11/16/2015

AsTransgenderStudentsMakeGains,SchoolsHesitateatBathroomsTheNewYorkTimes

http://nyti.ms/1kqPb8l

U.S.

AsTransgenderStudentsMakeGains,
SchoolsHesitateatBathrooms
ByJULIEBOSMANandMOTOKORICH

NOV.3,2015

CHICAGOAskedtocallatransgenderboybyamalenamehehaschosenfor
himself,teachersandadministratorsaroundthecountryhaveleanedtowarda
simpleresponse:Sure.Allowahighschoolstudentwhowasbornmalebut
identifiesasfemaletojointhevolleyballteam?Fine.
Butastransgenderstudentsassertthemselvesmore,schoolshave
hesitatedatthelockerroomandthebathroom.Manyhavedevelopedpolicies
thatrequiretransgenderstudentstouseprivatechangingandshowering
facilities,drawingoppositionfromthesestudents,theirparentsandadvocates
whosaytherulesarediscriminatory.
TheEducationDepartmentonMondaygaveschoolofficialsatasuburban
Chicagohighschool30daystoresolveadisputewithatransgenderstudent
whoidentifiesasagirlandhassoughttochangeandshowerinthegirlslocker
roomwithoutrestrictionsotherwise,theschoolrisksforfeitingTitleIX
funding.Theconfrontationwasanechoofbattlesnationwide,wherethe
lockerroomandoftentherestroomarethestageforafiercefightoverhow
extensivelytransgenderstudentsshouldbeaccommodated.
Ithinkitsanissuethatpeoplearethinkingaboutalot,saidThad
Ballard,thepresidentoftheElkoCountyschoolboardinnortheastNevada,

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AsTransgenderStudentsMakeGains,SchoolsHesitateatBathroomsTheNewYorkTimes

whichvotedinSeptembertokeeptransgenderstudentsoutofbathroomsand
lockerroomsthatcorrespondwiththeirgenderidentity.Hesaidthemovewas
intendedtopreservethecenturieslongtraditionofrespectingthedifference
inthesexes.
Whenhasiteverbeenappropriateforabiologicalboyorabiologicalgirl
tobeintheoppositerestroomoftheirgender?Mr.Ballardsaid.Wereall
tryingtothinkofthebestwaytoprotecttherightsofallofourstudents,
whethertheyretransgenderornot.
California,Washington,Colorado,Connecticut,Massachusetts,NewYork
andtheDistrictofColumbiahavealreadyadoptedpoliciesrequiringschoolsto
permittransgenderstudentstousebathroomsandlockerroomsbasedonthe
studentsgenderidentity.InMaine,theStateSupremeCourtruledlastyear
thatunderthestatesantidiscriminationlaw,atransgendergirlcouldusethe
bathroomsandlockerroomsforthegenderwithwhichsheidentified.
Elevenotherstateshavegeneralantidiscriminationpoliciesonthebooks
thatmightalsoprotecttherightsoftransgenderstudentsinschools,said
MichaelD.Silverman,executivedirectoroftheTransgenderLegalDefense
andEducationFund.
Butsomestatelegislaturesaretryingtomoveintheoppositedirection.
RepublicanlawmakersinWisconsinhaveproposedabillthatwouldbar
transgenderstudentsfromusingbathroomsthatcorrespondwiththeirgender
identity,ameasurethatDemocratssayisdiscriminatory.InMinnesotain
April,theStateSenate,dominatedbyDemocrats,defeatedasimilarmeasure.
InHoustononTuesday,votersdefeatedaproposalthatwouldhave
establishednondiscriminationprotectionsforgayandtransgenderresidents.
Supporterssaidtheordinancewouldhaveofferedincreasedprotectionsfor
gayandtransgenderpeople,aswellasprotectionsagainstdiscrimination
basedonsex,race,ageandreligion.Opponentssaidtheproposalinfringedon
theirreligiousbeliefs,zeroinginontheprotectionsitwouldhavegivenfor

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11/16/2015

AsTransgenderStudentsMakeGains,SchoolsHesitateatBathroomsTheNewYorkTimes

genderidentity,particularlytransgenderHoustonianswhowerebornmalebut
identifyaswomen.
Someschooldistrictshavefacedthreatsoflegalactionandfederal
interventioniftheyexcludetransgenderstudentsfromthebathroomthat
correspondstotheirgenderidentity.
InArcadia,Calif.,theschooldistrictenteredasettlementagreementwith
theDepartmentofJusticeandtheEducationDepartmentsOfficeofCivil
Rightsafteratransgenderstudentwhoidentifiesasmalebroughtacomplaint
aboutbeingforcedtosleepinaseparatecampcabinduringamiddleschool
scienceouting.Districtofficialsworkedwithfederalofficialstocreateanew
policythatallowstransgenderstudentsaccesstoallsexsegregatedfacilities
basedonthegenderwithwhichtheyidentify.
DavidVannasdall,superintendentofArcadia,aschooldistrictwithfewer
than10,000studentsnotfarfromdowntownLosAngeles,saidthatin
assigningthestudenttoaseparatecabin,thedistricthadfollowedtheadvice
ofalawyerwhowasanticipatingthereactionsofotherparentsratherthan
simplyworkingwiththefamilyofthetransgenderstudent.Theproblemis
youhavepeoplemakingdecisionsfromthebasisoffearandtheextremes,and
thatsnevergoodforkids,Mr.Vannasdallsaid.
InCalifornia,theStateLegislaturepassedalawtwoyearsagopermitting
transgenderstudentstoparticipateinsexsegregatedactivitiesanduse
facilitiesthatwereconsistentwiththeirgenderidentityinallschools.But
opponentsaremountingaplantoputaninitiativeontheCaliforniaballot
nextfallthatwoulddirectallstudentstousefacilitiesthatcorrespondwiththe
genderontheirbirthcertificates.
Iamnotquestioningtheirsincerity,saidKarenEngland,spokeswoman
forPrivacyforAll,agroupthatispromotingtheballotinitiativeinCalifornia.
Buttherealityoftheirbiologyisthattheirplumbingisquitedifferent,andI
havearighttoprivacy,andIhavetherightformydaughtersand

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AsTransgenderStudentsMakeGains,SchoolsHesitateatBathroomsTheNewYorkTimes

granddaughterstohavetherighttobeinabathroomoralockerroomwithout
beingexposedtotheoppositegender.
JeffJohnston,ananalystatFocusontheFamily,theconservativegroup
basedinColorado,saidinanemailthatgirlsshouldnothavetoriskbeing
exposedtoboysinlockerrooms,changingroomsandrestrooms.
Schoolofficialssaythatincaseswhereparentsorstudentsraiseconcerns,
theycanworkthroughthem.InSanFrancisco,forexample,agroupofMuslim
studentssoughtpermissionlastyeartoprayduringbreaktimesandperform
ritualcleansingsinthebathrooms.Butsomeofthemwereconcernedthatifa
transgenderstudententeredthebathroomatthesametime,itwouldbe
inappropriateforthegirlstosharespacewithabiologicalmale.
Wetalkedabouthowthiswasademocracyandstudentshavetherightto
gotothebathroom,saidKevinR.Gogin,directorofsafetyandwellness
schoolhealthprogramsattheSanFranciscoUnifiedSchoolDistrict.After
discussionswiththereligiousstudents,hesaid,theyagreedthattheycould
seekprivacybyusingtheprivatestallsfortheircleansingrituals.
InLosAngeles,wherethedistricthashadapolicyallowingtransgender
studentstousebathroomsandlockerroomsaccordingtotheirgenderidentity
since2004,JudyChiasson,coordinatorintheHumanRelations,Diversityand
EquityDepartmentfortheLosAngelesUnifiedSchoolDistrict,saidthat
schoolshavehadfewcomplaints.
Allofourstudentstendtobeprettymodest,Ms.Chiassonsaid.She
addedthatunlikestudentsinpreviousgenerations,evenafterphysical
educationclassesorathleticpractices,studentstodaydonottendtoundress
orshowerinpublicfacilities,andinbathrooms,studentscanuseprivatestalls.
Becauseofthis,shesaid,inmanycases,studentsdonotevenknowwhether
anotherstudentistransgenderornot.
Atransgenderstudentdoesnotwanttoinvadeanybodyelsesprivacy,

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AsTransgenderStudentsMakeGains,SchoolsHesitateatBathroomsTheNewYorkTimes

Ms.Chiassonsaid.Shesinthebathroomtodoherbusiness.
TheschooldistrictinPalatine,Ill.,thatwasreproachedbytheEducation
Departmentthisweekhadrequiredatransgenderstudenttochangeher
clothesandshowerseparatelyfromotherstudents,causingherfamilytoraise
theissuewithfederalofficials.JohnKnight,directoroftheL.G.B.T.Projectof
theAmericanCivilLibertiesUnionofIllinois,whichrepresentedher,said
concernsoverthepresenceoftransgenderstudentsinlockerroomsisa
madeupissue.
Thekidswhoaremostvulnerablearethetransgenderstudents,hesaid.
Ifaboywhostransgenderiscomfortabletobeinaboysrestroom,heshould
beallowedtobethere.
CatherineLhamon,theEducationDepartmentsassistantsecretaryfor
civilrights,saiditispossibletoprotecttherightsofallstudentswithout
forcingtransgenderstudentstousedifferentfacilities.
Theschoolsresponsibilityistorespectwhothatpersonis,Ms.Lhamon
said.Andtheschoolsresponsibilityisthattheydonotteachdiscrimination,
butdoteachcivicengagementalongwiththethreeRs.
JulieBosmanreportedfromChicago,andMotokoRichfromNewYork.
AversionofthisarticleappearsinprintonNovember4,2015,onpageA14oftheNewYorkedition
withtheheadline:AsTransgenderStudentsMakeGains,SchoolsHesitateOverBathroom
Policies.

2015TheNewYorkTimesCompany

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