there’s a new battleground in this gender revolution bathrooms and nowhere
gender revolution bathrooms and nowhere
gender revolution bathrooms and nowhere is that battle more heated than in
is that battle more heated than in
is that battle more heated than in public schools now even the Supreme
public schools now even the Supreme
public schools now even the Supreme Court is set to weigh in on the case of
Court is set to weigh in on the case of
Court is set to weigh in on the case of gavin grimm a transgender student in
gavin grimm a transgender student in
gavin grimm a transgender student in virginia who’s fighting for the right to
virginia who’s fighting for the right to
virginia who’s fighting for the right to use the bathroom that corresponds to the
use the bathroom that corresponds to the
use the bathroom that corresponds to the gender he identifies as not the gender
gender he identifies as not the gender
gender he identifies as not the gender he was assigned at birth I’m not looking
he was assigned at birth I’m not looking
he was assigned at birth I’m not looking for separate but equal I’m looking for
for separate but equal I’m looking for
for separate but equal I’m looking for the same opportunities that my peers
the same opportunities that my peers
the same opportunities that my peers enjoy every single day and that includes
enjoy every single day and that includes
enjoy every single day and that includes using the same restroom as any other
using the same restroom as any other
using the same restroom as any other student but one school in South Central
student but one school in South Central
student but one school in South Central LA is already forging ahead the Santee
LA is already forging ahead the Santee
LA is already forging ahead the Santee education complex high school in 2016 it
education complex high school in 2016 it
education complex high school in 2016 it opened what’s considered the nation’s
opened what’s considered the nation’s
opened what’s considered the nation’s first gender neutral multi stall
first gender neutral multi stall
first gender neutral multi stall restroom a cause for celebration for
restroom a cause for celebration for
restroom a cause for celebration for some a lightning rod for others Santee
some a lightning rod for others Santee
some a lightning rod for others Santee is part of the LA Unified School
is part of the LA Unified School
is part of the LA Unified School District which represents nearly 1,100
District which represents nearly 1,100
District which represents nearly 1,100 schools and more than 640,000 students
schools and more than 640,000 students
schools and more than 640,000 students it’s a district that’s been on the
it’s a district that’s been on the
it’s a district that’s been on the frontlines of this issue for years the
frontlines of this issue for years the
frontlines of this issue for years the LA Unified School District has had
LA Unified School District has had
LA Unified School District has had transgender affirming policies since
transgender affirming policies since
transgender affirming policies since 2005 that was more than a decade before
2005 that was more than a decade before
2005 that was more than a decade before President Obama told schools across the
President Obama told schools across the
President Obama told schools across the country to open their bathrooms to
country to open their bathrooms to
country to open their bathrooms to transgender students or face losing
transgender students or face losing
transgender students or face losing federal funds the policy that we wrote
federal funds the policy that we wrote
federal funds the policy that we wrote 10 years ago was inspired by a family
10 years ago was inspired by a family
10 years ago was inspired by a family with a transgender first grader the
with a transgender first grader the
with a transgender first grader the policy is actually pretty simple that
policy is actually pretty simple that
policy is actually pretty simple that our transgender students can access all
our transgender students can access all
our transgender students can access all facilities based on their affirmed
facilities based on their affirmed
facilities based on their affirmed gender identity in LA Unified a student
gender identity in LA Unified a student
gender identity in LA Unified a student who is transgender can change their name
who is transgender can change their name
who is transgender can change their name their pronoun and access facilities it’s
their pronoun and access facilities it’s
their pronoun and access facilities it’s a whole new world for educators so LA
a whole new world for educators so LA
a whole new world for educators so LA Unified trains them and everything from
Unified trains them and everything from
Unified trains them and everything from roll call in homeroom diplomas at
roll call in homeroom diplomas at
roll call in homeroom diplomas at graduation and yes the question of who
graduation and yes the question of who
graduation and yes the question of who can use which bathroom so we’re gonna do
can use which bathroom so we’re gonna do
can use which bathroom so we’re gonna do a little test there’s gonna be some
a little test there’s gonna be some
a little test there’s gonna be some slides to come up and I just want you to
slides to come up and I just want you to
slides to come up and I just want you to call out the people in the slide what is
call out the people in the slide what is
call out the people in the slide what is the bathroom that you would probably
the bathroom that you would probably
the bathroom that you would probably direct them to so if a student named
direct them to so if a student named
direct them to so if a student named John comes back from spring vacation
John comes back from spring vacation
John comes back from spring vacation and says my name is April and I would
and says my name is April and I would
and says my name is April and I would like you to refer to me by she and her
like you to refer to me by she and her
like you to refer to me by she and her we sit down with it student usually a
we sit down with it student usually a
we sit down with it student usually a counselor will talk to them and ask them
counselor will talk to them and ask them
counselor will talk to them and ask them what’s going on how long have you been
what’s going on how long have you been
what’s going on how long have you been feeling like this we make a plan with
feeling like this we make a plan with
feeling like this we make a plan with that student what is it that you need do
that student what is it that you need do
that student what is it that you need do you want to change how you’re known at
you want to change how you’re known at
you want to change how you’re known at school completely do you want us to
school completely do you want us to
school completely do you want us to change the name on the roster which are
change the name on the roster which are
change the name on the roster which are things that we’re capable of doing when
things that we’re capable of doing when
things that we’re capable of doing when a student is transitioning and they meet
a student is transitioning and they meet
a student is transitioning and they meet with their school and they talk about
with their school and they talk about
with their school and they talk about their identity as something that is
their identity as something that is
their identity as something that is affirmed is deeply rooted it is
affirmed is deeply rooted it is
affirmed is deeply rooted it is consistent it is persistent you can’t be
consistent it is persistent you can’t be
consistent it is persistent you can’t be transgender just for fifth period PE to
transgender just for fifth period PE to
transgender just for fifth period PE to have access to the locker room we would
have access to the locker room we would
have access to the locker room we would not allow that because it needs to be
not allow that because it needs to be
not allow that because it needs to be genuine and if the administrator has a
genuine and if the administrator has a
genuine and if the administrator has a reasonable suspicion that the request is
reasonable suspicion that the request is
reasonable suspicion that the request is not legitimate they do not have to honor
not legitimate they do not have to honor
not legitimate they do not have to honor it the situation of a student a male
it the situation of a student a male
it the situation of a student a male student interestingly we only seem to
student interestingly we only seem to
student interestingly we only seem to worry about our male students but a male
worry about our male students but a male
worry about our male students but a male student pretend to be transgender so he
student pretend to be transgender so he
student pretend to be transgender so he can for predatory reasons have access to
can for predatory reasons have access to
can for predatory reasons have access to a female facility I think that’s rather
a female facility I think that’s rather
a female facility I think that’s rather ridiculous I’ve heard all kinds of fears
ridiculous I’ve heard all kinds of fears
ridiculous I’ve heard all kinds of fears expressed just through the media none of
expressed just through the media none of
expressed just through the media none of those fears have ever been realized ever
those fears have ever been realized ever
those fears have ever been realized ever we have never had the type of fearful
we have never had the type of fearful
we have never had the type of fearful misconduct that people talk about with
misconduct that people talk about with
misconduct that people talk about with our transgender students that has never
our transgender students that has never
our transgender students that has never happened
happened
happened last year I got 17 phone calls in three
last year I got 17 phone calls in three
last year I got 17 phone calls in three days from elementary schools mind you
days from elementary schools mind you
days from elementary schools mind you that had transgendered students whose
that had transgendered students whose
that had transgendered students whose parents wanted them to be able to attend
parents wanted them to be able to attend
parents wanted them to be able to attend schools authentically there’s so many
schools authentically there’s so many
schools authentically there’s so many more students who are coming out now
more students who are coming out now
more students who are coming out now just because of the the national
just because of the the national
just because of the the national conversation when we talk to families we
conversation when we talk to families we
conversation when we talk to families we can tell them we will be one of the most
can tell them we will be one of the most
can tell them we will be one of the most affirming school districts in the
affirming school districts in the
affirming school districts in the country it’s a promise that I am
country it’s a promise that I am
country it’s a promise that I am fortunate to be able to make on behalf
fortunate to be able to make on behalf
fortunate to be able to make on behalf of all of us I do believe that as a
of all of us I do believe that as a
of all of us I do believe that as a country we need to make space for people
country we need to make space for people
country we need to make space for people who have more fluidity around their
who have more fluidity around their
who have more fluidity around their gender or people who are transgender
gender or people who are transgender
gender or people who are transgender kind of break that rigidity so I believe
kind of break that rigidity so I believe
kind of break that rigidity so I believe that as a school district and as the
that as a school district and as the
that as a school district and as the community and as people who care about
community and as people who care about
community and as people who care about others that the more that we can do to
others that the more that we can do to
others that the more that we can do to help people be more of who they are the
help people be more of who they are the
help people be more of who they are the more they’re going to be able to be
more they’re going to be able to be
more they’re going to be able to be engaged in their education follow their
engaged in their education follow their
engaged in their education follow their dreams and be more of who they are our
dreams and be more of who they are our
dreams and be more of who they are our goal is to help people be more of where
goal is to help people be more of where
goal is to help people be more of where they are not less
”
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