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Do research before making such accusations

November 28, 2017

I am writing in response to recent letters by Lorraine Gloede "In opposition to choosing child's gender" and "Self-identify gender under proposed reg 225" by John Cross.

Ms. Gloede and Mr. Cross make many statements that are misguided, misinformed, and downright dangerous to the health and wellness of our children. To one of their points about whether or not to include parents in discussions regarding their child's gender identity, there are concrete and indisputable facts as to why this was included in the policy.

Both Ms. Gloede and Mr. Cross dismiss the notion that involving parents could jeopardize the "safety, health, and well-being" of children. The truth is, the children who are the most vulnerable and the most impacted by this policy are also the ones who have the highest rates of depression and the highest rates of homelessness in large part because of parents who are not supportive.

A father in Nevada recently murdered his son for being gay, and an estimated 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ. If this policy saves the life of one child, or prevents one child from becoming homeless, has it served its purpose?

Contrary to her statement, children who express curiosity about their gender grow out of it, children who are transgender show persistence, consistence, and insistence regarding their identity. No child would endure the bullying, the alienation, the ostracizing, the physical, emotional, and mental abuse at the hands of their peers and/or their parents, for a "phase."

To say this policy would prevent children from being able to "grow out of it" is absurd and shows not only a lack of understanding about the fluidity of gender and definition of transgender, it shows a lack of understanding of the policy itself.

Her suggestion that perhaps this would be an opportunity for teachers to strike shows her lack of knowledge that the National Education Association, the National Parent Teacher Association, the National School Boards Association, and the American School Counselor Association are all in support of inclusive policies to encourage the health and wellness of LGBTQ students and staff.

The National School Boards Association states: "The NSBA believes that school boards should ensure that students and school staff are not subjected to discrimination on the basis of gender, or sexual orientation."

The National Parent Teacher Association Resolution states: "The National PTA seek and support legislation that specifically recognizes LGBTQ as a protected group and addresses discrimination based upon sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression."

Gazette readers, Ms. Gloede and Mr. Cross may also be interested to know the National Association of Social Workers, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and the National Association of School Psychologists are all also on board in supporting LGBTQ youth and staff. There is a reason for this: in school communities where both LGBTQ students and faculty are supported, everybody does better - which translates to higher attendance, greater academic achievements, and increased graduation rates for all. (2015 National School Climate Survey, GLSEN)

I encourage readers to think carefully about Ms. Gloede's statement, "The small percentage of LGBT students in overall population doesn't warrant the DOE's attention." Mr. Cross makes a similar statement: "The proposed regulation will benefit few and will have detrimental impacts on the majority of the population." Mr. Cross does not state what "detrimental impacts" he has envisioned, but he has acknowledged the regulation would be beneficial, and this has been proven repeatedly by the sources I have mentioned.

I urge readers to do some research before coming to conclusions that only serve to further jeopardize the health and safety of our children. Imagine walking in the shoes of those who will be protected in a world in which they are not. All one needs is a little Google and a lot of compassion. Researching GLSEN and HRC's Welcoming Schools would be great places to start, with an open heart.

Tara Sheldon
Lewes

 

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