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| Transgender toilet use: US schools 'must respect gender identity' | Transgender toilet use: US schools 'must respect gender identity' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Obama administration has told schools to let transgender pupils use toilets matching their gender identity. | |
| Attorney General Loretta Lynch said schools that don't comply may face lawsuits or lose federal aid if they do not comply. | |
| One senior Republican politician has condemned the move as the "beginning of the end" of the current school system. | |
| In a separate move, the president also strengthened protections for LGBT people receiving health care. | |
| The federal government is fighting the state of North Carolina in court over a law requiring people to use toilets according to their gender at birth. | The federal government is fighting the state of North Carolina in court over a law requiring people to use toilets according to their gender at birth. |
| However the Obama administration education and justice departments say public schools must respect transgender pupils' gender identity even if their education records or identity documents indicate a different sex. | However the Obama administration education and justice departments say public schools must respect transgender pupils' gender identity even if their education records or identity documents indicate a different sex. |
| "There is no room in our schools for discrimination of any kind, including discrimination against transgender students on the basis of their sex," Ms Lynch said. | "There is no room in our schools for discrimination of any kind, including discrimination against transgender students on the basis of their sex," Ms Lynch said. |
| Mapping safe toilets for transgender Americans | Mapping safe toilets for transgender Americans |
| How one woman's 'bathroom bill' campaign went viral | How one woman's 'bathroom bill' campaign went viral |
| Why bathrooms matter to trans rights | Why bathrooms matter to trans rights |
| Campaigners hailed the move. | Campaigners hailed the move. |
| "This is a truly significant moment not only for transgender young people but for all young people, sending a message that every student deserves to be treated fairly and supported by their teachers and schools," said Chad Griffin from Human Rights Campaign, a gay, lesbian and transgender rights organisation. | "This is a truly significant moment not only for transgender young people but for all young people, sending a message that every student deserves to be treated fairly and supported by their teachers and schools," said Chad Griffin from Human Rights Campaign, a gay, lesbian and transgender rights organisation. |
| But the directive, which has been sent to all public schools, was immediately rejected by senior Republican Party politicians meeting at a convention in Texas. | But the directive, which has been sent to all public schools, was immediately rejected by senior Republican Party politicians meeting at a convention in Texas. |
| Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said: "This will be the beginning of the end of the public school system as we know it." | Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said: "This will be the beginning of the end of the public school system as we know it." |
| "President Obama, in the dark of the night - without consulting Congress, without consulting educators, without consulting parents - decides to issue an executive order, forcing transgender policies on schools and on parents who clearly don't want it," he told 5NBC television. | "President Obama, in the dark of the night - without consulting Congress, without consulting educators, without consulting parents - decides to issue an executive order, forcing transgender policies on schools and on parents who clearly don't want it," he told 5NBC television. |
| A new gender identity comes into force as soon as a parent or guardian notifies the school that their child's identity "differs from previous representations or records" and must be respected even if it makes others uncomfortable, the directive says. | A new gender identity comes into force as soon as a parent or guardian notifies the school that their child's identity "differs from previous representations or records" and must be respected even if it makes others uncomfortable, the directive says. |
| Ms Lynch said North Carolina's new state law had echoes of policies of racial segregation and efforts to deny gay couples the right to marry. | Ms Lynch said North Carolina's new state law had echoes of policies of racial segregation and efforts to deny gay couples the right to marry. |
| The federal government and the state are suing each other over the law, which the federal authorities say violates the Civil Rights Act. | The federal government and the state are suing each other over the law, which the federal authorities say violates the Civil Rights Act. |
| North Carolina's Governor Pat McCrory has said the law is a "common sense privacy policy" and that the justice department's position is "baseless and blatant overreach". | North Carolina's Governor Pat McCrory has said the law is a "common sense privacy policy" and that the justice department's position is "baseless and blatant overreach". |
| However, many businesses and entertainers have criticised the measures as discriminatory. | However, many businesses and entertainers have criticised the measures as discriminatory. |
| Musicians have cancelled concerts in the states and several companies have pledged to curtail their business in North Carolina. | Musicians have cancelled concerts in the states and several companies have pledged to curtail their business in North Carolina. |
| Last month a US appeals courts ruled that a Virginia school policy that barred a transgender pupil from using the boys' toilet was discriminatory. | Last month a US appeals courts ruled that a Virginia school policy that barred a transgender pupil from using the boys' toilet was discriminatory. |
| Transgender health care | |
| On Friday afternoon, President Obama and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) gave the LBGT community further protections when receiving health care. | |
| A new rule in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act guarantees equal treatment for transgender people by insurance companies and health care providers. | |
| It states people must be treated in line with their gender identity, including access to facilities such as toilets, and given the same treatments which are available to their chosen gender. | |
| The rule applies to all federal funded health care and insurers. | |
| The Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said the measure was a step towards "realizing equity within our health care system and reaffirms this Administration's commitment to giving every American access to the health care they deserve." | |
| Transgender Americans can make civil rights claims if denied coverage or care based on their sex, which will be assessed by HHS's Office for Civil Rights (OCR). | |
| HHS said the new rule was the first federal civil rights law that tackled sex discrimination in government-funded health care. |