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　　US: Let Transgender Students Choose Restroom

　　The United States government says transgenderstudents have a right to use restrooms that agreewith their chosen sexual identity.

　　The Obama administration sent a letter containingits guidance to all U.S. public school districts lastweek. The letter was signed by Justice and Education department leaders.

　　School district officials also received a statement from Attorney General Loretta Lynch. It saidthat "there is no room in our schools for discrimination of any kind, including discriminationagainst transgender students on the basis of their sex."

　　Lynch said the guidance "gives (school) administrators, teachers, and parents the tools theyneed to protect transgender students from peer harassment and to identify and addressunjust school policies."

　　The letter said that public schools are required to treat transgender students in a way thatagrees with their gender identity. It said this is a requirement even when a different sex islisted on a student's education records or identity documents.

　　The new directive might not be legally enforceable. But it is possible that opponents of theObama administration's position could face legal action or lose federal aid.

　　The letter said that schools may not require transgender students to have a medical exambefore treating them according to their chosen gender identity. It said schools also may notrequire such individuals to get a medical treatment or produce a birth certificate or otherdocumentation.

　　The letter was sent soon after the Obama administration brought legal action against thestate of North Carolina. In March, the state's legislature approved a bill that became law. Itrequires transgender people to use bathrooms that match their sex at birth instead of thegender with which they now identify.

　　North Carolina is the first state that bars people from using large bathrooms in public buildingsthat do not match the gender on their birth certificate.

　　Attorney General Lynch called the North Carolina law "state-sponsored discrimination." Shesaid it reminded her of a time when African-Americans were barred from public buildings andwhen states could decide who is permitted to marry.

　　The federal government's case names the state government, Governor Pat McCrory, theDepartment of Public Safety, and the University of North Carolina.

　　Lynch said "this is about the dignity and respect we accord our fellow citizens." She said theNorth Carolina law has caused, in her words, "emotional harm, mental anguish, distress,humiliation and indignity" to transgender people.

　　North Carolina has brought a case against the federal government, seeking to keep the law ineffect.

　　McCrory and other supporters of the law say it is necessary to protect privacy in publicbathrooms and guard against men using women's restrooms to spy on women.

　　But Lynch said the state invented a problem that does not exist so it can discriminate againstand threaten people.

　　In addition to possibly losing federal money, North Carolina could also lose millions of dollars intaxes from companies that have or could cancel plans to open offices in the state.

　　In April, an opinion survey found that Americans are divided about which public bathroomsshould be used by transgender people. It showed 44 percent of those asked said people shoulduse bathrooms that match their biological gender. The study also found 39 percent said theyshould be used according to the gender with which a person identifies.

　　I'm Anne Ball.