Kentucky high school sophomore Irene Sizemore hopes a new White House directive means she can start using the school bathroom consistent with her gender identity.
The 16-year-old Sizemore said Friday she has been forced to use the boys' bathroom at her public school in Louisville, or avoid using the restroom all day.
Sizemore — assigned male at birth — says that using the boys' restroom when she considers herself female is "weird," and signals a lack of acceptance of her self-identity.
The directive from President Barack Obama's administration says public schools are obligated to treat transgender students in a way that matches their gender identity.
The action is being condemned by some of Kentucky's Republican leaders.
Gov. Matt Bevin calls it an "absurd federal overreach" that will divide the country.
Update: In a statement released Friday, Republican Senate President Robert Stivers echoed Bevin, saying, "With complete disregard for the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, President Barack Obama on Friday directed every school in the nation to provide access to transgender bathrooms, threatening to take federal funding away from any school that does not comply.”
“This is yet another example of indefensible overreach by President Obama, illustrating just how out of touch his administration has been with the values of Kentucky families. I firmly believe that this should be a local issue and I am prepared to fight for the safety of our students in Kentucky.”
