By John Riley on May 26, 2023 @JRileyMW
Arizona’s Democratic Governor, Katie Hobbs, vetoed a bill that would have barred schools from referring to transgender students by names or pronouns matching their gender identity.
Under the bill, employees or independent contractors of a school district or charter school would be prohibited from knowingly calling a student under the age of 18 by a pronoun other than the one matching their assigned sex at birth, reports the Associated Press.
School staff would also be prevented from referring to the student by any name besides the first or middle name listed on their school records, although nicknames rooted in a student’s given name would be acceptable.
Opponents of the bill argued that students should have the freedom to be referred to by whatever names or pronouns they wish, since they all enjoy a right to freedom of expression.
Furthermore, opponents argue that just because a student adopts pronouns that do not match their assigned sex at birth does not mean they are being fast-tracked for surgical interventions.
For example, a student who identifies as nonbinary and uses “they/them” pronouns may not experience gender dysphoria to the point where they would seek to medically transition; rather, they may just want to have their identity respected.
State Sen. John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills), the bill’s sponsor, previously claimed the bill was about making sure parents were aware that their child wanted to identify by another name or pronoun.
“Parents have a right to know if their children are in psychological turmoil,” Kavanagh said, noting that youth may feel confused, depressed, anxious, or suicidal due to their gender dysphoria, and may require mental health care to better deal with those problems.
“Parents can’t get their children the counseling or therapy needed if their school is hiding this information from them.”
But, as the Arizona Capitol Times notes, nothing in the legislation would have actually required teachers or schools to report a child’s dysphoria to parents. Rather, it simply would have barred teachers from referring to students with their preferred names or pronouns, and teachers with personal religious or moral beliefs or convictions would be empowered to refuse student requests.
Only if a teacher agreed to a student’s request was there a requirement to notify a parent and get consent, just as they would for any other issue, such as going on a field trip or allowing their children to take an aspirin at school.
Kavanagh also argued that his legislation contained an exception allowing teachers to use a student’s preferred pronoun if a parent gave written permission.
But even that provision was flawed, as the legislation would have allowed a teacher to override a parent’s wishes based on the teacher’s “religious or moral convictions.”
Just prior to Republicans voting to approve the measure on a party-line vote, State Rep. Lorena Austin (D-Mesa), who identifies as the first nonbinary, gender-nonconforming state representative, pleaded with her colleagues to consider the bill’s ramifications.
“I can tell you as a young person, if this bill had come through when I was in high school, it would have terrified me,” Austin said during debate on the bill. “I was already terrified of knowing that I would not be accepted in the society as such.”
Kavanagh slammed Hobbs for vetoing the bill earlier this week.
“For the governor to turn a blind eye to what’s happening is reckless and irresponsible. I would expect more from a former social worker,” he said.
But Hobbs denounced the bill as an attack on transgender children.
“Instead of coming up with new ways to target and isolate our children, we should be working together to create an Arizona where everyone has the freedom to be who they are without fear of harassment or judgment,” she said in a statement.
Hobbs also thanked Austin for “telling their story and speaking their truth” during debate on the bill, and sought to re-emphasize Austin’s words to young people that “you have every right to be who you are.” Hobbs added, “I will veto every bill that aims to attack and harm children.”
Kavanagh also sponsored another bill, which passed along party lines, requiring schools to create “reasonable accommodations” — often a single-user or unisex restroom, such as the kind that Virginia student Gavin Grimm was forced to use by his school system — for any student who refuses to use restrooms matching their assigned sex at birth.
But despite the bill’s passage, the Senate GOP leadership has not yet sent it to Hobbs, who is expected to veto it.
By John Riley on April 25, 2023 @JRileyMW
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is requiring agency employees to dress "in a manner consistent with their biological gender," in a swipe against the transgender and gender-nonconforming community.
Miller issued the requirement on April 13 as part of a "dress code and grooming policy," issued as a memo to department employees.
According to The Texas Observer, which first reported on the new dress code, employees are expected to dress in a way that their clothing and standards of grooming conform to their assigned sex at birth, as determined by their biological anatomy.
By John Riley on April 20, 2023 @JRileyMW
On Thursday, the Republican-led U.S, House of Representatives passed a bill seeking to prohibit transgender women and girls from competing in female-designated athletic activities.
The passage of the "Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act" on a party-line 219-203 vote marks the first time that Congress has voted on a standalone bill dealing with the transgender community.
It also signifies the GOP's determination to continue pursuing a nationwide strategy targeting the transgender community, in the hope of exploiting voters' discomfort with gender-nonconformity. Over the past three years, multiple Republican-led state legislatures have passed laws restricting transgender participation in sports, limiting access to gender-affirming care, or restricting the types of bathroom or changing room facilities that transgender people may use.
By John Riley on April 27, 2023 @JRileyMW
The D.C. Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs has awarded $20,000 to an organization aiming to teach transgender and nonbinary residents skills how to protect themselves from potential attackers.
According to D.C. CBS affiliate WUSA9, the office awarded the money to Defend Yourself, an organization that shares skills to help those targeted for harassment, abuse, or assault to feel more safe and confident in their ability to defend themselves.
The money from the Office of LGBTQ Affairs will allow Defend Yourself to train up to 10 transgender and nonbinary residents to become "empowerment self-defense teachers," who can then share their skills and knowledge with others.
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