Trans youth need our help–ensure they have access to all-gender restrooms.
On Feb 9th this year, The SF Board of Education approved a resolution I wrote affirming the rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ students and calling on the SFUnified to create a Queer Transgender Parent Advisory Council (QTPAC).
I was honored to work with 2SLGBTQIA+ families to bring this resolution to the Board. TY @solomemehood and Our Family Coalition for your leadership, Harvey Milk Democratic Club for your support. Let’s ensure it’s fully implemented!
Read the full resolution here: https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board.nsf/Public#
As a straight cisgender mom, I am grateful to families who have advocated for more gender-inclusive practices in our schools. They benefit all of our kids.
When I first became an educator, 25 years ago, I worked with students to educate their peers on homophobia. This was when teachers nationwide were regularly fired for being openly gay/lesbian.
Now, the same right-wing forces are attacking teachers and trying to dismantle the progress we’ve made in making school safe and welcoming for trans and nonbinary and two-spirit students. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/lgbtq-students-texas-school-rainbow-stickers-rcna23208
One way we can all make kids safe and welcome in schools is to ensure they have access to all-gender restrooms. I still hear many stories from parents of trans kids who don’t have easy access to bathrooms in our schools — even in SF!
When we deny basic services, it harkens back to Jim Crow laws that restricted access to public services like water fountains, bathrooms, and swimming pools for Black Americans.
We cannot go back. Trans kids are kids. They all deserve to feel valued and affirmed in our schools.
So, families: I’m calling on you! If you are a parent, take action by finding out if your child’s school has all-gender restrooms with proper signage in Braille.
If there is no proper signage, SFUSD parents can file William's complaints. If you are not in SF, you can also fight to create a 2SLGBTQIA+ parent group in your school or district (Use SFUSD’s QTPAC resolution as a template!)
Or donate to organizations working to protect and defend trans youth!
CA Families: How to file a complaint if your child’s school does not have proper signage or access to an All Gender Restroom.
Link to the SFUSD Williams complaint form:
Sample language for filling out your Williams Complaint:
“I am filing a complaint to notify the SFUSD that there is no bathroom access/signage for All Gender Restrooms in my [list name of school].
Lack of bathroom access is listed as an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or staff.
CA Education Code 35292.5 requires restrooms are “open during school hours when students are not in classes and have kept a sufficient number of restrooms open during school hours when students are in classes.” This includes access to all-gender restrooms for students.
In order for All Gender Restrooms to be available, students must have proper signage that does not depict binary (man/woman) signage and is also accessible to disabled students. This signage should be permanent and include Braille. (E.g. many schools are currently using paper printouts for signage of all-gender restrooms. This is in violation of CA Ed. Code.)”
If you want to read the CA law yourself, it is listed here.
