Minnesota’s Department of Education has released an advisory to all K-12 schools to “segregate” students who raise objections to the state’s new mandate for transgender locker rooms and bathrooms.
Earlier this month, state officials approved of a new gender toolkit titled “Safe and Supportive Schools for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students” aimed at making “non-binary” and transgender students feel welcome from kindergarten through 12th grade.
The toolkit also calls for segregating students concerned with their privacy away from transgender students so it “does not result in stigmatizing the transgender or gender nonconforming student.”
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, the toolkit isn’t mandatory, and is subject to change in the future, but schools are advised to follow it anyway.
The new guidelines are designed to “help school districts and charter schools create environments where transgender and gender nonconforming students are safe, supported, and fully included, and have equal access to the educational opportunities provided to all students as required by federal or state law.”
At present, the toolkit will not prevent a male student from stepping into the girl’s locker room while claiming to be transgender. Instead, female students who object to the intrusion will be “segregated” so the male student does not feel stigmatized.
Furthermore, schools are instructed to provide transgender students the privilege of choosing their own preferred gender pronouns, and staff are not merely encouraged, but advised to oblige their demands.
Teachers who fail to address these students by their chosen pronouns are warned that they could be in violation of federal law.
“Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of students,” the toolkit advises. “Schools should note that neither a student’s gender nor pronouns are considered public or directory information. Casual use of a student’s incorrect pronoun or incorrect name may violate FERPA.”
Schools must also provide exceptions for transgender students with regards to dress codes to be more inclusive.
“In an effort for inclusivity, schools may wish to consider revisiting existing traditions or establishing new traditions,” the toolkit states, suggesting that schools should also rename homecoming kings and queens to terms like “prom ambassadors” and “homecoming royalty.”
Ian Miles Cheong is a journalist and outspoken media critic. You can reach him through social media at @stillgray on Twitter.
