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Trump's Gender-Neutral White House Bathroom Will Make You Rethink Everything

by Alexandra Svokos
REUTERS

President Donald Trump is maintaining a gender-neutral bathroom in his White House.

The politically correct "All-Gender Restroom" was added to the White House by Barack Obama in 2015.

It's right outside the West Wing in Room 180 of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The White House confirms it's still open as an all-gender restroom for staff and visitors.

This move by Trump to keep the gender-neutral bathroom in his new home is surprising because, well, he just moved to take away protections for bathroom rights for transgender students.

Trump may have kept Obama's bathroom, but he didn't keep Obama's bathroom guidance.

In 2016, as debates raged in states, Obama sent a letter to public schools nationwide saying they had to respect transgender students and let them use the restroom that matches their gender identity.

That guidance said that if public schools didn't respect rights, they could be seen in violation of Title IX, which protects students against gender discrimination. That could threaten schools's federal funding.

Last week, the Trump administration undid Obama's letter. The White House maintains it was for state's rights. The administration believes it should be up to states to decide what to do about protecting transgender youths.

That move frightened many LGBTQ+ advocates, who saw it as a hostile move against the community — and especially against the youngest members of the community, who are vulnerable.

Betsy DeVos, the new secretary of Education, was reportedly worried about making this move because of the high suicide rate among transgender students. Trans suicide hotlines reportedly had an increase in calls after the Trump administration undid Obama's guidance.

Trump personally has gone back and forth on the bathroom issue.

During the campaign last year, Trump said people should "use the bathroom they feel is appropriate." He also said Caitlyn Jenner is free to use whichever bathroom she chooses in Trump Tower.

Trump later rolled back his "do what you want" attitude, saying it should be up to the states to decide where people can pee.

While it's a nice gesture to leave the politically correct gender-neutral restroom open in the White House, it doesn't align with the White House's policies of taking away protections.

The White House all-gender bathroom is a single-user restroom. If you hate political correctness, the White House single-user bathroom is a nice reminder you probably already have a politically correct gender-neutral restroom in your own home.

Are you feeling threatened yet?

Citations: Trump administration withdraws federal protections for transgender students (CNN), President Obama Put an All-Gender Bathroom in the White House. Trump Kept It (Time), Trump Rescinds Rules on Bathrooms for Transgender Students (New York Times), Trans suicide hotline flooded with calls after Trump withdraws guidelines (Daily Dot), Trump continues walking back his stance that transgender people can use whichever bathroom they want (Business Insider)