{"id":6212,"date":"2016-05-15T08:01:47","date_gmt":"2016-05-15T12:01:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=6212"},"modified":"2016-05-15T08:05:50","modified_gmt":"2016-05-15T12:05:50","slug":"cheers-cries-precedents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=6212","title":{"rendered":"cheers, cries & precedents"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"wVlfnlTbRtK8eGvbnBZI_VolkanOlmez_005\"<\/a><\/p>\n

On Friday Pres. Obama sent a letter to all public schools across the country telling them to let transgender students use both the bathrooms and<\/em> locker rooms of their individually preferred gender identity. The decree is not legally binding; however, if schools do not comply, they were told they risk the cutting off of \u201cFederal funds\u201d and additional lawsuits.<\/p>\n

Let me first offer emotion #1\u2026 sigh. (… breathe in\u2026 breathe out\u2026 another pause, please\u2026)<\/em> This is another tough issue, friends.<\/p>\n

I hear those who now cheer\u2026 the previously silent, transgender student, for example, who has long, sadly, faced ridicule and shame.
\nI hear those who now cry\u2026 the previously silent, teen survivor of sexual abuse, for example, who has long, sadly, faced fear of the opposite sex.<\/p>\n

I hear the others \u2014 on so many sides \u2014 the many, justifiable concerns. And I hear the lack of empathy from again, far too many. Yes, it seems, we continue to politicize issues; we continue to see only very limited perspectives. We tend to hear only one side well. We tend to hear only the cheers \u2014 or only the cries. Or… we tend to boldly proclaim why either the cheers or cries are for some reason irrelevant.<\/p>\n

I wish there was a way to honor all people well. I wish we didn\u2019t have to keep pitting people against one another.<\/p>\n

As far as bathrooms\/locker rooms are concerned,<\/em> my first response after this arose in the North Carolina state legislature, was similar to the federal courts wrestling with the inflation levels of NFL footballs\u2026 Why are they spending so much time on this?… Is someone attempting to push an agenda?<\/em><\/p>\n

My second response was a little more cavalier \u2014 motivated, no doubt, by the desire to stop all the bickering and social media rants (… FYI \u2014 which could easily serve as fodder for a new book entitled \u201cHow to Lose<\/strong> Friends and Influence People\u201d).<\/em> I thought, no less: couldn\u2019t we just establish three kinds of public restrooms? (1) \u201cMen\u2019s,\u201d (2) \u201cWomen\u2019s\u201d; and (3) \u201cI Don\u2019t Care.\u201d<\/p>\n

But alas, that, too, is not enough. Too many remain dissatisfied until they get what they want \u2014 even if it gives no thought to those who either cheer or cry. Again, we tend to only hear the cheers\u2026 or only hear the cries.<\/p>\n

I wish I knew exactly what the right thing to do was. I wish no judgment on anyone. I wish no discrimination on anyone. But I am not comfortable solely looking out for one people group. I am not comfortable ignoring how it makes one group feel. I am not comfortable dismissing<\/em> the transgender students; I am equally uncomfortable thinking only<\/em> of transgender students.<\/p>\n

There is one additional aspect about Friday’s letter that makes me uncomfortable.\u00a0Remember first that there exist three distinct roles within the U.S. branches of government:<\/p>\n