Act now to stop the forced outing of transgender students in Rocklin & El Dorado Hills
The war on LGBTQ+ kids has reached our community. On September 6, 2023 both the Rocklin Unified School Board, and Buckeye School Board (El Dorado Hills) intend to pass a policy that will require school personnel to out trans and nonbinary kids to force out them to their parents or guardians if the student uses a name, pronoun, restroom, or other facilities that align with their gender identity but do not match the record of their sex assigned at birth. Multiple other area school districts in Placer County are determined to follow.
You may have heard that a similar policy was adopted in Chino Hills and other communities in California over the past few weeks despite laws that protect the safety and privacy of students in schools. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond tried to warn them that it was illegal. State Attorney General Rob Bonta is now suing the district to prevent this discriminatory and harmful policy from going into effect. But there are powerful groups outside our region pushing local parents to claim it is their l right to be told and decide whether or not their child’s gender identity should be respected and protected at school.
According to a recent National Institutes of Health study, 73% transgender adolescents reported psychological abuse, 39% reported physical abuse, often at the hands of unaffirming parents. Forced outing before a child is ready only increases the likelihood of harm. This could have severe consequences for LGBTQ+ youth who do not have affirming families, further isolating these youth, and potentially causing greater damage to their mental health and wellbeing. In 2022 alone, there was a 54% increase in anti-LGBTQ2+ hate crimes in America.
We need you to show up for these kids. We need your local voice to demand that schools be a safe haven where students are respected and protected. It’s the board’s job to focus on learning rather than policies that force kids to choose between keeping their identity hidden in order to avoid abuse, or living their authentic life at school, but having to constantly be under attack for who they are at home and at school. We will do everything we can defend and advocate for LGBTQ+ youth, but a lot of loud voices oppose our right to exist and we need your help.
As residents and organizations rooted in the values of inclusivity, empathy, and equality, we urge you to support our LGBTQ+ youth with action:
1. Contact School Board Members Now: Email the Rocklin & Buckeye School Board members today and tell them why it’s dangerous to force out transgender and nonbinary kids ahead of the meeting. If you are a local in those areas, your voice makes an even greater impact. Share your personal experience growing up as an LGBTQ+ kid in school or that of students you know and love. Make sure they know that 73% of transgender adolescents report being abused and this policy would make the school responsible for painting a target on their back.
ROCKLIN
View the full regulation here:
7.1 Action on Revisions to Administrative Regulation: AR5020 Parent Rights & Responsibilities and Administrative Regulation: https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/rusd/Board.nsf/Public
EL DORADO HILLS (Buckeye) https://www.buckeyeusd.org/domain/3379
Rocklin School Board Contacts:
Julie Hupp, Board President
Tiffany Saathoff, Board Vice President
Rachelle Price, Board Clerk
Dereck Counter, Board Member
Michelle Sutherland, Board Member
Roger Stock, Superintendent
Buckeye School Board Meeting Contacts:
Gloria Silva, Board President
Jon Yoffie, Board Clerk
Brenda Hanson-Smith Ph.D., Board Member
Kirk Seal, Board Member
Scott Masten, Board Member
David Roth, Superintendent
2. Attend either the Rocklin School Board Meeting or the Buckeye School Board Meeting on September 6. Join advocates and allies at the meeting to demonstrate our commitment to creating a safe and inclusive educational environment.
Rocklin: September 6th, at 6:30 p.m., Address: 2615 Sierra Meadows Drive, Rocklin, CA 95677.
El Dorado Hills: September 6th, at 7:00 p.m., 5049 Robert J. Mathews Parkway, El Dorado Hills, CA, 95762
A large crowd supporting this dangerous policy is expected, so come early to be show your opposition or sign up to speak and share your perspective on why this policy can be harmful and urge the board to prioritize the well-being of LGBTQ+ students.
3. Engage Your Network: Share these graphics with your friends, neighbors, and colleagues that support the LGBTQ+ community. Spread the word on social media using this graphic or sharing your own story. Encourage them to participate and make their voices heard:
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Our strength lies in our solidarity as advocate, allies, and accomplices. By working together, we can ensure that school and our entire region is a place where LGBTQ+ people can thrive.