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Indiana Lawmakers Differ Over Federal Transgender Guidelines

Barnaby Wasson
/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/barnabywasson/

The recent federal directive that says schools should allow transgender students equal access to bathrooms has come under fire from an Indiana congressman.

U.S. Representative Luke Messer filed legislation Wednesday to block the directive. He says rules regarding bathroom access should originate locally.

But lawmakers across the state have searched for their own answers and reached varying conclusions.

Democratic State Representative Ed DeLaney, of Indianapolis, says the idea of transgender students is nothing new.

“People have been able to deal with it, and they can deal with it,” he says.

DeLaney says Messer’s bill, and similar backlash against transgender students’ rights, are unnecessary.

“I don’t think there’s a lot of people trying to encourage people to masquerade in restrooms,” he says. “We’re creating a lot of fear when there’s no reason for any fear.”

But Republican state Senator Travis Holdman, of Markle, agrees with Messer.

“Whoever owns the bathroom sets the rules for the bathroom, and the last place we need the government intruding is in our toilets,” he says.

Holdman says schools should also be able to ask for doctors’ notes or other proof that a student actually is transgender.

“We’d like to be able to accept the word of students, but we know that students are up to a little bit of chaos sometimes,” he says.

State superintendent Glenda Ritz applauded the Obama measures last week.

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