Pride Goers Have Mixed Reaction To OK AG's Lawsuit On Transgender Bathroom Guidelines

The Oklahoman Attorney General blasted President Obama in an article in the Wall Street Journal - saying his guidelines for schools handling transgender students and bathrooms is unconstitutional, and that he's taking the issue to court.

The article came out at the same time as the Tulsa Pride festival kicks off this weekend, and the people celebrating had mixed reactions about the AG’s lawsuit.

For the 34th year in a row, Tulsa Pride, celebrating equality for all, kicked things off with a 5K fun-run.

"I love it, I go to the Pride parade every year that I can if I'm not working, Luckily, I get to go this year," Kate Sheckarski said.

Dylan Harris said, "I think equality needs to be the center of more focus in this country."

On the eve of Tulsa Pride, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt wrote an article fighting against President Obama's guidelines for schools on how to accommodate transgender students.

6/3/2016 Related Story: OK Attorney General Defends Lawsuit Over Transgender Bathroom Guidelines

"You have a federal agency that is trying to bypass checks and balances, checks and procedures," Pruitt said.

The president wants schools to allow students to use the bathroom they identify with, or risk losing some federal funding. Pruitt says that's unconstitutional.

“There's a way to do that, you go to congress to do that. You pass a law," he said.

But not everyone thinks that's why Pruitt filed the lawsuit. Some think it's about fearmongering and suppressing transgender people.

"I think it's a waste of time and a waste of money," Harris said.

Sheckarski said, "Children should be able to make up their own mind as to what makes them feel comfortable, where they want to be."

While, still, others believe Obama's guidelines opens the door for predators.

"If you allow that to happen, obviously a lot of issues could occur with people saying they identify as the opposite sex," Matthew Garman said.

That is something Sheckarski said she never worries about.

Oklahoma is one of more than a dozen states suing the federal government, claiming they don't have a problem with accommodating trans people but want congress and the courts to decide the laws.