5-18AirPlungers.jpg

(JD Crowe/jdcrowe@al.com)

A transgender bathroom law, like the one North Carolina's governor is playing, is like an air guitar solo: It might make you feel cool to flail wildly to your base while making contorted facial expressions, but in the end there's nothing there. It's useless. And it makes you look kinda stupid.

Transgender people are being demonized because most of us don't understand them. The shrill chant goes something like this: "We ain't putting up with perverts and weirdos switching baff-ooms just so they can throw their junk at my wife and daughter!" And the crowd goes wild.

Now this mess has President Obama responding with his own air guitar solo: A directive requiring public schools to allow transgender students access to the bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity. Schools that fail to abide by the guidance could face loss of federal funding or possible civil rights lawsuits.

As the North Carolina law is an invented over-reaction in search of a problem, Obama's directive is an overreaching over-reaction to the over-reaction.

One begat the other. Both are unnecessary.

They may as well be playing dueling air guitar solos with plungers.

No reason to fear openly gay, lesbian and transgender people moreso than anyone else. They are just being themselves and aren't trying to hide anything. The real wolves are hiding behind a mask.

As Rep. Patricia Toss writes: "Pay attention. Just read al.com every morning and look at the child predators in our state. They are NOT transgender people. In fact, more and more are teachers, coaches and faith leaders."

Check out more political cartoons by JD Crowe