Students urge administrators to adopt transgender policy

Students from West Mifflin Area School District’s Gay Straight Alliance at a Jan. 23 school board meeting requested adoption of a districtwide transgender and expansive students policy such as the one Pittsburgh Public Schools has.

“Help us adopt the Pittsburgh Public Schools transgender policy,” said West Mifflin Area High School teacher Lauren Rowe, who is adviser for the Gay Straight Alliance at the high school.

Pittsburgh Public Schools’ transgender and gender expansive students policy allows for students to be addressed by their preferred name and gender pronoun. Additionally, the district must maintain a permanent record that includes the student’s legal name and gender but will let transgender students use their preferred gender on school IDs, classroom rosters, in the yearbook and on other school records or documents.

Additionally, the policy states all students can participate in physical education classes and sports that match their gender identity.

Ms. Rowe said adopting a policy like the one Pittsburgh Public Schools adopted in 2016 would help transgender students when it comes to privacy, which bathroom they use and what name they are called.

The goal, she said is “to see every human being in our district thrive.”

She said the policy would also help with staff training.

“People who are trans have the same rights as anyone else,” said West Mifflin Area High School student Joe Billick.

Student Alexander Collins said he has been bullied for being transgender.

“On a daily basis, I will get two or three comments about ‘what I was before,’” he said and added he’s been punched and kicked at school.

“This bullying has caused kids to hate coming to school,” Alexander said.

Todd Kinavey, middle school teacher and adviser of the school’s Gay Straight Alliance, said students share their issues with him all the time, and he said some of the things they go through “stunned me.”

“They go from one period to another period being referred to as a different gender” or by a different first name, Mr. Kinavey said.

“As educators we don’t know what is appropriate,” he said.

He added that the most important part of his job is to make students feel safe, respected and supported in school.

“They don’t feel that,” Mr. Kinavey said of transgender students.

He added he supports adopting the Pittsburgh Public Schools policy.

“This policy protects children who desperately need it,” he said.

Acting Superintendent Mark Hoover thanked the students and teachers for their presentations.

“You really demonstrated courage to really talk about something we all need an education on,” Mr. Hoover said. “I couldn’t be more proud of all of you who spoke tonight.”

He added the board will discuss the potential of adopting a transgender policy.