Transgender Students Get New Options in California

[Jamie D]

Transgender Students Get New Options in California
School Districts Grapple With Newly Enacted Law That Spells Out Rights

Wall Street Journal | Alejandro Lazo

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—School districts in California are grappling with a newly enacted, first-of-its-kind law that spells out rights for those students who don't identify as being the gender of their birth.

California law AB 1266, the first such statewide legislation in the country, grants students who identify themselves as transgender the right to choose the sports teams and extracurricular activities—as well as the bathrooms and locker rooms—that correspond to their gender identities. Backers of the measure say transgender children have been subject to bullying in such settings and have thus taken to avoiding using the restroom or participating in athletics.

There are no firm estimates of how many such students might attend California schools, and no specific guidelines for determining if a youngster should be considered transgender....

California's law was modeled after policies in place in the Los Angeles and San Francisco school districts. Judy Chiasson, the program coordinator for human relations, diversity and equity at the Los Angeles Unified School District, said the district hasn't had any problems giving transgender students access to the facilities they identify with.

Full article at the link


Kane Atticus Tajnai changed his gender identity to male this year. (Talia Herman for The Wall Street Journal)