CNN host Chris Cuomo took to Twitter on Thursday to castigate the Trump administration for rolling back former President Obama's protections that allowed transgender students to use bathrooms that matched the gender they identify with.
Cuomo, the son of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo and brother of current Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D.), engaged with numerous users on Twitter, explaining that he believes forcing students to use the bathroom that matches their gender at birth is intolerant.
The Trump administration's new guidance, announced Wednesday evening, allows individual states to decide how to enforce the issue in schools.
One Twitter user on Thursday morning asked Cuomo to respond to a 12-year-old girl who "doesn't want to see a penis in the locker room."
Cuomo called such an attitude a "problem" and wondered if she is not the issue but "her overprotective and intolerant dad."
"Teach tolerance," Cuomo added.
https://twitter.com/matthewdandrew/status/834881523060994053
Cuomo's comment received attention from many Twitter users, with some attacking the CNN host for attempting to normalize indecent exposure.
Exposing a penis to a 12 year old girl used to be called indecent exposure. But to @ChrisCuomo it is now tolerance. Social Justice! pic.twitter.com/dr6wgy3ZK2
— Ryan T. Anderson (@RyanTAnd) February 23, 2017
Cuomo later deleted the tweet in question, but he continued to defend his stance.
The context is clear to me. The parent is saying if his daughter is offended and I am saying that he is the issue not her. https://t.co/TvA4cdYGnF
— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) February 23, 2017
Cuomo was noticeably absent from Friday morning's broadcast of "New Day," which he usually co-anchors during the week. A CNN spokesperson told the Washington Examiner that Cuomo's absence was previously scheduled.