The religious will never be comfortable with sexual issues. Transgenders, like homosexuals, bi'd, straight, and host of inbetweens, deserve equal rights.
On Feb 25, 7:24 am, Travis <[email protected]> wrote: > ** > DCG posted: " Schools get guidelines on transgender students Boston > Globe: Public school officials said that they are ready to implement new > state guidelines that allow transgender students to use bathrooms and play > on sports teams designated for their preferred gen" Respond to this post > by replying above this line > New post on *Fellowship of the Minds* > <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/author/dcgere/> What could > go > wrong?<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2013/02/25/what-could-go-wrong/> > by > DCG <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/author/dcgere/> > > [image: boy] <http://fellowshipofminds.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/boy.jpg> > Schools get guidelines on transgender students > > Boston > Globe<http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/02/17/transgender/FHmjIUlSZo0LC...>: > Public school officials said that they are ready to implement new state > guidelines that *allow transgender students to use bathrooms and play on > sports teams designated for their preferred genders*, among other > provisions. > > The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released the > guidelines, following passage of a Massachusetts law that took effect in > July barring discrimination of transgender students in public schools. The > department’s commissioner, Mitchell D. Chester, and his spokesman could not > be reached for comment on Saturday. > > Tom Scott, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School > Superintendents, said in a phone interview that his members have known > about the impending guidelines for some time and that *he does not expect > districts to have any significant problems implementing them*. > > “These are complicated issues, and *we need to respect every child*,” Scott > said. “We need to ensure that everybody has a right in school to feel that > they have a place. . . . In that regard, it’s absolutely imperative.” > > The education department’s 11-page > document<http://www.doe.mass.edu/ssce/GenderIdentity.pdf>laying out > the guidelines does not specify when they take effect, though > Scott said he presumed they are effective immediately. The department > issued the guidelines after soliciting input from administrators, parents, > and other stakeholders. > > The guidelines call for school officials to assess cases individually, and > they allow for flexibility in making accommodations. For example, *transgender > students may use bathrooms, locker rooms, and changing areas for the gender > with which they identify*, but those who are not comfortable doing so > should be provided with alternatives, such as a unisex or nurses station’s > bathroom. > > *But transgender students cannot be denied access to their preferred > bathroom or locker room because of other students’ discomfort.* “School > administrators and counseling staff should work with students to address > the discomfort and to foster understanding of gender identity, to create a > school culture that respects and values all students,” the guidelines state. > > Also, *transgender students must be allowed to participate in sports “in a > manner consistent with their gender identity*,” and the Massachusetts > Interscholastic Athletic Association, the state regulatory body for school > sports, must defer to “the gender determination made by the student’s > district.” An association spokesman could not be reached for comment on > Saturday. > > Matthew Wilder, a spokesman for the Boston Public Schools, said in an > e-mail that the district does not track the number of enrolled transgender > students. He also could not provide details on any such students who are > currently playing on sports teams for their preferred gender, or using > appropriate changing areas. “I’m sure there are, but that is information > that is extremely confidential, and therefore only a limited group of > people in the organization would have access to it,” Wilder said. > > He said the city already exceeds the requirements for accommodating > transgender youth. “We feel as though we are actually well ahead of these > guidelines in Boston,” Wilder said. “This is nothing new for our school > leaders, and we want to be able to support them any way we can in this > area. We updated our internal guidelines last year, and Superintendent > [Carol] Johnson has appointed an internal committee to ensure we are > meeting and exceeding all requirements.” > > Deborah Peeples of Shrewsbury, whose 23-year-old son is transgender, was > part of a group that helped the state craft the guidelines. “*I think that > guidance like this is really critical to students’ well-being and will > really save lives*,” said Peeples, who facilitates a support group for > parents of transgender children. > > The guidelines also call on schools to use transgender students’ preferred > names and gender-specific pronouns, and reflect their preferred genders on > transcripts. “I think that most of the schools I’ve heard of are doing a > pretty good job, but it takes a great deal of work between the parents and > the schools to figure things out,” she said. “Each time a school system is > faced with this for the first time . . . it’s kind of been like reinventing > the wheel.” > > Since their release on Friday, the Massachusetts guidelines have drawn > praise from transgender advocates and fierce criticism from detractors. > Gunner Scott, executive director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political > Coalition <http://www.masstpc.org>, said in a recent statement that his > group “is grateful to [the department] for *issuing such practical guidance > and identifying the steps that schools can take to create a safer and more > welcoming environment for transgender youth* in our Commonwealth’s schools.” > > Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family > Institute<http://www.mafamily.org/>, > countered on Friday that *the “overriding issue with this new policy is > that opening girls’ bathrooms to boys is an invasion of privacy and a > threat to all students’ safety*.” > > The guidelines state that a school should accept a student’s transgender > identity when there is “consistent and uniform assertion” of it or “any > other evidence that the gender-related identity is sincerely held as part > of a person’s core identity.” Schools can question the assertion only if > officials have “a credible basis” for suspecting that the identity is being > used for “some improper purpose.” *The guidelines do not elaborate on that > point, nor do they outline an appeal process for students and families.* > > Scott, of the superintendent’s association, said he was not aware of any > specific avenues for appeal outside of litigation. “No school district is > going to want to deal with the issue in that way,” he said, adding that > principals, guidance counselors, and other school employees must use “*a > high degree of sensitivity*” when making judgments on individual cases. > > Massachusetts is one of 13 states, along with Washington, D.C., that have > laws prohibiting discrimination in schools based on sexual orientation and > gender identity, according to the Gay Homosexual, Lesbian & Straight > Education Network, a New York-based advocacy group. > > Boys will be allowed in girls bathrooms and locker rooms? Way to respect > the need of* every child*. More like caving to the 0.001% of the population. > > But good commies on the part of this school district. Just following > the Communist > Goals for America <http://neprimer.com/1963ComGoals.htm>: Present > homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy." > > Reason to ∞ home school. > > DCG > *DCG <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/author/dcgere/>* | February > 25, 2013 at 3:30 am | Tags: Boston Public > Schools<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?tag=boston-public-schools>, > Massachusetts Association of School > Superintendents<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?tag=massachusetts-association...>, > Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic > Association<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?tag=massachusetts-interschola...>| > Categories: > Children <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?cat=34928689>, > Education<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?cat=15005908>| > URL:http://wp.me/pKuKY-kq4 > > > Comment<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2013/02/25/what-could-go-wrong...> > See all > comments<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2013/02/25/what-could-go-wrong...> > > Unsubscribe or change your email settings at Manage > Subscriptions<https://subscribe.wordpress.com/?key=80d8873ee52adffe4e178d01c25562cf...>. > > *Trouble clicking?* Copy and paste this URL into your > browser:http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2013/02/25/what-could-go-wrong/ > Thanks for flying with WordPress.com <http://wordpress.com> -- -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. 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