Building A Quality Educational Environment

Spearheaded by Sophomore Abby Snyder, this group of students are fighting to create an inclusive community where students that identity as transgender can feel comfortable and have a safe place to use the restroom. After talking with Abby Snyder and Kelly Doran, the assistant director for capital planning and construction at Colby, it is clear that there are many possible ways of implementing gender-neutral bathrooms on Colby’s campus. For example, a short term solution would be to to make all bathrooms in the dorms coed. Since Hillside buildings only have space for one bathroom on each floor. As a result, when someone whose sex does not correspond with the gender indicated on the bathroom sign, they have to go downstairs. In these buildings, if everyone is okay with making these bathrooms coed, it should be allowed by the school for them to do so. This acts as a quick and easy fix that benefits the transgender community as well as the cisgender community because it means that men and women do not need to travel to certain floors to use the “appropriate” bathroom. Since a majority of this school states that they feel comfortable with using bathrooms with someone of a different sex or gender, the Colby rule preventing coed bathrooms should be revoked. Secondly, if a dorm has two bathrooms on one floor, they could make one of these bathrooms gender-neutral to benefit those who do not mind it, and then bathrooms for specific genders could alternate by floor. A third possible idea would be to have student indicate on their housing application whether or not they are comfortable sharing a bathroom with another sex or gender. This way, multiple dorms could have all gender-neutral bathrooms and only have people who feel comfortable with it, while other dorms could have people who are not comfortable with it. These are a few of many possible ways to

[The Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) organization at my high school, which meets twice per month, generated a list of concerns that they shared with school administration. The focus was specifically about gender identity, the lack of support from school staff, and the daily scrutiny they face as a result of their sexual orientation and gender identity. Through collaboration with my colleagues it was evident that there had been an increase in teacher and student referrals surrounding gender identity. The feedback from GSA clearly identified that as a school we are not meeting the needs of our LGBT students and those struggling with sexual orientation. Members of the GSA clearly feel that teachers ignore negative comments like “gay” and “faggot” when they hear them in class, that teachers may not clearly understand gender neutral language, and that our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) students do not feel safe and protected in school. Students needed support advocating for their right to use a restroom, correct pronoun, etc., requiring district, community, parent, and colleague

Most don’t explicitly look into the complexity of a transgender person’s life and all the questions or problems one might face: Do I use the men’s or the women’s bathroom? Is it appropriate to use this locker room? Those are only two of the many questions a transgender person might run into on a daily basis because of how others would see the situation, how the people who may have a sneaking suspicion that the woman they saw go into the ladies’ bathroom isn’t actually female by their definition, or how it could also seem strange to see that same person go into the mens’ bathroom. These all lead to dysphoria in any person’s situation in public places due to the fact that many choose to taunt or mock the person; however, with the help of Title IX these questions could start to vanish from the thoughts of many transgender students which Blad exemplifies with a quote in her article:

One current court case is dealing with a federal judge releasing an injunction to momentarily restrict transgender students from using school bathrooms as well as locker rooms of their choice (Eldeib). In blocking students from using something as simple as a restroom or locker room, a student’s identity can be misconstrued. Especially with a student who may already feel differently about their identity. A mother in Denton, Texas, hopes to change the legal problems revolving around the controversy of bathroom laws in Texas schools. Amber Briggle states her 8-year-old transgender son has felt he needs to wait to use the restroom until he would arrive home. As well as this, Briggle confirms her son, MG’s grades dropped drastically. His grades continued to worsen until he was given a restroom alteration, allowing him to feel comfortable. (Wright). Along with MG, many students do not feel safe in their schools because of having to hide their transgender identity. Students may not feel safe just because Texas is such a conservative state. Ken Paxton and other state leaders even exchanged in transphobic rhetoric at the 2016 Texas GOP convention. Because of the strong conservative viewpoints in Texas, young people as well as students in the area may not feel accepted as who they are, leading them to disguise their true self. School is already a tough time in a child or teens life, and being discriminated against because of how one identifies does not make a student’s lifestyle any easier. Because transgender students in Texas schools are entitled to free expression of gender identity, they are also permitted to dress how they please. As well as wearing the clothes a transgender students feels most comfortable with, it is permissible to address these students by their preferred name. Because transgender

The School Board will be in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681 et seq., if they do not allow a male that is diagnosed with gender dysphoria and identifies as a female, access to the female restroom. Though the Supreme Court has not ruled on this topic, a Fourth Circuit ruling, the Department of Education and Department of Justice Dear Colleague Letter, and case law regarding transgender students can help enlighten the school board on this topic. An introductory understanding of Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 will assist in this matter. Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 and its regulations prohibit sex discrimination in schools, educational programs and activities that are recipients of Federal funds. Within Title IX it specifically prohibits the discrimination of student’s based on gender identity, including the discrimination of transgender students. Title IX provides: “[n]o person… shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance” 20 U.S.C. § 1681(a).

Education is an important factor in life in order to thrive, but LGBT students face harassment in school due to their identity. According to a Human Rights report conducted in 2001, two million American students in the LGBT

More and more kids and teens are realizing that, they are not who they want to be. Meaning that, they want to, or have already changed their gender identity. This doesn’t seem like the problem, but these kids, teens, and even adults don't have the rights we have on a regular daily bases. According to Discovery Education, it says that, these kids and teens aren’t allowed to use the bathroom of the gender they choose to be. This is a big problem throughout the United States, especially in elementary, middle, and high schools. The government also took away the law stating that transgender people, are to use

Here in Canada, this issue has been brought forward in both communities and provincial level of concerns. To take a look closer to home, the city of Toronto had witnessed the complexity of this issue in the past years. A Toronto transgender teen who identifies as a male, was banned from using his high school boys restroom, and was forced to leave school grounds and search for a public bathroom at a gas station. Concerns were mentioned for the safety of Spencer, and also how he felt uncomfortable being forced to use the women’s restroom; however, several parents and students agreed with how the school was taking action to this problem. After a petition was enacted by fellow supportive students, Spencer was allowed to freely use the restrooms at his high school.

Gloucester School Board effects the faculty and students of schools across America. Gavin Grimm, an open transgender student at Gloucester High School wants to have access to the boy’s restroom at school, the boy’s restroom was used until the Gloucester County School Board received complaints from students and families. It’s noted that Grimm suffers from gender dysphoria, to make his transformation easier, all aspects, physical, mental, and social, must be transitioned also. The School Board eventually banned Grimm from using the boy’s restrooms in school, introducing a new policy; this “rule” and the Supreme Court’s ruling will impact many Americans apart of the LGBTQ community and students all over America. Many schools, events like sports, field trips, etc don’t include bathrooms special for transgender citizens like a unisex restrooms, this will affect all Americans, transgender or

Mr. Steve Schmadeke’s startling piece, “Transgender student who sued Palatine school district over locker room access loses round in court,” highlights Illinois’s Cook County Judge Thomas Allen’s unwillingness to review a transgender student Nova Maday’s request for equal access to the girl’s locker room at Palatine High school. Judge Allen, instead, cited that “state law does not call for ‘full and equal access’ to school facilities due to 2010 state legislators removing it in the state’s Human Rights Act” (Schmadeke).

Most LGBT youth become happy with who they are which gives them room to thrive during their adolescent years. Attending a school that has a safe and comfortable environment for every student is especially important. Positive environments can help all youth achieve good grades and maintain good mental and physical health. However, some youths are more likely than their straight peers to experience bad health and life outcomes. Experiences with violence, compared to other students, come easy to LGBT individuals that can cause increased risks for unfortunate circumstances.‘Violence’ includes behaviors such as teasing, harassment, and physical assault. It is important that students at risk have access to resources and support to deal with any questions or challenges they may have or face as they mature. Surveyed LGBT students reported 10% were threatened or injured, 34% were bullied, and 28% were bullied electronically.

This article details the some of the issues created by the growing population of transgendered students in the public education system, specifically the story of Aubrey a girl who transitioned in middle school. The article begins by detailing some of the problems transgendered youths face in the school system among these being bullied, in the forms of verbal and physical harassment. Then details how schools are reacting to prevent this kind of harm and build an inclusive environment. The laws vary by state, but 14 states plus D.C. Have laws that prohibit discrimination, and Title 9 bans gender discrimination nation-wide. The article also details how the Central Dauphin School District in Pennsylvania is working to protect at risk students; the district has implemented training for the staff of the 12000 student district, including training on gender

Mixed gender rights have definitely come to the forefront in recent years for institutions in higher education. Long gone are the days of our parents and grandparents where gender identity and sexual preference were hush-hush. Students have pushed the boundaries of their respective school’s policies on transgender rights and have forced these institutions to institute policies to address these issues of equality on campus. My research will highlight the myriad of ways that higher education has addressed transgender rights on their campuses.

Ever wondered what it's like to not feel safe while using the bathroom? Many transgender students get harassed and discriminated for going to the bathroom with the gender they identify with because of their different anatomy, also many people are transphobic and don’t support them so they treat transgender people unequally and act more superior than them. Transgender students should be able to go to the bathroom with the gender they identify by because it violates the 14th amendment, singles out other transgender students, and it also makes them feel no longer safe and protected because they have to use the bathroom of the opposite gender or go to the nurse's office.

In recent years, some American schools have attempted to make their environment more inclusive to transgender students. However, most attempts are half-hearted, and some schools simply refuse to try. Contrary to what most schools think, supporting transgender students is a lot simpler than most schools think. Many refuse to try because of the perceived complexity, but transgender students just want to be treated like regular students, and not like aliens. School administrations should take action to protect transgender students by educating other students, taking action against bullies, and letting students use their preferred bathroom.