Late last week, the Alabama legislature passed two controversial pieces of legislation that were signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey and are now being challenged on the grounds of their constitutionality.
The Alabama Vulnerable Child Protection Act (SB184), prohibits the prescription of transgender conversion therapies for minors.
The other piece of legislation, HB322, implements a restriction on discussions of sexual orientation at the K-5 grade school level in Alabama public schools and institutes a biological sex bathroom requirement.
During an interview with Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5's "The Jeff Poor Show," former U.S. Attorney Jay Town, who served in the Northern District of Alabama for the Trump Department of Justice, dismissed any claims those bills were unconstitutional.
"I don't see any constitutional issues with any of these things," Town said. "Think about all of the things in the hormone treatments that you have to reach an age of majority before you can do, right? We're talking about changing your gender at age 12. Think about all of the things you can't do until you reach a certain age -- drive an automobile, boat, serve in the military, drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, in some states purchase and smoke cannabis.
"These are adult decisions, and adolescents and minor children are just too easily influenced by adults to make those adult decisions. That's why those laws themselves are constitutional."
Town also dismissed any future challenges regarding the constitutionality of the so-called "bathroom bill," which requires Alabama public school students to use the bathroom assigned to the gender listed on their birth certificate.
"As with the bathrooms, where has the ACLU been for my entire life?" Town said. "My entire life, bathrooms have been broken up by biological gender. Boys with boy parts go into this one. Girls with girl parts go into that one. Why was the ACLU not offended until just recently?"
Town credited the political left for having done "a masterful job framing the argument continuum," with labels like "don't say gay" and making that law and others an either/or decision on one's character.
"Are you a bigot, or are you not?" Town said. "If you are not a bigot, which you say you're not, then you must be against this bill. If a person or a group is identified as a victim, then those who counter or question that victim status, then the modern liberal just has labels holstered and ready to fire for those who counter it: racist, homophobe, xenophobe or just some out-of-touch 'Leave It to Beaver' trip back to the '50s. It doesn't matter. But people have seen it play out. People have seen others get canceled or fired or attacked or worse.
"But they're pushing the culture war too far. They didn't pay attention to what happened in Virginia. They didn't pay attention to why Glenn Youngkin won in a walk over a very connected, very powerful Terry McAuliffe because the modern liberal is an island. Have an open mind, but as long as you agree with the modern liberal, as long as you think like I do -- that's not open-minded. That's not a marketplace of ideas. Wokeness is really what it is. It is forced conformity."
He also rejected any efforts made by the public school system to teach his daughter she was "guilty" of the sins of the country just by being who she was.
"My 11-year-old daughter, who I love more than anything in this world, who doesn't even know why anybody would differentiate people based on their color or their religion -- she does not have to pay for the sins of this country," Town said. "And I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone levy that tax on her life or her future.
"She doesn't know hate or see color. She is not a bigot. She follows the rules. She's polite. She even cleans up after dinner. Her school is not going to teach her that she is guilty of anything. And adults and politicians are not going to force her to admit she has done something wrong by being White or being wealthy or being alive all at the same time."
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