White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer
on Thursday dodged questions on whether transgender bathroom access
is a civil rights issue.
Spicer was repeatedly asked about the
administration's decision to revoke Obama-era guidance from the
Department of Education that instructed public schools to allow
transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice.
(Related: Trump
rescinds Obama-era guidance on transgender students.)
“The Human Rights Campaign said in
rescinding the guidance last night that this is not a states’
rights issue, it’s a civil rights issue, and therefore is in the
purview of the federal government. Do you disagree that this is a
civil rights issue?” a Fox News reporter asked.
“It’s a question of where it’s
appropriately addressed, and I think there’s a reason,” Spicer
responded. “We got to remember, this guidance was enjoined last
August by a court. It hasn’t been enforced. There was no comment
period by anyone, by the Human Rights Campaign, by teachers, parents,
students. Nobody had any input in this, and it seems to me a little
interesting that if this was any other issue, people would be crying
foul that the process wasn’t followed.”
“The reality is that if you look at
Title IX, it was enacted in 1972. The idea that this was even
contemplated in that is preposterous on its face, but that doesn’t
mean — the president obviously understands the issue and the
challenges that especially young children face. He just believes that
this is a state issue that needs to be addressed by states as he does
with a lot of issues that we’ve talked about.”
“Does the White House disagree that
this is an issue with civil rights?”
“I think it’s not a question of
whether it’s civil rights. It’s a question of whether it’s
appropriately addressed. As I noted, it’s appropriately addressed
at the state level,” Spicer answered.