Plymouth-Canton public school students get a lesson in gender diversity and respect when they return from remote learning next year.
Board members in the western Wayne County district this week voted 6-0 to let students, staff and visitors use bathrooms and locker rooms according to their gender identity. The change means transgender and gender-nonconforming youths and adults can use male or female facilities regardless of their birth gender.
Patti McCoin: "Safety and a sense of belonging." (Photo: Plymouth-Canton Community Schools)
It also also lets student athletes compete on district-sponsored boys or girls teams, depending on the gender with which they most identify.
"This policy was designed to provide safety and a sense of belonging to our students, especially for those who are often marginalized, bullied and assaulted at higher rates than general students," says board president Patti McCoin, quoted by WXYZ.
The suburban system serving two communities has 17,353 students in 23 schools, plus 1,689 staff.
During a public Zoom meeting late Tuesday night, board members read comments from parents without naming any. Nearly all back the policy, though the station quotes a resident who derided "tonight's waste of time" and added:
"It's maddening to be discussing bathrooms instead of the lack of education and a plan to get our kids back."
Another dissent is based on religious belief:
"The transgender [policy] is guiding children down a path of destruction and darkness. You are enforcing confusion and deception in young impressionable minds.
"This policy is evil. God loves all children beyond measure. He made them perfectly in His image and does not make mistakes."
Example of an all-genders bathroom sign. (Photo: DepositPhotos)
One critic spoke by name two weeks ago when the proposal was introduced. "This policy is to the detriment of thousands of students in favor of a minority group," said Kristy Eldredge, whose 10th-grade daughter and middle school son are leaving the district next month to attend Plymouth Christian Academy. She's quoted at Hometown Life, a local news group owned by Gannett:
"The part of the policy that concerns me the most is the safety aspect. When a male student can go into the the same restroom or locker room as my daughter, no questions asked, that's a problem.
"And when someone opposes this policy change, like I do, they're labeled as small-minded or bigoted. I'm at the point where I don't really care what people who oppose my point of view think of me."
The board leader clarified Tuesday that the change opens different bathroom doors only for students who officially identify as trans. "This policy will not allow males to claim they are female on a day-to-day basis in order to gain entrance into women’s facilities," explained McCoin.
These are among supportive reactions read anonymously during this week's virtual discussion:
► "If there was better education and people would listen, I think they would understand these kids aren't going to hurt anyone. They're far more likely to get hurt themselves and they just want to live their true lives."
► "By approving this proposal, you will literally save the lives of trans kids by letting them know that they have rights, that their lives are important, they have a place at PCCS [Plymouth-Canton Community Schools] and that they will be protected from harms."
► "The passing of this policy will allow students to express themselves and live authentically without fear of discrimination or bullying. It is time to extend equal protection to all students."
Ferndale, Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Grass Lake and Spring Arbor are among public school systems with similar transgender policies.
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