I wasn’t sure what to expect at this Town Hall as I know that there are very strong beliefs on the topic of transgenderism. In the news and on social media there are numerous stories about the struggles of being a transgender and how their emotional needs elevate their rights above all others.
What isn’t talked about is the emotional trauma of young girls who must share a locker room when showering and changing clothes or discovers she is sharing a hotel room with a biological male. Then there is the unfairness of competing against a male opponent in sports and potential loss of scholarships.
The rights of transgender females and males and the rights of cisgender (identity matches biological sex) females and males are not mutually exclusive to each other as there is an area where their lives and rights intersect.
We must stop demonizing those who question inserting gender ideology into the classroom, the rapid and dramatic increase of gender dysphoria, or the laws that infringe on parental rights and student privacy.
Parents, teachers, students and the community are afraid to share their stories out of fear of being shamed, attacked and even retribution. This is wrong regardless of the topic!
A parent of a 5th grade girl should be able to express their disagreement with their daughter sharing a hotel room with a biological male (transgender female) without their knowledge or consent!! Imagine your daughter changing into her pajamas and discovering that the roommate watching her is a biological male. Imagine what this young girl experienced.
Parents wanting to protect their children is normal and must be respected.
There is no law that prohibits parents from being notified that their child wants to transition to living as the opposite biological sex. If the district says it wants a strong partnership with parents, why would the district ignore and disrespect parents right to be informed?
Why would the district be opposed to making clear to all parents that their son or daughter could share a locker room, bathroom or a hotel room with a student who is the opposite biological sex (transgender)?
Shouldn’t the policy for gender support apply to all students regardless if their gender identity does nor doesn’t align with their biological gender? Board policy AC-E-3 discusses the rights of students whose status is transgender while ignoring the rights of students who may not be comfortable sharing locker rooms or hotel accommodations. The policy also states; “Students have the right to equitable access to activities and programs in their schools”. How is it equitable for a 14 year old biological female to wrestle a 17 year old transgender female?
We must be willing to work together to find solutions that respect the rights of all students as well as parental rights.