Post by Ayla on Mar 10, 2016 20:13:17 GMT 8
www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/peggy-mueller-aragon-transgender-bathrooms-albuquerque-public-schools/4070470/#.VuFkMZN95UM
A major policy question at Albuquerque Public Schools is stirring some pretty bold opinions on the district's board. Should transgender students be allowed to use their bathroom or locker room of choice?
One very vocal school board member says the policy risks transgender students exposing themselves to others, opening the district to lawsuits.
Guys in the girl's bathrooms, total disorder, lawsuits -- those are the concerns one Albuquerque School Board member says she's heard from constituents over changing policy to allow transgender students to use their restroom of choice.
LGBT advocates say the panic is ridiculous.
"Are there going to be exemption forms provided to students who don't want to see the private parts of the opposite sex?" said board member Peggy Mueller-Aragon.
APS board member Peggy Mueller Aragon drew gasps Wednesday during a Policy and Instruction Committee meeting -- suggesting transgender student bathroom use will open the district up to lawsuits and scandal.
"Are they going to be able to say, 'We don't want our children to go into this bathroom if these children are going in?'" said Mueller-Aragon.
Right now, APS policy requires a growing population of transgender students to use separate, "gender neutral" bathrooms.
But a new proposed policy says transgender kids should be able to use the restroom they identify with. That goes for dress code and PE classes, too.
Under the new policy, students who identify as female, must be treated that way. The same goes for students who identify as male.
But Mueller-Aragon says she sees too many potential issues -- even suggesting other students may require counseling caused by trauma from encountering opposite sex genitalia in the safety of their own restroom.
"We hear from trans students that they frequently don't drink water or liquid all day long in order to avoid navigating the bathroom," said Adrian Lawyer, of the Albuquerque Transgender Resource Center. "Transgender students are not exposing themselves in the bathroom."
Aragon's concerns were blasted Wednesday by Lawyer.
"We always hear that pushback from folks," said Lawyer. "But the truth is it doesn't happen; there aren't any recorded incidents of this."
Support for Aragon was in short order Wednesday. Only Adelious Stith stood to question the more inclusive policy.
"We've become such a society now that is dealing with 'everyone has rights' and 'everyone has benefits.' Well, it doesn't work that way," said Stith.
Five other committee members -- Lorenzo Garcia, Analee Maestas, Barbara Petersen, Steven Michael Quezada, and Don Duran -- stood openly in support of changing the policy.
That policy doesn't change just yet -- it'll need approval of the school board. Wednesday was just an initial discussion in committee and no vote took place.
A major policy question at Albuquerque Public Schools is stirring some pretty bold opinions on the district's board. Should transgender students be allowed to use their bathroom or locker room of choice?
One very vocal school board member says the policy risks transgender students exposing themselves to others, opening the district to lawsuits.
Guys in the girl's bathrooms, total disorder, lawsuits -- those are the concerns one Albuquerque School Board member says she's heard from constituents over changing policy to allow transgender students to use their restroom of choice.
LGBT advocates say the panic is ridiculous.
"Are there going to be exemption forms provided to students who don't want to see the private parts of the opposite sex?" said board member Peggy Mueller-Aragon.
APS board member Peggy Mueller Aragon drew gasps Wednesday during a Policy and Instruction Committee meeting -- suggesting transgender student bathroom use will open the district up to lawsuits and scandal.
"Are they going to be able to say, 'We don't want our children to go into this bathroom if these children are going in?'" said Mueller-Aragon.
Right now, APS policy requires a growing population of transgender students to use separate, "gender neutral" bathrooms.
But a new proposed policy says transgender kids should be able to use the restroom they identify with. That goes for dress code and PE classes, too.
Under the new policy, students who identify as female, must be treated that way. The same goes for students who identify as male.
But Mueller-Aragon says she sees too many potential issues -- even suggesting other students may require counseling caused by trauma from encountering opposite sex genitalia in the safety of their own restroom.
"We hear from trans students that they frequently don't drink water or liquid all day long in order to avoid navigating the bathroom," said Adrian Lawyer, of the Albuquerque Transgender Resource Center. "Transgender students are not exposing themselves in the bathroom."
Aragon's concerns were blasted Wednesday by Lawyer.
"We always hear that pushback from folks," said Lawyer. "But the truth is it doesn't happen; there aren't any recorded incidents of this."
Support for Aragon was in short order Wednesday. Only Adelious Stith stood to question the more inclusive policy.
"We've become such a society now that is dealing with 'everyone has rights' and 'everyone has benefits.' Well, it doesn't work that way," said Stith.
Five other committee members -- Lorenzo Garcia, Analee Maestas, Barbara Petersen, Steven Michael Quezada, and Don Duran -- stood openly in support of changing the policy.
That policy doesn't change just yet -- it'll need approval of the school board. Wednesday was just an initial discussion in committee and no vote took place.