School District Approves New Policy Protecting Transgender Students
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Sacramento City Unified School District voted unanimously Friday to approve a new policy protecting its transgender students. The reforms are among the first of their kind in the state.
It's the new edition to the book on gender identity.
"This policy will increase the quality of life for all youth, teams youth and all youth," said one person at the meeting.
"This is not about bathrooms. This is not about showers. It's about accepting us as individuals," said another person.
"This policy has been really well thought out," said one person.
In front of a crowd of mostly supporters, the school board spelled out how it will respond to the needs of transgender students.
"You can't just walk in and go talk to the principal and say, 'Today I'm a girl and I want to go into the girls locker room. That's not how this is going to happen," said Jay Hansen, a school board member. "It's going to be a long process. It's going to be very thoughtfully done."
The new policy requires students and their parents or guardians to consult with school officials if they view themselves as transgender or gender variant.
The school district rules state transgender students…
- Shall not be forced to use the restroom corresponding to their sex at birth.
- Shall not be forced to use the locker room corresponding to their sex at birth.
- Have the right to be addressed by the names and pronouns that correspond to their gender identity.
"Now, as for the locker rooms and showers, that's an entirely different dilemma," said one person at the meeting.
Opponents say the new transgender rules infringe on the privacy of other students.
"Yes, there's going to be privacy concerns. And are we going to sacrifice the privacy of our children on the altar of political correctness? That's the real question," said Michael Faber, and attorney with Pacific Justice Institute.
It's a new era in school diversity. Age-old standards are in the midst of an historic shift.
The school district has 43,000 students. Since 2010, they have helped 15 students to success without this policy.
