New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he plans to \u201cuse whatever power I have\u201d to roll back an existing policy that allows transgender students to use school bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t believe that should happen,\u201d Adams said at an unrelated press conference on Thursday. \u201cI believe that we have become so politically correct that we are incorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s education department requires<\/a> schools to provide students access to bathrooms consistent with their gender identity, or to make alternative arrangements if a student requests more privacy.<\/p>\n The department declined to comment on Adams\u2019 remarks and instead referred Gothamist to the mayor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n “This is blatant transphobia and homophobia from Mayor Eric Adams,” City Councilmember Crystal Hudson, who sits on the the LGBTQIA+ Caucus, said in a statement. “Our kids \u2014 and all New Yorkers \u2014 deserve far better than this.”<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the state education department, however, said restricting transgender and gender-expansive students from using restrooms that match their gender identity would violate the state human rights law.<\/p>\n \u201cThe mayor is well aware of this fact, which was reiterated in joint guidance issued by the Department and Office of the Attorney General earlier this year,\u201d state education department spokesperson J.P. O\u2019Hare said in a statement.<\/p>\n Adams said he would consult his legal team to determine what authority \u2014 if any \u2014 he has to change education department policy.<\/p>\n \u201cBoys and girls should not be in the same restrooms at the same time and I think the average parent \u2014 particularly if their child is a girl \u2014 would agree with me,\u201d he said. \u201cThat is what I believe.\u201d<\/p>\n His comments drew sharp criticism from civil rights groups, including the head of the New York Civil Liberties Union.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s be clear: the mayor has no authority to ban trans students from using bathrooms that match their gender identity,\u201d NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman said in an email. \u201cSuch a move would be illegal under New York State and New York City laws and an affront to our shared values.\u201d<\/p>\n Gov. Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, has positioned New York as a leader on transgender protections. She previously promoted new funding for youth suicide prevention and wellness programs, along with state workplace inclusion policies and updated signage for gender-neutral bathrooms in state facilities.<\/p>\n New York City also has a history of affirming transgender bathroom rights. In 2016, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city\u2019s Commission on Human Rights launched the \u201cBe You\u201d public service campaign<\/a>, with subway and street ads encouraging New Yorkers to use bathrooms consistent with their gender identity.<\/p>\n Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee and frontrunner for mayor, also condemned Adams\u2019 comments, calling them \u201ctransphobic bigotry.\u201d<\/p>\n