A move by President Trump to overturn rules that protect transgender students in the United States is having a chilling effect for families here at home.
In the Obama-era, federal guidelines for public schools in the U.S. allowed students to use the washroom or locker room that match the gender with which they identify.
On Wednesday, the Trump Administration reversed the rules arguing that states and public schools should have authority to make their own decisions.
Anne Lowthian, mother to a transgender youth, said the decision is a giant step backwards for transgender rights.
“The actions taken by the president is a direct targeting of a group of vulnerable people and we always knew Americans to be better than that,” Lowthian said.
“We’re certainly hoping senators here in Canada won’t follow the example.”
Her 11-year-old daughter, Charlie, said being able to use the washroom she chooses at her school in Ottawa makes her feel safe.
“For someone like me, if I walk into the male’s washroom, they might start whispering or start attacking, whether it is at school or in public,” Charlie said.
The pair would like that feeling of safety for all students regardless of what side of the border they live on.
Those concerns are echoed by Amanda Ryan with Gender Mosaic.
“I think the changes that have been taking place, especially in schools with young folks in having a real impact on general attitudes to the trans-community,” Ryan said.
On Wednesday, hundreds protested President Trump's decision outside the Whitehouse.
