Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/189657
Samantha Carr fears transgender students might be harassed in the restroom. how it will work. They include Samantha Carr, a teacher at Arroyo High School, who serves as adviser for the GayStraight Alliance. "Overall, I think it's a good thing, but we need to make sure that students identifying as a different gender are not harassed or bullied in any way," says the El Monte Union Education Association member, who fears transgender students might be harassed in the restroom. There are some transgender students at her school, she says, but none have shown a desire to use the restroom of the gender they identify with. But that may change under the new law. Carr also questions how the new law will affect sports teams. "Physical strength is an issue. Boys sometimes have more strength and speed, and it could be difficult for girls to compete against [a male-to-female athlete] with a physical advantage like that." The law doesn't set guidelines for determining a student's gender identity. Some critics fear that boys pretending to be transgender will visit the girls' bathroom or locker room to catch a glimpse of undressed females. But that has not happened in San Francisco or Los Angeles, say CTA members. They point out that laws against voyeurism already exist, most students use stalls, and students won't risk family alienation or rejection by their peers just for the possibility of getting a sneak peek. READ MORE ON PAGE 44. From a student's perspective A S H T O N L E E , a junior at Manteca High School, says AB 1266 allows him to be just like any other boy on campus. He is contemplating joining the boys' wrestling team or playing baseball. Until recently, Ashton went by the name of Kimberly. His earliest memories are of feeling "different" from other children. During his sophomore year, he realized that he was a transgender male. With the support of his mother, he came out. He is one of four openly transgender students at his school. During sophomore year, Ashton wanted to take a PE class with boys. Instead, a counselor assigned him to an aerobics class with girls. He never complained to administrators, but he was unhappy. When he heard about the introduction of AB 1266, allowing students to participate in classes and sports and use facilities based on gender identification, he became an ardent spokesman for the bill, traveling with his mother to the state Capitol and lobbying legislators and an aide to Gov. Brown. "I think it's impressive, especially for a teenager, to be so determined and involved in the political process," says one of Ashton's favorite teachers, Chris Burr, a Manteca Education Association member. "It shows a tremendous amount of character and maturity to actually take action through democratic measures. I am proud of him and his conviction, not only for standing strong in his beliefs, but also for having the initiative to put those beliefs into action to bring about concrete change." Californians may have been taken off guard when the bill passed, but Ashton knew it would happen. "I had a lot of faith it would go through. It wasn't a surprise to me. It was something I celebrated." Ashton wants educators to know they have nothing to fear from the new law, and that taking showers, using bathrooms, and pretending to be transgender will likely not be an issue. "We don't have time to shower after PE. And honestly, who wants to go through the hassle of talking to administration pretending to be transgender? It's not an easy road, and nobody is going to choose a hard road just to get a sneak peek at a girl. When it comes to the bathroom, well, you just go in, do your business and walk out." When asked to make a statement to CTA's 325,000 members, he had this to say. "We're just kids. We want to be able to be genuine at school and honest with ourselves and everyone else. This makes it possible to be who we are without worrying about it. It makes us more human." OCTOBER 201 3 Educator 10 Oct 2013 v2.1 int.indd 43 www.cta.org 43 10/7/13 9:39 PM