The current White House Administration has passed a law saying that citizens, when using public restrooms that are gender-separated, must use the restroom that correlates with the sex on their birth certificate.

However, many people, approximately one in every 300 Americans (That’s two to three Bedford students) identify and feel most like themselves as the sex that is not necessarily recorded on their birth certificate.

Forcing citizens to use a bathroom that makes them feel uncomfortable and out of place is wrong.

The beliefs of the Trump Administration, and those that agree with it, are that allowing people to choose which gender-divided bathroom they use, and making that socially acceptable, will make for an easier environment for sexual assault and harassment in public restrooms.

While, yes, some have these concerns, they are not legitimate.

Statistics show that the majority of sexual assault victims, 93% to be exact, were assaulted by someone whom they knew, not a stranger, in a public restroom.

Sexual assault concerns are legitimate, and most definitely deserve to be discussed and prevented, but not in this way, a way that makes a minority feel uncomfortable and like society doesn’t accept him or her the way he or she wants to be accepted.

As well, there is an double standard.

Many refuse to let the transdgender community choose which bathroom to use because they say that they are looking out for the safety of women. But at the same time, when college rape numbers that are skyrocketing come to their attention, they either victim-blame or ignore the problem. Therefore, we cannot backup a discriminatory platform by invoking women’s safety.

The transgender community deserves to be seen by society as who they want to be, not what is on their birth certificate.

Bedford has done a wonderful job of making a learning environment that welcomes diversity and celebrates including everyone, and one hopes that all students who come to BMS and students in other schools across America will be able to use the restroom of their choice.