance, schools have been told that they must treat transgender students according to their chosen gender identity as soon as a parent or guardian notifies the district that that identity “differs from previous representations or records.” There is no obligation for a student to present a specific medical diagnosis or identification documents that reflect his or her gender identity, and equal access must be given to transgender students even in instances when it makes others uncomfortable, according to the directive.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has staunchly rejected issues over transgender rights that the Obama administration has backed.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TRANS GENDER IS….YOUR KIDS DONT CARE…THESE ARE PEACEFUL PEOPLE
Fine let them find peace on a psychiatrist’s chair, but NOT SHOWERING IN MY DAUGHTER’S GIRLS SHOWER. Imagine the Rape filings against the schools, I can already see it now. those and then those that have never occurred in the first place, You girls and women do you really want a strange man standing there while you are changing your tampon? Didn’t think so…..WOMEN: MAKE THE PERVERT SEE RED, AND MAKE SURE HE SMELLS OF IRON FOR THE NEXT WEEK!
Nancy:
That’s what my wife’s sister said and my wife replied that she would change her tune when some BIG burly pervert walked in the restroom with her. Yes, we do know what they are:: pervert, slime, queer, drag queens, but of course the Bible refers to them as having a reprobate mind in Romans chapter 1.
Social deviants and their political supporters dictating acceptance and special treatment. I can accept difference and respect that . However, now it’s like the German’s 75 years ago, we MUST change and obey. Does this mean that perverts now can enter a lady’s room claiming to have a transgender plans? Most vets and college grads can’t find jobs over minimum wage. The middle east is in turmoil. Yet, this issue dominates our news.
Agree with you Main Street… Also, children are very very observant and can easily see that there is a different kind of individual in the bathroom or locker room or changing area…. it places 99.98% of the male and female population under wrongful conditions just to pander to 0.02% of the population.
Unfortunately for majority of transgender people who have undergone all the anatomical and cosmetic surgeries — it is still very obvious that person was converted, both male and female changeovers.
Humans are very perceptive, and it strikes an uncomfortable alarm – warranted or not — it is what it is because of millions of years of evolution…
I feel bad for that 0.02%, but the will of We The People is established for the good of the MAJORITY, not the super minority…
Again, it is not a hateful statement, just a real world fact.
Here in Massachusetts, the transgender bathroom bill passed the Legislature recently. During a hearing here in Boston on the issue, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healy said, that those who oppose the bill, can “hold it in” if they need to use a bathroom.
Whenever those who claim to be in charge don’t want to deal with important issues they throw out red herrings like this Transgender crap. They get everyone all worked up over less than 1/3 of a percent of the population. And how many of these people are really concerned with this? I urge Horn readers to be intelligent and see through this garbage. Keep your minds on important issues/problems. Hopefully Texas only has to fight this non-issue until November.
If Jimmy wants to be Sally so what but don’t force this on people. The LGBT community has turned into modern day Natzi’s with the help of an out of control,lawless administration that bully the rest of us.Gaining acceptance by force has the opposite effect.
GOD BLESS NORTH CAROLINA AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!
Here is an idea, how about a third bathroom. Girls, Boys, and Squirels