The United States government says transgender students have a right to use restrooms that agree with their chosen sexual identity.
The Obama administration sent a letter containingits guidance to all U.S. public school districtslast week. The letter was signed by Justice and Education department leaders.
School district officials also received a statement from Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Itsaid that "there is no room in our schools for discrimination of any kind, including discrimination against transgender students on the basis of their sex."
Lynch said the guidance "gives (school) administrators, teachers, and parents the tools they need 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 that agrees with their gender identity. It said this is a requirement even when a different sexis listed 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 exam before 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 other documentation.
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.It requires 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 buildings that 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 and when 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 saidthe North 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 public bathrooms 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 against and threaten people.
In addition to possibly losing federal money, North Carolina could also lose millions ofdollars in taxes 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.
There was no question of sending the boys to apublic school.
那些男孩去公立学校学习是毫无问题的。
3.on the basis of 基于;根据
Our policy should rest on the basis of self-reliance.
我们的政策要放在自力更生的基础上。
4.peer harassment 同伴的骚扰
Most boys still very much feel the need to repress whole parts of themselves to avoid peer harassment.
大部分男生仍觉得很有必要克制自己的全部来避免同伴的骚扰。
内容解析
1.The letter said that schools may not require transgender students to have a medical exam before treating them according to their chosengender identity.
medical exam体检
Before the medical exam, you must fast.
在体检之前,你必须禁食。
When he went for his medical exam, he pretended that his eyesight was very bad.
当他去体检时,他就假装自己的视力很差。
2.In addition to possibly losing federal money, North Carolina could also lose millions of dollars in taxes from companies that have or could cancel plans to openoffices in the state.
In addition to 除...之外
In addition to light, there are dangerous radiations given off by the sun.
除了光以外,太阳还发出危险的放射线。
What's your second language in addition to Chinese?