Thursday, November 19, 2015

Washington Post editorial board stands up for transgender student


Regarding the case in Chicago of a transgender girl attempting to be treated fairly, while the anti-gay right spins awful lies of her being an exhibitionist and a predator, legitimate media sources, such as the Washington Post editorial board, offers basic clarity and accuracy to the issue:

 . . . details of the two-year investigation prompted by the girl’s complaint paint a far different picture than that suggested by the rhetoric of school officials. How the girl, who is undergoing hormone therapy and is recognized by the school as a female in all other respects (including her use of bathrooms), first asked — and was denied — an opportunity to change clothes privately within the girls’ locker room in an area such as a restroom stall. How the school’s insistence she use separate facilities for the past two years has stigmatized her. It is clear from the government’s investigation, which included inspection of the facilities and interviews with school staff about conduct common in the locker rooms, that the privacy of all students could be protected without singling out this girl for separate and discriminatory treatment. It is a point that was underscored by the hundreds of students and community members who signed a student-led petition in support of her access to the locker room. 

According to Media Matters:

 The Post's calls for equality for transgender students are backed by the collective experience of 17 school districts around the nation that have implemented policies protecting transgender students with no negative consequences, and falls during Transgender Awareness Week, which according to LGBT media advocacy organization GLAAD, "help[s] raise the visibility of transgender and gender non-conforming people."

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