Pamela Brown acted more like a surrogate for the Obama administration and its supporters on Thursday's CNN Newsroom as she interviewed Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. Brown mouthed the talking points of the LGBT activists regarding the recent administration policy directive on trangender students and school bathrooms/locker rooms: "The other side may say, well, who are you to say...what gender is — if it's...what is on someone's birth certificate; or what they identify with?" She later asked, "What about the protection of transgender people? LGBT advocates point out that transgender women are disproportionately the victims of sexual assault." [video below]
The substitute anchor brought on Landry, as Louisiana is participating in the lawsuit of 11 states targeting the new transgender directive from the federal directive. She first noted that states' filing "calls the Obama administration unlawful — this plan; this directive." She wondered, "Why is that?" The state attorney general answered, in part, that "since multi-occupancy bathrooms were invented, they've always divided them to a men and a women's bathroom. But yet, here today, with all the problems in the nation, the President is talking about bathrooms....I mean, again, this is a complete overreach by the President."
Brown interrupted with her "other side" question about gender. Landry underlined that "we're not facing an issue where the President is trying to enforce current law or rights under the Constitution. They're trying to create law using executive fiat." The CNN journalist countered, "Well, they say that this is all about Title IX...making sure there's not discrimination on the basis of sex. And the lawsuit that Louisiana is part of says policies requiring students to use the bathroom corresponding with their birth gender protects children. Protects them from what?" She again interrupted as the attorney general tried to answer this follow-up question.
The fill-in anchor then asked her "what about the protection of transgender people" question, and added, "So what about if somebody is born...a boy; then becomes a girl; and then...is forced to use a boy's bathroom — so, walking into a boy's bathroom as a girl. And that is essentially the policy that you're advocating for — that you say protects all these other children." Landry retorted, "Well, what about protecting those 99 percent of the children?" Brown repeated her earlier question before her guest could continue: "But protecting them from what?"
This isn't the first time that a CNN personality has hounded a conservative guest on this issue in recent days. Back on May 13, 2016, anchor Ashleigh Banfield confronted Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick over his criticism of the Obama administration's policy.
The full transcript of Pamela Brown's interview of Jeff Landry from CNN Newsroom on May 26, 2016:
PAMELA BROWN: Well, the fight over who can go to the bathroom where could go all the way to the Supreme Court. Officials from 11 states are now suing the White House. Their goal: overturning a directive that tells school districts to allow transgender students to use the restroom and locker room of their choice — the states filing a 32-page lawsuit calling the policy a 'massive social experiment.' The move could cost the states billions in federal education funding, but Texas's attorney general leading the charge.
[CNN Graphic: "11 States Sue Over Obama's Transgender Directive; Officials In 11 States Suing Obama Administration Transgender Bathroom Directinve"
KEN PAXTON, TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL (from press conference): By forcing through his policies by executive action, President Obama has excluded the voice of the people. We stand today to the ensure that those voices are heard. This crosses socioeconomic lines, Republican/Democrat lines. This is about parents who are upset; grandparents who are upset; and they want to see — they want to make sure that the safety of their children is taken care of.
BROWN: With me now to discuss is Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. Thank you so much for coming on. I want to just first go to the heart of this lawsuit that Louisiana was part of filing. It calls the Obama administration unlawful — this plan; this directive. Why is that?
JEFF LANDRY, LOUISIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, I mean, think about it. I'm the attorney general here in Louisiana; and every day, attorney generals from around the country are fighting things like rooting out public corruption. I have an entire section that deals with child predators — bringing child predators to justice — arresting them and prosecuting them. And in every one and all levels of government— are dealing with a huge heroin epidemic that's plaguing our society. And today, we're talking about bathrooms? I mean, think about it. We're trying to change history here. I mean, since multi-occupancy bathrooms were invented, they've always divided them to a men and a women's bathroom. But yet, here today, with all the problems in the nation, the President is talking about bathrooms. I mean, in the 1960s, President Kennedy was talking about putting a man on the moon; and today, we're talking about putting boys in girls' bathrooms? I mean, again, this is a complete overreach by the President—
[CNN Graphic: "Lawsuit calls it a 'massive social experiment'"]
BROWN: But — but just to — the other side may say, well, who are you to say — you know, what gender is — if it's whether — what is on someone's birth certificate; or what they identify with?
LANDRY: Well, because, first of all, what the President and our governor down here is trying to do is trying to usurp the process of the law. We have a process in this country under which we create these types of policies. They're trying to short circuit it. Just two days ago, in our state house, a bill that would create a special class for transgender was killed overwhelmingly and bipartisan support. And yet, our governor issues an executive order to try to trump that. Again, that is the problem we're facing here. We're not facing an issue where the President is trying to enforce current law or rights under the Constitution. They're trying to create law using executive fiat.
BROWN: Well, they say that this is — this is all about Title IX, protecting — making sure there's not discrimination on the basis of sex. And the lawsuit that Louisiana is part of says policies requiring students to use the bathroom corresponding with their birth gender protects children. Protects them from what?
LANDRY: Well, of course, it protects them. I mean, think about it. These particular issues are going to affect 99.95 percent of the children out there and violate their rights with no demonstrable evidence to the fact that it purports to help the 0.05 percent that they're trying to — to shove this policy in place for—
BROWN: But, but — just, just—
LANDRY: Now, again, look, the President—
BROWN: Go ahead.
LANDRY: No. Look, you know, I would believe that the President and my governor believe they identify as infallible, but I believe the law disagrees with them; and I believe that the attorney generals from around the country who have stood up for this are saying — look, there's a process in place and y'all are violating that process.
BROWN: But I have to ask you this: what about the protection of transgender people? LGBT advocates point out that transgender women are disproportionately the victims of sexual assault. So what about if somebody is born — on the birth certificate — born a boy; then becomes a girl; and then has — is forced to use a boy's bathroom — so, walking into a boy's bathroom as a girl. And that — that is essentially the policy that — that you're advocating for — that you say protects all these other children. But what about the transgender child?
LANDRY: Well, what about protecting those 99 percent of the children? You know, earlier, I said — I talked about—
BROWN: But protecting them from what?
LANDRY: The section that I have that goes after — well, look, again, think about what I said earlier about protecting children from child predators. Again, when you — when you — and I'm not saying that any transgender falls into that particular class — but when you create these types of policies, it has the ability to allow those people who do prey on children — who do prey on them — to camouflage themselves; and creates an environment that's difficult for law enforcement to protect those particular children. That's one particular aspect.
But, again, let's get back to the root of this: we are trying to identify something that, biologically, has already been separated over hundreds, thousands of years. There's been a complete difference in where the men or a women, in a multiple-occupancy restroom, go to the restroom.
BROWN: Okay. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry—
LANDRY: I mean, think about it. It's absolutely ridiculous.
BROWN: It's important to hear your perspective. Thank you very much for coming on our show.
LANDRY: Yes, ma'am—
BROWN: And explaining where you're coming from. We do appreciate it.
