Two members of the Orange Unified School District board have been removed by parents who opposed a policy requiring school staff to out transgender kids.
Parents in Southern California have voted to remove two conservative school board members after they spearheaded a policy that forcibly outs transgender students to their guardians.
Members of the Orange Unified School District board voted 4-0 to enact the policy in September. It was passed at 11:30 p.m., after the three opposed members walked out and withheld their votes.
The policy states that parents must be notified when a student seeks “to be identified as a gender other than the student’s biological sex or gender listed on the student’s birth certificate or any other official records.” This includes names, nicknames, and pronouns, and applies even if the student hasn’t taken action but has discussed the matter with a counselor.
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At the initial meeting in September, the board was overwhelmed by crowds who showed up to either protest or support the policy. However, the majority of the attendees voicing support did not have children in the district’s schools, and most were not residents of the area, according to the Times.
My sibling had to hide their orientation for years because our parents love their Abrahamic god more than their children’s well-being, and also hid it from me out of fear that I would react in the same intolerant way. I wouldn’t have, but understand why they thought I would.
I wish there had been a safe adult resource to talk to for them, like an openly tolerant and welcoming teacher or counselor who wouldn’t breach their trust; it could’ve saved years of negative self-esteem thinking they weren’t good enough to be loved for simply being themself. There sure as shit wasn’t that resource in our home or church. If parents aren’t trusted by their kids, it’s because they have shown their kids they can’t be trusted. That isn’t a freak occurrence, it comes from years of demonstrating it through their words and actions.