President Barack Obama held a town hall in Elkhart, Indiana on Tuesday where he was asked about his newly proposed guidance on restroom access for transgender citizens.

“You have transgender kids in schools, and they get bullied, and they get ostracized…We should deal with this issue the same way we would want it dealt with if it was our child.”

In the event which aired on PBS, Arvis Dawson asked the President, “With all the pressing issues you have before you right now, why is the issue of which bathroom a person uses such an issue?”

“Somehow people think I made it an issue, I didn’t make it an issue,” said the President. “You have transgender kids in schools, and they get bullied, and they get ostracized…We should deal with this issue the same way we would want it dealt with if it was our child and that is to create an environment of some dignity and some kindness for these kids.”

Obama Discusses Transgender Bathrooms in Town Hall - Friday Night Videos - Transgender Universe
Photo: pbs.org

The president also went on to cite his own Christian beliefs when responding, “Look, I have profound respect for everybody’s religious beliefs on this, but if you’re in a public school the question is how do we just make sure that children are treated with kindness. That’s all,” Obama said.

Watch President Obama’s comments on transgender restrooms below:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=XvBh2FQRkSs%3Fstart%3D1843%26end%3D1849