--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Can anyone seriously contend that whether…" description: "\"Can anyone seriously contend that whether a 14-year-old boy, who thinks he is a girl, gets to use the girls' bathroom is a civil rights issue comparabl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8f/pat-buchanan-2005_civil-rights_can-anyone-seriously-contend-that-whethe_1983321.jpg" --- # Can anyone seriously contend that whether a 14-year-old… ![“Can anyone seriously contend that whether a 14-year-old boy, who thinks he is a girl, gets to use the girls' bathroom is a civil rights issue comparable to whether African-Americans get the right to vote?” quote by Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8f/pat-buchanan-2005_civil-rights_can-anyone-seriously-contend-that-whethe_1983321.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8f/pat-buchanan-2005_civil-rights_can-anyone-seriously-contend-that-whethe_1983321.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8f/pat-buchanan-2005_civil-rights_can-anyone-seriously-contend-that-whethe_1983321.jpg) > “Can anyone seriously contend that whether a 14-year-old boy, who thinks he is a girl, gets to use the girls' bathroom is a civil rights issue comparable to whether African-Americans get the right to vote?” [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote equates a modern gender‑policy debate with historic civil‑rights struggles, implying they are comparable in moral weight. **In simple terms:** Comparing bathroom access to voting rights. Key Takeaway Recognize distinct historical contexts. Themes civil rights gender identity politics equality Mood controversial critical Type political debate When to use this quote - school policy discussions - legislative hearings - public protests - media analysis Key Concepts social justice historical analogy policy debate Questions to Reflect On - Is it fair to equate these issues? - How do legal precedents differ? A Different Perspective The comparison may oversimplify complex legal and cultural differences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-right/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) ## Related quotes > [The marriage-equality issue should be recognized for what it truly is - a civil rights issue that must be approved to assure that every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/the-marriage-equality-issue-should-be-recognized-for-what-it-truly-is/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“The war was a long way away. Maybe there wasn't any war. There was no war here. Then I realized it was over for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-war-was-a-long-way-away-maybe-there-wasn-t-any-war-there-was-no/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“That boy thinks the sun rises out of your backside. The good Lord knows why if all it produces is gas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-brown/that-boy-thinks-the-sun-rises-out-of-your-backside-the-good-lord/) [Sue Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-brown/) > [This boy thinks I am not of his species, that I am some other kind of creature, one that can be crushed under the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/this-boy-thinks-i-am-not-of-his-species-that-i-am-some-other-kind-of/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [“All I can do is try to be as good as my boy thinks I am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyn-alexander/all-i-can-do-is-try-to-be-as-good-as-my-boy-thinks-i-am/) Fyn Alexander > [... every little boy thinks he invented sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/every-little-boy-thinks-he-invented-sin/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [ The very power of \[textbook writers\] depends on the fact that they are dealing with a boy: a boy who thinks he is ‘doing’… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-very-power-of-textbook-writers-depends-on-the-fact-that-they-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I need a boy who thinks with his big head, not his little one. Since they do not exist, I have fashioned my own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/i-need-a-boy-who-thinks-with-his-big-head-not-his-little-one-since/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [“Ultimately, I have no power over what he or any boy thinks of me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daria-snadowsky/ultimately-i-have-no-power-over-what-he-or-any-boy-thinks-of-me/) [Daria Snadowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daria-snadowsky/) > [The seminal right of the modern civil rights movement was the right to vote. My father fought so diligently for it. Certainly Congressman John…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/the-seminal-right-of-the-modern-civil-rights-movement-was-the-right/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [“Why did it take so long for these women's ruined lives to become a human rights issue? Perhaps the answer is that these violations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-friedman/why-did-it-take-so-long-for-these-women-s-ruined-lives-to-become-a/) [S.J. Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-friedman/) > [Black-on-black crime is a massive human rights issue that's going on in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-coogler/black-on-black-crime-is-a-massive-human-rights-issue-that-s-going-on/) [Ryan Coogler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-coogler/) > [“Criminalization is a human rights issue because it disregards the fundamental principles of self-determination, bodily integrity, and sexual freedom.14”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melinda-chateauvert/criminalization-is-a-human-rights-issue-because-it-disregards-the/) Melinda Chateauvert > [For all freedom-loving Americans, standing with Israel - for democracy and human rights - will always be an issue of right versus wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mast/for-all-freedom-loving-americans-standing-with-israel-for-democracy/) [Brian Mast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mast/) > [Standing with Israel - for democracy and human rights - will always be an issue of right versus wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mast/standing-with-israel-for-democracy-and-human-rights-will-always-be-an/) [Brian Mast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mast/) ## More by Pat Buchanan > [If U.S. air, naval, missile, and ground forces were not in and around Korea, and if we were not treaty-bound to fight alongside South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/if-u-s-air-naval-missile-and-ground-forces-were-not-in-and-around/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [On the McLaughlin Report, August 26, 1990: 'There are only two groups that are beating the drums for war in the middle East, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/on-the-mclaughlin-report-august-26-1990-there-are-only-two-groups/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [While our bipartisan establishment worships diversity, Trump saw Middle America recoiling from the demographic change brought about by Third World invasions. And he promised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/while-our-bipartisan-establishment-worships-diversity-trump-saw/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [Candidate Trump held out his hand to Vladimir Putin. He rejected further U.S. intervention in Syria other than to smash ISIS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/candidate-trump-held-out-his-hand-to-vladimir-putin-he-rejected/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [There has been sort of, if you will, a moral interventionism on the part of the United States trying to reshape countries in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/there-has-been-sort-of-if-you-will-a-moral-interventionism-on-the/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [Our culture is superior. Our culture is superior because our religion is Christianity and that is the truth that makes men free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/our-culture-is-superior-our-culture-is-superior-because-our-religion/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [I think Trump is a very interesting candidate in this sense: I think he has cross-party appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/i-think-trump-is-a-very-interesting-candidate-in-this-sense-i-think/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [Stop exporting American jobs. Stop exporting American factories, and stop exporting American sovereignty and independence to global institutions like the World Trade Organization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/stop-exporting-american-jobs-stop-exporting-american-factories-and/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [I think that in the minds of many, the press is being seen less and less as a neutral observer in the impeachment enterprise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/i-think-that-in-the-minds-of-many-the-press-is-being-seen-less-and/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [By threatening war against Iran, Iraq and North Korea in his now-famous "Axis of Evil" address, the president painted himself into a corner. Either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/by-threatening-war-against-iran-iraq-and-north-korea-in-his-now/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [I opposed NAFTA in 1993 and '94.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/i-opposed-nafta-in-1993-and-94/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [That a district judge would overrule the president of the United States on a matter of border security in wartime is absurd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/that-a-district-judge-would-overrule-the-president-of-the-united/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [ \[The courts and the media elite\] are abolishing America, they are deconstructing our country ... they have dethroned our God. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/the-courts-and-the-media-elite-are-abolishing-america-they-are/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [Anti-Catholicism is the anti-Semitism of the intellectual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/anti-catholicism-is-the-anti-semitism-of-the-intellectual/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [Russia and China, which have embraced autocratic capitalism, have attracted admirers and emulators by the seeming success of their strongman rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/russia-and-china-which-have-embraced-autocratic-capitalism-have/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) [Explore all 192 Pat Buchanan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) ## More Civil rights quotes > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect over another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-am-for-freedom-of-religion-and-against-all-maneuvers-to-bring-about/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-speak-not-for-myself-but-so-those-without-a-voice-can-be-heard/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [American civil rights leader, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Lynching is a murder. For the past four hundred years our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/american-civil-rights-leader-where-do-we-go-from-here-chaos-or/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“Why do we apologize for advocating for ourselves? Why do we apologize for taking up space that we are entitled to? Why do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-tambascio/why-do-we-apologize-for-advocating-for-ourselves-why-do-we-apologize/) Elizabeth Tambascio > [We are a nation of innovators and problem-solvers who sparked revolutions in democratic government, civil rights, communications, flight, rural electrification and technology. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/we-are-a-nation-of-innovators-and-problem-solvers-who-sparked/) [Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Civil rights leaders are involved in helping poor people. That's what I've been doing all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/civil-rights-leaders-are-involved-in-helping-poor-people-that-s-what/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [I grew up in the early '60s, and there was a lot of civil rights, a lot of unrest in our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-grew-up-in-the-early-60s-and-there-was-a-lot-of-civil-rights-a-lot/) [Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/) > [The great paradox of the civil rights revolution is that instead of enforcing and expanding equality before the law, the revolution created differential rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-great-paradox-of-the-civil-rights-revolution-is-that-instead-of/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [The world - and America - has been defined by people who haven't necessarily abided by the laws and the rules. Civil disobedience is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-kennedy/the-world-and-america-has-been-defined-by-people-who-haven-t/) [Rory Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-kennedy/) > [I do not believe that defending traditional marriage between one man and one woman excludes anybody or usurps anybody's civil rights and denies anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-autry/i-do-not-believe-that-defending-traditional-marriage-between-one-man/) [Alan Autry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-autry/) > [Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/truth-is-on-the-side-of-the-oppressed-today-it-s-against-the-oppressor/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [The notion of women being written out of history is as old as the Bible, but it always seems more galling when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-thornberry/the-notion-of-women-being-written-out-of-history-is-as-old-as-the/) [Emily Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-thornberry/) [Browse all 1,552 Civil rights quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Can anyone seriously contend that whether a 14-year-old boy, who thinks he is a girl, gets to use the girls' bathroom is a civil rights issue comparable to whether African-Americans get the right to vote?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pat Buchanan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/can-anyone-seriously-contend-that-whether-a-14-year-old-boy-who/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Civil rights" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/can-anyone-seriously-contend-that-whether-a-14-year-old-boy-who/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8f/pat-buchanan-2005_civil-rights_can-anyone-seriously-contend-that-whethe_1983321.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8f/pat-buchanan-2005_civil-rights_can-anyone-seriously-contend-that-whethe_1983321.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8f/pat-buchanan-2005_civil-rights_can-anyone-seriously-contend-that-whethe_1983321.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Can anyone seriously contend that whether a 14-year-old boy, who thinks he is a girl, gets to use the girls'…” — Pat Buchanan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Pat Buchanan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Can anyone seriously contend that whether...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/can-anyone-seriously-contend-that-whether-a-14-year-old-boy-who/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/can-anyone-seriously-contend-that-whether-a-14-year-old-boy-who/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```