While school districts grapple with attacks on transgender students, some schools are moving in the other direction. Champlain Valley School District has passed expansive rights for trans students.
While this is certainly good news, it’s hard to be too uplifted given the nearly simultaneous news re. the speaker election in the House of Representatives - and the near certainly that fiercely bad national anti-trans legislation will be enacted by that legislative body at the earliest possible opportunity. Another guardrail is down in the steadily worsening environment for trans people in the US.
Agreed, Sandra, that this one glimmer of light and hope will not stop the avalanche of difficult news already in progress. I can't help feeling, though, that we've been here before, and fought the good fight, for example with marriage equality.
After Obergefell, on the heels of so many setbacks and incremental wins, see-sawing back and forth, I thought about what kinds of opposition might come next. Marriage equality had focused on the rights of same-sex couples to live the same adult lives on equal footing with their hetero peers. My only prediction at that point was that they'd come after the kids, eventually but viciously.
I had no clue what angle that would take, or how soon. I was guessing it would come sooner after 2015. But here we are, immersed in the viciousness of people determined to impede the lives of trans kids and adults, along with banning books and shaming LGBTQ+ adults as groomers.
For me, the fight continues, with groundbreaking work by the Champlain Valley School District offering inspiration and light.
I mean, there will be a political calculation made one way or another. If republicans are adamant enough that they won't get a bill with out those ammendments, its not unknown for democrats to allow such a thing to pass to meet some other political goal.
That’s fair. It’s unfortunately very common in politics (especially American politics) to use the rights of marginalized people as a bargaining chip. 😞
That will be easy for them if the GOP retakes the Senate and/or Presidency in 2024. In the meantime, they can attach anti-trans items to must-pass legislation, as others have noted.
What an important and uplifting report! Thank you for all your hard work, Erin. Especially now while we’re all gasping for the air of good news. This news provides so much hope!
Agreed, it's good to see at least one positive piece of news, and I just don't know what I'd do without Erin's journalism. Nothing else I'm aware of comes close.
Erin: The context linked under "unanimously" -- to an article at Seven Days VT, branded "Vermont's Independent Voice" -- is fantastically thorough in explaining how the district undertook its process. Some of the details which stood out to me included:
* The district didn't begin its policy discussions at public school board meetings. It tasked a committee with studying the issues and gathering input from "principals, school counselors and nurses, students, and parents".
* It sounds like a high value was placed on 1-on-1 conversations with parents. One parent who opposed to the official policy, as well as the long-standing de facto practices, had conversations with committee members, including the school board president.
* While there was no mention of public protests or high-drama school board meetings, this paragraph stood out to me:
------
A number of community members contacted board members to question the policy, with correspondence that ranged from "blatantly hateful to genuinely curious," Arsenault said. Board members responded to all of those who sent messages, she said, trying to dispel misconceptions and assuring them that the policy was based largely on systems already in place.
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* The school board is acutely aware that the ADF -- Alliance Defending Freedom -- has its sights trained on Vermont schools after suing two other districts. Once crafted, the new policy went through two rounds of legal review before being approved.
While this model may not be easily replicated in other districts, it speaks plainly and boldly to the fact that it can be done. Excellent work by the entire community, including the Champlain Valley School District board members.
Thanks for sharing this heartwarming story, Erin. These guarantees will help ensure that students can learn in an environment where their identities are respected, something that other districts would do well to emulate. Freedom to be our true selves is an essential right that must be guaranteed everywhere. 💖🪻
Great news from Bernie's state! Thank you so much; I'll take any glimmer of hope and in my mind I'll grow it into hopefulness to get my head out of the mud.
While this is certainly good news, it’s hard to be too uplifted given the nearly simultaneous news re. the speaker election in the House of Representatives - and the near certainly that fiercely bad national anti-trans legislation will be enacted by that legislative body at the earliest possible opportunity. Another guardrail is down in the steadily worsening environment for trans people in the US.
Agreed, Sandra, that this one glimmer of light and hope will not stop the avalanche of difficult news already in progress. I can't help feeling, though, that we've been here before, and fought the good fight, for example with marriage equality.
After Obergefell, on the heels of so many setbacks and incremental wins, see-sawing back and forth, I thought about what kinds of opposition might come next. Marriage equality had focused on the rights of same-sex couples to live the same adult lives on equal footing with their hetero peers. My only prediction at that point was that they'd come after the kids, eventually but viciously.
I had no clue what angle that would take, or how soon. I was guessing it would come sooner after 2015. But here we are, immersed in the viciousness of people determined to impede the lives of trans kids and adults, along with banning books and shaming LGBTQ+ adults as groomers.
For me, the fight continues, with groundbreaking work by the Champlain Valley School District offering inspiration and light.
Any anti-trans egislation would have to pass the senate and be signed by the president, though.
I mean, there will be a political calculation made one way or another. If republicans are adamant enough that they won't get a bill with out those ammendments, its not unknown for democrats to allow such a thing to pass to meet some other political goal.
That’s fair. It’s unfortunately very common in politics (especially American politics) to use the rights of marginalized people as a bargaining chip. 😞
So very true. We can only hope that there are enough people who truly care that the forces of hatred can be held back.
That will be easy for them if the GOP retakes the Senate and/or Presidency in 2024. In the meantime, they can attach anti-trans items to must-pass legislation, as others have noted.
Very true. 😢
What an important and uplifting report! Thank you for all your hard work, Erin. Especially now while we’re all gasping for the air of good news. This news provides so much hope!
Agreed, it's good to see at least one positive piece of news, and I just don't know what I'd do without Erin's journalism. Nothing else I'm aware of comes close.
Erin: The context linked under "unanimously" -- to an article at Seven Days VT, branded "Vermont's Independent Voice" -- is fantastically thorough in explaining how the district undertook its process. Some of the details which stood out to me included:
* The district didn't begin its policy discussions at public school board meetings. It tasked a committee with studying the issues and gathering input from "principals, school counselors and nurses, students, and parents".
* It sounds like a high value was placed on 1-on-1 conversations with parents. One parent who opposed to the official policy, as well as the long-standing de facto practices, had conversations with committee members, including the school board president.
* While there was no mention of public protests or high-drama school board meetings, this paragraph stood out to me:
------
A number of community members contacted board members to question the policy, with correspondence that ranged from "blatantly hateful to genuinely curious," Arsenault said. Board members responded to all of those who sent messages, she said, trying to dispel misconceptions and assuring them that the policy was based largely on systems already in place.
------
* The school board is acutely aware that the ADF -- Alliance Defending Freedom -- has its sights trained on Vermont schools after suing two other districts. Once crafted, the new policy went through two rounds of legal review before being approved.
While this model may not be easily replicated in other districts, it speaks plainly and boldly to the fact that it can be done. Excellent work by the entire community, including the Champlain Valley School District board members.
Thanks for sharing this heartwarming story, Erin. These guarantees will help ensure that students can learn in an environment where their identities are respected, something that other districts would do well to emulate. Freedom to be our true selves is an essential right that must be guaranteed everywhere. 💖🪻
Vermont for the win, again!
The same state where their state governing body for high school activities told the evilgelicals to kick rocks. I approve this message.
Awesome! Very uplifting. 💕
Great news from Bernie's state! Thank you so much; I'll take any glimmer of hope and in my mind I'll grow it into hopefulness to get my head out of the mud.