On January 1, California became the first state to enact a transgender student rights law, allowing transgender students to choose which bathroom and locker room they use at school.
Along with bathroom and locker room usage, students who identify as the opposite sex can now choose which school sports team, girls or boys, they play on. Schools in California have been working on anti-discrimination and anti-bullying laws for years in order to protect transgender students.
According to NBC, the San Diego Unified School District has been working on these laws on a case-by-case basis, looking specifically at certain schools who have experienced more problems with transgender students being bullied; but now that this law has passed statewide, they expect to see more progress.
LHS sophomore Eva Mattioli feels that the policies will make transgender students feel safer at their schools. “I think it’s just a personal choice. If it makes them comfortable, what’s the problem? They’re just being who they are.”
The laws, now in effect, are still seeing issues from those who do not agree with them. Conservative groups around California have been collecting signatures to put the enacted law on the ballot in November 2014. If the referendum to repeal the law qualifies, the law could potentially be suspended.
One of those opposed is Finn Laursen, the Executive Director of the Christian Educators Association International, an organization that represents the opinion of Christian teachers. Quoted by NBC San Diego, Laursen explained that the law goes beyond anti-bullying and sex equality policies, and that it is clear who the boy is and who the girl is. The law, he says, is based solely on self-determination of gender.
San Marcos High School, a school in California, has these gender neutral policies. “When I lived in California, we had a few transgender students in our school who used their respected bathroom, and they were able to choose, ” said sophomore Tatum Scheibler. She moved back from San Marcos, California, on March 5.
Scheibler had lived in Libertyville all her life until her dad’s job moved them to the Golden State last June. “I mean the way I dress and like how short my hair is, people think I’m a guy and I get weird looks when I walk into the girls bathroom, but I’m not transgender, so it doesn’t really affect me personally in that way, but my school was great about letting people use whichever one they preferred”.
In response to CEAI, Kevin Beiser, vice president to the board of San Diego Unified, said “I think it’s unfortunate there’s a lot of fear and hysteria whipped up around this policy because this is really about doing what’s right for the kids.”
